Last night marked the final performance of the season for the popular SPAC On Stage series, hosted by saratoga living and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). As a quick refresher, the audience sits on SPAC’s main stage while they catch an exclusive performance by an internationally tinged/acclaimed artist or band playing directly in front of them.
New York City-based Banda Magda gave the series the sizzling sendoff it deserved, with a sprawling set of tunes pulled from the band’s eclectic catalog, which dips into Greek, Japanese, Turkish and Israeli traditions, among others.
And the audience got some great news, too. At the event, SPAC President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol, along with saratoga living Chair Anthony Ianniello, announced that the popular series had received funding for yet another year. So look out for more SPAC On Stage goodness in 2020.
As he has all season long, saratoga living‘s Francesco D’Amico was on hand to snap a range of photos, from a number of different angles, at the event, which took place on September 9. For more of D’Amico’s photos from the SPAC On Stage series, click here.
In my semi-regular column for saratoga living, I’ve had the opportunity to introduce you to a number of men and women who have struggled with (and beaten!) homelessness in Saratoga Springs. (For the uninitiated, meet Jimmy, Amanda, Kevin and Grace.) I recently sat down with Donny Petersimes, who I’m positive many Saratogians will be familiar with. Despite a rough upbringing and decade on the streets, Donny’s found a home in the Spa City—and is one of the kindest people you’ll ever get the chance to meet. Recently, over lunch, I interviewed Donny for an hour and a half, sharing some laughs and a few tears. Here’s his powerful story.
Although Donny was born in Galesburg, IL, he spent the majority of his childhood in the Deep South, growing up in poverty, with his siblings, mother and abusive father. One house the family lived in in Arkansas had no windows or running water. Times were tough, and little could drown out the sound of his parents constant fighting, which escalated over time. It soon became too much for his mother to bear, and she took her kids and moved to Texas. But his father found out where they were living, and while his mother was at work one day, broke in and robbed her of everything she owned and left town. Upon returning home and finding out what happened, Donny’s mother suffered a nervous breakdown and had no choice but to place her children in the South Texas Children’s Home, a Christian-based living facility that offered shelter and schooling to children from broken homes. Donny, now ten years old, and his siblings were scattered, living in cabins with other kids in the same situation. It was depressing, to say the least. “I got into a lot of fights,” Donny says. “We were rough kids that all came from tough situations.”
The children’s home may’ve not been an ideal place to grow up, but it wasn’t altogether bad either. It offered Donny the opportunity to explore some of his interests. He learned to play the guitar and was a member of the horse club. He lights up describing the home’s house-parent: She taught him how to cook and instilled in him morals. At the age of 17, however, Donny had grown tired of the routine and dropped out of school. By the time he turned 18, he’d returned to Illinois with a pregnant wife in tow. As he was starting his new life with his new family, Donny received some devastating news: His best friend, Karl, had been killed in an accident. “He was my best friend in the whole wide world, and I just didn’t know how to handle it,” remembers Donny. “I started drinking heavily to the point where I just didn’t care about my life [anymore].” So much so that he left his wife and newborn son there and made his way back to Texas.
Donny spent the next several years bouncing around Texas, playing in bands and working on oil rigs. He worked hard and partied even harder. Many years passed, and eventually, Donny’s hard living caught up with him: He was arrested for drug possession, an offense that carried a two-year prison sentence in Texas. And then, just before Donny went to jail, he got news from Illinois that his son, now grown and with a family of his own, had lost his own newborn baby in an accident. The authorities in Texas allowed Donny to attend his grandson’s funeral in Illinois, and after the ceremony, his son insisted that Donny go visit an ex-girlfriend that he hadn’t seen for more than a decade. He honored his son’s wishes, and upon visiting her, learned that he’d fathered a daughter. Jaymi Lynn was 12 years old the day she met her father for the first time. But soon after their first meeting, Donny had to return to Texas to serve his two-year prison sentence.
