Kitchen 216 in Albany finally opening, and more restaurant news

Kitchen 216, which has already had two locations in Albany in less than five years, was set to open in late September in its latest home, a freestanding building at Crossgates Commons in Albany, but a groundbreaking ceremony the tape was canceled just a few hours before. Problems with the building, once home to the second location of Latham-based Zaitoon Kitchen, were said to be the cause of the delay. It is now scheduled to open on April 10, with food available only for takeout from 1 to 5 p.m. Offering a modern take on soul food, Kitchen 216 opened in 2018 at 216 Lark St. in Albany. The restaurant moved to 85 Central Ave. in 2019, then closed there in the fall of 2021 to move to the Crossgates Commons building. Its sister restaurant, QuitaB’s, now occupies 216 Lark. Kitchen 216’s address is 161 Washington Ave. Ext. The days, hours and menu were not immediately clear. The owners of Kitchen 216 and QuitaB’s are a married couple, Emrys and Wasiim Young.

Dutch ice cream maker Udder Craft, which began serving pop-up events in 2016 and opened a shop at 282 River St. in Troy in May 2017, will expand into other space, according to a Facebook post from Sunday. It’s unclear when the store, closed for the winter since late December, will reopen with its new, larger quarters, and management did not respond to a request for more details. In related news in the announcement, the company has purchased land in South Troy on which it would build a larger ice cream manufacturing facility, currently housed in a Cohoes residential building with a commercial kitchen. The Dutch Udder expects to make ice cream in the new facility next year, the release said.

Chianti il ​​Ristorante in Saratoga Springs will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a party from 1 p.m. Sunday, April 30, at the restaurant, located at 18 Division St. glass of wine. Chianti was opened on South Broadway in Saratoga in 1998 by David Zecchini, an Italian native who moved to the Spa City from California. It moved to its headquarters on Division Street in 2008. Tickets for the anniversary party are $35 per person, available online. Proceeds will benefit the Dake Family Foundation.

Brunswick BBQ & Brew in Cropseyville closed March 24 after a nearly 15-year run. Owner Gary “Goose” Gosselin opened the business, in a building at 3925 Route 2 that has been a tavern of sorts for about 200 years, in mid-May 2008. He posted a farewell and thank-you note on March 15, but did not offer a reason for closing. A veteran brewer, Gosselin had intended to make beer in the business—hence the name—but regulatory problems derailed his plans.