Cheese, wine and everything’s fine… in Troy!

When I heard about this new place called The Charles F Lucas Confectionary and Wine Bar in Troy, it immediately piqued my interest. How could it not with both wine and confection being mentioned in the title?!?! It was around 4:30 and we were looking for a little happy hour fun. When posed with the inevitable “Where should we go?” question, I get stressed. We’re always torn between going to one of our usual spots or trying something new. Once we decided on trying something new, we then have the task of figuring out where. There are so many great options in our area but I had my eye on the prize and the Wine Bar in Troy was it. Right when we walked in, I knew this place was going to be good. The décor was beautiful with exposed beams and brick throughout the space. We took a seat at the bar and were immediately greeted by one of the very nice bartenders. After hearing about the three wines they had on tap, I sampled the Cabernet Sauvignon and a Malbac from the large wine list. I went with the latter which was very good but not too full bodied. I should have listened to the bar tender when he recommended the Cabernet Sauvignon. No complaints though, trust me. After deciding on our drinks, it was time to move on to the menu. The Charles F Lucas Confectionary and Wine Bar specializes in small plates, cheese, charcuterie and confections of course. We decided on doing the 3 for $12 cheese and charcuterie menu where you get to choose from a wonderful selection of many different types of cheeses all paired with something sweet like Nutella, fruit or chocolate. The charcuterie selection was wonderful too so it made it very hard to narrow it down. We decided on Shushan Snow cheese which was from the Smooth and Silky section of the menu and that was paired with honey, the Soft Wheel from the Little Stinkers section which was paired with pear paste and Applewood Smoked Duck Breast to round out our third selection. Our choices were served on a slate board with plenty of fresh bread, mustard, pickles and we even got some figs and fig jam on there too since I told the bar tender about how much I love figs- what a nice little treat! The cheeses were incredible and I loved all of the pairings they came with. It really complimented everything so nicely. The duck was excellent and the portions were very good. We were toying with the idea of getting a small plate as well but I’m glad we stuck with just the 3 choices because it was plenty. While sitting at the bar, we noticed lots of glass jars filled with all sorts of fun candy like Bit-O-Honey, Mike & Ike, Gummy Bears and Runts. You can order from a wide selection of candies and chocolates and they will serve it to you in a glass dish or you can get it to go! How much fun is that?!?! I saw that someone had ordered Runts which I haven’t had in years! Our fantastic bar tender overheard me say how much I loved those as a kid and he gave us a little glass full. Yes, this place is truly heavenly. Sadly, it was time for us to leave but that did mean it was time for the Confections portion of the meal…my favorite! There was a beautiful display of truffles, cake pops, brownies, blondies and lots of other goodies. I’m totally obsessed with desserts topped off with sea salt so I went with the salted caramel truffle. It was the perfect ending to our perfect experience at The Charles F Lucas Confectionary and Wine Bar in Troy. This has become one of our new favorite places and we can’t wait to go back and try some of the other wonderful selections from the menu. Put this place on your high priority list. You will not be disappointed!