TROY, NY -- Timing is everything in business, especially in the volatile restaurant business.
Ryan Cusack, who began developing a following for his clever culinary touches while at Jose Malone's, the popular local Mexican-Irish tequileria, had been courted a year ago to move to Daisy Baker's. He says he declined the overtures, probably because of the tenuous financial situation of the restaurant at that time.
Fast forward to this year. Jared Horton and Bruce Fleshman purchased Daisy Baker's from Joe Scully, and set their sights on Cusack. This time he said yes, and brought along his sous chef, Andy Hamm.
"I had a good run at Jose Malone's," Cusack told me Friday night, "but I'm not as limited here with the types of dishes I can create. Plus, ths is the coolest dining space in the area."
The latter was an obvious reference to the eclectic feel of the restaurant, located at the rear of a stately 19th-century Victorian brownstone at 33 Second Street, across from the Troy Music Hall.
It has felt to those of us of a certain age like stepping back a generation or two to a more genteel time. And even the busy bar, separated from the dining space by a head-high wooden partition, doesn't take the edge off the mood. The dark wood trim, small tables and wooden bench seats and wooden chairs, the narrow plank floors, all add to the feel. The sheer height of the room and the old organ pipes high on the back wall are testament to its eclectic history -- fundamentalist church space, YWCA, Christian Science Reading Room and restaurant.
I had the opportunity to descend on Daisy Baker's as part of party of eight that was handled smoothly by Lisa, the ever-present front-of-the-house anchor who has been here through numerous kitchen regimes. After giving us sufficient time to cool off at the bar from the outside world's 90-degrees-plus oppression -- nothing like a classic, frosty gin-and-tonic on such a day -- we moved to our table.
Cusack did not disappoint. I would give him a knighthood for his Snow Corn Chowder alone, a creamy, deep broth dotted with bits of potato, carrots and Andouille sausage, spiked with dots of mulato chile oil, and topped with a blue cornmeal fried Duxbury oyster, for a mere $9.
The price is indicative of the very reasonable pricing for the new menu. In fact, we fed our party of eight for $288.89, including tax but before tip. That's about $36 per person, which included drinks, appetizers and entrees.
The fact that his vegetables come from a local Community Gardens project also endear him to his patrons.
A few of the other dishes that got top marks from our group:
- Crawfish Cheesecake -- Savory filling topped with tempura lobster, smoked paprika dust, Meyer lemon citronette, on a sourdough pretzel crust ($11).
- Beet Salad -- Roasted, chilled red, gold, and candy cane beets, toasted pistachios, creamy goat cheese, and craisins, drizzled with a ruby grapefruit-basil vinaigrette ($9).
- Kurobuta Pork -- A huge bone-in chop, brined and fire grilled, served with crispy prosciutto, roasted red grapes, in a pomegranate-horseradish demi-glace ($21).
- Filet of Scottish Salmon -- Pan roasted, with a shallot-honey glaze, applewood smoked bacon/sweet corn risotto, and pea shoots ($20).
This incarnation of Daisy Baker's should be a long, happy collaboration between new ownership and newly-unfettered kitchen staff.
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