While in jail, Donny regularly exchanged letters with his daughter and was also working on a fairy tale he planned to present to her when he was released. But prison wasn’t easy, and soon, his stationery, stamps and fairy tale were stolen. Without any way of getting them back, he focused his energy on obtaining his GED, excelling in the program and eventually being asked to tutor his fellow prisoners. Then, one day, when he was returning from class to his cell, he found a group of men waiting for him. One, clearly the “leader” of the group, handed Donny back his stolen fairy tale and told him, in exchange for it, he had to start writing letters to their loved ones since many of them couldn’t read or write. They “paid” Donny in stationery, stamps and pens. He found it amusing that women all over the country were receiving love letters that he’d written them!
While living in a children’s home in Texas, Donny learned how to play the guitar.
Upon being released from prison, Donny traveled northeastward to Maine. There, he cared for his mother, who was dying of terminal cancer. (Despite being given just six months to live, she ended up living for a little more than three years.) Also, Donny kept in touch with his daughter, Jaymi Lynn, mailing her the fairy tale he’d written her in prison. She loved it. After his mother died, Donny moved to the Rutland, VT, area to work in construction. While there, he started partying and drinking heavily again. Although Donny stayed in touch with his daughter, he soon fell off her radar. “I was too embarrassed about who I was and what I was, and I didn’t have anything to offer [Jaymi Lynn],” he says. What had been a regular correspondence quickly became an occasional phone call. To make matters worse, his boss decided to change careers, leaving Donny without a job or a place to live in Vermont. He hitched a ride with a friend to the Salvation Army in Albany.
Finding his way to the Capital Region turned out to be one of the smartest moves of Donny’s life. At Albany’s Salvation Army, he completed a six-month program and soon began living with a friend in his parents’ basement in Saratoga. Although he’d been sober for six months, it didn’t last, and Donny ended up on the streets here. He spent the next decade homeless in Saratoga. He slept anywhere he could find and drank heavily. “All I cared about was vodka at that point,” says Donny. “I was drinking a gallon a day, and when I got down to about a half-gallon, I’d start to panic, because I didn’t know where the next one was coming from.” He played guitar on the streets, finding that most locals were nice and threw money into his guitar case. Donny lived on the streets long before Saratoga even had a Code Blue emergency shelter; he remembers the freezing-cold temperatures and feeling as though it was impossible to get his life back together. Donny knew all of the other homeless people, and although he mostly kept to himself, he was happy to stand up for those in need. He spent his whole life fighting, and he was well known for it on the streets.
When Code Blue Saratoga opened in 2013, Donny ventured in, looking for warmth and a meal. The volunteers there were friendly and took an interest in him. They tried convincing him to go to rehab—and as he notes, they were “relentless” in their efforts. He eventually caved. His first attempt at rehab lasted just 100 days. But Code Blue’s volunteers refused to give up on him. During his second stint, something clicked, and he’s been sober since May 12, 2016.
There are so many people that Donny credits with helping him along the way: Shelters of Saratoga, Code Blue’s volunteers, his doctor and his recovery group are among them. Donny realized that he needed a plan to stay sober and be strong enough to stick with it. “It’s everything that I wasn’t doing that was the problem, and I didn’t realize that until I met a very good friend in my recovery group,” says Donny. “She’s brilliant, and I can’t think of her without choking up.” After Donny’s successful stay in rehab, he lived at Shelters of Saratoga for eight months. He now lives in his own apartment, and although he suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (or COPD), he says he’s feeling pretty good.
Once he got sober, Donny also reunited with his daughter. “Jaymi Lynn is the pride of my life,” he says, with tears welling in his eyes. They’ve developed a beautiful relationship, and they talk on the phone almost every day. He had the opportunity to visit her in Illinois last Christmas, and for the first time, he was able to play guitar for her. (Sadly, though, Donny’s son—who’d put him on the path to reconnect with his long-lost daughter all those years ago—unexpectedly passed away last winter. His son had never gotten over the death of his own child and had battled his own addictions.)
Right before we wrapped up our lunch meeting, Donny looked at me and said, flashing me his infectious smile: “I love Saratoga. I don’t think I could’ve done this in any other town. More than anything, I’m trying to erase the stigma that’s placed on the homeless humans in this community, because when I see them, I see some of my story in each and every one of them.” Donny is such a special person. He’s overcome the unimaginable, rekindled a beautiful relationship with his daughter, and is a gentle and giving soul. I root for Donny’s continued sobriety, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to know him.
