Elite Event – New Menu Preview at The Hollow

What makes an event good? People feel welcomed at the beginning, comfortable during the event, and leave feeling satisfied.
Elite Unilocalers were welcomed by a friendly hostess and led to the back bar area where two long tables had been laid with water glasses, lit candles, fresh flowers, and of course, a Unilocal table with name tags at the entrance to the recessed dining area. Daniel B. offered each guest a check in swag item and requested each Unilocaler trade with another as a type of ice beaker. I thought the idea was fun and gave us a chance to chat about various Unilocal events we had attended and our general experiences with Unilocal.
Unilocalers were made comfortable with plenty of good food and a diverse array of drinks. The main purpose of the evening was to sample the new menu created by Anna, the new head chef, which will debut in the coming weeks. Also having Mike, one of the owners, serve us really conveyed the pride he, Anna, and Dora have in The Hollow.
Anna did a fabulous job of portioning the dishes in such a way that allowed the diners to enjoy each dish without being uncomfortably full. Each dish was paired with a wine or beer which were introduced by Anna and Mike, respectively. By the end we were sated, but not stuffed. Until dessert. Then I was stuffed. But seriously, you know the food is amazing if it’s still good when you’re not even hungry.
After an evening of good food and conversation, there were some closing remarks by Anna, Mike, and Daniel B.
I feel it’s safe to say we all left satisfied. We were included in the Unilocal community, given an opportunity to have a voice in the local food scene, and (obviously) enjoyed wonderful food with fellow foodies.

This was a fantastic event for me. I really enjoyed meeting other active Unilocalers and it was exciting to be in on the «ground floor» of the new menu at The Hollow. Thanks to everyone at The Hollow and Daniel for putting it together.
My favorite course of the evening was the Schnitzel, and it had to be good to stand out because I was stuffed by then and didn’t want another bite. The coating was so crispy and light, the chicken was so juicy, tender, and tasty, and the accompanying sides were well done and coordinated.
The fried calamari may have been the best I ever had (someone should invite Ruth and her husband for their take!). It was crispy and tender and the peppadew spice added a nice smoky spicy hit without being overwhelming. The Blue cheese crumbles went really well with it too. Very creative and perfectly cooked.
I loved the tuna also, that was something I would order again. The bourbon cream sauce was a great accompaniment and I loved that the flavor changed each bite depending on whether I was getting some sauce with it. I would like it rarer than my piece was.
The Brussels were very good and nice change on the roasted ones that are common. I would want them as a side dish though rather than their own course.
The cheese sauce wasn’t up to the level of the other items. It had a lot going on with complexity of flavor but I still didn’t love it and the texture was off for me.
The surprise hit of the evening for me was the pairings — as Josh said, who would have thought that I would like the wine parings even more than the beer ones. Nicely done. I hope the menu has pairing suggestions on it. If not I will ask the manager — he definitely knew what he was doing.

Such a great event! I had no idea what to expect, but Chef Anna and her team left me wowed.
After viewing the menu, I was most excited for the beer cheese dip and pretzels and least for the calamari and ahi tuna. I’d never had either before, and I have serious reservations about most seafood. However, Thanks to the great support of the Unilocal Elite team, I tried everything, and I am thankful that I did. I was so pleasantly surprised by the calamari. No rubbery or fishy taste! Just crispy, spicy, tangy decadence. The ahi tuna was also a nice surprise. Mine was almost cooked through — not rare like the menu listed — but I was thankful for that. The sear was great, and the bourbon cream sauce was rich and flavorful. That picked red pepper and fried arugula was what set the dish over the top for me – great texture and flavor for both! I wasn’t blown away by the white rice on the bottom, and would have loved to see a risotto or even a wild rice, but the tuna was still a hit.
The pretzels and cheese dip was my only let down of the night. I LOVE pretzels and beer cheese dip, and order it wherever I see it. My boyfriend and I are known to take frequent trips to Druthers and eat their dip for our meal. However, like other Unilocalers, I felt the texture here was just a little off-​putting (lumpy) and the flavor somewhat one note. I mean, it is still tasty so because it’s *beer cheese*, but I wouldn’t order this again as it is now. Although I was disappointed to learn that the «house baked» pretzels were a frozen product, I thought they were still pretty delicious. Maybe The Hollow could instead partner with a local bakery for their pretzels? (We Albany Elites appreciate local business partnerships).
I enjoyed the simplicity of the brussels sprouts starter, but would have liked to see a crispy preparation. However, definitely the best sautéed Brussels sprouts I’ve had! I thought the schnitzel was great, too, and very tender, but would have liked to see a hint of spice in it.
Speaking of local business partnerships, I was pleased to sample the desserts from Fifth Tier Baking Studio, even though I was stuffed. Although I might pass on the pumpkin cheesecake next time — to me its texture was closer to a pumpkin mousse, which is tasty, but not as rich as I like with my cheesecake — the flourless chocolate cake was crazy delicious, super rich, and way better than the tootsie-​roll like texture of other versions I’ve tried.
The drink pairings were all great. Sadly, I didn’t get to finish mine, as I didn’t know about the pairing, and I was driving, but it was such a nice touch.
Thanks for allowing us to be a part of this event! It was great to meet new people, along with the new chef! I’d been to the Hollow on 4 or 5 occasions under the old chef (dine in, take out, and events), and have had some good dishes and some real flops, but with the new menu, I’m sure I’ll be back to the Hollow for dinner soon! Looking forward to seeing more seasonal, thoughtful dishes to come!

