Breathing new, refreshing life into the doldrums of the downtown Albany lunch hour, The Cloud Food Hall rises above the cobblestone quaintness of Columbia Street like its namesake, lifting the notoriously-tough midsection of the day into a delicious and economically-friendly culinary experience. Masterfully helmed by the multi-tasking majesty of Cory Nelson (of Troy Kitchen renown), this is the modern app-fueled version of dining in the age of COVID (download here), where eleven different food genres offer just about everything you might be craving. Before we all adjusted to a different way of living, food halls were all the rage; with restricted crowds, this is the closest, and actually easiest, way of having so many opportunities for a wide array of choices, and in downtown Albany that’s pretty amazing.
Billed as ‘The first mobile app based food hall’ it offers several dining options, all at the tap of a finger, and ready in crazy-quick time in the event you get a last-minute hankering for something particular. Having worked in downtown Albany for the last decade and a half, and spending most of my weekday lunches wandering along Pearl Street, trudging up State Street, and meandering down Broadway for something to eat, the arrival of The Cloud Food Hall is a heavenly act. Given the difficulty of good things lasting here (we just lost Walgreens, one of the only things that had been there since I started my state career in 2001) I’m sending up prayers for this one, because I’m already addicted.
Thus far, I’ve made it through five of the eleven food sections. (The chicken sandwich above is a $4.99 delight.) Here’s the impressive listing of current offerings:
- City Halal ~ Falafel, chicken, and lamb in all sort of configurations – platters, gyros, and salads.
- Mexicano ~ Chicken, carnitas, beef and veggies, in bowls and salads and quesadillas.
- Bulgogi Boys ~ Chicken-based Korean BBQ in platters and salads.
- Spices of the Sun ~ A jerk chicken meal is the sole entry for this one, and it’s more than enough.
- Wiggle Waffles ~ This may very well be the wildest variety of waffles on offer in the entire Capital Region, ranging from savory chicken or fish options, to strawberries, S’mores, Oreos, and Fruity Pebbles.
- Southern Soul Kitchen ~ Fried chicken, fish, or BBQ rib platters, with baked mac and cheese, collard greens, and candied yams.
- Healthy Green ~ Several healthy and interesting options, such as the Kiwi Blueberry salad with spinach, feta, walnut and poppy seed dressing or the Raspberry Tangerine salad with kale, raisins, carrots, walnuts, feta, and a house lemon dressing.
- The Juicy Burger Co. ~ The chicken sandwich originates here, and I haven’t been able to move beyond its deliciousness to try any of the burger options yet. French fries, sweet potato fries and onion rings are available as sides.
- Pulled ~ A quartet of pulled pork sandwiches, including sriracha and sweet mumbo variations.
- Phill’s Cheesesteaks ~ Steak and chicken options, with side of fries or onion rings.
- Bodega Subs ~ Four foot-longs, in turkey, Buffalo chicken, ham and roast beef.
As mentioned, I’ve made it through over half of the choices, and it’s been a wonderful journey, one that I hope to continue through the spring and summer. There’s a charming art-gallery-like space for eat-in diners as well, with the potential for additional growth to come, and it’s right near the gorgeous River Garden Studio. My fingers are crossed that this catches on and survives these challenging times. Download the app here.
