Fun in Saratoga

Business Showcase tomorrow at the city Center from 4:30PM - 7PM

There will be dozens of businesses and other participants in this year's showcase.  The Chamber of Commerce is charging $5.00 per person for admission, but there is no word on what exactly the proceeds will be used for.  I don't recall paying in previous years - is this something new?  Anyway I do enjoy this event and the restaurant samples alone make the event worthwhile, so I hope to see you there.

Saratoga Farmers Market information

Like I said in my post from yesterday, I am on a lot of email lists.  Here is one I just received from the Saratoga Farmers Market:

Saratoga Springs Farmers' Market Wednesday News ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ News from the Shed: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The days are getting shorter and the temps are starting to dip.  Hurry down to the market to get the last of the summer crops!  Not to worry however as the farmers have a never ending supply of cooler temp product to fill the plate! Wednesdays are special at the market:  Shushan Valley Hydro Farm (Phyllis Underwood) will return in October with hydroponic tomatoes, herbs, Asian cucumbers, lettuce, arugula, bok choy, and watercress.  Kilpatrick Family Farm will be offering on Wednesdays only, two bags of Spinach for $6 instead of the usual price of $4/bag.  Mary Jane Pelzer (Saratoga Suds) continues to provide good clean fun this Wednesday. Buy any four bars of soap on Wednesday and get a 10% discount. Elihu Farm (Bob and Mary Pratt) - will be asbsent this Wednesday--back on Saturday. Slice of Heaven will be back this week. SoLivelyTapenade now has a FaceBook page. Keep up with them at http://www.solivelytapenade.com/ Note:  Mr. Edge is only here on Wednesdays only and Battenkill Creamery is only at the market on Saturdays. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Get your market T-shirt and where it with pride! They are locally printed, 100% heavy cotton pre-shrunk. They are a great deal for $10.  We also have totes and insulated tote bags to help bring home your purchases easily and safely, as well as gift certificates and Free Bumper Stickers. See you at the market!
The Saratoga Farmers Market Outdoor Season is May-Oct,  on Wednesday, 3p-6p and Saturdays, 9a-1p at the High Rock Ave Pavilions in Saratoga Springs.

Virtual golf on West Avenue

My email address is on a few Saratoga Springs business mailing lists and, just like junk mail, that has spawned off into being on other email lists. I don't mind, they are all Saratoga area lists and it keeps me informed as to what's going on in the business world.

One new email I just received was from Tark's Indoor Golf Club at 60 West Avenue.  I assume it's a new business because I haven't heard of it before and this is the first email I ever received from that place. 

From Tark's web site:  "Tark's Indoor Golf Club is a year-round, golf entertainment and training facility where perfect weather is always guaranteed. In our relaxed country club atmosphere you can take off on an amazing 3D golf adventure playing one of our 40 world-famous golf courses, work on your game using the most sophisticated game improvement technology in the industry, or just sit back and enjoy your favorite beverage and a bite while watching one of our ten HDTVs."

Well I'm not crazy about golf these days, but come February the idea of simulating any warm-weather sport may not seem like such a bad idea and I may find myself over on the west side - but I'll be stopping at The Local first. 

Saratoga Springs - balloons, pizza, coffee, and more

More thoughts and follow-up from the past several days:

• I went to the Adirondack Balloon Festival up near Glens Falls on Saturday.  I had never went before and was really excited to go, but unfortunately the winds and then rain caused the cancellation of the Saturday evening and Sunday events.  The most I got to see was a few balloons that were stood up and filled with air - and even that was difficult for the few crews that tried it.  I sure wish I would have seen all 90 go up as scheduled but Mother Nature had different ideas.  The Glens Falls Post Star has the story and a great picture here plus I added a few pictures below from the time I was there.

• I once commented on here how the pizza slices at Inferno Pizza seemed dried out when I went there.  I am happy to report that I had a very good pizza from there Saturday night - I guess there's a big difference when you order a whole pie and it's fresh, as opposed to slices which could have been cooked hours ago.  I still think Marino's is the best in the Spa City but they inexplicably close at 9PM on Saturdays, so I went with Inferno which turned out to be pretty damn good.
• I was on Broadway a while back and I found out that the Ever After store at 372 Broadway was closing.   The boutique offered clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, hand bags, plus gift ware. I guess seeing some of our downtown stores close is not unexpected - but you hate to see it anyway.  No word on whether any new business will go in that space right away.

• It seems like Uncommon Grounds is the place to be for coffee, light food, and free wi-fi.  Occasionally I like to experience a change of pace and go to Saratoga Coffee Traders across and down the street near Bruegger's Bagels.  

Saratoga Coffee Traders is not as spacious as Uncommon Grounds, but their coffee is good and they offer some nice options including wraps and salads.

• Remember the Epiphany Theater?  It was a Theater Company based, at least for a time, on a big old building on Regent Street between Union Avenue and Spring Street.  I was going past the building the other day and I noticed it was for rent.  Then, on the subject of unique and old buildings for rent, I noticed a church annex building on Washington Street near Universal Preservation Hall that was also available. Interesting if nothing else.

