Albany Restaurant Updates

Lee's Wok has closed. A new Chinese restaurant has opened in it's place. Don't have the name at the moment...

Henry's at Hickory was reportedly trying to open the week of Dec. 14. It look like they had to dig up a portion of their parking lot, and re-do it. That probably caused a bit of a delay. I'd expect they'll probably open 1st of the year now.

And, the old Wyatt's is still for sale. I've heard the price has been reduced.

Finally, we're going to start including Lebanon restaurant reviews in the Albany section.

Don't forget about the main site.

This is just the blog for Corvallis/Albany Oregon restaurant rumors. See our main site to check out the actual reviews: www.chowgeeks.com. We're also on Facebook (for what reason, I don't know). You can become a fan of us there.

Iovino's closing in Feb?

Now the rumor mill says that Iovino's will be closing in Feb. I'll bet the close right after Valentine's Day (remind you of Strega?).

Henry's at Hickory opening soon.

A reliable source says that Henry's will be opening the week of Dec. 14th. Stay tuned....

Sign up on Henry's in Albany

The spiffy new building that will be "Henry's at Hickory" has the Henry's sign on it. The inside looks like there still is quite a bit of work to do. Anyhow, it's on the south side of Hickory, directory across from the Ray's driveway. I'd guess they will be open sometime in January 2010. But, you never know.

Iovino's now aparently staying open until mid Feb.

That makes sense. My bet is they close day after Valentine's Day. Kinda like Strega did, eh? Oh, speaking of Strega, you can rent out the space for meetings, etc. You provide your own catering. Nice view....

Henry's at Hickory in North Albany?

This is another restaurant opening in/near the North Albany Plaza. We did just see a job posting for this establishment on Craigslist, so it appears the opening date may be near. Albany needs a good steak joint, so if they can pull this off, I'd say they will be successful.

According to a Feb. 09 article in the DH, Henry's at Hickory will be this:

"...Henry's at Hickory will feature family-style dining in a 4,230-square-foot, single-story building with an outdoor dining area.

"It's going to offer a lot. The menu will have fresh food with a good selection of salads and steaks," said spokesperson Heather Hering.

The restaurant will include a lounge, and Hering said plans are to feature live music on a regular basis.

Henry's at Hickory will be the first phase of a three-building development listing Gary Davenport as developer.

"The restaurant will be stand alone from the other buildings," Hering said.

Hering indicated that construction will begin immediately once the plans are approved.

"We hope that will be in the next week or two. Our plan is to be ready to open by Aug. 1, but we realize it may be closer to September," she said....."

Bamboo Diner in Albany - Two for one entrees today

Bamboo Diner in Albany - Two for one entrees today (Nov. 10 2009). They're on First Street next door to Boccherini's.

Momiji Japanese opening in Albany

It's in the North Albany Plaza, across from Ray's. Ginza could use some competition.

Anyone try Old Europe Inn in Salem? Looks interesting.

What's this I hear about Iovino's closing at the end of 2009? I don't believe it.

Ok, for those that are not in the know, the main site is:

www.chowgeeks.com

Brush and repeat. Floss daily.

I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend both Vault 244 and Bamboo Diner. Yup, it's not "official," but give 'em a try and let us know what happens.

In the rumor mill, I've heard BS that Wyatt's might be bought or something like that. Plus, there is a restaurant slated for the J.C. Penney building AND at that thing they are building on the old Buzz Saw site. Wow, can Albany really deal with so many restaurants?

And, I'd be a dork if I didn't mention again how very tubular that Joy's BBQ is. They are located a mile or so south of Bandon, Oregon. They rock, or rather, they smoke. At the moment, they are only open on Friday and Saturday nights. But, if you're in the area, you MUST go. Really. I'm not kidding. Give Jeff a ring at (541) 347-5333. Tell him the sausage guy sent you. Better than any BBQ that's 40 miles from here (Albany).

Finally, I think Iain (of Le Bistro, Aqua, Terzo, Flat Tail and possibly some level of heaven) is smoking crack. He told me that the new Flat Tail sports bar thing will be opening in November. Wow, if he has some more spare time, my house needs painting. We look forward to chequeing that out. I hear they have some sort of Beaver sports archaeological exhibit planned there. AC Green's old socks, maybe? Anyhoot, if you have some spare cash, go eat at one of his joints. Now.

New openings, etc.

Vault 244 is open in downtown Albany. We stopped in there on opening night, and it was nice. Also, Bamboo Diner (next to Boccerhinis) opened on the same night. Great food as well. Tommy's burned in Corvallis. No word on when they will reopen.

Watch our web site for more info and full reviews.

Welcome to the Chowgeeks Blog

Yup, we finally jumped on the Blog Bandwagon. Look here to see Albany/Corvallis restaurants blabber. This is not a replacement to our website, it's just where you might be able to find more details. Always check www.chowgeeks.com!

Cheers!