Fun in Saratoga

Canadian artist Drake to appear at SPAC on June 14th

The singer announced Spring Tour with J. Cole, Waka Flocka Flame, & 2 Chainz and will appear at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on June 14th. You can find out more on the official Drake web site here.

Saratoga Thoughts February 25, 2012

Well it's not my intention to make this the "Saratoga Thoughts" blog, but lately my schedule has limited my efforts, at least somewhat, to these types of postings.  OK, with that half apology out of the way, here we go:

• Well I went to the Beer Week events, sort of. I stopped out for some food and beer with the Funsaratoga field agent and an out-of-town guest.  I'm glad to have any event that brings visitors (and their wallets) to Saratoga Springs in late winter, but as someone who was in several of the venues, it didn't seem so well organized.  Perhaps if I actually bought tickets and went as an attendee, it would have been better, but as an accidental attendee, I was underwhelmed
• I saw the Maestro's porch was getting some use in Thursday's and Friday's nice weather.  Who ever thought that porch would get nearly year-round use in 2011-2012? 

File Photo

• Well it sure seems like there are several Saratoga restaurants that are hiring.  A perusal of Craig's list shows that Ravenous, Forno Bistro, Jacob & Anthony's, Sabina's, The Parting Glass, and Angelo Mazzone's several restaurants and catering establishments are looking for employees.  That doesn't count the several unnamed Saratoga restaurants that were advertising jobs as well, including one "new restaurant opening in late March" that I assume is Russo's, which is opening in the former Brindisi's location. 
• Speaking of  Craig's list, you'll never know what you'll find on there - here's an ad from someone looking to have a partner in opening a bar in downtown Saratoga.  Yea, bars and business partnerships always work out well - especially when they start out from Craig's list.
• Continuing with the Saratoga bar/restaurant scene, I reported way back when that Mine would have a full menu and I noticed them promoting it along the sidewalk on Broadway this past Friday night, as evidenced by the picture below. 

            I give Mine credit for trying, and their menu looks like it has reasonable prices, but I'm not sure if I can take a dining establishment seriously that is offering a full dinner menu, and also a "Pisces night" (it was last night - "Pisces get in free all night"), a teen night (tonight - for all of you under-21 kids that fanatically read this blog), and has a web site that is not working (at least when I checked).  My casual walk by and internet look gives me the feeling they are all over the board.  Just my thoughts.

• When I was a kid, there was just one free newspaper, and that was of course the Pennysaver.  Saratoga Springs has Saratoga Today, The Spotlight, and the Spa City Moneysaver - and there seem to be many other free specialty publications as well.  It's almost overwhelming - and all this in the internet era. Go figure.
• With Saratoga diners dropping left and right (namely Beverly's, Friendly's, and the Saratoga Family Restaurant), I thought it would be a good time to check out Shirley's, on West Avenue.  You may recall it was purchased last year by someone who was going to add some Montreal, Quebec cuisine to the menu.  Well the chowder was excellent but the grilled haddock I ordered came out cold - I think it was prebaked and never heated for me.  Oh well, if I ever get my fat blogging butt to the YMCA anytime soon perhaps I'll get rid of enough guilt to try Shirley's rather fattening sounding Poutine -  which is a French-Canadian specialty consisting of french fries, gravy and cheese curds.  I'm half intrigued and half disgusted, but my gluttonous curiosity will get the better of me eventually and I'll report on here how it was - and what my cholesterol was before and after.
• Speaking of eating things I shouldn't - the wings at the Stadium pass my four-part test - and I'm from Buffalo, which makes me an expert. The four part test is as follows: (1) Wings should be big with plenty of meat - not those wimpy tiny ones you get in some restaurants. (2) The sauce should have the right balanced flavor and have enough substance to cling to the wings. (3) They should never be undercooked, and in fact should be cooked extra crispy, and (4) the blue cheese should be of high quality.  The Stadium passes all four of those tests, with an extra star for their chunky blue cheese. 
• From Buffalo errr...fine dining to Buffalo fine arts - I see the Buffalo Philharmonic will be playing at SPAC this summer - on July 25th.  I'll be there....in a Bills jersey with my face painted.  It's a Buffalo thing. 
• And finally, Saratogian editor Barbara Lombardo had a great idea when she proposed that the Skidmore bookstore move into the empty former Borders location.  She asked "I can dream, can't I?"  Yes you can, and I like your thinking Barbara.

