Fun in Saratoga

Rumor Mill: A movie theater will be built on the old Railroad Ave Price Chopper location

If you want a blog spreading rumors with at least an 80% record of that rumor actually being a fact, then check out the You Idiot blog.  So with that being said, this blogger heard on the street that there will be a movie theater, possibly an IMAX, built at the location of the old Price Chopper on Railroad Avenue next to the new Market Center Building.  I don't have the impressive rumor-to-fact ratio as the You Idiot blog, who incidentally is reporting a rumor of a new cajun restaurant coming to town possibly at the aforementioned Price Chopper site, but my source has his ear to the ground here in the Spa City.  So it's only a rumor, but one that I would think most of us would like to see come true. 

ESPN blog: NYRA is necessary

I read an interesting ESPN blog post yesterday, convincingly stating that NYRA is necessary for the good of horse racing and that a governmental takeover would be a bad thing.  You can read that here.

Saratoga Mama gives Russo's Restaurant a "Thumbs down" review

It's sometimes difficult to get a good feel for a restaurant within the first week of its opening, but Saratoga Mama ate at Russo's Restaurant this past weekend and it seemed like it was pretty bad.  As the saying goes, "you only get one chance to make a first impression", and it seems like Russo's missed that opportunity with Colleen Pierre, the blogger at Saratoga Mama.

 

Food being sent back, forgotten items, short-staffed, watery and tasteless sauce, and iceberg lettuce are just a few of the problems that the blog post mentioned.  And I'm not being funny about mentioning iceberg lettuce - that is a sign to me, and apparently Saratoga Mama also - that the restaurant is out of touch.  Read her review here, and let's hope Russo's takes her advice "....I think they need to make some changes, and FAST". 

Saratoga Thoughts April 15, 2012

Saratoga Thoughts - weekend edition:

• Margarita and I ran the Peppertree Rescue 5K yesterday at the Saratoga Spa State Park.  Great cause, great weather, and a great run (OK, a slow, great run).  I probably spent $80 on our race registrations and other items and raffles, but all for a good cause.  It was an unusual 5K b/c probably about half the runners ran with their dogs.  If you are thinking of getting a dog, I would suggest looking at Peppertree because they seem like a well-run organization that really cares about matching the right dog with the right person/family.  Click here for Peppertree's Facebook page and you can like them. 

• It looks like Elizabeth's Table may open this Tuesday.  I am glad it's that close - Mike and Liz Phillips worked their butts off to get the place ready and if their food is half as good as it was at the Cupcake Lab, the place will be a hit.  Give them some support and check it out later this week. 

• I've written on here more than once that I felt (now former) Saratogian sports editor Nicole Russo was an extremely talented writer, and it looks like the Thoroughbred Times has agreed with me because she was hired by the Lexington, Kentucky based company as their internet editor.  Congratulations Nicole!  Her recent departure as sports editor and subsequent replacement by Matthew Donato means the Saratogian has had five different sports editors in just over two years.  
• I wrote a post last week about Siro's either not completing its web sites or letting the URL's expire for its main restaurant on Lincoln as well as Siro's Trattoria web site, the latter of which incidentally closed quietly for the season.  Then I mentioned how I thought the New York City location apparently wasn't opening.  Steve Barnes of the T-U's Table Hopping Blog linked my entry, and then a Siro's manager quickly replied on Table Hopping. I was apparently wrong about the NYC location, which apparently is opening within a month, but the other facts were hard to argue with. Siro's PR people (probably an outside PR firm) contacted the Business Review to do some damage control, and this article was printed Friday.  Well I'm glad The Trattoria at the Lodge is opening back up soon, and I'm really glad the NYC location is opening as well.  Siro's has to pay some more attention to the details, namely completing their web sites and not letting the URL's expire, but I'm glad they're otherwise on track. 
• It says here that Stewart's Crumbs Along the Mohawk Ice Cream is fantastic.
• Below is a picture of a race horse I used to own, now a guide pony, Minister's Appeal, working with his rider at the Oklahoma Track.  I was thrilled when the training track opened last week, but when is the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Business Association, or Convention and Tourism Bureau, or better yet all three, going to encourage NYRA to open it to the public, at least on the weekends?  With mimimal effort, you could limit public access to an area near the timer's shed and attract numerous people up here on the weekends from April to November.  That's numerous people, and families, who will eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores, and, by the way, get all that much more excited to attend the track in the summer which can only help attendance. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

• Who is Amy Sutton, and why does she have so many prominent listings at Roohan Realty?  I seem to see her names on signs everywhere.
• Finally, Margarita and I met some friends last night at Lake Ridge Restaurant in Round Lake (exit 11).  I was never there before but had the feeling for some reason it was a rustic, basic place, but it was very nice inside and had great food and service.  If you're ever looking for a restaurant down that way I do recommend it.