 

• Speaking of Universal Preservation Hall, the organization refurbishing that beautiful building on Washington Street is holding a unique fundraiser this coming weekend when they will host the Phinney Design Group Tour of Homes. From the UPH web site: "The tour will feature five beautiful homes in the Saratoga area, all designed by PDG. This event will take place on Saturday October 3rd and Sunday October 4th from noon - 5pm.  On Sunday, there will be a reception at UPH from 5:30 to 8pm."  Tickets are just $35.00 - which is very inexpensive considering the usual price of Saratoga Springs fundraisers - and the tour sounds great and Universal Preservation Hall is of course a great cause.  I unfortunately will likely be out of town.  To find out more, click here. 
• Credit below goes to the Putnam Wine Shop on Broadway for some clever marketing, as evidenced below.

• The YMCA of Saratoga is adding some much needed parking to the Saratoga Springs (West Avenue) branch.  This is a good move, because there have been times when I've gone there at maybe 5 or 6pm and there was virtually no available parking.  By my very rough estimate it appears that there may be about 60 new spaces available when the construction is completed.  I love the Saratoga Y!

 

• Sushi Thai Garden is so consistently good.  My girlfriend and I ate there Friday night and we really enjoyed our meals - they always deliver great food and great service.
• I see 38 High Rock Condos has a sales office at 425 Broadway.  I'd hate to see any empty places on Broadway so it's good to see them filling a location, although I noticed the upper floors of that old building sure look like they've been empty for a long time. 

• I went to the Saratoga Farmers Market on Saturday.  It seems like my weekends are missing something if I don't get to the market - it's such an upbeat experience.  Apples, apple cider, pumpkins, and many other autumn treats were in abundance.  I mentioned to one of the workers how extra lively it was there on Saturday and she pointed to the band and said "they're very good and they just lift the whole place up".  I never thought to get the band's name, but they were playing a Johnny Cash song at the time so they instantly got a thumbs up from me. 
• It's always good to see building owners taking care of the beautiful old buildings in Saratoga.  I took this picture of a worker repairing the exterior of Saratoga Arms Hotel on Broadway. 

• I'll end this by telling you to go to the Bread Basket Bakery on Spring Street and get one of their shortbread cookies.  They sucked me in with a free sample and I had to buy one for myself then bought another one for my girlfriend.  So good!  Maybe that great taste is from what seems like the entire stick of butter in each cookie - and I of course say that with admiration.  Have a great week.

Steve Barnes posts on his last meal at Chez Sophie

Steve Barnes, writer of the Times Union's Table Hopping blog, blogs about his last meal at Chez Sopie Restaurant and has great pictures to show what he was served.

Chez Sophie - getting near the end

Here is what will be one of the last e-newsletters from Chez Sophie Restaurant as they get so close to their Wednesday September 30th closing. 

Click here if you haven't heard about the overnight change the location will make to the Brindisi owned Union Grille Restaurant. 

Http://www.chezsophie.com

Hello Everyone!

Some of you may have heard from local media outlets about the rather extraordinary exodus we are expected to make on Wednesday from our current quarters in the Saratoga Hilton. We are required to serve dinner until 10 p.m. on Wednesday. Then, in the wee hours of Thursday morning, we are to completely vacate the premises. At 5 p.m. on Thursday, the Brindisi family is expected to serve dinner in the Union Grille, a new English gastropub that will suddenly appear in the space where Chez Sophie was less than 24 hours before.

Since none of this is negotiable, we've decided to attack this challenge with good humor. Since our staff in these end days is small, and many of them are recovering from the illnesses and injuries which have made the summer season a challenge, we are making a call to all our friends. If you in anyway can contribute to the logistical and/or heavy-lifting aspects of this nearly comic adventure, we'd love to see you at any time on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. We promise to be pouring good vino. Call Cheryl at 518-577-8326 to coordinate.

We know everyone wants to have dinner with us on Chez Sophie's final night on September 30, but we would like to say that it will be interesting, but not necessarily luxurious. Joseph plans to begin to ferry his artwork to Hadley on Sunday and the baby grand piano will be removed by the buyer on Monday night. (We still hope to have live music on Tuesday via Cole Broderick's electric keyboard and a guitarist.)

The menu and the winelist will be getting smaller as we prepare for the move. Saturday will be the last full-on night, and it is fairly heavily booked already. So please, if you would like one last Chez Sophie meal, consider Friday night as the ideal time.

To those of you who are considering buying microleases to participate in the Chez Sophie Cooking Experience in the South of France, please remember that the three-year memberships increase in price after September 30. Paul and Cheryl will remain in the United States for at least two months after we close the restaurant, depending on the progress of our visa application with the French Embassy and the speed with which we can dispose of the collected loot from Chez Sophie Bistro at the diner, Chez Sophie at the hotel and more than 15 years at the farmhouse in Malta Ridge.

We'll announce when we've gotten it all organized enough the date of the first garage sale. There will be tons of kitchen equipment, dishes and a rather stupid number of Belgian beer glasses.

We Can't Take it With Us

The larger items we still have not sold include two professional espresso machines which we're offering at less than half their original price. The first one, at $3,000, is the elegant manual machine that graced the bar at the diner for 11 years. The other is a larger, electronic model for $3,500. Call Cheryl for details at 518-577-8326.

 We have five wall-mount wire wine racks, that hold 144 bottles each, for $200.

We also have a barely used Ikea twin daybed with a great mattress in the nursery at the restaurant, a Magic Chef dorm fridge and a small color television with a DVD player. There's a 5 CD stereo component, a large, heavy old safe, a couple of utilitarian Ikea desks, a ridiculous number of Belgian beer glasses, and lots of pots and pans and floral vases and dishes, bookcases, books, and shelving. There's a stand mixer for large batches of bread, a couple of microwaves, a Cuisinart, a home-size stand mixer and dozens of other electrical appliances that won't work on French current.

