Featured Restaurant

New World Bistro Bar
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I began my love affair with Ric Orlando’s food craft at New World Home Cooking Co. in Saugerties, N.Y. nearly 5 years ago. Since my first visit, I have gone each year for my birthday as a special treat between my father and I.
I was thrilled upon hearing about the new restaurant, New World Bistro Bar that opened on Delaware Avenue in Albany, NY. That weekend, I had dinner there. The setting is much more formal than the laidback restaurant in Saugerties. No bright paintings hung on the walls, no hand painted tables, but with the warmth of the employees, the outdoor seating, and the indoor bench seating, the restaurant is still just as inviting.

Ric Orlando was recently a contestant on Food Network’s Chopped and won the $10,000 prize. In honor of his win, the courses that were made during the program will be added to the menu.
Ric Orlando’s vision is to give his patrons fresh, organic menu items. At this, he delivers. His menu items are original, inspired, and of course, delicious. Ric Orlando and his kitchen team take fruits and vegetables that are in season and make them shine.


Upon sitting down at the restaurant, a friendly waiter takes my drink order, and asks if it is my first time. They then explain Orlando’s heat index as they place jalapeño cheddar and sourdough bread in front of me along with a dipping bowl of top shelf olive oil.
For an appetizer on this visit, I ordered seasoned steak fries with chipotle aioli dipping sauce and pan-blackened string beans with a Creole remoulade sauce. The steak fries were perfectly crisped on the outside and tasted perfect alongside spicy the dipping sauce. The string beans were hotter than I remembered since my hothead father ordered them. I was able to wash down the heat with an organic root beer.

For a main course, I ordered my favorite, medium well steak with chimichurri sauce. This was the first thing I had ever ordered at New World, and is still my favorite. Chimichurri sauce is a green sauce made primarily with cilantro, parsley, lemon and olive oil. Chimichurri serves as a stellar complement to meat without parsing the flavor of the meat itself.
As I peruse the desert menu, I order a coffee. I see an apple fruit tart as well as chile truffles. Knowing that my guest will order the apple fruit tart, I set my sights on the Nutella and Mascarpone mousse. Nutella is a chocolate hazelnut spread. Mascarpone is a sweet, spreadable cheese used often in deserts. Together, they make a delectable, fluffy desert. The apple fruit tart resembled a Brown Betty, or a fruit tart with a crumbled brown sugar crust. It was warm, sugary and delicious.
This self-proclaimed foodie highly recommends New World to anyone interested in the artistry of food. Ric Orlando truly is a master. For more information about New World, check out newworldbistrobar.com.

Review by Kelley Imbody (Chief Culinary Consultant)

Photography by Bryan R.Case