REVIEW: Troy sports pub an early hit

September 6, 4:36 PMUpstate NY Restaurant ExaminerBill Dowd

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TROY, NY -- In a nation filled with sports pub restaurants, you have to be pretty good to stand out. The Recovery group seems to be doing that.

I visited the newest unit of the Albany-based mini-chain, operating in the just-opened Hilton Garden Inn Rensselaer that looms over Hoosick Street (Route 7).

Hoping to snag a booth before any sort of Friday night crowd might show up, Constant Companion and I arrived at 4:30 p.m. To our surprise, the sprawling pub already was bustling.

Within an hour, it was packed with a mix of married couples with small kids, older folks looking for a bite and a beer, and a lot of college students in pairs, trios and more.

The latter part of the clientele is understandable. The owners of the Recovery pubs know their neighborhoods. The original, in Albany, for example, is called the Recovery Room because it is opposite the Albany Medical Center and draws from that staff and workforce. This Recovery, without the "room" in the name, mixes a lot of jerseys, pennants and other items from RPI, Russell Sage and Hudson Valley Community College -- the three local colleges -- with the huge assortment of sports memorabilia that covers its walls and pillars.

This does not, however, seem to be just another college hangout, even though RPI is just a block away and some of its frat houses are nearby. It appeared during my visit to be just what it holds itself out to be -- a sports pub with tasty finger foods and modern bar fare.

The number of TV screens of various sizes -- all wired to each booth where you can control which program you want to listen to at whatever volume -- adds to the pleasing hubub, and a large oval bar set apart from the various tables and booths dominates one chunk of the space.

The menu varies from the usual and expected sports pub fare -- fried mozzarella sticks and chicken wings to chicken pot stickers and quesadillas for starters; soups, salads, pannini and burgers; specialty pizzas, and a dozen pasta, seafood, ribs and steak dishes.

We were there to see what the Recovery kitchen could provide in both expected and slightly unexpected areas. The mozzarella sticks we shared were part of the usual -- crisply coated, hot and tasty inside, and just right with an above-average marinara dipping sauce.

The fish and chips also appeared like the usual, but the coating was the key -- more of a cornmeal style than a gooey batter, lightly fried until the fish was just done but still flaky and moist and the coating encased it without overwhelming it. Better than average fare.

The pulled pork sandwich was a treat: sweet and smokey, truly pulled and thus able to absorb the seasonings rather than just being cut up as so often is seen at casual spots. It is loaded with an orangey, tasty barbecue sauce, topped with a cool, sweet cole slaw and served on a toasted roll. Good, but I'd rather have the cole slaw as a side as listed on the menu.

Both items were served with a huge pile of just-made French fries, meaty and crisp and piping hot.

Service was as good as one would want -- Nikhi was friendly, helpful in explaining any menu questions, attentive throughout the meal and, thank the gods, prompt in producing the bill.

While our selections weren't the most adventuresome, we did ascertain that the Recovery staff can handle the basic of sports pub food. We'll expand our horizons on the next visit -- maybe something along the lines of the 10-ounce Cajun strip steak or a Bayou Classic tilapia.

Our meal, including a pair of tangy Bloody Marys, was $38.85, including tax but before tip.

NOTES ON NAPKINS: The new Recovery is located on the first floor of the Hilton (entrance in the rear) at 241 Hoosick Street. Phone: (518) 396-3838. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight. Sunday, noon to 10 p.m. ... Go here to read about the Recovery chain project.