Fun in Saratoga

Saratoga Thoughts March 22, 2012

And yet even more randomness about Saratoga.....

• It's March Madness at G. Willikers Toys!  Bring in this email below and get 20% off now through March 31.

March Madness Sale - 20% Off Storewide*   Now thru March 31.   Just bring in this ad to get your discount.

*Offer good thru March 31, 2012.  This offer cannot be combined with any other discounts or special programs.
Limit one coupon per customer.  It's that easy!

www.gwillikerstoys.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109494181230&s=652&e=001ysbt36uEpIk3Qp9I9wKb11o9h3ZAM3270uP9KH7c477G3sViWaAs01kvb6GEfYsoyMRyq0stE_WzbHrGAS3POSZRom5H4Wog8Fkkk_LvkBMpap0yB_DYig==]

• I see Chicago and the Doobie Brothers are coming to SPAC this year on August 21.  Yawwwwwn.  Weren't they just here in 2010?
• The Saratoga Olive Oil Store is expanding to other cities!  They are opening a new store in Burlington VT.  Click here for more information.  Congratulations to them.
• Don't forget it's still Saratoga County Restaurant week through Sunday.  Great weather and restaurant deals together!  The city needs to find a way to adjust their April 1st date for restaurants opening their sidewalk cafes.  The amount of business these places must be missing this week makes the argument that they should be able to lift it when we get abnormally warm weather.
• The Brentwood Motel, on the corner of Nelson and Gridley over near The Horseshoe, is for sale. I think it's been for sale for a while.  

 

• Kitchen Dimensions is moving from its 30 Division Street location, but I'm not sure where to.  The location, which I assume is a business condo, is for sale.  1 Franklin Square, essentially across the street from there and behind the new Market Place Center, is also emtpy and for sale for $1.29 million. 
• The tailor Vincenzo Moda is moving into the old Times Union offices on Broadway.  According to the business' web site he is currently in Schenectady. 
• The winery that is going in the former Kimberly Inn building has a new basement  that was recently dug and beginnings of the foundation for the addition in the back of the building.  It's always good to report positive things on South Broadway.

 

 

• That little convenience store on Jefferson Street just south of Five Points reopened up in the past few weeks.  It's more of a tiny grocery than a grab-n-go convenience store - it appears to be catering to residents that live in the public housing a short distance away. 

 

• Click here for the Saratoga Coffee Traders newsletter.  I wonder how that place, as well as Uncommon Grounds, will do once Spot Coffee comes into the Market Center building.  Brueggers is an afterthought - I only go in there to use their SEFCU ATM.
• And finally the roundup of various newsletters from Saratoga businesses and organizations.  Click here for Universal Preservation Hall's latest newsletter.  Here for DZ Restaurants.  Here for Longfellow's latest newsletter.  And finally here for The Wishing Well.  Have a great weekend everybody.
  
  
  

South Broadway's Gateway Action Plan (GAPS) meeting is Thursday night

Accolades to Saratoga Springs Supervisor Matt Veitch and City Accounts Commissioner John Franck for their continued efforts on the Gateway Action Plan (GAPS)committee to address South Broadway's woes.  They are both striving to ensure public participation in this endeavor (are you reading this Scott Johnson?  Probably not).

The next meeting of the GAPS Committee is this Thursday, March 22nd at 7pm in the City Council Chamber, 474 Broadway. The workshop will be with stakeholders and others with an interest in the area. The public is invited to speak at the two public comment periods at the beginning and end of the meeting.  You can access the GAPS Facebook page here.

Saratoga Wine Exchange apparently moving to Round Lake

Thank you to the reader that alerted me to the fact that Saratoga Wine Exchange (located on Phila Street behind Ben & Jerry's) apparently will soon be moving to Round Lake, according to this Craig's List Ad which mentions "the move will occur in the next couple of months to Round Lake (Exit 11)" and lists The Wine Exchanges' phone number. 

Wheras I am sad to see any business leave downtown, at least this is a move and not a closing.  More importantly, it seems to be driven by the concentration of liquor and wine stores here in the Spa City, rather than a lousy economy.  There are at least four stores selling wine within walking distance to Saratoga Wine Exchange (Crush & Cask, Putnam Wines, Purdy's and the Swedish Hill Winery), three more stores within a 5 minute drive, and those seven don't even include the new wine tasting room planned for the former Kimberly Inn location.  It's just too many in a small area, and presumably Round Lake would give the place some breathing room. 