OK folks that's it for now.  It will be nice today (Sunday) and up to 80 tomorrow on Monday. Have a great week!

A few Saratoga Springs links from the Table Hopping blog

A few T-U Table Hopping links:

http://blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping/30174/spring-news-from-sperrys/

http://blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping/30179/bellinis-celebrating-10th-anniversary-this-month/ (Includes info about Jacobs and Anthony's)

http://blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping/30121/sorting-out-siros/

Check out Savoring Saratoga

I think I knew about the restaurant blog Savoring Saratoga, but never really gave it the time it deserved.  The blogger and I have been communicating via email and last night I took a good look at it.  I suggest you do to, and in fact make it a regular destination.   It is very well written, very honest, and has some great pictures of the food from various Saratoga restaurants!  Here is the description in the blogger's own words: 

HONEST OPINIONS FROM A DEDICATED FOODIE -- Let's explore all of the restaurants Saratoga Springs has to offer. It's gonna be great.

Check it out here.

Saratoga thoughts February 12, 2012

Had I won Powerball, I wouldn't be blogging today but....

• I've said it before and I'll say it again, the South Side Rec Center is a great asset to our city and I will give Mayor Scott Johnson two thumbs up for his decisiveness and leadership on getting that place built on an underused park site.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of The Mayor, but he made the right call on the rec center.
• The You Idiot blog has become a great source for rumors, many of which turn out to be accurate.  The latest rumors he is reporting on, and again these are just rumors and not confirmed, is that Virgil's House and Pizza Works, both on Henry Street, may be closing.  He also is reporting an unnamed popular NYC eatery may be opening in the Bonacio Price Chopper building. He also showed a picture of a sign announcing the new beer garden on Broadway - which is news I believe he originally broke as well. 
• I was out with a few friends last night at Cantina and the Franklin Micare duo was rocking the house. They had the place jumping and it was really an enjoyable show. It's good to be in a bar and not feel like you have to be 22 years old, and it's also good to see Franklin Micare still in town on Saturday nights now that the Grey Gelding is long gone.

 

Yours truly (in my scruffy phase) with my wife Margarita and Franklin Micare in 2009

• Bed and Breakfast update:  The Batchellor Mansion Inn price has been lowered again, to $2.9 million, and the Westchester Inn is not only for sale, but also for rent at $3,500 a month.  Hmmmmm.
• Congress Plaza could use a dollar store.  It just seems right.  Besides, what else is going to move in there anytime soon?
• In a post last month I noted The Saratogian had well-written editorials, but that there were too few of them. I encouraged our hometown daily to write more of these opinion pieces, suggesting a goal of two per week.  The Saratogian acknowledged that post of mine in a tweet of their own, and since then there have been editorials written consistently every Sunday.  Although short of my suggested two a week, these Sunday editorials have been comprehensive, well-written, and well researched on topics of high importance to Saratoga Springs.  Today's editorial, about the numerous empty buildings on South Broadway, also had numerous pictures of the several vacated premises along one of the key our gateways to the city.  The editorial was laudatory of the city's efforts in some respects, but encouraged the city officials to cooperate and communicate more - it noted there were two different plans that were seemingly created without inclusion of all officials.  It's good to see The Saratogian as an advocate for a reasoned and apolitical approach in fixing some of the city's problems, and I look forward to a continued effort in that role. 
• Although I somewhat agreed with the Saratogian's point (above) regarding the need for cooperation and communication, I nonetheless applaud Supervisor Matt Veitch and City Council Member John Franck for trying to take some action on South Broadway. I appreciate their initiative and effort; let's hope they can make some headway on this.
• And I'll finish up with a roundup of links with updates on various Saratoga businesses and organizations:  Universal Preservation Hall,   Saratoga Olive Oil,  Longfellows and Olde Bryan Inn, Saratoga Arts, Maestros,   Sloppy kisses, DZ Restaurants, and Saratoga P.L.A.N.  Ok folks that's it for now.  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.

