FeedMe518

Plancha Grilled Halibut

A Date Night...Or Any Night Made Special Milano Restaurant & Wine Bar

Northern Italian Cuisine in Latham

by Nellie Ackerman-Vellano, Feed Me 518™

My Italian husband had been insisting that I let him bring me on a date to Milano Restaurant and Wine Bar for years. I've had Italian food all over the region and couldn't understand his eagerness to bring me here. We finally dined here a few months ago, my first time, and I now feel as enthusiastic about sharing this gastronomic experience with you as he did with me. I was in awe of the incredible dishes this restaurant serves, not just in taste but in presentation as well. So I write about this venue not only as a food journalist but as a fan and customer of the restaurant.

Daniel Darves-Bornoz, owner of Milano Restaurant and Wine Bar, which opened in 1991 started in this space with "Unique Catering" in 1987, a full off-premise catering business and gourmet food store before he decided to expand. With one of the first open kitchen concepts in the Albany area designed by a New York City designer, it was redesigned four years ago to expand the bar area. Daniel even traveled to Milan, Italy to source his wood fire pizza oven which is beautifully centered in the restaurant dining room.

Head Chef Peter Darves, Daniel’s son, has created original dishes that give you an authentic northern Italian dining experience. Like his father, he is a graduate of the Culinary Institute and had trained and worked in NYC until 2012. Chef Peter then started as Sous Chef at Milano, where three years later he would lead the kitchen as Head Chef. When asked what inspires their menu, Daniel prides himself on using the best quality products and produces his own pastas, pizza dough, breads, and desserts while Chef Peter is always sourcing the freshest fish and seafood, quality meats, cheeses, and organic produce. They passionately and faithfully support local farmers, creating dishes that only use the finest ingredients to produce fresh, artisanal craveworthy food.

"Every day our chefs create specials to share their passion for seasonal ingredients. We take great pride in producing all of our pasta and pizza from scratch daily. To us, nothing is more satisfying than enjoying handmade pasta and wine with the people who matter most," shared Chef Peter. "Our staff is the key to the overall experience."

This upscale restaurant offers fine and creative artisanal dishes that are unique to Upstate New York such as the Bruschetta Sampler, a must-order menu item offering a trio of tomato, pesto and parmesan /fig Jam, gorgonzola, balsamic, and arugula /mushroom truffle pesto and taleggio.

Want a refreshing starter? Their Beet Carpaccio complemented with fresh sliced beets, orange supremes, pistachios, arugula, goat cheese, and tarragon vinaigrette is something to enjoy and to further whet your appetite for perhaps the Rigatoni with Burrata, a favorite of mine now. It's a flavorful homemade pasta dish topped with local squash blossoms over a delicious basil pesto pasta.

The Bucatini Aglio E Olio is the perfect homemade Italian dish made with parmesan, parsley, garlic, chili flakes, extra virgin olive oil, and bread crumbs.

How about some pesce? The Plancha Grilled Halibut is seared and lightly rests on a bed of herb-roasted fingerling potatoes, local chanterelle mushrooms, and tomato confit, plated in the center of an asparagusleek purée.

Their Scallops Risotto dish is not just visually vibrant but filled with an array of beautiful flavors coming together in this creative dish. Pistachio-crusted scallops lay atop a perfectly prepared risotto made with beet purée, asparagus, lemon zest, goat cheese, and local blueberry beurre blanc. When dining for lunch or dinner at Milano Restaurant and Wine Bar, why not try one of their wood-fired pizzas like their woodfired Fico pizza made with fig jam, fontina, gorgonzola, arugula, and prosciutto?

I do love Tiramisu, and if this item is on any menu, I will order it. The Tiramisu here is incredible and must be tried. It's made with chocolate ganache, local berries, cocoa powder, and makes for a delicious ending to a memorable meal.

If you crave decadence, you must taste the Semi Freddo, a semi-frozen light and dark chocolate mousse with an almond walnut crust served with hazelnut praline sauce.

The ambiance is wonderful, and I know you will enjoy dining here intimately with your partner or friends and family on any occasion for lunch or dinner...or both! Head Chef Peter Darves

Fico pizza

Milano Restaurant and Wine Bar is located in the Newton Plaza, 594 New Loudon Rd, Latham, NY 12110, www.milano-restaurant.com (518) 783-3334 for reservations

Nellie Ackerman-Vellano, Feed Me 518™ Instagram: @FeedMe518 www.FeedMe518.com

"I Was Wired for This" Bringing the Discipline of Dance to Plastic Surgery

by Rona Mann. - photos by Stephanie Sittnick

ADAGIO: Slow movement performed with grace and fluidity

It didn't begin with forceps, scissors, retractors, or suction.

It began with lacing up well-worn ballet shoes. It began with the back-breaking dedication it takes to become a professional ballerina. It began with class after class, with pirouettes and pain, with exacting movement and no room for mistakes, no margin for error, and with dedication to a life which ultimately might very well likely ruin the body after years of the abuse a rigid dance schedule imposes upon it.

It began in Montreal, Quebec, Canada where young Lucie Capek grew up longing to be a ballerina, but as she grew older and high school was nearing an end, she also realized that as much as she loved the world of dance, it would not be practical for her. "I saw the realities of that life. When you become a professional dancer you are typically expected to join a dance company right after high school, so there is no further education. That wasn't going to work for me." It certainly would not as Lucie's parents were both strongly academically oriented. Her mother was a doctor, an OB/GYN when she had lived in Europe and switched to Family Practice in Canada, and her father has both an MD and Ph.D. and is a Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology at McGill University.

