Taste of Troy Food Tours LLC

Finding your ‘hygge’! As the days get darker and colder in the Northeast and the rise in COVID-19 cases being attributed to living room gatherings - it seems necessary for us to find a way to get cozy with just those in your bubble. The Danish concept of hygge, or hyggelig (adj.), refers to finding comfort, pleasure, and warmth in simple, soothing things such as a cozy atmosphere or the feeling of friendship.... Here’s to finding your hygge this weekend and holiday season. See more

Tonight is the second night of Chanukah. This Festival of Lights will not glow quite as brightly this year, since we won’t be able to gather with friends and family. We will make latkes and some new recipes ( fried artichokes hearts with garlic to top fried eggplant.) Pick up some jelly doughnuts from @ciderbellyofficial to round out the meal! ... What traditions will you keep this holiday season and what modifications will you make? See more

Even if you are feeling strapped this holiday season, kindness goes a long way. Please share a kind word, a wave (smiles are harder to see with masks on). We are all dealing with the cumulative impact of this 2020 and pandemic world! Wishing you all happiness and warmth in this holiday season.

#TBT The serendipity of being able to share the #CapitalWalls as they are being created by local artists with my tour guests - is something I miss! Try as I might to keep up with the art and infrastructure development of my two tour cities - Albany and Troy, even in the time of COVID, lots of changes are underway. What have you discovered that is new since 2019 in the Capital Region? Write in the comments below...

Supporting our independent restaurants and small businesses in any way we can afford, has been my focus and plea since the start of COVID-19 shutdown and its long continuation. Yesterday I learned the sad news that a second restaurant on one of my food tours is closing for good. Ama Cocina was a delicious restaurant in Downtown Albany for 5 years and a favorite of my tour guests. Many of them returned on their own. Obviously help is neede...d from many levels to help businesses survive this crazy pandemic world but we can all do our part. Small businesses and independent restaurants help define and create our communities. We will miss them if they are forced to close down for good. Thanks to all of you who have purchased my Boxes of Local Love that directly support 22 small businesses and donations to 3 different non-profits. I will be offering my next box for Valentine's Day but can also work with you to curate a custom box. @ama_cocina @discoveralbany @troybid @renscochamber @renscotourism See more

2020 was a challenge for almost all of us and it highlighted how little control we have in many areas of our life. As the New Year Approaches and the current year draws to a close, it is common to create resolutions about what we want to be different, improve upon ... Were there things that 2020 actually gave us that we could perceive as gifts? Are there things it helped us to see we could do without? Please feel free to share what you gained this year or what things you were forced to let go of, that you might not want to do anymore...

Our Boxes of Local Love, directly support multiple small, local businesses. They also send your loved ones a delicious hug that shows caring for at times you might have celebrated together but 2020 hasn't allowed. Check out our details for our November Box of Local Love by clicking our in bio!

Twenty five December Boxes of Local Love - Packed and ready to mail out today! Nineteen More December Boxes of Local Love to be packed and delivered next week to a local professional office- to celebrate the holiday with their staff safely ... Fifty-two custom holiday gift bags to be collected, packed for pick up on December 21, for @regeneron team My vendors are very busy and time is running short - but reach out if you want help creating a custom holiday gift for your clients, employees or loved ones! See more

A week from today is official Election Day- lucky for us many states including NY has begun to allow early voting! 2019 was 100 years to passage of women’s suffrage. Our foremothers lobbied hard to get men to vote them the right to vote. Voting isn’t a valentine to a candidate it using your right and voice to express which candidate is closest to your issues and will give a hearing to all citizens! I will have voted by the time of this post, since I... will be a poll worker on a November 3 - working from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm. Please vote if you haven’t yet done so. #vote #vote2020 #votevotevote See more

HALLOWEEN TREAT, no tricks! Purchase a November Box of Local Love through 10/31; Tag a friend in the comments Share this video on your social media and tag us (@tasteoftroyfoodtours) You will get a $5 @ciderbellyofficial gift card ( your choice- added to the box or sent to you!)... Support 10 small businesses this week plus Soul Fire Farms! Boxes cost $89, include tax and shipping! Boxes will be sent out the week of 11/16 to arrive in time for Thanksgiving! @collarcitycandles @tieberrysweets @parchmentbakingcompany @stacksespressobar @shortandstout.tea @brownsbrewingco @whatspoppinalbany @discoveralbany @troymarket @dutchdesserts See more

Travel is a passion - happy to be able to have a ‘safe’ getaway to Wellfleet on Cape Cod! Perfect fall weather- biking , seeing wild turkeys and heron on a paddle board- getting to have lobster ( my husband the vegetarian veterinarian,hates to watch me dissect a whole one) so @macs_shack for delicious Lazy Lobster on your final weekend of service! Hope you are enjoying your weekend and making your plans to vote - if you haven’t yet voted! We will vote on Monday!

A cuppa - whether you prefer coffee or tea - is welcome as the days get cooler. Which is your favorite? Stacks Espresso Bar is now roasting their own coffee and Short and Stout have some great tea, tisane blends! Both are partnering with us in our November Box of Local Love!

Wednesday wisdom! Have you supported local this week? All of us can play a part in getting past the year of C0VID-19, we can wear our masks, Keep 6 feet apart from those not in our bubble, support our local businesses ( in the way we feel comfortable- in person or ordering online), wash our hands and VOTE!... Have a delicious day! See more

Starting to feel stress if the election, not being with loved ones during the holidays, gift giving and what you do to support local businesses? We have a feel good gift box just for you! Learn more below... Parchment baking company Brown's Brewing Company What’s Poppin Albany Collar City Candle Short and Stout Tea Stacks Espresso Bar TieberrySweets Dutch Desserts - Exquisite Tarts Soul Fire Farm

Does this photo make your mouth water ? One of the small businesses partnering with us for our November Box of Local Love, What’s Poppin, opened in 2018 with the goal of bringing the best quality popcorn at affordable prices for all! In 2016, as O’Tooles Restaurant and Pub took over the store space next door, they researched what was missing:lacking in the Albany area. They discovered that Chicago was the popcorn Capital of the world. Wh...en we could still travel easily state to state, they visited and did the most delicious type of research - going shop to shop eating and uncovering the tricks of the trade! When you purchase one of our November Boxes of Local Love, you can choose between their cheddar Carmel flavor or their seasonal Cranberry Orange flavor! Either choice is guaranteed to be delish! See more

Will you be in Troy this coming Saturday? Check out the new artwork blooming in Franklin Alley I took these on Thursday, there may be more by Saturday. You could probably grab some delicious ice cream from @thedutchudder too!

Collar City Candle has some wonderful scents in their candles! At this time of year some people can’t get enough of pumpkin spice and others go wild for cider doughnuts. Either way, you can get your preference in our November Box of Local Love- support local and share the fall season favorites! @collarcitycandle

Time to practice voting! You get to pick one item in each row, for a total of 6! Comment which ones you would choose (I already had a fellow food tour host want to get both items from TieBerry Sweets.) Tag a friend and ask them! Maybe they will help you create the personalized gift to send them this holiday season, just in time for Thanksgiving!

With gratitude for Steve Barnes and Table Hopping blog! I am thankful for this community we live in and the entrepreneurs who offer us the products of their passions. Please shop local and support our small businesses! #dutchdesserts #parchmentbakingcompany #tieberrysweets #stacksespressobar #shortandstouttea #whatspoppinalbany #collarcitycandle #brownsbrewingcompany #soulfirefarm #discoveralbany #troymarket