strawberry gelato from Crisan Bakery

10 Things to Love # 9: Crisan Bakery, Albany, NY

It usually takes more than a single encounter to make me declare my love, but give a girl a hearkens-back-to-walks-on-the-Italian-Rivera cup of strawberry gelato for $1 and there is no telling what she'll do.

I try to be patient here on Celinabean. If I like a place, I go back. If I still like it, I go back again and bring my camera. If I like it a third time, I start thinking about telling you about it.

But my patience is contrived at best. I'm really more the jump-up-and-down type who slobbers like a puppy and obsesses like a love-sick teenager. And this time my instincts have won out.

Crisan Bakery is the whole package. Beautiful pastries that beg (in a thick French accent) for a good cup of coffee to go with them.

baked goodies from Crisan Bakery

Espresso and cappuccino at the ready. Lovely tables and funky stools. And, oh yes, the one-dollar gelato.

flaky goodness

Here is what I can recommend so far. Bear in mind that I'm not much of a sweet tooth, and I lean toward pastries with bit of savory or tart to balance out the butter and sugar. The plum strudel had that perfect tart-sweet blend. And the cinnamon-walnut roll reminded me of the nutty pastries I had in Greece. My favorite was the puff pastry filled with feta. One bite and every Romanian gene in my body sighed a slow deep smile.

I can't wait to go back. Crisan Bakery is now going to the top of my how-I-get-my-friends-to-move-to-Albany list. I've been once. But, hey, I knew I wanted to marry my husband the first day I met him. (I didn't tell anyone though.)

Details:
Crisan Bakery and Edible Ary Gallery
197 Lark Street, Albany, NY

(518) 445-2727

I don't think they've settled on the hours for sure yet. Here is a link to what my friends at All Over Albany had to say.


nut roll

posted June 16, 2008 | link | comments (11)

filed under: Lists, Places, Ten Things to Love, Albany, Crisan Bakery, Lark Street, NY

AllOverAlbany.com

Comments

Yes.

YES.

This place is wonderful - I just stopped in for a gelato, but wow is this place great. I love the bright blue tables outside.

- by Albany Jane on Jun 16, 2008 at 3:40 PM | link

I stopped by today to pick up some birthday treats for my husband. All the pastries looked so beautiful. And the chocolate gelato with splinters of chocolate throughout was fabulous. I think this place is going to be at least a once a week lunch time visit for me. Albany is so lucky to have this lovely new business downtown.

- by Third Auntie on Jun 16, 2008 at 6:24 PM | link

Looks and sounds AMAZING!! Those pasteries may actually turn me into a snacker!

- by Kristi on Jun 17, 2008 at 4:21 PM | link

I love the blue tables outside too and the artistry that has gone into the design of the space and the food. It's a real treat to have in Albany. Almost makes Albany feel like a real grown-up city. Now we just need a Metro.

- by Laura on Jun 18, 2008 at 9:57 PM | link

va rog sa ma contactati la adresa de mai sus. eu am vorbit cu doamna crisan in legatura cu elaborarea unui catalog de prezentare cu produsele si mi-a spus sa va contactez la oa dresa de e-mail si nu am nici un raspuns. Vreau sa tin legatura cu dvs pentru a sti care sunt punctele de plecare ca sa putem demara un satfel de catalog. Noi am lucrat pentru multe companii din tara si am fost apreciati dar am avut una doua discutii preliminare cu beneficiarul pentru a stabili formatul,tematica s.s.
Asadar va rog sa ma ajutati in acest sens

nr de telefon este:+40 765 276176
ioan bancioiu

- by dacia literara on Jun 19, 2008 at 4:31 AM | link

If you love savory, try Crisan's Sauerkraut Horseshoe. It may sound weird, but it's the closest thing I've had to my German grandmother's cabbage strudel. Crisan's version is tangy (not sour American sauerkraut) and has the bite of fresh ground black pepper. Great for lunch or dinner or maybe cut into smaller pieces as an appetizer. Right now they are making different things and seeing what the local customers like. So you may find different treats each time you visit.
Crisan's pastries are unique for this area and have roots in Central European cuisine (plums, poppyseeds, strudels). And the gelato is the best I've had. The scoop is just the right amount--not a pig-out ice cream cone or sundae. Very civilized. Welcome to Albany!

- by chrisck on Jun 20, 2008 at 11:02 AM | link

Diagnosis: Delicious!

- by The Bat Boy on Jun 20, 2008 at 12:26 PM | link

Crisan update. I went back with my friend who was visiting from Seattle. She was impressed. Crisan seems to be working in the whole get-my-friends-to-move-to-Albany crusade. Everything I had was great except, I have to say, the croissants. They aren't very flaky, more like a sweet bread texture, or the bottom of a popover, or something. Not bad tasting but not a croissant. The lemon ice is amazing, though.

- by celinabean on Jun 20, 2008 at 4:58 PM | link

Regarding the croissants, they explained to me that these are not like French croissants (flaky puff pastry), but are actually like a light, but rich yeast dough (think brioche). At one point I saw them labeled Translyvanian Croissants. I think you either like 'em or you don't, but it helps to not expect them to be traditional French style croissants. They do a plain version and one with a chocolate-hazelnut (nutella) filling.

- by chrisck on Jun 20, 2008 at 6:18 PM | link

I went to the Crisan bakery over the weekend with friends who live nearby. All I can say is that I never had such delicious and beautiful food. The gelato is better than I ever ate in all of Italy, and I have been to every gelateria in that country, maybe missed a couple, but this tops it all. The real treat for me was the fruit strudel..it was amazing, fresh and fabulous.
They keep bringing out new stuff as you sit there. My friend had an espresso with hazelnut gelato, and that was superb!! My other friend ordered a chocolate square..and clearly they use the finest chocolate, and the other ingredients are simply the best! I wish they had a branch in my neighborhood, or in the city. WOW!!!

- by karen saler on Aug 8, 2008 at 4:57 PM | link

My friend recommended this place and I went there last night. I had the raspberry shortcake and my husband got tiramisu gelato. It was wonderful!! the bill was only $5.00. I am certainly going back this weekend, I will try the coffee then.

- by Pilar G on Aug 13, 2008 at 10:06 AM | link

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