There is  is a red Fisher Price racecar bed with a good mattress, a new king-sized bed as well as a vintage 1969 Rickenbacker Fireglo 370 electric guitar ($3,500) and lots of furniture, both old and antique.

We'll be having a big yard sale at our home after we close, but with the larger restaurant items, it would be better if we were able to sell them directly from 534 Broadway, rather than trying to cram them into our garage. Please call Cheryl at the restaurant if you'd like to bid on anything and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.

Paul and Cheryl for Hire

For a time while the visa is being processed, we will still be in the country, supporting our lovely children. So we will be available at hourly or day rates for hire as consultants, for catering jobs, kitchen and wine cellar design and party planning. Please email us at [email protected]. More details to come, or contact us if you have an idea.

Repas Joyeux

The price of the Repas Joyeux (our take on a Happy Meal) has dropped to $55 per person for the remainder of our run. The four-course "Repas Joyeux" allows you the choice of any appetizer, choice of soup or house salad, choice of the full-range of entrees on our menu and choice of a cheese course or any dessert from our menu for $55 per person, seven nights a week.

For those who can't manage three or four courses, the individual dishes are available à la carte. The entrees range between $26 and $38 most nights.

The prix fixe discounted specials are not subject to any further program discounts, coupons or sharing. 

Paul and Cheryl for Hire

For a time while the visa is being processed, we will still be in the country, supporting our lovely children. So we will be available for hire as consultants, for catering jobs, kitchen and wine cellar design and purchasing and party planning. Please email us at [email protected]. More details to come, or contact us if you have an idea.

Cole Broderick, We Love You Again

Please come and support Cole Broderick this week, especially as it's his last week with a regular gig and his beloved baby grand piano just got sold out from under him. He will be playing the baby grand through Sunday brunch, and hopefully we'll be able to arrange for him to play on his electronic Kurzweill, like he did for all those years at the diner, on Tuesday night. In honor of Cole, we'd like to repeat our Cole Broderick Appreciation promotion during Sunday brunch and Tuesday dinner. Everyone who buys any one of Cole Broderick's 8 CDs (excluding the 4-Cd Seasons of Saratoga) will receive a free glass of Paul Laurent Champagne Brut (value: $15.50). That's a deal, because most of Cole's CD's cost $16 (with the exception of the more expensive 4-CD boxed set Seasons in Saratoga, which won BillBoard Magazine's Critic's Choice Award.) Understand that even though he recently released his eighth compact disc, Volume One of a Tribute to the Beatles, Cole will be in search of a regular gig in less than two weeks and in need of affirmation and support from his fans. He will be on hand Thursday to play selections from his albums and sign purchased CDs. Cheryl will also be around to co-sign copies of Cole's seventh album, Chez Sophie Jazz, a limited edition souvenir of Chez Sophie's 40 years in the Saratoga region. There are only 300 copies left of the Chez Sophie album from the original run, and we'd love to sell them. All proceeds directly benefit (minus sales tax) the spectacular talent of Coleman G. Broderick.

Copies are also for sale for $16 at Chez Sophie and through Cole's secure PayPal-friendly website at http://www.colebroderick.com/sound-7.htm

Weekend Brunch

Our last weekend brunch Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27, will feature steak and eggs ($14); apple cinnamon French toast with your choice of bacon or sausage ($12); Carribean eggs Benedict ($14); and seafood quiche with a side salad or fries ($14).

Appetizer specials include oysters on the halfshell ($3 a piece); Rhode Island Littleneck clams steamed in white wine, garlic and herbs ($13); a salad of mixed baby greens tossed in a red wine vinaigrette ($7); crabcake with lemon caper mayonnaise ($16) and soup of the day ($8).

The brunch specials run from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The complete menu, offered from 7 to 2 p.m., includes Continental items such as muffins, bagel, pastries, fruit, yogurt, coffee and juice; omelettes ($13 to $15); pancakes du jour ($12); the All in One, which includes 2 eggs any style, homefries, toast and sausage or bacon ($12); waffles with bacon or sausage, sweet cream butter and local maple syrup ($11); and Irish steel-cut oatmeal ($8).

Joseph Parker, Artist in residence

Two pieces (a female dancer and a menorah) by Chez Sophie founder and artist-in-residence Joseph C. Parker have been accepted for the new LARAC (www.larac.org) exhibit, at 7 Lapham Place in Glens Falls:

In the Spirit of Degas:  Art Inspired by Music
Until October 4, 2010

There is a new ballet-themed mobile gracing the center of our dining room, and a load of other new sculptures, which have been selling at a lovely pace as people seek lasting souvenirs of Chez Sophie.  Joseph has also made posters based on the postcards he used to make when we were at the diner. Six of the 16X24 posters  are now on display on the back wall of the private dining room and he has brought in signed copies on glossy archival paper to sell to souvenir-loving customers.  

http://www.chezsophie.com/postcards.html 

Look for the discount wines

In an effort to reduce our wine cellar before we close on September 30, we are discounting certain wines beyond our normal markup. Right now, the discounts are largely focussed on the very high-end wines on our list that haven't been moving with regularity through the recession, and a few moderately priced wines that we have large quantities of that should be drunk this year. Bear in mind, we have an on-premises license and are only allowed to sell wine for consumption at the table. We cannot sell sealed bottles as a package store can.