If you were in the audience for last year’s Outlaw Music Festival at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), you would’ve been treated to a laundry list of up-and-coming and established country-rock stars, including Grammy winner Sturgill Simpson, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Neil Young and of course, festival-organizer Willie Nelson.
This year’s lineup at SPAC broke up the all-boy’s club by inviting two of the top female country musicians in the world to crash the main stage party: 11- and 16-time Grammy-winning legends, respectively, Bonnie Raitt and Alison Krauss on September 7.
Photographer Francesco D’Amico was once again in the pit snapping photos of the event—capturing portions of sets from festival openers the Brothers Osborne and Krauss. (Willie Nelson was apparently off limits to local photographers.) Also, take a gander at his Cardi B shoot the night before here.
October’s going to be Crêpe Month here in Saratoga Springs. saratoga living has learned that Ravenous, on Phila Street, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary next month, will be celebrating its big birthday with a full month of special events, themed dinners and limited-edition meals and drinks during the month of October.
Since its founding in October 1999, Ravenous has been Saratoga’s only dedicated crêperie, serving both sweet and savory crêpes, poutine and pommes frites (thin crispy french fries), with an array of mouthwatering, signature dipping sauces. “Having been in the industry for 35 years now, I think it’s a huge milestone,” says Ravenous’ owner David Zuka. “Really, the celebration’s for the staff and the patrons. We’re here, and we love what we do, and we’re going to stretch our legs a little bit.”
The festivities kick off with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, October 1, which will be followed by a light reception. After the ribbon-cutting, Saratogians will be offered three themed dining experiences, including a “Belgian Bistro Night,” spread out over the month of October (reservations must be made via phone), as well as a bites of Ravenous treats and pommes frites available at two big local, food events: the 2019 Wine & Food Festival at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) October 4-5 (Ravenous will be there on October 5) and The Downtowner‘s 6th Annual Saratoga International Flavorfeast on October 12, in which Ravenous will participate from its location just a block away on Phila. The month-long celebration will close out with the restaurant hosting an all-day “Stronger than Cancer Fundraiser” for the Joy Us Foundation, a nonprofit that offers free outdoor experiences for cancer survivors and their families (Zuka sits on its board).
David Zuka, Ravenous’ owner, busy making crepes in the kitchen. (Ravenous)
As if this weren’t enough to keep Zuka’s hands busy making crêpes, throughout October Ravenous will also offer special anniversary menu items. That includes an “Anniversary Ale” brewed by the Saratoga-based Artisanal Brew Works, an Anniversary Cake Crêpe—a moist yellow cake with almond buttercream frosting and fresh fruit inside a sweet crêpe with sprinkles on top—and a “Throwback Crêpe of the Week,” which will feature crêpe recipes of old staff and customer favorites. During the month, the interior of the restaurant will also exhibit artwork by local artist Amanda Engels.
Ravenous was first opened in 1999 by Tina Laino and her son Francesco D’Amico (who’s a contributing photographer at saratoga living), along with D’Amico’s future wife Lauren Wickizer. In 2014, feeling a little foodservice burnout and wanting to return to their passions, the original three owners sold the restaurant to Zuka, who’s spent 35 years in the food industry working from franchise restaurants to fine dining and everything in between, along with his then-business partner Julie Raymond. These days, it’s just Zuka who owns and operates the intimate crêperie on Phila—and business hasn’t slowed down a bit. “Ravenous was in on the ground floor, and it really helped mold the current, diverse food scene here in town,” he says.
Zuka estimates more than a quarter-million different patrons have passed through Ravenous’ doors in its 20 years in business (that’s in addition to more than 1000 kitchen staff and employees). Regarding the restaurant’s enduring popularity, Zuka gives the lion’s share of the credit to the staff. “We’re like a small family, and we argue like a family, but at the end of the day, it’s all for one and one for all,” says Zuka. “We decide everything together, and the staff has really made it happen—that and the patrons.”