Saratoga thoughts January 17, 2012

Here's what I'm thinking as I count down the days to the Saratoga Chowderfest on February 4th:

• Let's start if off with food, namely Esperanto food. You Idiot reported that the Caroline Street casual eatery is offering free dough cousins with - get this - no strings attached.  The T-U's On the Edge blog reported that they are offering cold doughboys for you to cook at home.  So much for that "lose weight and get in shape" New Year's resolution.

Photo from the T-U's On the Edge Blog

• You likely heard that David and Roslyn Zecchini, owners of Chianti, Forno Bistro, and Pasta Pane, are about to purchase 384 Broadway and that Pizza on Broadway and Raina's have already moved out.  Word has it that the Zecchinis will open a Tapas bar and restaurant at that location, which would be the fourth establishment under the DZ Restaurants corporation name.  Let's hope they make things happen quickly -the stretch of Broadway from the former Zola Kids location down to Brindisi's is presently either vacant or closed, and that's not good.
• Speaking of closed Broadway locations, It was almost a year ago that a Saratogian Headline declared "Saratoga Springs Mayor:  Borders' Broadway spot should be filled soon".  Uhhhh Scott, it's nearly February 2012 and we're still waiting.
• One business that is open in that general area is Char-Koon.  Margarita was out of town last week so since I was a bachelor for a few days it only seemed right to get some Chinese Take-out.  The staff at Char-Koon doesn't have their act together - I ordered at 6pm but they charged me lunch prices for my General Tso's Chicken, which had absolutely no spice to it whatsoever.  Those little peppers on the menu are supposed to mean the dish is hot, not nearly as sweet as grape jelly.
• Print out the below coupon and use it at Chianti on January 23rd, and they will donate 30% of your bill to the Saratoga Regional YMCA's scholarship program. 

• I like dealing with that big burly guy Randy at the Broadway Post Office.  He's efficient, knowlegeable, and he always seems to have that "Hey how ya doin'?" kind of infectious good mood thing going.
• One piece of economic development "progress" I do not want to see is the once-planned Rite-Aid location on the site of the current Springs Motel.  I don't know if this project is simply delayed or completely scrapped, but I hope the latter because I don't want to see another national chain retail location at the southern entrance to downtown.  We've already got Mobil, McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts, and Boston Market nearby, and that's plenty of representation from Anytown, U.S.A. The Springs Motel may not be a five star resort, but it is a well kept location that adds a little bit of character to that stretch of South Broadway and I hope it stays there.
• Speaking of that stretch of South Broadway, and in fact that very same intersection with Lincoln Avenue, I wrote last week that I saw signs of work at the former Kimberly Inn.  Sunday's Saratogian had an in-depth article about the new owner's plans for the place, which includes a sizable addition and turning it into a winery and bistro. The architectural sketches in the Saratogian's print edition looked great.  The developer runs the Thirsty Owl Winery and Bistro in the Finger Lakes, and plans on selling his wine here in The Spa City.  This is very interesting and positive stuff for a beautiful old building that needs some TLC.
• I think the Saratogian is a much improved newspaper over the last few years, but I would like to see more editorials printed.  There are too many important happenings in and around the Spa City, not to mention the rest of the world, to not hear more opinion from our daily newspaper. By my count the paper printed just one editorial in November (not counting endorsements) and five in December.  I hope this is an uptick I am detecting with three editorials written in the first half of January.   When the Saratogian does print one of their somewhat rare editorials, they are well written, on point, and even have a folksy and unpretentious style about them that makes them very readable.  It's not the New York Times, and I don't want it to be.  Sunday's editorial about the commencement of production at the new Global Foundries plant was very good, and I liked the clever title "Chip, chip, Hooray!"  I hope to see more of those - two a week seems like a reasonable goal.
• Continuing with the topic of my desire for more news commentary, I wrote last week about the dearth of news analysis on how Governor Cuomo's Aqueduct proposal will affect horse racing at the Queens track, as well as at NYRA in general and Saratoga in particular. Since I wrote that there have been a few things written on point, namely this Daily Racing Form piece, which noted sources indicated that Genting, the company running the Racino there, would like to see racing go bye-bye so they can use the land for bigger casinos, the country's largest convention center, and an equally ginormous hotel.  Although there are many legal and political hurdles, the general consensus is that it's just a matter of time before racing ends at Aqueduct.  Mike Veitch will focus his commentary on this issue in tomorrow's (Wednesday) Saratogian (ADDED - can be found here) and I'll be looking forward to reading what that respected writer has to say.   
• Back to editorials, the T-U had a good one yesterday about the pedestrian death on Route 9.
• The T-U's Saratoga reporter Leigh Hornbeck has taken over the Places and Spaces real estate blog.  Don't worry, she's still covering Saratoga Springs as well.  Well Leigh, more work should mean more money....
• Stewarts has plenty of its own private label products, such as soda and dairy products, and the Saratoga Springs based convenience store now has its own private label energy drink called Impact.  12 ounces of sugary caffeine for 99 cents - is this a great country or what? You can see their Youtube pitch below.
• The Wishing Well has started a new Sunday "Date Night" promotion.  $25 gets you a 3-course meal with a $15 wine add-on option.
• The Saratoga Film Forum has a new blog, which you can link here.