Have a great weekend everybody. 

Saratoga thoughts February 20, 2012

Here we go....

• I see the third annual Saratoga County Restaurant Week goes this year from March 16-25. For $20.12 you will get a three-course dinner at more than 40 participating Saratoga County restaurants, many right here in the Spa City. When this first started in 2010, there were very few Saratoga Springs restaurants that participated, but that changed starting last year.
• I pointed out last week that Mayor Scott Johnson made the right call on the South Side Rec center, and I was happy to see the Mayor mention South Broadway's problems in his recent state-of-the-city address.  The only problem is that I was pointing out these same problems over a year ago.  The city Democratic Committee recently wrote an opinion piece in The Saratogian accusing His Honor of having no vision, being slow to react, and certainly not being proactive.  With the aforementioned Rec Center being the lone exception, I couldn't agree more. 
• Speaking of failing to be proactive and lacking foresight, I haven't heard much lately about the dangerous traffic situation on South Broadway.  Did NY State DOT go back to sleep?  I certainly hope I'm wrong, but I just have a feeling there is another awful accident pending on that deadly stretch of highway. 
• I don't know if I'm a subscriber, member, customer or what of Groupon, but I've recently signed on and have noticed there are not too many offerings for places here in the Spa City.  Most offerings seem to be centered around Albany. 
• There seems to be quite a buzz about the Brad Pitt movie about Solomon Northrup.  That's great that this historical figure, who certainly had an amazing life, will be getting his due on the big screen.  I just am not expecting a shot in the arm for the local economy from it - there are no indications that any of the filming will be done here.  In fact, why would they film here?  It would be very costly and there isn't a whole lot left, as far as buildings and such, from Northrup's time in this region.  I'm not saying this won't have some positive effects for our region; I'm just not expecting those effects to be significant. 
• Well, Van-Halen is coming to the north, south, east, and west of Saratoga on this spring's tour - namely Montreal, NYC, Boston, and Buffalo - but no SPAC.  Well a SPAC show could have been a mess, with all sorts of crazies, but I would still like to see it.

 

• I'm hearing word that the Oklahoma Track may open early this year.  Well that would be a good thing - and would be something that could give the local economy a shot with horse owners and trainers moving here that much earlier.  If this is true I'm assuming it means 2 or 3 weeks early, meaning a very late March/early April opening.  The buildings there aren't winterized, so I couldn't imagine how they could open up any earlier. 
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• How sad that Saratoga's own Tuskegee Airman Clarence Dart died a few days ago.  At least he was able to see the movie Red Tails, and he even received a standing ovation when introduced at the Wilton Cinemas' debut of the movie last month.  His death is sad, but I'm very happy that he at least lived long enough to receive honors from the President, Congress, and Hollywood, and knew before he died that neither he nor his fellow Tuskegee Airmen would ever be forgotten. 
• February is almost done and Saratoga Springs organizations are talking summer.  SPAC recently announced the lineup for the 35th annual Freihofer's Jazz Fesival on June 30 & July 1.  The Oklahoma Track is opening soon and we're talking about summer concerts.  Life is looking good in Saratoga Springs! 

• I'll end with this link of a reporter writing about a chance meeting with Whitney Houston here in Saratoga Springs in the late 1980s.  Perhaps it was the same time she was performing at SPAC in 1987 that this Youtube video below shows. The late singer sure gave an energetic performance of "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" that night, and the crowd was jumping and the place was rocking.  They sure got their money's worth from Ms. Houston that night. 

 

That's it for now folks.  Have a great week!