Want to get your hands on some of these delicious specialty crêpes? Check out the full schedule of events right here:
Tuesday, October 1
3-5pm, Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Ravenous followed by a reception
Friday, October 4
5-9pm, Belgian Bistro Night featuring Nine Pin Cider with moules frites (mussels and fries) and steak frites
Saturday, October 5
Starting at 12pm, Ravenous at SPAC’s 2019 Wine & Food Festival
Saturday, October 12
11am-4pm, Ravenous participating in the Saratoga International Flavorfeast
Tuesday, October 15
5-8pm, Ravenous’ 20th Anniversary Ale Launch with an Oktoberfest Prix Fixe Dinner
Wednesday, October 30
5-8pm, Crêpe Night Out Romantic Evening Prix Fixe Dinner featuring the local, gypsy jazz ensemble, Hot Club of Saratoga
Saturday, November 2
9am-9pm, “Stronger than Cancer Fundraiser” for the Joy Us Foundation at Ravenous
Cardi B sure knows how to make a grand entrance. And for fans in Saratoga Springs, this one was four months in the making. After the Grammy-winning pop star had to cancel her show at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) at the end of May, in order to recover from plastic surgery (she was forthright with her fans about the procedures that had been done), she played her rescheduled date on Friday, September 6.
Striding out to Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby,” Cardi B launched into a 22-song set, which included her No.1 singles, night-ending “Bodak Yellow,” first-set-closing “I Like It” and mid-set “Girls Like You,” which all charted on the Billboard 100 at the same time.
Even though a last-minute decree from the powers-that-be at Live Nation kept saratoga living‘s Francesco D’Amico from shooting from the pit, he was still able to capture the amazing energy from the night’s big headliner. For more of D’Amico’s work from this summer’s SPAC/Live Nation slate, click here.
Staying a night at the absolutely gorgeous Inn at Erlowest is like taking a trip through time. No, really. Originally built as a private residence in 1898 by Edward Morse Shepard, a prominent attorney and politician from Brooklyn (for whom Lake George’s Shepard Park was named), this Queen Anne-style stone castle was completely renovated in 1999 and transformed into a luxury resort and farm-to-table restaurant right on the shores of Lake George (and just minutes from Lake George Village).
“The location and majesty of the property are hard to beat,” says the Inn’s General Manager Frank Dittrich. “When you turn the final corner and see Lake George and the magnificent stone mansion, you can’t help but feel the history.” The 15-acre estate’s name is a playful variation on that of Shepard’s parents’ hometown, “Westerlo”—i.e. rearrange the last four letters of the town’s name with the first four—and it was part of the famed Millionaire’s Row, a ten-mile stretch of Great Gatsby-esque mansions along the western shore of Lake George, which has seen an illustrious list of owners and guests over the years. In the early 20th century, the grand dining room alone entertained many prominent individuals, including Yaddo Founders Spencer and Katrina Trask and über-wealthy railroad magnate and philanthropist George Foster Peabody. During WWI, the mansion was used as a center for convalescing officers coming home from Europe, and in 1922 the building was even leased as a summer home to then-New York Governor Nathan Miller. “The interior design is intended to carry that feeling of the early 1900s timeframe,” says Dittrich. “Many of the stained glass windows, interior woodwork and the grand staircase are original.”
Though no longer the summer home of the affluent, it’s easier now than ever to get that authentic Erlowest experience with the Inn’s elegant lodgings and classy yet intimate environment. In addition to this, starting in November, the Inn will introduce a “Dine and Stay” package, which will offer guests a three-course, price-fixed menu from the Inn’s acclaimed kitchen for each night booked at the resort. Whether you “Dine and Stay” or not, every overnight visit includes amenities such as turn-down service along with house-made cookies, house chocolates and breakfast for two in the morning.
About the Inn’s future, which is looking brighter than ever, Dittrich says: “We’re focusing our energy to create an even more exciting experience by combining stellar service with wonderful ambiance and some of the best food and beverage options in the area.”
