Mr. Pio Pio and the short list, Albany, NY

People often ask me to name my favorite restaurant in the Albany area. Questions like this make me stumble, and fumble, and want to talk about baseball, a subject I don't care about, but one which always strikes me as safe and diverting. I wonder if George Clooney feels something similar when people ask him to pick a favorite woman.

I…uh…well….How can I explain….

I don’t have a main-squeeze restaurant. One committed relationship is all I manage. I’m loyal to my husband, and that’s enough monogamy for me. With restaurants I prefer to indulge my whimsical, inconsistent, love-ya-till-I-leave-ya side. I have affairs with diners, holes-in-the wall with wonderful smoothies, bistros with perfectly tossed salads or a garlic paste that spins my brain around till I can’t quite remember my name. It’s a deep, brooding crush kinda thing -- tell all my friends and then tell them again, visit often, taste everything, or order the same thing over and over and over, whatever strikes me. It’s my dalliance to do with as I wish. But then, one day, inevitably I forget. Some new place catches my eye. The glow fades, and I move on. Where ever it is that I’m frequenting now, it's likely, almost assured, that it won't be the same place in six months. Just the way I am.

Except when I’m not.

There’s short list of restaurants that keep me coming back, month after month, and, in some rare cases, year after year. Sometimes it’s one dish that hooks me even if the place has other problems -- I’m thinking salt-and-pepper squid at CCK. Sometimes it's the atmosphere. Always, always, with any long-term place, there’s a person or family that makes me feel welcome the moment I walk in the door. I go back to Sushi Tei in part because I like the traditional Japanese dishes like stewed taro that are hard to find elsewhere. And even if they overcook their udon a tad, the broth makes me almost enjoy being deep-winter cold just so I can feel its warmth spread across my chest. Sushi Tei is also affordable -- big in my book. But these things alone wouldn’t be enough to hold me year after year. It’s Jackie who makes the difference. Jackie and her husband run their restaurant with a perfect blend of familiarity and professionalism. Walking in feels like coming home, except with all the privileges of a much-cared-for guest. There are nights when I’ve been under the weather, or overworked, or just feeling the press of a lonely day, and Sushi Tei has always been a comfort. On those nights, it wouldn’t have made a lick of difference what they served. Jackie’s warmth and welcome were the nourishment I needed.

But these places – the one-dish wonders and the spots that feel like home – they are rare, and the list is short. Recently, though, I’ve been thinking that Mr. Pio Pio may make the cut.

I reviewed it for the Albany Times Union a few months back. I kept meaning to post the review here, but didn’t get around to it. Here is a link.I liked it a lot on my review visits. But, hey, I like a lot of places, don’t mean I go back. Mr. Pio Pio's been different.

The glow is still there, and I find myself returning again and again. In part this due to my daughters. They nag me, tugging my shirt, repeating themselves, jumping up and down and landing on my toes.

At times, two bouncing seven-year-olds chirping Mr. Pio Pio, Mr. Pio Pio can be pretty cute. And when they get going on a real twin roll, looping and passing the chant back and forth so there is never a break, well, their pleas are also persuasive in a self-preservation, I-may-lose-my-mind-if-they-keep-talking kinda way. But, truth is, Mr. Pio Pio is an easy sell.

I like most things there.

They have decent rice -- a rarity around here and a big deal to me. (The review has specifics about several menu items.)

But what draws me back is the red sauce and the snapper.This may be the best fish dish I’ve had in Albany at any price point. It’s certainly in the running. And if my return rate is any measure, it’s my clear favorite. The fish is so tender and sweet it makes me all sentimental. And there isn’t the least hint of greasiness even though it’s fried. The bits of yucca that arrive alongside pretty much send the whole the over the top.

I love the fish, and this is what my girls’ beg me for every time we go. But the house-made hot sauces are what will probably keep me hooked for some time to come.

At the moment the red is my favorite, but I have a great time debating the issue – red or green, red or green – each time I go. (Details on the sauces are in the review.)

My daughter Rae took one look at this plate and said, “Mom, we completely destroyed that fish.” Ummm, yup.

The flan’s not bad either.

If they start serving coffee, I may be a complete goner.

I’ll know for sure in five or six months, but my guess is that Mr. Pio Pio has a firm spot on my short list.