| Bears’
Steakhouse – August 2026 . |
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A group-approved Monteverd pick found the cars taking a couple different routes to land in Duanesburg for our fourth visit. (reviews of 2004, 2005, 2017 visits were previously emailed)
Seemingly, little has changed in 22 years – a lifetime for many restaurants.
A section of the 2017 write-up sounded quite familiar: -- …It
is a simple white farmhouse, with an internally lit sign with a
cute
bear, that we mostly remembered when we pulled in. The dining
room seemed half
the size of what some of us remembered. -- Papa Bear had passed before 2017 and Mama Bear passed before this convocation. But, son John, now the master of ceremonies, much like he was in our previous three encounters, still thrives, even if showing the early signs of senior citizenship. Bears still operates as it has: timed seatings, Mama’s recipe for bread, beyond delectable beef, hefty glasses of wine, a medium-high level of noise, the clarion tone of John’s voice. We noted John’s effusive and frequent inquiring of how our experience was going, at least seven times, I counted. I think no one dares to do anything but acquiesce unless it is a major snafu.
The dessert list is as minimalist as ever but its quality enticed all but one of us. Deb T tried the Key lime pie, Kriss and Don split the chocolate cream pie as well as Mama’s chocolate mayonnaise cake with mousse filling, and four shared a piece of chocolate mayonnaise cake.
Service is top notch.
The bill comes as one total, able to split four ways, tips in cash. The final tally, including a tip, came in at $285 per couple, by far a record. We have become used to separate checks but that option was not entertained at Bears.
So off in the darkness of a stormy night that had put the Capital District, and especially our dining area, in Weather Alerts. Somehow, the storms had not arrived at the start of dinner and the storms had mostly passed by the time we headed home.
Again, as we have done now for the #264th time, the catch-up on news and events was a key part of our evening. The big news was a new residence for the Notars. The closing had just happened and moving time might be later in the year. The current house is still theirs. Other news: past Bears dinners; the threatening clouds; an August different from recent past Augusts; Labor Day coming up; not teaching; yard sales; closings; swimming pools; gardens; and more that have escaped my steel trap.
Side note: Seeing how Bears is one of our early restaurants, it is an eye-opener to see which other ones we have dined at in the first three years that are still open. Here is 11/2002-12/2005. (* still in operation, I believe) *Millrock,
Windham, Greene Madison's,
Windham, Greene Aubergine,
Hillsdale, Columbia
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