COFFEE
BARS
Barnes
& Noble Café
Barnes
& Noble Booksellers, 20 Wolf Road, Colonie, 459-8183.
A sunny browsing café that features Starbucks coffee, as
well as espresso and cappuccino, chai and other teas. Also,
a variety of cold beverages including Italian sodas, and
a selection of sweet baked treats, as well as soup and panini.
Featuring four cheesecakes from the Cheesecake Factory.
Everyone’s welcome to bring books into the café. Serving
9 AM-11 PM Mon-Sat, 9-9 Sun. AE, D, DC, MC, V. $
Borders
Café
Borders
Books & Music, 59 Wolf Road, Colonie, 482-5800. There
are plenty of tables in this upstairs café, which features
pastries, desserts and a selection of coffees, teas, cold
beverages and sandwiches. Bring books along; browsing is
welcome. Poetry readings, live music and other entertainments
are frequently scheduled. Serving 9 AM-10:30 PM daily. AE,
D, DC, MC, V, personal checks. $
Café
Nora
Peter
Harris Plaza, Route 7, Latham, 783-6880. Scores of different
coffees, flavored and regular, as well as granitas (frozen
flavored drinks), and espresso and cappuccino. Also featuring
soups, sandwiches, bagels, éclairs, croissants, muffins
and desserts, including house-made gelato and sorbet. Please
call for hours of operation. AE, MC, V, personal checks.
$
Capital
Grounds
Shaker
Pine Plaza, Watervliet Shaker Road, Colonie, 869-3277. Fresh-roasted
coffee. Espresso bar. Light fare including breakfast sandwiches,
fresh-baked pastries and muffins. Lunch sandwiches now available.
Coffee available by the pound. All coffee roasted on premises.
Takeout available. 6:30 AM-4 PM Mon-Fri. AE, D, MC, V. $
The
Coffee Beanery Ltd.
Crossgates
Mall, 869-3039; Colonie Center, 438-1637; Rensselaer Amtrak
Station, 463-8770; Albany International Airport, 242-4303
and 242-4302; Saratoga Amtrak Station 583-0607. The Coffee
Beanery’s emphasis is on creating the “right roast,” roasting
each different gourmet bean to ensure the perfect roast
for optimum flavor. New flavors are served along with traditional
favorites, specialty coffee drinks and gourmet pastries.
Try the Italian-style cappuccino, made with the “espresso
perfecto” roast. At the Rensselaer Amtrak Station, there
are also hot and cold sandwiches, soups, and chili available.
Crossgates and Colonie locations open during mall hours.
Amtrak: 5:30 AM-8:30 PM daily; Airport: 5 AM-9 PM daily;
Airport kiosk: 5:30 AM-8 PM Mon-Fri, 5:30-5 Sat, 6:30 AM-8
PM Sun. Saratoga: 8 AM-5PM Mon-Fri, 10:30 AM-5 PM Sat, 10:30
AM-7PM Sun. D, MC, V. $
Coffee
Planet
100
Milton Ave., Ballston Spa, 884-9913. Classic and colorful
coffeehouse offering traditional drip selection with brews
changing daily as well as flavors, decafs, Fair Trade and
organics. Full espresso menu including lattes, cappuccinos
and mochas. Chillers, coffee coolers, fruit smoothies and
don’t forget mulled cider. Also bagels and cream cheese,
sweet and savory scones, cookies, shortbread, biscotti,
sandwiches, soups and dessert. Wines and microbrew beers
now available. Takeout available. Serving 7-7 Mon-Sat, 8-3
Sun. AE, D, MC, V, personal checks. $
The
Daily Grind
204
Lark St., Albany, 427-0464; 46 Third St., Troy, 272-8658.
www.dailygrind.com. The Troy location features a true coffee
bar with plenty of tables and couches, offering coffee of
the day, espresso, cappuccino, and latte, as well as gourmet
soups, sandwiches and desserts. Select teas, too. Serving
8-6 Mon-Wed, 8-11 PM Thu-Fri, 8-10 PM Sat, 9-6 Sun. At the
Lark Street location, you’ll find more than coffee: Upstairs
there’s a retail store where all their beans are roasted,
and downstairs there’s a European-style café offering an
eclectic variety of light fare. Serving 7 AM-10 PM Mon-Sat,
7 AM-8 PM Sun. AE, D, MC, V. $
Eugenio’s
Cafe Gelato
419
Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 691-6000. Featuring gelato made
on premises with imported Italian ingredients, and Italian
pastries made from Eugene’s family recipes. Italian espresso,
cappuccino and the house specialty, café gelato (espresso
with gelato topped with whipped cream and caramel). Also,
homemade lasagne, pizza, soups, sandwiches and more. Off-premises
catering, takeout available. Serving 11-9 Tue-Thu, 11-10
Fri-Sat, 11-9, Sun. MC, V. $
Everybody’s
Café
674
Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush, 479-2233. www.everybodyscafe.
com. Featuring a full espresso menu including latte and
cappuccino mocha and a large assortment of loose teas. Homemade
desserts and soups, and light fare served all day. Now serving
breakfast, along with Saturday brunch. Off-premises catering
and takeout available. Serving 7 AM-4 PM Mon-Tue and Thu-Fri,
7 AM-9 PM Wed, 8 AM-2 PM Saturday. AE, D, MC, V. $
Flavour
Café and Lounge
228
4th St., Troy, 266-9253. More than 30 flavors of fresh-brewed
coffee; also plenty of teas and Torani syrups. Menu features
soups, salads, wraps and panini sandwiches. On- and off-premises
catering, takeout available. Open 7 AM-11 PM Mon-Wed, 7
AM-1AM Thu-Fri, 9 AM-1 AM Sat, 9 AM-8 PM Sun. Cash and personal
checks. $.