Take a ride up North Broadway or down Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, and it’s easy to see why the Spa City has become renowned, both regionally and nationally, for its classical architecture and sprawling estates. These days, potential homeowners aren’t only after the historic, Victorian look that’s become synonymous with Saratoga. That’s why the Saratoga Builders Association’s 2019 Saratoga Showcase of Homes, which kicks of this Saturday and Sunday, September 14–15, and runs for the following two weekends, September 21–22 and 28–29, has been such a hot ticket in town for more than two decades.
Now in its 24th year, the three-week exhibition of new homes in Saratoga County gives local homeowners a chance to gawk at the latest and greatest concepts—and newcomers the ability to take the temperature of the market. In addition to homebuilders such as Bonacio Construction and Belmonte Builders displaying their newest designs and construction projects to the public, the Showcase of Homes also highlights the latest in building products, beautiful interior decorations and high-end furnishings and fixtures from local suppliers and designers.
This year’s showcase will feature ten new homes in and around Saratoga Springs, including houses in Gansevoort, Wilton, Ballston Spa and Ballston Lake (each weekend will spotlight a different location). One of the highlights on the 2019 tour will be two houses that feature built-in electric hybrid charging stations. Also new to the tour this year will be a fully functional “tiny house,” built by area high school and adult students from the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative Educational Services, which provides shared educational services and programs to regional school districts.
Tickets are just $20 and still available. As for the rest of the week, you know there’s always more to do in Saratoga. Check out the busy schedule of handpicked events below.
Monday
Head to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) for the last “SPAC on Stage” concert of the season with the multicultural Banda Magda (September 9)
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s Wine Education Week (a global event) kicks off with an assortment of wine-themed events around Saratoga Springs (September 9-15)
Local dance troupe Tango Fusion is hosting a month of open houses and complimentary dance classes for beginners at Saratoga’s National Museum of Dance and Temple Beth El in Glens Falls (select dates between September 9 and October 4)
Tuesday
Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga is hosting a Book Release Breakfast for The Testaments, Margaret Atwood’s highly anticipated sequel to her hit book The Handmaid’s Tale (September 10)
Wednesday
Chris Brown is bringing his Indigoat Tour to the Times Union Center in Albany (September 11)
Folk Song, a brand new ensemble combining classical Indian music with traditional Irish music, will perform at Caffè Lena in Saratoga (September 11)
A 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony will be held at High Rock Park in Saratoga from 8:30-9:30am (September 11)
Fleur Seule will perform jazz standards and swing-era hits at Albany’s Empire State Plaza as part of the Jazz on the Plaza series (September 11)
Thursday
New York Times-bestselling author Charles Fishman will discuss his 2011 book The Big Thirst as part of SPAC’s Speaker Series (September 12)
Capital Roots presents its annual Autumn Evening in the Garden, a gala with more than 20 of the Capital Region’s best chefs, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy (September 12)
The Lake George Dinner Theatre presents more than a month of performances of Lunch with Mr.s Baskin, a classic romantic comedy by Sam Bobrick (September 12 through October )
Get your clovers and green clothing ready for the Irish 2000 Music & Arts Festival at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa (September 13)
In case you missed it at SPAC two weeks ago, rock legend Peter Frampton will bring his Finale Farewell Tour to Madison Square Garden in Manhattan (September 13)
Comedian and former member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour Bill Engvall is coming to the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls (September 13)
Acclaimed blues saxophonist and guitarist Maurice John Vaughn comes to The Linda in Albany (September 13)
Staging Youths’ Future, Inc presents a live, stage adaptation of the Disney classic Mary Poppinsat the Cohoes Music Hall (September 13 and 15)
Don’t miss an incredible weekend of music, culture, performance and visual art and more at Basilica SoundScape 2019 at Basilica Hudson (September 13-15)
Celebrate Oktoberfest in the Big Apple at the OktoberFest NYC 2019 kicks off at the Watermark Bar in Manhattan (every weekend from September 13 through October 20)
Saturday
Brett Bollinger of Pepper will headline the Music is Medicine Festival at Putnam Place in Saratoga (September 14)