Each week we will reprint the wine list, and we'll add a few more discounts.  As we slash and reduce, there will occasionally be wines on the list that we run out of between printings, so please be patient with us. To see a list of a not-entirely current round of discounts, visit http://www.chezsophie.com/wine.htm updates are forthcoming as we can get to them in the middle of all the other demands.

Tasting menus

The Chef's Choice seven-course tasting menu is available each night. The menus are designed based on the best and most creative dishes Chef Paul K. Parker is serving each evening. We will pair wines for you at an additional charge or you can order from our extensive wine list.

Cost: $85 to $200 per person for seven or more courses, plus tax and tip. Everyone at the table must  partake in the tasting menu.

If you're feeling less impromptu, you can call ahead to arrange a special tasting menu with the number of courses and wine pairings designed to suit your capacity, dietary restrictions and budget.

Tasting menus arranged in advance will be printed on commemorative vellum scrolls personalized with the name of the host or the reason for the event.

Note from a customer:

“Last Friday, we decided to go to Chez Sophie after the Lake George Opera.   We arrived at 10:45, the kitchen was closed, and Cheryl and Paul were sitting at the bar having a glass of wine and decompressing.  Despite the late hour and their exhaustion, they welcomed us warmly, poured us wine, rushed into the kitchen, heated up crab cakes, put together a salad and a  magnificent cheese plate, then plied us with chocolate mousse and crème brulee.   We four sat at the bar --- they telling us about embarking on their new adventure, and we reminiscing about memorable evenings at Chez Sophie – on Caroline Street, at the diner and at the hotel.  It occurred to us that our fond memories were just a small subset of many recollections of special evenings at Chez Sophie.  We thought it would be a touching Bon Voyage / Bonne Chance send-off to put together a book for them, and especially for Nico and Leo, describing special evenings spent with various generations of the Parker famille. 

 

So if you would like to contribute to the book, please write a paragraph for each special evening (multiple evenings are OK), using the Word format.  We do not intend to edit the pieces (N.B.  Typos and punctuation won’t be corrected).  We will simply put them in a consistent format.  Of course, we won’t include subject matter we consider to be in bad taste -- our standards aren’t very high, but we don’t expect bad taste is prevalent in this group.  We’ll organize the book chronologically if that makes sense (so try to estimate a year) or alphabetically (Anonymous is OK if you’d like). 

 

Please send your email (Subject:  Chez Sophie) to Michael Fieldman ([email protected]), with a Word document attached by September 1.  Let us know if you’d like an email copy (with names deleted), and if it’s feasible, i.e., if we have the time to do it, we will do our best to oblige.

 

Michael Fieldman and Carla Skodinski”

Monte Lauro Vineyards

We'll be contacting those of you who have expressed interest in becoming members of Monte Lauro Vineyard and La Ferme du Vieux Chateau in the South of France individually, but we wanted to make a blanket reminder that the price of a three-year membership increases on September 30. To secure the 2009 price of $2,898, Cheryl needs to have a signed contract before that date. The first 1,000 people who become charter members (there are about 150 so far) will be able to renew their memberships at their initial rate at the end of three years.

The benefits of a three-year micro-lease include membership in perpetuity to the Friends of Montlaur; the chance to participate in the restoration of the Chateau de Montlaur, the harvesting and tending of the grapes, the making of the wine, and other daily activities at the farm and Chateau; substantial discounts on accommodations for the three active years of the lease at la Ferme de Vieux Chateau, surrounding B&Bs and delightful gypsy caravans on the property; similar discounts with partner vineyards around the world, as they are negotiated; access to walking, biking and equestrian trails and quick drives to  Mediterranean beaches; substantial discounts on participation in regional wine dinners in the United States; rights to purchase one-year gift memberships; referral bonuses; substantial discounts on the purchase of additional wines from the vineyard and substantial discounts on the activities of Monte Lauro Vineyards, such as wine tastings, wine blending courses, cooking classes, dinners, art courses, concerts, writing courses, vineyard management courses, archaeological courses and activities and local and regional tours, a case of wine a year for three years, made from your own vines and labeled with your own design; and a bonus case of 2007 Monte Lauro Vineyards "Marquis de Montlaur" Fût de Chêne for the first 1,000 charter members; 

After the lease expires, you may choose to renew at the same rate as your recently expired lease, or become an inactive member of the Friends of Montlaur, entitling you in perpetuity to continue visiting and participating in the activities of the estate.

Our online brochure can be viewed at http://www.chezsophie.com/online%20brochure.pdf

Notes on Nico and Léo:

Overheard from Léo while she shares a bedtime bath with her brother: "Nico! I'm trying to brush your hair. Stop struggling!"

A few minutes later Nico calls out: "Mommy? Can we have some cake? 

Mom appears near the doorway." "No." 

"Why?"

"Because we don't have any cake and it's 10 p.m. You're going to be late for bedtime," Mom says.

"Mommy?" Nico asks. "Will you bake us a cake?"

"Not tonight, dear," Mom replied.

"Okay," Nico says. "I was just asking for Léo."

The Parker family

at Chez Sophie

518.583.3538

Chez Sophie was founded in 1969 by sculptor Joseph Parker and his  French-born wife, the late Sophie. The business is owned today by Sophie and Joseph's son, Paul Parker, and his wife, Cheryl Clark.