Well, let's hope the move goes well and that another business moves into Saratoga Wine Exchange's location soon. 

Wishing Well hosts ‘dark dinner’

Wishing Well hosts ‘dark dinner’.

Easter dining at Mazzone restaurants

Easter dining at Mazzone restaurants.

Easter at Maestro’s

Easter at Maestro’s.

House of the Week: Victorian and modern in Saratoga Springs

House of the Week: Victorian and modern in Saratoga Springs.

Saratoga Thoughts - ice cream edition

I was writing up a thoughts post on Saratoga Restaurants yesterday and realized that I had a lot of thoughts about just ice cream, so considering the weather will get into the 70s almost all week, I thought they deserved their own entry.  Here we go:

• I think the only thing more lucrative than selling drugs is
  selling Ben & Jerry's ice cream.  Margarita and I went there last
  week and she had a small cone and I had a small bowl and it came to just
  under nine bucks(!).  I see they are trying to compete with Stone Cold
  now - with "mash-ups".  I think I'll go to Stewarts and Uncommon Grounds
  to get my ice cream in the future. 

 

 

• I see Johnny's Italian Ice and Gourmet Ice Cream has opened back up for the season.
• I haven't been to Plum Dandy in a while.  Same with Eugenio's Gelato.  Humpty Dumpty's hasn't opened up yet, and won't until April according to its Facebook page.
• I see the building that formerly housed Alexandra's Ice Cream and the Pizza House has a Roohan Realty sign out front now.  It was formerly listed by Morrell's Real Estate. I wasn't able to find it on Roohan's web site, but I did find it was listed on another web site for $495,000.  That's down from the previous $550,000 asking price.

Well that's about it for now.  It's still winter for a couple of days - so I will get some ice cream guilt free - all week!  Take care.

Saratoga Restaurant thoughts March 18, 2012

And here are the ramblings in one Saratogian's mind about Spa City restaurants:

• Saratoga County Restaurant Week started on Friday and will go through Sunday, March 25.  $20.12 gets you a three course meal at numerous restaurants in the county, most of which are in or near the Spa City.  Click here for a listing.
• One restaurant that I am really looking forward to opening is Elizabeth's Table.  I just read on its Facebook Page that the new place being opened by Mike and Liz Phillips, who previously ran The Cupcake Lab, won't open until the end of this month - but it is good to know it's close.
• Speaking of new Broadway restaurants, it looks like Russo's Restaurant, in the former Brindisi's location, will also be opening up soon.   David Zecchini's new restaurant, just a few doors down from Russo's, has signs on the window and a web site indicating a May opening. 
• Further down Broadway, wayyyyyy down Broadway, the windows are going into the new PJ's BAR-B-QSA and the new place is taking shape.  I don't know when it's opening, but hopefully the new building will be ready in mid-April so PJ can open up about the same time he usually does. 
• I wonder how Duo Japanese Lounge did this winter.

• It would be nice if 7 Horse Pub could spruce up the
  back of their building, as seen from Putnam Street in front of the
  Library.  From there the building appears vacant and abandoned.  I have been
  through that parking lot a thousand times, but never really looked at
  the building before, but when I finally did, I didn't like what I saw.

•  Now here is a back of a bar (also seen from in front of the Library) that looks good. This is the Dangos addition and I see it was completed quite nicely, although I haven't been inside of it yet.

•  Hey kiddies, let's get excited for Bailey's Omelette Sundays!  Create your own omelette for $9.95.

 

• The owners of Maestro's must really love this winter.  Have they gone an entire week without being able to use their front porch?  This week would be a good time to go there, with the weather getting well into the 70s most days.

Well that's about it for now. Have a great week and enjoy the weather.

Tone's Spa City Bicycleworks opens on Beekman Street

Adding some variety to the mostly artsy offerings on Beekman Street, Tone's Spa City Bicycleworks opened on Wednesday this week.  The new shop is located at 79 Beekman Street, just a few doors down from The Local.  The shop's web site is quite interesting, and indicates, among other things, that they have a cafe with wifi where you can get coffee or a smoothie while you wait for service.  They also have a funny slogan of "No Stinky Attitude".  Hmmmm...wonder if that's a shot at other shops in general or some specific ones in town.  Anyway, I love to see new businesses open in Saratoga Springs, especially ones that add to the vitality of a specific neighborhood.  Good luck Spa City Bicycleworks!