Francesca’s
See
listing under “Light Fare.”
Ilium
Café
9
Broadway on Monument Square, Troy, 629-0004. Soups, salads,
sandwiches and paninis in an old-world, European-style coffeehouse
in historic downtown Troy. Featuring fair-trade coffees.
Serving 7:30 AM-10:30 PM Mon-Fri, 8 AM-10:30 PM, 9-5 Sun.
MC, V. $
Java
Jazz Café and Bakery
Main
Square Shoppes, 318 Delaware Ave., Delmar, 439-1727. (Shares
space with Seattle Sub & Pita Co.) Substantial line
of gourmet coffees available, as well as espresso drinks.
Special coffee flavors served daily, along with fresh muffins,
scones and cookies. Bakery features gourmet pastries and
fresh pies. Serving 7-7 Mon-Fri, 8 AM-3 PM Sat. Closed Sun.
AE, D, MC, V. $
Perfect
Blend
376
Delaware Ave., Delmar, 439-6537. Southwestern-themed independent
coffeehouse offering a selection of coffees, teas, espresso
drinks, chai, all-natural fruit smoothies and the original
Brooklyn egg cream. Fresh-baked pastries include scones,
muffins, bagels, cookies, biscotti, cannoli, lemon bars
and chocolate cake, as well as empanadas and quiche. Daily
specials. Private room for meetings and events, open patio.
Open 7 AM-10 PM Mon-Thu, 7 AM-11 PM Fri, 8 AM-11 PM Sat,
8 AM- 9 PM Sun. AE, MC, V, personal checks. $
Professor
Java’s Coffee Sanctuary
217
Wolf Road, Colonie, 435-0843. A light menu features sandwiches,
salads, wraps, quesadillas, stuffed breads, croissants,
bagels, pastries. Large selection of coffees, teas, fruit
frappes, etc. Coffee is roasted on the premises. It’s all
served in an eclectic, comfy atmosphere. Part of the Gift
Basket Company program. Open patio. Serving 6:30 AM-midnight
daily. AE, MC, V. $
Rock
Hill Bakehouse Café
19
Exchange St., Glens Falls, 615-0777. Rock Hill’s bread-based
café menu makes for uniquely satisfying breakfast and lunch
fare. Try the paisano, cinnamon-raisin or jalapeño-cheddar
bread. Also featuring organic coffee, scones, biscotti and
freshly baked bread. Mon-Fri 7-9, Sat 8-6, Sun 10-4. AE,
MC, V, personal checks. $
Stagecoach
Coffee
90
State St., Albany, 436-7233; 54 James St., Albany, 434-6255.
An extensive beverage list, including latte, cappuccino,
chai, Italian sodas, specialty drinks, frappuccino, fresh-fruit
smoothies and 35 different types of whole-bean coffees roasted
fresh daily. Fresh baked goods—including bagels, scones,
croissants and danishes—plus soups. State Street shop serving
6:30-5 Mon-Fri; James Street shop serving 7-2 Mon-Fri. Cash
or personal checks only at James St.; MC, V accepted at
State St. $
Starbucks
Stuyvesant
Plaza, 489-1064; Citizens Bank Building, 10 N. Pearl St.,
463-6990; Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 581-9498; St. James
Square, Niskayuna, 381-9340; Newton Plaza, Loudonville,
783-4544; Wolf Road, Colonie, 435-9280; 9 Clifton Country
Road, Village Plaza, Clifton Park, 373-5794. Contemporary
Seattle-based coffee chain specializing in gourmet coffee
drinks including cappuccino, latte, frappuccino and espresso,
plus pastries, and cookies. Call individual stores for hours.
AE, D, MC, V. $
Uncommon
Grounds
1225
Western Ave., Albany, 453-5649; 402 Broadway, Saratoga Springs,
581-0656. Wide selection of aromatic, freshly roasted and
freshly brewed coffees, teas of all kinds and a variety
of desserts. Great bagels and muffins, too (scones in Saratoga).
Albany location also offers a salad bar. Albany store: serving
6 AM-10 PM Sun-Thu, 6 AM-11 PM Fri-Sat. Saratoga store:
serving 6:30 AM-11 PM Mon-Thu, 6:30 AM-midnight Fri, 7 AM-midnight
Sat, 7 AM-11 PM Sun. Cash and local personal checks only
in Albany; MC, V accepted in Saratoga. $