So when she unlaced her pointe shoes and prepared for the future, she was able to fast track to medical school at McGill University through the very unique educational program that was only offered in the Province of Quebec, the CEGEP. Translated from the French acronym for Colle´ge d'enseignement ge´ne´ral et professionnel, it is much like a junior college program that follows 11th grade, and from which motivated students can graduate from McGill's medical school in five years without completing a Bachelor's degree. Lucie Capek was accepted and started this program at the

age of 19. While she enjoyed all of the specialties in her required rotations, she was most drawn to surgery. "I was always artistic and liked using my hands, and when I saw a cleft lip repair on a baby, it put it all together for me. This was what I wanted to do."

Capek's classical dance training was not for naught, it worked beautifully with what the young doctor wanted for her life's work. "Classical dance training is all about the perfection of form and function," says Capek. "In plastic surgery, our goal is always to optimize form and function with every patient whether we are performing reconstructive or cosmetic surgery. It all ties together. I was wired for this!"

Being wired does not necessarily mean there weren't a few bumps in the road along the way. Sadly, the surgical profession is somewhat notorious for treating female colleagues as second-class citizens, often even bullying or harassing them. When Lucie was interviewing for a specific surgical program the male interviewer said to her, "You're going to be working virtually non-stop and on very little sleep. How will you feel about only having a few minutes to do your hair and makeup?" The doctor laughs about it now because ultimately she was accepted into her first choice residency program at Harvard where 25% of the residents were women, and they were mentored and treated fairly.

Dr. Capek is very realistic in how she views her profession, in how she speaks with clients, and why she chose the Capital District for her now 25-year career, 21 of those years in solo practice.

Dr. Capek is first and foremost a plastic surgeon, but her practice provides the entire spectrum of advanced MedSpa services as well. These include medical grade skincare and HydraFacials, injectables like Botox®, fillers, and Kybella®, as well as CoolSculpting®, and

Dr. Capek harvesting fat from her patient’s thighs for a micro-fat transfer

LED light therapy treatment a variety of lasers. Dr. Capek's most popular surgical procedures include facelifts and eyelifts, rhinoplasty, fat transfer procedures to the face and breasts, and Mommy Makeovers.

To achieve the optimization in appearance and confidence that her patients are seeking, Dr. Capek's practice has a number of professionals on staff, each with very specific skills. These include physicians assistants, nurses, an aesthetician, and patient coordinators to guide every patient through the process, start to finish.

"Of all the surgeries I do," the doctor relates, "my favorite is still rhinoplasty" (nose shaping). Do prospective patients bring in photos of movie stars? "The younger ones do. They want a Kardashian nose," she laughs. "But actually, I like for potential clients to bring in photos of their ideal nose, and I will let them know if it's achievable or not in their particular situation.

Patient being treated with Laser Genesis

In some cases, their goals are not realistic, and it's important for us to discuss that from the outset. With every new patient, regardless of the procedure they are seeking, we begin with an extensive consultation so that I can find out exactly what changes they are looking for. Most of my facial rejuvenation patients, for example, tell me they want to look like themselves, but refreshed, not like 'I've had work.' My goal is for them to look natural, so that no one knows they ever met me (unless they choose to tell)!"

Not every person who comes in for a facial optimization consult is automatically a candidate for surgery. "I look at it as a staircase," Dr. Capek says. "Skincare is at the bottom rung and may be all they need. Surgery is at the very top, but in between, there are skin treatments like micro-needling, injectables, lasers, and other less invasive options like fat transfer. My practice is known for being progressive and using advanced, proven techniques. Above all, I am a quality of life doctor. We are wellness-oriented, looking at the whole mind-body relationship of each person." At Lucie Capek Plastic Surgery a thorough medical history is always taken with any new patient. What kind of skincare have they used in the past? How much sun-worshiping have they done? Are they, or were they ever a smoker?

Many patients feel guilty about considering plastic surgery or spending money on themselves. "Most of my patients come in with nothing medically wrong with them," says Dr. Capek. "But they have a very specific concern about their face or body which takes up a lot of their energy. They think about it daily, try to cover it up, avoid certain photo angles, and so on. When I can take away this concern through a treatment or surgical procedure, it's like a weight has been lifted. Their confidence soars, and they can redirect their energy into more productive pursuits. It's a very rewarding process for me to see this transformation."

The approach of Dr. Lucie Capek, plastic surgeon, is in many ways an adagio, a nod to her classical dance training as much as to her medical skills. She moves slowly at first in detailed consultation with her patients, then choreographs a plan with grace and fluidity to optimize the form and function of each individual.

In this way, the discipline of science and skill meets the grace and fluidity of the surgeon as an artist in a kind of ballet, and the resulting marriage is a beautiful dance where the client is optimized and feeling well.

Preparing a patient for CoolSculpting

SkinPen microneedling

For more information and to make an appointment for a consultation, contact Lucie Capek, MD, Plastic Surgery, 713 Troy Schenectady Road, #308, Latham, NY (518) 786-1700/ (518) 765-8405 www.capekplasticsurgery.com

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