Fun in Saratoga

Offers and deals from DZ Restaurants

DZ Restaurants, the parent company of Chianti and Forno Bistro restaurants here in Saratoga Springs, as well as Pasta Pane in Clifton Park, have some great deals they just announced in an email that I am copying below.

DZ Restaurant News Saratoga Restaurant Week The Tuesday Take-Out Wood-Fired Wednesdays Christmas Eve at Chianti $10 Holiday Bonus Card Saratoga Restaurant Week Dec 3-9 All three DZ Restaurants are participating in Saratoga Restaurant Week! Each location is offering a 3-Course Menu of Appetizer, Entree and Dessert for $18.19 from December 3-9! (See all three menus below.) Saratoga Restaurant Week at Pasta Pane December 3-9 3-Courses For $18.19 (See The Menu!) Saratoga Restaurant Week at Forno Bistro December 3-9 3-Courses For $18.19 (See The Menu!) Saratoga Restaurant Week at Chianti December 3-9 3-Courses For $18.19 (See The Menu!)

The Tuesday Take-Out at Forno Bistro - $12 Two wood-fired Calabrese pizzas to-go for just $12 Every Tuesday get two featured wood-fired pizzas to-go for $12. (We're talking $6 Pizzas here!) Add a ½ tray of Forno's classic Mista Insalata for just $6 more. Try the featured pizza each week or you can always get our classic Margherita. Want more than 2 Pizzas? Additional pizzas after the first two are also just $6 each! Featured Pizza for Tuesday November 30 Calabrese (Crushed tomato sauce, mozzarella, thinly sliced Italian Sausage) We begin taking orders to-go on Tuesday at 2pm at 518-581-2401. See Forno Bistro's website for more details. Wood-Fired Wednesdays at Pasta Pane - $18 Two wood-fired Calabrese Pizzas & a 1/2 Tray of Casa Insalata to-go for $18 Every Wednesday at Pasta Pane carry out two wood-fired pizzas, a ½ Tray of Casa Insalata & fresh baked Italian Bread for $18. Try the featured pizza each week or you can always get our classic Margherita. Want more than 2 pizzas? Additional pizzas after the first two are also just $6 each!  Featured Pizza for Wednesday December 1 Calabrese (Crushed tomato sauce, mozzarella, thinly sliced Italian Sausage) We begin taking to-go orders on Wednesday at 2pm at 518-371-5762. See Pasta Pane's website for more details. Pasta Christmas Eve at Chianti Il Ristorante December 24 | Reservation Only | 5:00 & 5:30 Seatings Experience the gift of family, friendship and a magical Christmas Eve menu by Executive Chef Fabrizio Bazzani. You better watch out though, this special evening is reservation only with 5:00 and 5:30 seatings so be good for goodness sake and make your reservation today. Call Chianti at 580-0025 to make your Christmas Eve Reservation and spend Christmas with the family this year - yours and ours. DZ Restaurant $10 Holiday Bonus Card Get a $10 Holiday Bonus Card with every $50 Gift Card For every $50 in DZ Restaurant Gift Cards purchased we'll give you a $10 Holiday Bonus Card to use in January 2011. Buy $50 and get $10. Buy $500 and get $100!  Stuff more than their stockings this year and get a little something extra for yourself. DZ Restaurants wishes you and your loved ones a happy holiday season. PASTA PANE 18 Park Avenue Clifton Park, NY 518.371.5762 www.pastapane.com CHIANTI IL RISTORANTE 18 Division Street Saratoga Springs, NY 518.580.0025 www.chiantiristorante.com FORNO BISTRO 541 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 518.581.2401 www.fornobistro.com

Don't blame me but.... city tax payments are due

Ohhhhhh the weather outside is frightful, and city hall's mood is notttt delightful.  And since....Anyway, If you pay your Saratoga Springs city taxes in quarterly installments, don't forget to drop your fourth quarter payment off to city hall or get the envelope postmarked (not a meter mark) by December 1, 2010 to avoid late fees.  Click here  for the tax payment page on the Saratoga Springs city web site.

Tax payments may be mailed to the Commissioner of Finance, PO Box 328, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-0328 or hand delivered to City Hall at 474 Broadway. The tax office is located on the first floor of City Hall, first door on the left when entering from Broadway. The office hours are Monday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All checks should be made payable to COMMISSIONER OF FINANCE.

CDTA providing free rides for Victorian Streetwalk

The Saratogian has the article announcing free rides for people attending the Saratoga Victorian Streetwalk.  The Streetwalk will take place this Thursday, December 2 from 6-10pm, and CDTA will be giving rides from 4:30 to 10:30pm.  Click here for the Saratogian article on the Victorian Streetwalk, or this link for the Downtown Business Association, which is putting on the event. 

Up to 20% off a Personal Chef Gift Certificate at Maestro's

Maestro's Restaurant not only has some of the best food in town, but they are probably the most creative marketers as well.  I am copying below their latest offering, which could be a nice Christmas gift.