If at any time you would like to be removed from our weekly email list please let us know by return email. We hope you enjoy our news.

Chez Sophie closing September 30th and new Brindisi owned restaurant to open in the same space the next day

Steve Barnes of the Albany Times Union calls this lightning quick turnaround  "the most insane thing I've heard all month".  Read about the closing of Chez Sophie and the next day opening of the Union Grille here.

September Saratoga thoughts

Here we go with some more random thoughts on the Spa City and its environs:

• I thought that this was the last week for the outdoor version of the Saratoga Springs Farmers Market, but according to its web site, the summer version is through October.  Is that a change from previous years?  It seems like they went indoors to their Salvation Army location on Woodlawn Avenue (map below) in October.  Whether that is new or old, I'm glad.  We seem to still get some nice autumn weather in October and I'm usually not ready to head indoors just yet, and I bet you aren't either.  I wish the market could make gametime decisions in April as to when to go outdoors because there are inevitably some very warm April days when your just dying to get outside after a long cold winter, but the market is still indoors.  Maybe that is something they can adjust - I'd love to see it and you'll know what I mean next spring when it's sunny and 65 degrees on April 24th. 

View Larger Map

• I just recently made an entry on the Hungry spot Cafe next to City Hall.  I did not know until today that they had a web site.  They are actually using blog software to maintain their web site - normally I would dislike someone using blogging software for a business web site but because they are updating their specials every day their use of the free Wordpress software makes some sense and it seems to work.  Good for them. 
• I get a laugh every time I read on the All Over Albany blog a reference to I-Saratoga as "His Crankiness". Funny.
• Saratoga Springs School District property owners: Don't forget that your school taxes are due on October 5th this year to avoid late fees.  Don't blame me I'm just the messenger.
• I had a couple of unsatisfactory  experiences in the bar and courtyard area of the Adelphi Hotel this past summer.  You can't argue with the beauty and great ambience of the building and courtyard, but I had a God awful dessert there one night and on another night a friend of mine was in such a great mood for a glass of red wine and when he received it and took a sip I could tell from the look on his face something was wrong.  he said it was stale tasting - in other words the bottle was likely open for too long. I told him to exchange it but for some reason he was being stubborn and wouldn't - it was such a shame because he was talking about how much he would enjoy a glass of wine for an hour before we got there.   
• I got a couple of slices of pizza from Pizza on Broadway recently and they just weren't good - just kind of dried out and old.  They had several different styles of slices there and they all looked old.  Perhaps they should stagger the cooking times which will mean fewer pizzas to choose from but therefore quicker sales, and each pizza will be more fresh.  Next time I'll go to D'Andrea's which has pizzas which are a little too sweet but at least are fresh.
• I received quite a few spirited comments on my entry on the Times Union's web site regarding broken windows, abandoned buildings, and graffiti at various places in Saratoga Springs.  I also got a few comments on my entry on this blog regarding what I will call the somewhat abandonment of the former Skidmore College dorm Moore Hall (AKA "The Pink Palace").  If you haven't caught the entries or all the comments you may wish to do so. 
• I wrote recently that The Saratogian appears to not have written any, and I mean any, editorials in the past several weeks and perhaps months.  Maybe I missed one or two but I don't remember any Saratogian editorials since well before track season.  I read today's issue and thought they finally broke the pattern, but as I read the editorial about President Obama's visit to Troy, I noticed it mentioned Troy but lacked any reference to Saratoga Springs or Global Foundries, Inc. planned new factory to be built in nearby Malta.  Sure enough I checked and discovered that what appeared as a Saratogian editorial was just a copy of a Troy Record editorial.  I have no problem with the Saratogian supplementing editorials from sister Journal Register Company newspapers, but supplementing means the Saratogian would actually be writing a few editorials of their own and lately they just aren't writing any.  I don't think it's too much to ask for our local daily newspaper to write editorials a few times a week - or hell even just a few a month would be an improvement. 
• I just read the above bullet points and realized I'm one more Andy Rooney style complaint away from getting my own cranky label from All Over Albany.  Hey I'm just writing about my thoughts here.
• Well if the colder weather is a lemon, then enjoying the beautiful foliage in this part of the country is the lemonade we should make.  Along those lines I am hoping to go with others to take a train ride along the Upper Hudson Rail Road in the next few weeks to enjoy what promises to be great views of the autumn colors of the Southern Adirondacks.  The train leaves out of North Creek and if you want to go you probably want to make reservations via the railroad's web site or by calling 518-251-5334.

• 

•  

• Well that's about it for now.  Thanks for reading!

Condo building continues

These construction companies sure aren't going to break any speed records with the pace of building these condos in town, are they?  Of course with the struggling economy there is no reason to go too fast - it seems like slow and steady is the prudent approach at this point. Even with that unhurried approach, these buildings are still taking shape with windows and other signs that they are getting closer to the finish. I took some pictures last week of the condos known as The Lofts at 54 Phila Street as well as 38 High Rock Condominiums.  The first set of pictures are from The Lofts at 54 Phila Street.

Here's an interesting and peculiar development at 54 Phila.  When I took some pictures earlier this year of the work being done at there, the sign below, from January, stated that the condos there would be starting at $593,000.  Sometime between then and now, a new sign went up (which is the second picture below) stating that the condos would be starting at $724,200, which is a 22% increase during a recession.  If anyone has an explanation, I'd be interested to hear about it. 