Saratoga thoughts January 25, 2012

OK here we go with a mid-week posting:

• I am hoping to see the movie Red Tails - partially because it is a WWII movie (my late father, Ted De Federicis, was a B-24 Bomber co-pilot during the war) and partially because a Saratoga Springs resident was one of the Tuskegee Airmen.  That is so awesome. If anyone has seen it please post a comment on here.

• I was glad to see the Rail, Ski, and Stay package offered utilizing Saratoga Springs hotels, restaurants, and shops.  I hope it is successful - although I imagine this winter's mild weather isn't exactly helping.
• I wrote a few weeks ago how the T-U lost interest in their Community Blogs, and now I see the Post Star's Saratoga Snippets blog hasn't been updated in almost two months. Not sure what's up with that but I may give reporter Tom Dimopoulos a quick email to inquire.
• It looks like Maestro's is starting a monthly newsletter announcing specials and other offers, such as their Valentines Day menu.  Their February issue can be found here.
• You Idiot is reporting on a few rumors, one being that the former Brindisi's location will be filled by the restauranteurs who also own Russo's Grill in Amsterdam, ADDED: The Saratogian has the details here.  Also another post by You Idiot indicates, amongst other things, that Sangwych "is in serious trouble", Bowtie Theatres are moving into the old Borders location, Max London will be appearing on the Food Network Show "Chopped", and a Spanish Restaurant will be moving into the old Grey Gelding location.  Again these are rumors, and the last one (Grey Gelding) could have been mixed up with the confirmed news, of which I reported part of on last week, that the Zecchinis (owners of Chianti and Forno Bistro) will open a Spanish Tapas Restaurant in the old Pizza On Broadway location.  You Idiot has his ear to the ground so I'm sure more than half of what he reported on is true.  Just not sure which half. 
• Did you know that there was a Saratoga Musical?  It was on Broadway in the late 1950s, but didn't do so well.  You can buy a poster from the play from someone on Amazon.com.

OK so Saratoga the Musical is not such a surprise, but Saratoga Ointment????  Yup. Not kidding, and you can buy that on Amazon as well. Oh the City Hall jokes I can come up with on that one....

•  I know the Saratogian has assured us that the sale of their Lake Avenue building was just a simple "internal transaction", but I'm reserving the right to let it get me nervous for reasons I can't exactly articulate. 
• I'm pretty pissed off to find out how quickly the Genting Corporation, the ones who run the Casino down at Aqueduct, is apparently willing to jettison the horse racing at Aqueduct so they can knock things down, kick everybody out,  and build a huge convention center, hotels, and an even bigger casino.  Maybe I was a bit naive and my love for horse racing blinded what should have been obvious.  Genting looks more to me like a wolf in sheep's clothing a Trojan horse (pun not really intended) than a savior.  I'm not against a Convention Center there, but does that really mean they have to end horse racing too?  Why can't we have a gigantic and unique convention center, one with something special in addition to the mundane slot machines and table games?
• I see the Horse Racing Museum and Hall of Fame is closing until March 1st for some "exhibit updates".  I don't doubt that is the reason, but something tells me the slow winter months likely influenced their decision to stay closed for a little longer than they may have otherwise.
• Saratoga General Music Rule #I - if you're a national act playing at SPAC, your career is doing quite well.  Saratoga General Music Rule #2:  If you're a national act playing at Vapor Nightclub, you haven't had a hit in 15 years.
• And finally, the best happy hour in Saratoga Springs?  The Turf Club, at least according to some of my friends.  I was there once recently and would tend to agree, if for no other reasons than the warm fireplace and the neighborhood feel.  That's all for now folks, have a great weekend.

Is Van Halen coming to SPAC in 2012?

I don't know the answer to that question, but the popular rock band did just announce an "extensive" 2012 tour to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary (can that be true?  Are they - and we - that old?).  In any event the tour will be led by David Lee Roth, which is the Van Halen that I remember - so that is very cool.  Let's hope they make a SPAC visit - or two.  Marcia are you reading this?  Live Nation?  Let's hope.

