With each announcement Crossgates Mall makes, it just further pushing it into an entertainment venue and more than “just a mall.” Their new restaurant Maggie McFly’s is no different.

I had a chance to participate in the media day for Maggie McFly’s a few weeks ago and though I posted some pictures on Instagram, I never really had a chance to write out what I thought.

The Crossgates Mall Maggie McFly’s is the 8th location of this franchise and the first in New York State. Their focus is to take the recipes that they have perfected at their other locations but while using ingredients native to the community. They try to use local ingredients whenever possible and are still looking to add some familiar names to the menu as well as ingredients that are environmentally friendly too.

Speaking of the menu, there are 180 items on it and on top of that, their bar list is incredible! The style of the foods and space is “Upscale Casual Dining.” That means you can go there on a date and you can go there after a day of shopping and both are fine!

My favorite part of the menu is that they have a special page that features local businesses. They don’t just put the name on the menu and expect you to find it, they have a full page (think of it like and ad) featuring the local business they’re supporting.

To drink, I ordered their signature Barbie’s Dreamhouse which used Albany Distilling Co’s raspberry vodka. It even came with a light-up ice cube that I got to take home with me. It was sweet but not too sweet and perfect for a drink to just sit back and chat with friends. To eat, we started with the Thai Lettuce Wraps which were fantastic (we ordered them with avocado fries). They came with three sauces and each of them were better than the one before. For the entree, I had the Burrata + Prosciutto sandwich ($12.99) with burrata from Maplebrook Farm in Bennington, VT. It was really delicious, especially with the bite of the arugula.

I really wanted to make sure I ate something that supported local businesses and it was really easy to do that. They make it very obvious that a meal features a local product. We have so many franchises that come to the area and don’t utilize the great businesses and products that we have, I’m happy to see Maggie McFly’s taking advantage of what we have to offer.