The Electric City Food Truck Festival returns to Schenectady’s Rivers Casino & Resort for all the best food truck fare the Capital Region has to offer (September 14)
Fans of hoppy beers will love IPA Fest, an all-day IPA celebration representing more than 50 breweries at the Brooklyn Expo Center (September 14)
Get a good workout in and shop from local fitness vendors during FitFest at City Park in Glens Falls (September 14)
Now in its tenth year, PearlPalooza 2019 returns to Pearl Street in Albany for a full day of free music for all ages (September 14)
The Grammy-winning, flamenco-inspired Gipsy Kings return to the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan (September 14)
The Saratoga Glass Pumpkin Patch and Sale at the Gideon Putnam in Saratoga will feature the beautiful work of glassblowing artist Gregory Tomb, who offered glassblowing classes at the hotel over the summer (September 14-15)
The Cornell Hill Fire Tower at Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park will open for two weekends to offer splendid treetop views of the park (September 14-15 and 28-29)
Sunday
Banjo Revelry VIII, a supergroup of banjo/bluegrass masters, comes to Caffè Lena in Saratoga for all-day musical workshops and a performance (September 15)
Restaurant Week in Lake George Village kicks off with participating restaurants offering special three-course dinners for only $20 (September 15-21)
Get your flannel shirt, Olivia Pope wine glass and most importantly, appetite, ready. The Saratoga Wine & Food Festival, presented by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), will be returning to the Saratoga Spa State Park this October 4-5, with a regionally and internationally renowned cadre of chefs on hand to whip up gourmet meals for event-goers to enjoy with an array of vino.
On Friday, October 4, the festival will present a “forest themed” Farm-to-Table Harvest Dinner, which will be curated by Kim Klopstock of Ballston Spa’s Lily and the Rose, in collaboration with John Sconzo of Saratoga Springs’ Rascal + Thorn, along with Chef Dan Spitz of Fat N Happy LLC and Yaddo’s Head Chef Michael Blake and Kevin London, owner of Farmhouse Restaurant at the Top of the World Resort in Lake George. The regional chefs will be paired with Diego Moya, Executive Chef of TriBeCa hot-spot Racines, rated one of America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants of 2019 by Wine Enthusiast magazine; and Austin Peltier, an expert on Ayurvedic cooking practices—where the culinary arts meet the healing sciences. Each twosome will present a course that incorporates sustainable and locally sourced ingredients.
Also making a cameo at the farm-to-table event—but only for VIP ticket-holders—will be Chef Tim Spedding and partner Louise Rødkjær Jørgensen, both from the UK, who will put local produce in play for Friday’s VIP dinner and prepare canapés for the VIP Grand Tasting on Saturday, October 5. (Spedding, one of the UK’s most influential young chefs, along with partner Rødkjær Jørgensen, plan to open their own restaurant and inn in Cornwall, the center of England’s bourgeoning farm-to-table scene.)
Along with all of the food and wine that will be presented at the festival’s signature Grand Tasting on the 5th, for the first time in the festival’s history, the Grand Tasting will feature a sculpture garden curated by Glens Falls-based art museum The Hyde Collection, with pieces by contemporary artist John Van Alstine. “For the first time at the festival, our largest fundraiser to support SPAC’s educational programming, we are celebrating the incredible cultural organizations in the region with live music, a sculpture garden, gorgeous photography of compostables and much more,” says SPAC President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol. (The photo gallery Sobol’s referring to was shot by local photographer and saratoga living contributor Terri-Lynn Pellegri.)
Check out a full schedule of the food- and wine-related events below:
Troy’s taking a delicious little bite out of Albany. Per the Times Union, Troy Kitchen Owner Cory Nelson—named one of saratoga living‘s “Saratoga 20” last year—will be opening a second location of his successful multi-restaurant hub and culinary incubator in Downtown Albany. The new location, dubbed Albany Kitchen, is set to open sometime near the end of October or early November.
As Nelson noted in a Facebook post announcing the move, the newly christened Albany Kitchen will be opening at 55 Columbia Street in Downtown Albany, just a short walk away from the always bustling North Pearl Street, one of the main culinary arteries in the Capital City. Per the TU, the Albany location will be 4500 square feet in size and operate behind one of Albany’s most popular bars and clubs, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen. Albany Kitchen will begin with ten restaurants, a bar and outdoor patio area.
