‘Destination Saratoga’ podcast runs ‘wild.’ Northern Lights!
PLUS: The (very famous) Lucky the dog's books grow up.
Glow time
Who else sprinted outside in the freezing cold last night to catch the Northern Lights after seeing them on Instagram? Just me? No way. This morning, the great Sam Decker’s capture over the Oklahoma stole the show.
(As always, click on the embed to see the full pic. And follow her for more stunning pics of Saratoga.)
Destination Saratoga podcast’s new ep runs ‘wild’
Downtown hotspot Rhea dishes on what went into winning ‘Wildest Wing’ at Discover Saratoga’s recent Wing Off.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — After downtown hotspot Rhea won the coveted “Wildest Wing” award at Discover Saratoga’s Wing Off event last month, voters wanted to know what the heck was in the deliciously wild “Char Siu Sticky Wings.” The noodle and small plates restaurant revealed a bit of a hint — shishito pepper ranch, Aleppo chili flakes and scallions — but was that really the secret sauce?
Discover Saratoga’s Destination Saratoga podcast sat down with Rhea’s head chef, Pete Hahm, to find out. At his side: owner Shelley Spain.
The podcast’s host, Mackenzie Zarzycki, got right to it.
How about those wings.
“What’s unique about it is that it’s sweet and savory,” Hahm answered. “At first, your taste buds don’t know how to react because…you get the sweet up front. But then there’s a savory-ness to it. There’s a lot of Chinese Five Spice in there, so you’re like, ‘Hmm, I don’t know. My brain’s kind of trying to figure it out.’ And that’s what we love…you’re thinking about it. That’s why we won Wildest Wing, because we don’t even know what went in it. Just so many ingredients.”
Hahm and Spain dish on so much more in the jam-packed episode, including how she met her husband, Mike (they also own Seneca); working at Sperry’s way back when; their thoughts (as restaurant professionals) on the mega-TV hit The Bear— and Rhea’s sweet new happy hour.
“Seneca and Rhea are really the heart of what Saratoga is, right?” Zarzycki says on the pod. “We have all of these local mom and pop restaurants…You can feel the passion that you put into it…That’s what makes Saratoga truly so special.”
The folks at Rhea estimate they served about 1300 wings (making do after running out of plates at 900) during the 34-restaurant crawl, which raised $4,426 for the American Cancer Society.
Destination Saratoga is streaming now.
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4-year-old rockstars?
We’re learning which of this year’s rockstar 3-year-olds will be running next year at Saratoga Race Course (we hope) as 4-year-olds. Early reports are saying Baeza, Sovereignty and — my personal fave for obvious reasons — Journalism.
Lucky the (very famous) Saratoga dog grows up
After three picture books made her famous, Lucky’s grown into a chapter book, written by (her mom) Elizabeth Macy.
If you’re a Saratogian, you know of Lucky the dog — and if you don’t, ask your favorite littles. Elizabeth Macy’s picture books about her lost rescue dog who found her way home via the Spa City streets have made her a bona fide sensation since the first one was published in 2018.
But now that Lucky, 10, is a bona fide celeb — thanks to her books and public appearances that often fill school auditoriums — the need for her to use her star power for good has only gone up. And Macy rose to the occasion.
“Many of Lucky’s readers have grown up with her picture books,” she says. “A chapter book was the next natural step for them.”
Enter Lucky’s Adventure: the Saratoga Rescue, a 114-page book for children 7-11. Like the picture books, Lucky’s Adventure is rooted in the very true story of Macy’s harrowing four days without her dog.
“The chapter book is written in two points of views: Lucky’s and her mom’s,” Macy says. “It starts with Lucky, everything she went through when she was looking to be rescued. Then adopting her is written from my perspective. After that, it goes back and forth while she’s lost — what she was going through and feeling, and what we were all feeling when we were looking for her
.“The book is fictional, but it’s inspired by her story. And there are many true details woven throughout.”
Macy never dreamed she’d fall in love with writing for children, but was compelled to share her story after Lucky was home safe and sound. She was also a photographer whose pictures led to the illustrations in the original three Lucky picture books.
“And then I had so much fun sharing her stories and seeing how kids got so excited about reading her book and meeting the star of the book that I continued with a couple more picture books,” she says. “I’d always thought about writing a chapter book for them to transition into so I could engage with the older students, too.”
Lucky’s Adventure, the Saratoga Rescue can be purchased in stores all around town, including Impressions G. Willikers and Northshire.
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Liking Mackenzie’s podcast, a genuine Saratoga County native.
I need to try these wings!