 

Stevie Nicks coming to SPAC on August 30th

Singer Stevie Nicks is coming to SPAC on August 30th.  You can find more about the former Fleetwood Mac singer on the Times Union here.

SPAC announces upgrades for this year including a new sign, new dining options, an i-phone app, and more

The Times Union has the story here about the Saratoga Performing Arts Center's announcements of planned improvements.

"Lighter repertoire" and a "jostling of the dates" for the Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC

You can learn a lot by reading an out of town newspaper.  Yesterday I came across an article from the Philadelphia Inquirer about how The Philadelphia Orchestra's late summer European tour will affect not only The City of Brotherly Love, but our very own Saratoga Springs as well, more specifically The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).  Most of us knew about the Philadelphia Orchestra's bankruptcy filings, but it appears that there is much more to pay attention to with the drama going on at the orchestra. 

According to the article, "The Philadelphia Orchestra, though in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is proceeding with a European tour in late summer, which has forced a jostling of its normal summer dates, including concerts at the Mann and in Saratoga Springs, N.Y."  The article further stated about both the Mann Center (the Philadelphia venue of the orchestra) and SPAC "The Mann may be continuing its nine orchestral concerts this summer, but programming is gravitating - both here and at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center - toward lighter repertoire, and the use of orchestra as background music to visual spectacle or as a secondary factor to other artistic ideas."

Interesting stuff.  Just what does it mean when the writer, Philadelphia Inquirer Classical Music Critic Peter Dobrin, reports that the tour "forced a jostling of its normal summer concert dates...in Saratoga Springs, NY"?  Are these dates something that have already been "jostled" months ago, or is there an announcement about schedule changes forthcoming?  Besides numerous entries about the Chapter 11 filings, Dobrin's blog includes information about recent departures of key musicians and there are discussions about possible labor strikes by the orchestra's musicians on there as well.  The Wall Street Journal, in a recent article entitled "The Death of Classical Music in America", listed the Philadelphia Orchestra as number one on their list of "Most cash strapped classical music organizations".

I admittedly don't know a lot about the orchestra and it's history here at SPAC, but I suspect some of you readers do, so comments are encouraged.  In recent years I have just started to appreciate both the New York City Ballet as well as the Philadelphia Orchestra's connections to SPAC, and I realize how valuable their presence is not just to the arts scene, but as an economic factor as well.  Here's hoping things stabilize with the orchestra and we can keep enjoying our treasured annual three weeks with these world-class musicians year after year. 

 

 

Kings of Leon returning to SPAC

The Times Union has the story of the Kings of Leon at SPAC.

Things I missed in the past week

I mentioned last week that I would be taking approximately a week off.  As you've likely already seen, I'm back blogging and catching up on Saratoga Springs news.  Here are some local items that I missed that you may have as well:

• Wheatfields announced its Easter and Mothers Day specials.
• The Wishing Well also announced its offerings for the same days.
• Sperry's released their specials for the two holidays as well.
• Angelo Mazzone's Restaurants and catering locations, including Prime at Saratoga and The Hall of Springs, listed their Easter and Mother's Day offerings.
• Martell Brothers Brewing Company gave the city planning board information on its planned Broadway location.
• Siro's filed a lawsuit against Saratoga Springs and apparently launched a PR campaign, which included a new Facebook group, to allow them to have more live music at their famous location.
• WMHT, The Capital Region's PBS affiliate, will hold a meeting on May 2nd regarding its plans to involve the community for their "Our Town" episode that focuses on Saratoga Springs.
• Two Broadway buildings will be put up for auction.
• Borders closed for good on Tuesday.
• My hometown Buffalo's Goo Goo Dolls will be headlining a show at SPAC on July 31st, Canadian Rockers The Barenaked Ladies will be opening. 
• Speck Boutique will close for good this week, at least the physical store.  50% off all shoes, and 40% off everything else.  Access Speck Boutique's Facebook page here.

Plenty more happened, but these were a few things that caught my attention.  Glad to be back.