Troy Kitchen, which first opened in 2016, has been one of the Collar City’s greatest success stories, offering small businesses, who focus on ethnically diverse foods, a place to sell and market their wares—and, if deemed popular enough by the crowds that eat at the space on a daily basis, a springboard to open their own brick-and-mortar restaurants in the community. And the concept has worked for some Troy Kitchen veterans. For example, the owners of Cohoes’ Caskade Kitchen & Bar, who are set to open a new restaurant, The Daisy, in Downtown Troy, were early Troy Kitchen clients; as were K-Plate Korean BBQ and Bespoki Bowl, both of which have their own standalone locations in Downtown Troy.
Besides hosting a rotating cast of restaurants, Troy Kitchen also doubles as an event space, with weekly series such as a poetry and karaoke nights.
Farm-to-table meals are about to get a whole lot easier to find in Saratoga Springs. For more than a decade now, 9 Miles East Farm, a CSA-model food delivery business located in the town of Northumberland, NY, has been bringing farm-fresh goodies and prepared meals to peoples’ doorsteps in Saratoga County and beyond. Now, this diversified farm and food business, which is located just nine miles outside of the Spa City—hence its name—is taking its local produce revolution to the next level with the business’ first-ever standalone restaurant at 64 Excelsior Avenue, where Stark’s Garage stood for decades, just outside of Downtown Saratoga Springs.
Anyone who’s ever had a pizza delivered from 9 Miles East Farm, or picked up one of the company’s super convenient GO Boxes at a local YMCA or pop-up shop, knows what a big deal this is. The farm grows most of the ingredients for its signature meals and then delivers them to peoples’ homes across Saratoga, The Capital Region and even as far away as Boston. “Our mission is consistent across all of our operations,” says CEO Gordon Sacks, who cofounded 9 Miles East Farm in 2004 with his wife Mary. “We want to expand the audience for healthy local food; we want to make it easy for busy people to enjoy healthy local food.”
Sticking to that philosophy, 9 Miles East, as the restaurant will also be called, is a natural extension of the company’s business model on local food and meal preparation, which, until now, has all been done at the farm’s own commercial kitchen in Northumberland. “We think customers shouldn’t have to choose between healthy and delicious,” says Sacks. “They deserve both.”
A designer’s rendering of what the new 9 Miles East restaurant might look like upon completion.
Speaking of that healthy, delicious food, once it’s open, 9 Miles East will be an all-day establishment, open 7am to 10pm, seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. A select breakfast menu will be anchored by alternative-grains and sourdough baking, along with contemporary breakfast bowls and other healthy options. A key food item to the lunch and dinner menus will be the farm’s award-winning sourdough crust pizzas, which the business has been hand-making and delivering for almost five years. In addition to this, there will be other lunch and dinner choices such as 9 Miles East’s GO Boxes and Dinner to GO meals, as well as a few carefully selected seasonal surprises. Even the alcohol will be as locally sourced as possible—the restaurant will have a farm winery license, allowing it to serve only New York-made wines and beers.
Just like its pizza and food delivery business, the 9 Miles East restaurant will use as many of the farm’s own in-season ingredients as possible. “The food service operation gives us a great way to use excess or ‘cosmetically challenged’ produce that otherwise might be wasted,” says Sacks. “We also plan to create additional demand for other local farms and craft producers.” As an example of this, Sacks points to the location of the new restaurant right next to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market at High Rock Park, which takes place every Wednesday and Saturday.
As for the actual building, the 9 Miles East restaurant will be taking over what was for decades a local landmark, Stark’s Auto. Though the Sacks will conduct a major renovation of the space, they’re planning to pay homage to the building’s authentic, industrial history. “Saratoga has gotten pretty fancy, and we want to step back from that a little bit to preserve some of the character of the place,” says Sacks. “Our goal is to create a bright, clean, open space where families feel comfortable enjoying healthy, local food.
9 Miles East Farm is hoping to open the restaurant by the end of this year and is currently seeking investors for the project.