It was just another Friday evening. We successfully made it through the week and all of our groceries. Hunger strikes and the age-old question is asked, “what’s for dinner?” Over the past few months there has been quite a bit of buzz about Chester’s Smokehouse [15 Watervliet Ave, Albany, NY 12206].
It was just past 6PM, and after doing a quick search of the address and hours of operation, I realized we didn’t have a lot of time to spare. We popped into the car, made the short journey, easily found parking right out front and entered. Cue the heavenly music, we’ve got another winner here. Carnivores commence drooling, the walls are lined with smoked meat in lockers, all items are made from scratch.
Bacon, deli meats, sausage, and Kielbasa links touted by Martha Stewart. Heck, they’ve even got a you’re your own mini hot dog/kielbasa bar. There are some meat and cheese samples to try out. Jeff went for a towering roast beef sandwich on Polish rye with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and onion.
He was seriously impressed with the product, and wants to come back soon to sample the kielbasa. Chester comes from Poland, so you will find items like pierogi and golabki. Even if you aren’t a meat eater you don’t have to miss out. I went for the mushroom pierogi which were divine. They are precooked, so when you bring them home all you have to do is heat them up on a pan with a bit of butter until they are golden brown. A perfectly thick crust, dense and savory, with an excellent flavorful filling – I am sold – these are the best I’ve ever encountered.
Other veggie options include delicious smoked cheeses and salads. If you are closer to Troy they have another location there as well. This European Smokehouse is such a treat to have right in our backyard, and I can’t wait to return again and again!