The below photographs are from the Condos at 38 High Rock.  You will note from one of the pictures that the builder is having an issue with one of the local labor unions on this project.

 

I don't have any pictures from Park Place Condominiums (on Broadway overlooking Congress Park) but I know it is partially occupied as work continues so of the three developments that by far is the furthest along - here is a Times Union article from last month about it.  Next time I'm over that way with my camera I will take some pictures of it.  

Chez Sophie continues counting down to the end

Here is the latest newsletter from Chez Sophie, which will close in 13 days!

Http://www.chezsophie.com

Hello Everyone!

Thirteen days to go and every night is a two-hankie night. Once the weekend was over, we were shocked at how many reservations we were getting for weeknights. As we look around the dining room we realize we know everybody, and we remember all the milestones we helped these dear customers celebrate over the 40 years of Chez Sophie's existence in Saratoga.

In some ways it's even more poignant how many first-time customers we are seeing - people who have been meaning to try Chez Sophie for years and are only now getting around to it because they know we will be closing on September 30 and moving to a beautiful property in the South of France to start a cooking school for American tourists called the Chez Sophie Cooking Experience at Monte Lauro Vineyards.

The volume is a blessing in many ways because we are in the end game of making sure we leave with every debt paid. The downturn in the economy over the last two years is a big part of our decision to leave the daily restaurant business in a seasonal location. But an even bigger part is our two beautiful children, ages 3 and 6, who need us now in a way that they won't in a few years. As glamorous as the restaurant business might seem to outsiders, it is brutal and not conducive to family life, especially once the babies start school and can no longer live on a vampire's schedule.

We are close, but we really do need the help of everyone who has ever loved a meal at Chez Sophie to make sure we enter this next chapter in Chez Sophie's history with our integrity intact. So we are planning to make every moment as special as humanly possible, and we plan to offer the dishes that have endeared Chef Paul's mother Sophie and Paul himself to generations of loyal diners.

We can't guarantee every dish every day, but Paul will be making an effort to keep on the menu his famous pâté and crabcakes, Sophie's cold cucumber soup, veal scalloppine cooked cream and lemon, duck with apricot and green peppercorns, lemon cheese pie, chocolate mousse, nearly flourless chocolate cake, vacherin and if we are lucky, veal sweetbreads.

Cheryl and Paul have been trying since the decision was made to close Chez Sophie and move to France to keep an emotional distance, but oh, we love you all.

Pink Plate Special

To start with, we will be offering what is possibly the all-time favorite dish of Chez Sophie customers - escallope de veau à la crème as our Pink Plate Special on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

This will be the last Pink Plate.

 The Pink Plate is a three-course, $40 meal available on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It includes your choice of soup or salad, the featured entree of the week and your choice of any dessert or a cheese plate.

The price of the Repas Joyeux (our take on a Happy Meal) has dropped to $55 per person for the remainder of our run. The four-course "Repas Joyeux" allows you the choice of any appetizer, choice of soup or house salad, choice of the full-range of entrees on our menu and choice of a cheese course or any dessert from our menu for $55 per person, seven nights a week.

For those who can't manage three or four courses, the individual dishes are available à la carte. The entrees range between $26 and $38 most nights.

The prix fixe discounted specials are not subject to any further program discounts, coupons or sharing.

Final Credits

Our staff has diminished a bit as we wind down, but you can look forward to seeing the faithful regulars on the floor such as Jay Christensen (14 years) Carol McCaffrey, (11 years) Katherine Helgerson (5 years), head bartender Mitch Rowen (4 years), Manager Jenn Derby, 6 years, as well as our slightly newer, fabulous and loyal people, such as bartender/servers John Wilson, Anna Ryan and Beth Domanoski, daytime servers Harry Eriksen, Rebecca Kijewski, Jonna Martin, Cristina Scott, and bus people Chad O'Rourke-Brown and Devan O'Connor. Our hostesses, Yolande Schutter and Diana Alvarenga, on room service, Ricci Nelson, Mike Allison and  Donald Woodruff,  runner Jason Antonelli, and dishwashers Kevin "T-Cool" Stennett, Michael Collins, Christian Maira and Robert Harrington

Our kitchen has been blessed this year, and finishing with us are some of the best culinary minds, hearts and hands in the Saratoga region. Paul's right hand and every other heartbeat, Mark Lawrence, has stayed with us to the end, and in the daytime Kevin Ramos keeps us supplied and steady. Greg Parnell, whose Jamaican sensibilities have added volumes of fun to our weekend brunches, and Timothy Capeci. We are incredibly graced by other tremendous chefs and budding talents who have descended from the heights to share the last few months with us, Jason J.T. Baker, Dominic Colose, Paul Hill, Patrick McQueeney and Michael Pucci.

Special thanks to bookkeeper, Donna Hatch and our long-time, but lately intermittent back-up bookkeeper Lynn Teras, as well as our financial advisors, Pamela Hemmings and Sara Bannin.

Not least, our two sick and wounded, who missed the last season in spite of their best efforts, Randy Craig and Thomas Gray, beloved, and encouraged to continue to come and share the love in their neck braces and other medicinal apparati.

Most of all, we will love and miss you, our customers, but we hope to see those of you who can in the South of France. (P.S. In case you're wondering, the newsletters won't cease. But starting next week, they will be in first person.)

God forbid in our tear-stained, exhausted state we've inadvertently missed anyone, but know, if we have, that the most obvious is the most easily overlooked.