Up to 20% OFF A special offer just for you! Gift Card Sale! Greetings! To celebrate this holiday season, Maestro's "A Fine American Bistro" is offering great deals on Personal Chef Gift Certificates and Gift Cards. Give someone a Personal Chef for Christmas! Personal Chef Gift Certificate 4 Course Dinner for 2 Your guests will call Chef John LaPosta and he will plan a wonderful menu featuring 4 courses just for them. Upon arrival they will be treated to our legendary hospitality and great food. There will be printed one of kind menus which have been created just for them based upon their culinary likes and dislikes. A gift your guests will not soon forget. We even send them off with a little surprise treat! Just $99 each Purchase 3 receive a 10% discount Purchase 5 receive a 15% discount Purchase 10 or more 20% discount Gift Card Sale We are offering our gift cards in discounted blocks this year. They can be purchased in any denominations you wish with-in the blocks. $250 Block of Gift Cards 10% discount $500 Block of Gift Cards 15% discount $1000 Block of Gift Cards 20% discount Call now   Best Wishes! John LaPosta Maestro's "A Fine American Bistro"     Offer Expires 12/24/2010

A few thoughts as winter rapidly approaches

I went to the Oklahoma Training track last week, just after it closed, and there was a sad and almost eerie feeling there.  The place was so empty, indicating that winter was not far off. The good news is that Christmas is coming and spring really isn't that far off, and winters here can be fun as well.  I just had a few minutes of sadness seeing the track so empty.  Meanwhile, here are a few more of my thoughts I've had recently:

• Speaking of eerie experiences, have you ever read the blog White Street Times?  It's just so freakin' wierd and off the wall.  Perhaps I just don't get it  -  kind of like Monty Python when I was 8 years old.  The blogger doesn't post too often, but I have this mysterious appreciation with him/her.  Who is it?  What the hell is he talking about?  There is clearly a Saratoga angle to it, with posts like "Across 73 Webster Street" and "Travers Week Rap". 
• I have a suggestion for a slight addition to the signs leading into the Spa City.  How's this for an accurate welcome:  "Welcome to Saratoga Springs - Health, History, Horses, and Squirrels".  OK, not exactly what the Chamber of Commerce wants to tout, and it lacks the repetitive 'H', but it would be accurate nonetheless.
• Did you know that Peppers Market on Lake Avenue is for sale?  Well now you do.  Here's the listing. 
• Holy diversification Batman!  Plum Dandy will soon be serving sushi!  Thank God for that - we all know about the dearth of Asian restaurants in town.

      

• I've noticed on two separate occasions in the past year evidence of the recent cutting and removal of large trees in front of Siro's Restaurant on Lincoln Avenue.  I wrote about one of them and posted pictures here.  Then yesterday I noticed workers cleaning up after the cutting and removal of a large tree between Empire State College and the Skidmore Apartments (photo below).  I understand the need for removal if these trees are dying and/or rotted, but I wonder if that's the reason.  These trees are irreplaceable and add to the beauty of our city.  Does the city have a regulation on removal of these wonderful trees, or can anyone cut down a towering 100 year old tree just because they feel like it?  I can't help but wonder.  Matt Veitch - here's your cue to comment.

 

• I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, but Fasig-Tipton has already announced the dates for next summer's Saratoga thoroughbred sales.  The select yearlings sales will be August 8 and 9, and the NY bred sales will be August 13 and 14.  There, now you can sleep at night.
• It appears that back in September that the Saratogian quietly promoted Kyle Leach to sports editor to replace the departed Andrew Bernstein.  When Bernstein was promoted to sports editor around the first of this year, the Saratogian published an article on it.   There is no similar article for Leach, at least that I caught.  I don't know the details surrounding Bernstein's departure, but it seemed sudden and rather quiet.  He wrote on his blog Good Bye Blue Mondays  that he has recently taken a new job in Pennsylvania for Bicycling Magazine.  I wish him luck in his new endeavor.
• Note to Spa City Pizzerias - if my pizza is going to be cooked and ready in less than 20 minutes, please don't tell me "30 minutes" and stick me with a lukewarm pie.  It has happened so often that from now on if they tell me "three hours" I'm still going to show up in 15 minutes, knowing it will be just about ready. 
• When I was on my honeymoon, the Saratogian wrote an article about the graffiti on "The Pink Palace" near my home on Union Avenue.  I wrote about that subject last year, but other than a limited cleanup of the overgrown weeds, not much has been done there.  The article was based on a complaint that I made on the SeeClickFix web site that the Saratogian has partnered up with, and I appreciate our hometown paper for doing their part to address this problem.  I still don't like how Skidmore College more or less dumped it off on an absentee landlord and forgot about it.  I hope they at least offered it to Empire State College, which has maintenance staff next door and would have perhaps even removed the unsightly building by now.
• I enjoy reading Marcia White's blog on the T-U web site.  She wrote a post earlier this month entitled "Why the Arts Matter" and I am linking it here.  
• Did you catch Andy Rooney's commentary a few weeks back about his experiences at Saratoga Race Course?  It was an enjoyable piece from America's favorite curmudgeon.  I'll embed it below.

That's about it for now folks.  Have a great and safe Thanksgiving!