Even after years of familiarity with a person or place, you can still be surprised by it, finding something for the first time that has been present the whole while. I was surprised in just this manner recently by Daisy Baker’s, an establishment that has been in downtown Troy for quite some time that I only discovered a few weeks ago.
The restaurant is on Second Street, directly across from the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. It’s very easy to miss, since the entire block was orginally residential—all of the edifaces look more or less the same. Only a small sign above the door identifies the place.
Daisy Baker’s is on the first floor of the building; the higher floors contain various offices. The restaurant itself is done up entirely in dark, solid wood; it reminds me of several German restaurants I’ve been to. According to the employees, the building previously housed a church, and that influence is apparent in the high ceiling and the back wall, which looks like a huge pipe organ. Overall, the place has a very comfortable feel—nice without being too formal.
My fiancee and I have been there twice recently, once for lunch and once for dinner. The dinner menu is a bit pricier and classier than the typical student on a budget is looking for: $12-20 for entrees, with most of them on the higher end. On the other hand, it certainly makes for a nice date. There are roughly a dozen options to choose from, but most of these change on a weekly basis, so overall there’s a fair bit of variety.
On the other hand, this is definitely a place to add to your standard lunch circuit. The selection is solid, and prices are in the $7-10 range, which isn’t much more than you’d spend elsewhere. (For example, the McNeil Room . . .)
The food is well worth the money, as nearly everything we’ve tried there has been at least good, and sometimes excellent. They even succeeded in preparing
asparagus in a manner that my fiance and I both enjoyed—an experience neither of us had had before. The one (severely disappointing) exception to the quality of the food was the reuben, which was very greasy and didn’t have nearly enough sauerkraut. Avoid that, and odds are that you will do very well here.
I recommend you head down to Daisy Baker’s for the food, but they also have a well-stocked bar; if you’re not in the mood for dinner, you might consider dropping by for a drink instead.
To get to Daisy Baker’s, head south from campus until you hit Congress St. Go down the hill into downtown Troy, and turn right onto Second St. (It’s just past the Bruegger’s.) Cross State St. and Daisy Baker’s will be on your left.