Thank you to the Hollow and their staff for hosting us.
The highlights were the calamari with blue cheese and powdered peppadew peppers. The breading was crunchy without being heavy with a tender interior. The powdered peppers were a innovative touch on a dish that tends too be overdone, lackluster and/​or greasy. I don’t recall ever having calamari without a sauce. It wasn’t missed.
I’ll back for it.
The other winner was the chicken schnitzel, chef Anna’s riff on her grandmother’s dish. Her grandmother would be proud. The bourbon cream sauce provided a richness to dish. The warm Brussels sprout slaw complemented the chicken well.
In addition, the drink pairings with the dishes were fantastic, with the Darcie Kent Cabernet Sauvignon being my favorite. The service manager did a great job paring each beverage with each course.
One small hiccup– The ahi tuna was flavorful but it wasn’t cooked according to the description of rare.
The Hollow is known for its live shows and hosting bands, but with this new menu I do think it has the potential to draw people in for it’s food. I’m looking forward to see what Chef Ana has in store.
Lastly, Dan, these events are wonderful and thank you for your effort and time!

«It’s sweet to be Elite!» and to be a guest of Chef Anna at The Hollow was surely a treat!
The 5 course tasting and respective beer and wine pairings (plus surprise dessert) were very well prepared and presented. My favorites were the calamari with the perfect kick of spice and the chicken schnitzel (those shiitake mushrooms really had great marsala flavor!) I also enjoyed the ahi tuna although like most Elites have said it was just slightly more cooked than the rare it claimed itself to be, but that bourbon cream sauce… oh my!
What a fun night out with the Elites and I’m looking forward to many more!

5 course tasting menu with wine/​beer pairings. I absolutely loved the spicy calamari with the pepper and blue cheese. What can I say. I’m Korean and love all things spicy. Kind of reminded me of squid and gochujang. I’m used to seared ahi being a little more rare then what we were served, but nevertheless I still enjoyed it. I cant believe how much Pearl Street has changed. No more Bayou, Plastic with the yellow Murcielago Lambo out front or Savannahs. It feels like DT Albany is going through a transformation and trying to compete with the DT Troy area as the place to be. The Hollow is definitely worth checking out.

5 course tasting menu, with wine and beer pairings. Engaging conversation with cool and interesting people. People that love food as much as I do.
Dang, these Unilocal events just keep getting better and better.
We got to meet the chef, she talked about the dishes, and what influenced her to create them. Listening to her it was obvious she put her heart into her food.
She asked what we thought of the dishes, and was genuinely concerned that we liked them. But she had nothing to worry about, the dishes were fantastic.
Brussels sprouts, simply prepared with butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. I love brussels sprouts, and these were delicious.
A creative take on calamari, with blue cheese and powdered peppadew peppers for heat. Powdered peppers? I just know it worked really well. Forget marinara, I want blue cheese with my calamari from now on. I heard more than one person at the table say it was some of the best calamari they’d ever had.
Then came the tuna. So full of flavor. Tender, and cooked just past rare. It was a big hit.
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, out came the schnitzel. Tender, super juicy, and crispy chicken, over tasty mashed potatoes. Topped with a brussels sprouts slaw, and shiitake mushrooms. Gosh, that was good.
The new menu at The Hollow is a winner.

The Tuna dish. With a different flavor profile each bite — oh man that was good.
The Schnitzel — so juicy, so crisp. I had to eat Steve N’s remaining portion — wimp!
The calamari — who’d thought blue cheese crumbles would pair so nicely?
The new chef (Anna) is who. She was doing special things in the kitchen.
And I was actually more into the wine pairing tonight than the beer. Who’d thought that?!
Bravo.