Whew, that was a lot of thoughts!  I didn't expect to write so much but I've been working on this post since Sunday.  Have a great week. 

Saratoga Thoughts January 11, 2012

God I can't believe I'm writing "2012".  While we all wonder what happened to our youth, here is what I'm thinking in the Spa City:

• I've noticed that the winery owner that bought the Kimberly Inn has been doing some work there.  I saw a full dumpster outside the building at Lincoln and Broadway a few weeks ago, and it seems like the place is getting some interior work done to it.  That's good news. 
• Say goodbye to another promising young reporter at the Saratogian.   Suzanna Lourie, who in my book established herself as a very capable business reporter, has moved on to Central America. She will be teaching in Costa Rica, and the In the Biz blog indicates she may be blogging from there.  Good luck Suzanna!
• Max London's sure does a great job on brunch, especially with their Belgian waffle creations. 

 

• How long is it going to take the State DOT to lower the speed limits along the death stretch of Rt 9?  Sure, a lot of those now deceased pedestrians reportedly had alcohol in their system, but that's not an excuse for DOT to do nothing.  I drove up Route 9 from Exit 13 over the weekend and I saw 3 pedestrians walking close to the driving lane.  It's just dangerous. Not only should they lower the speed limit, but would it be too much to ask to add a wide pedestrian and bicycle path off the roadway?  You can read more on the Times Union's Saratoga Seen blog here.
• The You Idiot blog had some information on Saratoga's newest Beer Garden coming soon!
• This winter's welcome mild weather is allowing Dango's to work quickly on an all-season addition to the back of their restaurant, as seen below.

• Speaking of Dango's, the bar's Tuesday night wing specials sure seem to affect other establishments downtown.  The Funsaratoga field agent and I had a tough time finding open places last night (Tuesday) to get a beer and wings.  Dango's itself was packed and we didn't feel like waiting for a table.  The Parting Glass was as dead as a mortuary, but the beer was cold so we stayed.  We tried stopping out to The Irish Times and Bailey's, but they were both closed when we tried them about 9:15pm.  I think the Seven Horse may have been closed as well.  We finally stopped at Peabody's, where there were just a few customers.  Well, if fewer hours mean that these places survive the winter I guess that's OK with me. 
• I wrote a while back about the laundromat on Phila Street closing and a jewelry shop opening in its place.  Sometime since then the jewelry shop closed and a place called The Saratoga Traveler opened there, selling backpacks and the like.  I haven't had a chance to stop in yet but if anyone has please comments on how it is.   

 

• Well I'll end here with a smattering of links of recent newsletters and other communications from Saratoga Springs businesses and organizations: Universal Preservation Hall,  Saratoga Peanut Butter, Saratoga Olive Oil Co., Saratoga YMCA, DZ Restaurants, Saratoga Coffee Traders,  Saratoga Arts, and Wild Birds Unlimited.

Enjoy the mild winter so far everybody.  Have a great week.