One of the chief advantages of being Italian is that, in this area of the country at least, Italian restaurants are ubiquitous. If a town in the Northeast has only one restaurant, odds are 50-50 that it’s Italian (otherwise it’s a diner). So when one’s wife says, “I’m really in the mood for warm, crusty Italian bread,” and the first place you try has gone out of business, it’s pretty easy to find another option that’s just as good. This week’s option turned out to be Cavaleri’s, a fixture in southern Albany for over 25 years.
The restaurant’s major advantage is its atmosphere—it’s not a small building, but it’s divided up in a way that makes it feel very cozy; homey, even. The illusion is aided by the myriad photos, paintings, and newspaper clippings covering the walls.
The walls, in fact, tell quite a story about community-minded citizens who have been lauded by all manner of public servants, from Albany County Executive Michael Breslin, to former governor Mario Cuomo, including a signed photo of Bill Clinton.
The menu is textbook—lots of pasta, some chicken, some veal, Italian sausage, and so on. One of the house specials, a beef bragiole, caught my eye, but I opted instead for one of my personal favorites: spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, and anchovies. (Hey, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it—some of us do, in fact, like anchovies.) My wife ordered stuffed shells, our friend who was along for the ride got chicken parm, and we sat back and chowed down on some nice, warm, crusty Italian bread.
Our meals turned out to be about what you’d expect from a Italian family restaurant—nothing spectacular, but decent food and plenty of it. A notable feature (in my mind) was that the kitchen seemed to go very light on the garlic, which for some people is a plus. Having ordered pasta with garlic and anchovies, I was a bit disappointed. (There were, however, plenty of anchovies.)
Cost is roughly average: $7-10 for most pasta dishes and $11-16 for most entrees. Expect to spend $20 per person, give or take, with a decent amount of leftovers. All in all, a reasonable amount for a full plate of good food in a pleasant environment—the sort of place to visit when you have a hankering for warm, crusty Italian bread.
Cavaleri’s is located at the corner of Hoffman and Second avenues in Albany. To get there, get on I-787 south. Go past exit 1 for the Thruway, and the highway will end at a traffic light. Go straight through the traffic light onto Hoffman Ave. The first right (after the park) is Cavaleri Ave.; turn right and park in the lot on your left.
Editor’s Note: To submit comments or suggestions for restaurants to review, e-mail The Poly at restaurants@poly.rpi.edu.
