Thalamus Anyone?

I just got back from another fabulous meal at New World Bistro Bar in Albany, New York. They've introduced the new winter menu for the season, and everything was amazing. It was also the first time that my friend Natasha dined at New World--I'm pretty sure she's hooked.

One item we tried that was new for me was sweetbreads from the always tempting Forbidden Pleasures section of the menu. I was a little wary of this foodie dish--sweetbread is the name for various cooked gland meats of the cow or lamb, ranging from the pancreas to the thymus to the thalamus, which is what we dined on this evening. However, the cow thalamus glands were delicious. The texture was very normal--tender and tasty with no excessive fat or oil. The exterior was light and crispy, and the flavor was...almost indescribable. And the lemon caper sauce it was served with was divine. I didn't realize I was eating cow brain when I devoured the sweetbreads (though I had a sneaking suspicion that the thalamus was located in the brain), but the entire experience was delicious. I was impressed.


Another new item for me was the cow tongue that adorned our Catskill Smokehouse Charcuterie Plate. It tasted very much like corned beef, and I could definitely see myself eating tongue on a regular basis. Then again, you just can't go wrong at New World. We also tried some German pork sausage (the officially name was pronounced "Yukwurst" but I haven't uncovered the actual spelling. Perhaps Yachtwurst?) on the chacuterie plate--it was essentially meat butter. That's the only way to describe it. The meat was like a decadent cream, intense in flavor and smooth in texture. It was excellent when spread on the accompanying grilled rye bread with a smear of mustard.

I also had some amazing Blue Point oysters. I recently read the oysters taste better in the winter, and I think it's true. The flavor of the oysters simply exploded with each bite. There's nothing quite like a good, briny, eastern oyster.

Be sure to check out the new New World winter menu this season!

Blood Orange Cosmo

Blue Point Oysters

Catskill Smokehouse Charcuterie Plate

 Beef Tongue

German Pork Sausage

House-made Duck Liver Pate

Satueed Sweetbreads, Egyptian Style, with Babaganoush and Lemon Caper Sauce

Dessert Tapas Trio

Nutella Marscarpone Mousse

Chocolate Chevre Truffle Rolled in Chile and Cinnamon

Lemon Curd with Berry Compote

 Snowy Night in Albany

Be sure to check out my other posts on New World Bistro Bar:

New World Bistro Bar

New World Oysters

Thanksgiving Eve at New World