It’s an endearing running joke that one of the foods the Capital Region is best known for — in a state where buffalo wings, beef on weck and chicken riggies originated — is melba, that sticky-sweet raspberry sauce often paired with mozzarella sticks.
The Downtown Albany Business Improvement District is leaning into that purple-red love with the inaugural Melba Madness stroll on Saturday, May 16. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 the day of, giving access to 14 restaurants that will sample melba-infused dishes through the day. People can get a map and ballot to vote for their favorite bites.
The BID announced the participating restaurants on Thursday. Folks can purchase tickets for the stroll and cast a ballot for their favorite melba-paired dishes; the winning eatery — there will be a reader’s choice as well as a winning restaurant named by a panel of judges — will be announced on Monday, May 18 (or 518 Day if you’re savvy). Tickets can be purchased at downtownalbany.org/518-Day.
The participating restaurants, and their planned dishes, are:
While the origins of melba are a little sticky, this CivMix piece from 2020 dives into the rabbit hole of how it came to the region.