I loved having the chance to meet so many new people who are as enthused by food as I am.
The variety of dishes were perfect and, of course, the alcohol pairings were appreciated and enjoyed. If only I didn’t have to drive!
I would have to say my favorite dish was a toss up between the chicken schnitzel and the calamari. I thought the combination of flavors for both were unique and creative. Both were also perfectly cooked; the calamari was tender yet crispy and the chicken was juicy and crisp. I loved the bleu cheese, lemon and peppadew additives to the calamari. It gave a great blend of acidity and spice. The schnitzel, to me, was a great twist on home cooking with the mashed potatoes and breaded chicken, but the marsala sauce, brussel sprout slaw and shiitake mushrooms made it a more mature dish. The flavors all blended very nicely.
The other dishes were good as well. The tuna was a little overcooked (not rare as specified on the menu), but the quality was still there. The spicy seasonings coating the tuna and the sweet bourbon cream sauce was a great contrast for this dish. The fried arugula gave a great charred aspect as well.
The brussel sprouts, while simple, were fresh and well cooked.
I was on the disappointed side with the beer cheese dip. The consistency could have been creamier; it was a bit too gloppy. You could definitely taste the beer and cheese, but this dish was just okay to me. Maybe it could have used some spice?
The quantities they gave, for a tasting, were generous. They definitely didn’t skimp on the pairings, I just feel bad I had to waste so much. The chef and staff were super friendly. The ambiance was dark and mysterious in some areas, yet modern in others with the mason jar lights. I liked it. I could definitely see coming back here to drink with some friends.

Who knew it could be this good. But the beer and food pairings tonight were on par. Everything was very tasty and I enjoyed every bite of everything that was served.
By far my favorite had to be the calamari; since I didn’t know I would like it as much as i did this evening. Perfect spices and cooked to perfection and so tender. Usually it isn’t ever this good at many places so why I’m hesitant but actually would like to have it again but only at The Hollow.
The other surprise was the chicken schnitzel a dish that can sometimes be very dry but this one was very moist and delicious along with being crisp.
I did also enjoy very much the ahi tuna with the bourbon cream sauce.
These Unilocal events are getting better and better.

Another stellar Unilocal event! Boy, does our Ambassador know how to pull together some really enjoyable events. It’s not often a bunch of foodies are given the opportunity to preview a new menu at a restaurant, and then find that each of the courses are so enjoyable. Not to mention that the chef is also competing as one of the Rising Stars in the Capital District.
The management, the chef and the servers were very gracious in allowing us to have this opportunity and deserve our fullest appreciation. THANK YOU!
I’ve been to meals that were paired with wine and others that were paired with beer. But this was a first for me where the chef (Anna) chose the best beverage in her opinion, be it beer or wine, to match up with each course she had prepared.
The sautéed Brussels sprouts were a perfect match with the Goose Island Oktoberfest. I found it a good mix of cabbage bitterness with malty sweetness.
As others at my table enthusiastically exclaimed, the Calamari were perfectly cooked to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. With added bleu cheese crumble and powdered peppadew, it changed forever how many of us now want to have our squid prepared. The sauvignon blanc served with it allowed all the flavors of the dish to simply dance on your tongue.
While some at the table were not overly excited by the beer cheese dip accompanying the soft pretzels, once they combined the taste with the paired Ithaca Flower Power IPA, they realized how the combination of the two elevated the dish many fold. My only criticism of the evening was of the dip’s texture. I agree with Laura S. who said a more creamy consistency would improve its eye appeal.
The blackened and seared Ahi tuna had just the right amount of spicing and brought a smile to my taste buds when they also encountered the acid effect of the pickled peppers, the smoothness of the bourbon cream sauce and finally the bitterness of the fried arugula. While others were disappointed that their tuna wasn’t more rare, mine was rare on one end but medium on the other. In any event, all those flavors and textures were a real hit with me and balanced really well with the paired cabernet Sauvignon.
The last announced course served to us was a hit all around. The Chicken Schnitzel was so moist inside that you wondered how Chef Anna was able to maintain the delicious outer crispiness. Her German heritage definitely came through on this dish. The shiitake mushrooms added still another texture along with the mashed potatoes and Brussels sprout slaw. A true melody of mouth feel to go with a simple clean Lagunitas Pilsner.
As if all of this wasn’t enough to have sent us on our way joyfully exclaiming the talents of Chef Ann and the hospitality of The Hollow, we were informed that there was a new bakery opening soon around the corner and The Hollow just happened to have some of their pumpkin cheesecake and some chocolate flourless cake to share with us. Those were absolutely scrumptious. The Hollow also serves up a very nice robust cup of coffee.
This is no longer your college student’s drinking bar. This is a place destined for dining pleasures. I sure hope Unilocal can manage to arrange more of these wonderful gatherings.