Restaurants in Schenectady

After scouring the United States in pursuit of its finest barbecue, Memphis Smoke House's chefs embraced Tennessee's tangy and sweet flavors as their culinary medium. The barbecue aficionados eschew charcoal in favor of oak, hickory-apple, and cherry hardwoods to slow smoke their briskets, chicken, turkey legs, and ribs each day. They rub meats in specialty spices before smoking them, then douse the tenderized morsels in house-made memphis bourbon barbecue sauce. The staff serves each platter with cornbread and authentic Southern-style sides of Cajun hand-cut fries, hush puppies, or mashed-potato molds of Robert E. Lee. In their dining room, cool air wafts through the wall's colorful signs, and classic music resounds across an outdoor seating area beneath a red-and-white tent. Memphis Smoke House can also cater get-togethers ranging in size from 15 people to large events of 300.

The kitchen staff at Sweet Basil Restaurant combines Italian classics and East Coast culinary traditions to create the offerings on its extensive menus. In addition to everyday lunches and dinners, the owners host weddings and banquets and team up with Saratoga Comedy Club to bring their diners live shows every Saturday night. Between laughs, diners indulge in lightly breaded chicken parmigiana, broiled Atlantic salmon in a white-wine sauce, and slow-roasted prime rib.

East Cove Restaurant is housed inside a traditional log cabin in the Adirondacks, surrounded by lush forests and clear blue skies. Amid this landscape, you can dine on new york strip steaks, center-cut pork chops, and other classic american fare. The chefs here also prep fresh seafood and specialize in a number of international offerings, including wienerschnitzel, veal scallopini, and Yakov Smirnoff comedy routines.

Beneath the ruddy brick walls of Iron Roost, the clatter of forks punctuates conversation drifting from low-slung leather couches. A range of irons close with a sizzle, sculpting batter into golden squares, heart shapes, or silhouettes of the inventor of the waffle, who was perfectly round. The batter is infused with garlic and herbs, cinnamon, or a range of other ingredients, and savory toppings include swiss cheese, pesto, cheddar, and bacon. Sweet waffles are crowned by swirls of whipped cream, fresh blueberries, and tawny splashes of Nutella. The chocolate-and-hazelnut spread matches the dark tables around the lounge-like dining room, where patrons click through free WiFi on laptops.