Cole Broderick, We Love You

By an unanimous vote of the Chez Sophie Council, Thursday will be Cole Broderick Appreciation Day, in recognition of the tremendous talent and selfless dedication of our inhouse musician, and yet, soon-to-be-unemployed jazz pianist and composer. On Thursday, everyone who buys any one of Cole Broderick's 8 CDs will receive a $10 discount on an à la carte dinner entree or a free glass of Paul Laurent Champagne Brut (value: $15.50). (Not applicable with the already discounted Repas Joyeaux.) That's a deal, because most of Cole's CD's cost $16 (with the exception of the more expensive 4-CD boxed set Seasons in Saratoga, which won BillBoard Magazine's Critic's Choice Award.) Understand that even though he recently released his eighth compact disc, Volume One of a Tribute to the Beatles, Cole will be in search of a regular gig in less than two weeks and in need of affirmation and support from his fans. He will be on hand Thursday to play selections from his albums and sign purchased CDs. Cheryl will also be around to co-sign copies of Cole's seventh album, Chez Sophie Jazz, a limited edition souvenir of Chez Sophie's 40 years in the Saratoga region. There are only 300 copies left of the Chez Sophie album from the original run, and we'd love to sell them. All proceeds directly benefit (minus sales tax) the spectacular talent of Coleman G. Broderick.

Please come, show Cole some love, and make a great party of music lovers.

Copies are also for sale for $16 at Chez Sophie and through Cole's secure PayPal-friendly website at http://www.colebroderick.com/sound-7.htm

We can't take it with us

The PVC wine storage tubes and the entry wine crate table went to eager claimants within a few hours of the newsletter being published two weeks ago, and the kayaks are spoken for as well. We have interested parties, but no definite claimants for the 1969 Yamaha-built Story & Clark baby grand piano in our lounge ($7,000). None of our family members have a space for it, and as much as we love the gentle action and gorgeous sound of this piano, we need to find it a new home. And we'll need the cash.

We also have a barely used Ikea twin daybed with a great mattress in the nursery at the restaurant, as well as a dorm fridge and a small color television with a DVD player. There's a great deal of high-end stereo equipment and speakers and mikes, a very large, heavy old safe, a couple of utilitarian Ikea desks and lots of pots and pans and floral vases and dishes, bookcases and shelving. There's a stand mixer for large batches of bread, a couple of microwaves, a Cuisinart, a home-size stand mixer and dozens of other electrical appliances that won't work on French current.

At home, there is a red Fisher Price racecar bed with a good mattress, as well as a vintage 1969 Rickenbacker Fireglo 370 electric guitar ($3,500) and lots of furniture, both old and antique.

We'll be having a big yard sale at our home after we close, but with the restaurant items, it would be better if we were able to sell them directly from 534 Broadway, rather than trying to cram them into our garage. Please call Cheryl at the restaurant if you'd like to bid on anything and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.

Weekend Brunch

Our brunch Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20, will feature sausage, mushroom and red pepper quiche with your choice of salad or fries ($12); broiled rainbow trout filet ($15); mixed grill with roasted fingerling potatoes ($14); and penne pasta with Bolognese sauce ($12).

Appetizer specials include oysters on the halfshell ($3 a piece); Rhode Island Littleneck clams steamed in white wine, garlic and herbs ($13); a salad of mixed baby greens tossed in a red wine vinaigrette ($7); crabcake with lemon caper mayonnaise ($16) and soup of the day ($8).

The brunch specials run from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The complete menu, offered from 7 to 2 p.m., includes Continental items such as muffins, bagel, pastries, fruit, yogurt, coffee and juice; omelettes ($13 to $15); pancakes du jour ($12); the All in One, which includes 2 eggs any style, homefries, toast and sausage or bacon ($12); waffles with bacon or sausage, sweet cream butter and local maple syrup ($11); and Irish steel-cut oatmeal ($8).

Joseph Parker, Artist in residence

Two pieces (a female dancer and a menorah) by Chez Sophie founder and artist-in-residence Joseph C. Parker have been accepted for the new LARAC (www.larac.org) exhibit, at 7 Lapham Place in Glens Falls:

In the Spirit of Degas:  Art Inspired by Music
Until October 4, 2010

There is a new ballet-themed mobile gracing the center of our dining room, and a load of other new sculptures, which have been selling at a lovely pace as people seek lasting souvenirs of Chez Sophie.  Joseph has also made posters based on the postcards he used to make when we were at the diner. Six of the 16X24 posters  are now on display on the back wall of the private dining room and he has brought in signed copies on glossy archival paper to sell to souvenir-loving customers.  

http://www.chezsophie.com/postcards.html 

Look for the discount wines

In an effort to reduce our wine cellar before we close on September 30, we are discounting certain wines beyond our normal markup. Right now, the discounts are largely focussed on the very high-end wines on our list that haven't been moving with regularity through the recession, and a few moderately priced wines that we have large quantities of that should be drunk this year. Bear in mind, we have an on-premises license and are only allowed to sell wine for consumption at the table. We cannot sell sealed bottles as a package store can.

Each week we will reprint the wine list, and we'll add a few more discounts.  As we slash and reduce, there will occasionally be wines on the list that we run out of between printings, so please be patient with us. To see a list of a not-entirely current round of discounts, visit http://www.chezsophie.com/wine.htm updates are forthcoming as we can get to them in the middle of all the other demands.

