Fun in Saratoga

French fries, French cars, and American Barbecue

No, those aren't VW bugs.  I stopped at PJ's Barbecue early this evening for some ice cream and was shocked to see what seemed like a hundred mostly smaller European cars in the lot.  I soon learned that the Citroen Club of North America is in town for some events at the Saratoga Auto Museum tomorrow and they were at PJ's for a "rendezvous" of the people and their French made autos.  I took a number of pictures of these, let's just say very interesting looking, cars.  I had fun talking to the owners and learned quite a few things about Citroen cars and the passion their owners have for them.  I hope you like the pictures.   

ADDED 6/22:  AFTER THIS ENTRY WAS PUBLISHED, THE SARATOGIAN HAD AN ARTICLE IN THEIR SUNDAY EDITION

 

 

 

 

 

The Irish Times - first visit

I was determined NOT to go to Irish Times tonight.  Considering that it has received a lot of attention and pre-opening anticipation, I figured it would be packed.  Somehow a few of us ended up there (it was, after all, the place to be) and it was packed, but not uncomfortably so.  As Steve Barnes' article says, the place is large but not cavernous.  I bumped into a neighbor who just finished eating. His party waited a long time for a table, but he said the food was good - that's saying something for a restaurant's first night when things usually go haywire.  The roof bar is great, and much more comfortable than City Tavern's. The inside had two different floors with many different areas to feel comfortable and enjoy some food or drink while listening to the live Irish music.  I really like the place and it had a good feel to it.  I wish I had some pictures of the outside, which was well designed with the new signs. 

We started the night off at Hattie's Restaurant on Phila Street.  The atmosphere on the patio in the back is really nice, but, and perhaps this is blasphemous to Saratoga lovers, the famous fried chicken is just OK.  I had the fried chicken/ribs combo, which is not on the menu but available for the asking. 

Read or write a review of The Irish Times on The Saratoga Life web site 

New Saratoga blogs

I have added two relatively new Saratoga blogs to the blogroll on the right.  The first one is written by Marcia White, the President and Executive Director of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).  Ms. White must be wondering why she ever agreed to write a blog because the commenters are shockingly negative and brutal.  Maybe I have the advantage of being only an occasional SPAC patron and therefore don't have the, I don't know, zeal about SPAC issues that some of these rather shrill commenters have.  I have always been a fan of Ms. White, and in fact I commented on her SPAC tenure in one of my very first blog posts in 2006.  She is tough and savvy, and just as she weathered the criticism when she first took the job in 2005, she will handle the negativite comments on the blog and will address the problems that have been so loudly brought to her attention. 

The second blog is on the Saratogian web site.  Business and Education reporter Mareesa Nicosia has a blog "In the Biz" which "will offer a weekly update of Spa City business news and trends with the occasional bit of education news thrown into the mix."  I am not necessarily a fan of most if not all of the other Saratogian blogs, they tend to rarely break news and they never feel engaging, but I liked Ms. Nicosia's most recent entry, which reported on the new bars opening on the two floors of 30 Caroline Street. If she keeps blogging in that manner, her entries will be worth reading.  I wish both of these bloggers luck and I will be monitoring them. 

Saratoga hodgepodge June 17, 2009

I've got a number of unrelated Saratoga thoughts so, in no particular order, here they are:

• It says here that the wayward moose is cool, and she made my Monday. I hope she is doing OK back in the Adirondack Park.  Kudos to the Saratogian and NYRA for some clever comments in today's edition: "....As much as she might want to be the next Rachel Alexandra, for now the young moose will have to content herself with living in the wild.
  'We had to inform her that at the moment we can only conduct thoroughbred racing,' NYRA spokesman Dan Silver said."   The Times Union also had some nice pictures available in their photo gallery.
• Continuing with the Saratogian, I wrote last week about the opening of Springwater Inn, and today's edition had an article which covered the same topic. 
• I guess I found out a lot of local things from the Saratogian in the last few days.  I looked in yesterday's paper under the real estate transactions heading and I found out the Sunoco station on Broadway, across from the Saratoga Hilton, is now a Stewart's.  Apparently the news is over a week old but I missed it.  I like the fact that it is now a Stewart's, mostly because of course Stewarts is a local company but also because they are a good corporate citizen and their stores simply have quality products and service.   According to their web site, the Broadway location is their 327th store.  Click here for additional information from the Albany Business Review.
• I haven't been to The Starting Gate Bar and Grill yet, located in the building that was formerly the Olde Gaslight Tavern in front of the Hi-Roc Lanes, but I really like the sign they had made for the place.

