Restaurants in Albany

A bouquet of fresh flowers greets customers as they enter the elegant wood and glass-paned doors at Seison Restaurant & Lounge, acting as the first indicator of the eatery’s fresh, local feel. A seasonal meal might begin with artichoke fritters and a fresh autumn panzanella dressed in olive oil and vinegar before the waitstaff skillfully delivers anything from cheeseburgers and fries to saffron-infused shrimp. Dessert makes its best attempt to trump the main course with warm rice pudding dotted with almonds and louisiana bread pudding drizzled with bourbon sauce. Meals can be followed by a romantic postdinner stroll or game of elevator tag through the eatery’s home—the historic Washington Inn Hotel.

The azure-blue sea and palm-tree-lined beach on El Nuevo Frutilandia's rustic painted sign hint at the Caribbean cuisine served inside. A modest menu highlights multiple courses of Cuban and Puerto Rican dishes, including meatless options such as mofongo vegetariano, a classic dish of fried plantains smashed together with olive oil and garlic. Pork is featured throughout the menu, whether roasted and sliced alongside ham and cheese in the Cuban sandwich, or fried as chops with a spritz of lemon and crown of onions.

Ayalnesh Chanialew learned the art of Ethiopian cooking through observation. She first watched cooking techniques and styles in Ethiopia, where she was born. As a child, she frequently traveled to different countries with her father, an ambassador. Through her travels, she learned to adapt her palate and cooking style to incorporate those of different cultures. This knack for adaptation shines in her cooking, whether she is substituting herb-infused olive oil for the traditional butter in her restaurant's dishes or making chips out of Ethiopian flatbread for a new textural experience.

At Sheba Dining, guests feast on both vegan entrees and meat, ranging from lean beef and sautéed lamb to raw ahi tuna, all seasoned with signature spices such as ginger, cardamom, and chili. After testing out her injera chips on customers, Ayalnesh began packaging and selling them as a commercial snack, which are now sold at health-food stores including Whole Foods. Her desire to promote Ethiopian cuisine has led Ayalnesh to expand her commercial exploits to sauces and dips, including a spicy red-lentil sauce made from those lentils that fail their anger-management-therapy course.

Like a tree’s favorite sport, the menu at Aperto changes with the seasons, adapting to whatever local, organic ingredients are currently available—including wild-caught fish and poultry from Fulton Valley Farms. Besides the housemade pastas and entrees such as red-wine-braised beef short ribs, a selection of white and red wines pairs well with the rust- and cream-colored decor. As Meredith Brody of SF Weekly observed in 2008, the “simple but effective” furnishings include wainscot rails, framed photographs, and a large armoire where grandpas can nap after a hearty meal.

Om Shan Tea's kitchen flourishes with vegan and mostly organic ingredients that are locally sourced when possible, but it also can be characterized by what it doesn't have. That includes a microwave, a fryer, gluten, refined sugars, and peanuts, with few exceptions noted clearly on the menu. The eatery crafts soup, salad, bowls, and open-faced sandwiches—which are obviously more honest—with fragrant seasonings and earthy, healthful ingredients such as adzuki beans, quinoa, coconut oil, hempseed, and kale.

Echoing the establishment's emphasis on community, organic tea is served by the pot in Chinese-tea-ceremony style. A long menu of varieties includes yunnan black, raw yerba mate, and tulsi teas. The establishment also hosts a full calendar of events, including concerts, dance performances, and poetry readings.

The clean and simple design scheme of a striped awning, weathered bricks, and street-side tables that marks the front of Hot Cajun Seafood (formerly BFC Seafood) matches the business’s succinct menu. Its brevity allows cooks to perfect the main element of each entree, including crispy chicken wings, ocean perch, catfish nuggets, and oysters. Fish and chicken also retire to parlors located inside sandwiches along with meats such as roast beef and pastrami; and a Middle Eastern section of the menu describes platefuls of hummus and kebabs. But perhaps the most popular page is the dessert section, where pie and cake reign.