Tasting menus

The Chef's Choice seven-course tasting menu is available each night. The menus are designed based on the best and most creative dishes Chef Paul K. Parker is serving each evening. We will pair wines for you at an additional charge or you can order from our extensive wine list.

Cost: $85 to $200 per person for seven or more courses, plus tax and tip. Everyone at the table must  partake in the tasting menu.

If you're feeling less impromptu, you can call ahead to arrange a special tasting menu with the number of courses and wine pairings designed to suit your capacity, dietary restrictions and budget.

Tasting menus arranged in advance will be printed on commemorative vellum scrolls personalized with the name of the host or the reason for the event.

Note from a customer:

“Last Friday, we decided to go to Chez Sophie after the Lake George Opera.   We arrived at 10:45, the kitchen was closed, and Cheryl and Paul were sitting at the bar having a glass of wine and decompressing.  Despite the late hour and their exhaustion, they welcomed us warmly, poured us wine, rushed into the kitchen, heated up crab cakes, put together a salad and a  magnificent cheese plate, then plied us with chocolate mousse and crème brulee.   We four sat at the bar --- they telling us about embarking on their new adventure, and we reminiscing about memorable evenings at Chez Sophie – on Caroline Street, at the diner and at the hotel.  It occurred to us that our fond memories were just a small subset of many recollections of special evenings at Chez Sophie.  We thought it would be a touching Bon Voyage / Bonne Chance send-off to put together a book for them, and especially for Nico and Leo, describing special evenings spent with various generations of the Parker famille. 

 

So if you would like to contribute to the book, please write a paragraph for each special evening (multiple evenings are OK), using the Word format.  We do not intend to edit the pieces (N.B.  Typos and punctuation won’t be corrected).  We will simply put them in a consistent format.  Of course, we won’t include subject matter we consider to be in bad taste -- our standards aren’t very high, but we don’t expect bad taste is prevalent in this group.  We’ll organize the book chronologically if that makes sense (so try to estimate a year) or alphabetically (Anonymous is OK if you’d like). 

 

Please send your email (Subject:  Chez Sophie) to Michael Fieldman ([email protected]), with a Word document attached by September 1.  Let us know if you’d like an email copy (with names deleted), and if it’s feasible, i.e., if we have the time to do it, we will do our best to oblige.

 

Michael Fieldman and Carla Skodinski”

Monte Lauro Vineyards

We'll be contacting those of you who have expressed interest in becoming members of Monte Lauro Vineyard and La Ferme du Vieux Chateau in the South of France individually, but we wanted to make a blanket reminder that the price of a three-year membership increases on September 30. To secure the 2009 price of $2,898, Cheryl needs to have a signed contract before that date. The first 1,000 people who become charter members (there are about 150 so far) will be able to renew their memberships at their initial rate at the end of three years.

The benefits of a three-year micro-lease include membership in perpetuity to the Friends of Montlaur; the chance to participate in the restoration of the Chateau de Montlaur, the harvesting and tending of the grapes, the making of the wine, and other daily activities at the farm and Chateau; substantial discounts on accommodations for the three active years of the lease at la Ferme de Vieux Chateau, surrounding B&Bs and delightful gypsy caravans on the property; similar discounts with partner vineyards around the world, as they are negotiated; access to walking, biking and equestrian trails and quick drives to  Mediterranean beaches; substantial discounts on participation in regional wine dinners in the United States; rights to purchase one-year gift memberships; referral bonuses; substantial discounts on the purchase of additional wines from the vineyard and substantial discounts on the activities of Monte Lauro Vineyards, such as wine tastings, wine blending courses, cooking classes, dinners, art courses, concerts, writing courses, vineyard management courses, archaeological courses and activities and local and regional tours, a case of wine a year for three years, made from your own vines and labeled with your own design; and a bonus case of 2007 Monte Lauro Vineyards "Marquis de Montlaur" Fût de Chêne for the first 1,000 charter members; 

After the lease expires, you may choose to renew at the same rate as your recently expired lease, or become an inactive member of the Friends of Montlaur, entitling you in perpetuity to continue visiting and participating in the activities of the estate.

Our online brochure can be viewed at http://www.chezsophie.com/online%20brochure.pdf

Notes on Nico and Léo:

Grandma Betty is visiting from Arkansas for three weeks to see the children before we ship them overseas. Her daughter, Cheryl, left home fairly young and met Chef Paul a few minutes later. Since she was so young, Paul was able to have a tremendous impact on her culinary development. So the culture clash is rather extreme.

Grandma Betty has been to the Parker household before, so the first thing she said when she got off the plane was "How's my babies?" and then, "We need to go to Wal-Mart."

It turns out that, being from Arkansas, Wal-Mart was her comfort zone because she knew she could get Wonder Bread there.

From there, it devolved to Dollar Store boxes of coffee rolls, shortbreads and other assorted edible trash. There were various discussions between mother and daughter about what processed products the children should be allowed to eat...i.e. NONE. Cheryl was trying to be gracious, but she's still a prissy little convert. So it was with both pride and chagrin that she heard her 6-year-old son tell poor Grandma, who was trying to make him a sandwich with white bread: "That bread has no flavor and if I'm not mistaken, no nutritional value, either."

The Parker family

at Chez Sophie

518.583.3538

Chez Sophie was founded in 1969 by sculptor Joseph Parker and his  French-born wife, the late Sophie. The business is owned today by Sophie and Joseph's son, Paul Parker, and his wife, Cheryl Clark.