• There were some blog entries and comments earlier this year complaining about the lack of a good concert schedule (at that point) for the upcoming SPAC season.  I think they really filled it out well with some choices for most age groups and fans of different types of music.  The recently announced addition of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band sure boosted my opinion of this year's lineup.  
• I will end these thought with a really good one:  TODAY IS EXACTLY SIX WEEKS UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF TRACK SEASON!!!!!

I saw the moose!!!

I spent Sunday morning in Lake Placid and the wildest thing I saw was a red-winged blackbird.  Now this morning I was driving down Union Avenue and I saw a police car and a group of people gawking with cameras etc. 

I usually would ignore it but something was odd here so I stopped and sure enough there was the 1-2 year old Moose about the size of a thoroughbred standing behind the main gate.   Click here for the story and video.

The Irish Times is opening this Friday June 19, 2009

UPDATE 6/19/09 - TO READ ABOUT MY FIRST VISIT TO IRISH TIMES - CLICK HERE

Consistent with my earlier posting on this subject, the Irish Times Restaurant and Pub will open this Friday, according to the Times Union's Table Hopping blog.  You can find their web site here, or at least the beginnings of it.   

 

The Table Hopping blog is also reporting that Maestro's has unveiled their summer menu.

GM closes Champion dealership on South Broadway

I hate seeing businesses close and people losing their jobs.  This closing  hurts the workers as well as the business community.  Let's hope they don't raze the building and build yet even more condos. 

Field Horne's 2009 Saratoga Springs guide is out

Field Horne, who wrote two previous editions of "Saratoga Springs - The Complete Visitors Guide" has now released his 2009 version of the guidebook via Kiskatom Publishing Company.  I recently bought a copy at Roma Foods Importing Company (where I get all my books) and haven't checked it out completely yet, but based on my quick look through, it appears to be a brief yet comprehensive guide to Saratoga Springs and the area. 

The book is quite updated, because it lists business locations that were recently opened or haven't even opened yet, such as The Backstretch and Irish Times.  The Kiskatom web site, on the other hand, is not updated and still lists the 2007 Horne book of the same name as the most recent one available. 

This book has a lot of information packed in it and it would be a nice gift for someone that loves Saratoga Springs.  If you check it out let me know what you think. 

Grand Avenue modular multi-unit coming along nicely

When the apartment building at 153 Grand Avenue burned down last winter, some people were concerned because the owner decided to rebuild using modular, or prefab, construction. 

View Larger Map

Fortunately, Phinney Design Group and Saratoga Modular were the two companies that were contracted to build the three unit replacement structure, which was brought in by trucks in 6 pieces.  From the comments I read on both the Saratogian article and the Times Union's Saratoga Seen blog, those are two class act companies that will do an excellent job, and the pictures below show that fact and the house seems to be a nice addition to the neighborhood. 

For those looking for perfection, please realize that in other cities, when buildings burn down the burned out structure often remains or at best there is a vacant lot.  In Saratoga builders quickly rebuild and that is something we should be appreciative of. 

The Riggis and I-Saratoga

Chances are you're familiar with what appears to be Ron and Michelle Riggi's attempt to surreptitiously demolish a beautiful home built in 1865 on Greenfield Avenue, reportedly in order to let their dozens of small dogs run around.  I have nothing against rich people, and I do understand the Riggis are quite charitable to the community, but what they apparently were trying to pull off should disgust all of us.

 

The Riggi mansion on North Broadway

First, I should commend Andrew Bernstein from the Saratogian because I believe he broke the story, and second I wish to link you to I-Saratoga's rather pointed commentary on the subject.  Whoever that blogger is he has a way with words and he is as informed as anyone about the goings on here in the Spa City.