I stumbled onto a neat little place the other day in Hoosick. It’s on Rt. 7 between Albany/Troy and Bennington, VT, so it might be a tad off the beaten path from NY to Saratoga.

It’s called Helvi’s Market and Deli, and is essentially a take-out joint, but with outdoor seating in a picturesque upstate village.

The menu is mostly sandwich type fare, and the wife and I both were quite pleased with our "Southern-style" BBQ sandwiches (available with either beef, pork or chicken).

What attracted me to Helvi’s was their "sign" which consisted of a smoking mock BBQ pit with a "pig" on top. We drove past it at first, then we both had the idea at the same time…. "Hey, let’s go back…."[:D]

Overall, quite a rewarding experience for us as travellers who’d been on the road for about 650 miles that day (with maybe another 150 to go).[xx(]

On a 1-10 scale, I’d give Helvi’s a solid 9.

Mark