Oh, what a (2) night(s) in Saratoga
The bitter cold ushered in two gloriously festive and exciting nights.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Today’s Saturday Dish Saratoga version of the Dispatch comes to you in a bit of a holiday-time blur.
So much merriment.
Even though Thursday night surprised us with the first bitterly cold winds of the year, it seemed to just add to the festivity. I hear there was even a guy in shorts at Thursday’s Victorian Street Walk. “It’s Upstate New York; of course there was,” a friend told me late last night, as our small band of performing arts nerds nodded our heads knowingly. We were out way past our bedtimes, but my eyelids had already been heavy for days.
In addition to the Street Walk, Thursday night also brought out A Big Gay Market, Saratoga Pride, a huge slice of the Opera Saratoga board on the eve of their big show, Marcella Hammer, Megan Mumford, and many more to SPAC. It was so cold that the security guards at the Charlie Gate had built a fire, and there was much oohing and aahing over seeing the vast, sweeping lawn we all know so well blanketed in snow — snow that was blowing in drifts like a frigid sandstorm.
Inside, Austin Bayliss and Pam Abrams had planned quite a sweet evening — literally. No dinner, just desserts in honor of Justin Burke and his new book, Potluck Desserts. Local stars from around town, including Familiar Creature’s Michele Hunter and Standard Fare’s Sam Pierre, served the food, all decadent confections. CEO Elizabeth Sobol announced that the Culinary Arts program, of which this was the fall finale, would continue on throughout the winter and spring.
See you there.
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About last night.
My Friday marathon started before 5 p.m., when Good + Tasty’s Kathleen Willcox and I headed to Bocage Champagne Bar to prep for the Dispatch’s very first party — a little pre-game to Opera Saratoga’s La bohéme.
Happy to report that we sold out! I can’t wait to bring more of us together at events in the coming year.
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There, I met the fabulous Monica Frydman — whom I’d been told I had to meet months ago — among many other lovely guests. An impressive former journalist who now gives back to the Saratoga community in many ways, we chatted events (my fave) and she filled me in on some cool things happening at the Saratoga Polo School.
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We all headed to UPH together in time for the main event: a completely sold-out concert production of La bohème. They held the doors until about five minutes before showtime, creating a packed lobby of 600 happy, lively people. It was quite exciting.
The show was excellent, 90 minutes of Puccini, with the company’s esteemed director Mary Birnbaum narrating and superstar Kayla Rae Stein leading the way as Mimi. (The young soprano was chosen to study with Renée Fleming herself during last summer’s Aspen Music Festival.)
Afterwards, author Nic DiDomizio, fresh off a People magazine preview of his upcoming book A Murder Most Camp, headed to Salt & Char. Other friends made off for Cooperstown Distillery. I made it to a small after-party, during which Tom Denny was the first to recognize me out in the wild as “Dispatch Abby.” For a new startup founder, this made my night.
Shameless plug: This week The Dispatch surpassed 3,000 followers. I can’t thank each and every one of you enough for believing in the importance of daily news in Saratoga Springs!
By midnight, the performers were finishing up a late-night dinner at Standard Fare, where a hard-working staff stayed two hours late to accompany the last-minute request. There was a pork chop for Birnbaum, meatballs for owner Clark Gale, and a deserted dish of mac ‘n’ cheese that I didn’t want to go to waste — plus a much-needed gossip sesh with bartender Courtney Hemsworth — for me.
And the weekend isn’t half over…
Any day now…
Eagerly awaiting the opening of the Keuka Spring Vineyards' new tasting room on Spring across from the park. Any day now! California-style tastings ($15 for a flight of the classics; just $3 bucks more for estate pours) downtown with local snacks (think Saratoga Chocolate, Bread Basket Bakery and Argyle Cheese) and a civilized closing time of 8 p.m.? I know I’ll be a regular. And the place is stunning. Oh, and Dancing Grain is in there, too, for any non-winos. Can’t wait!
Family first
It’s been almost a week since one of my favorite delivery spots, Alaturco Gyro Mediterranean, announced they would temporarily close while its founding chef, Rauf Ziya, battles some health issues. Just wanted to wish this wonderful family the very best and look forward to their reopening soon.
Spirited spirits
I spent last week getting into a super-festive mood in Las Vegas. So now I’d like to try some of Saratoga’s most spirited spirits please. So far, I’ve got my eye on Wild Horse’s holiday menu — peppermint mocha espress martini, white Christmas cosmo…who wants to meet me there for happy hour?
Spotted
At Kru this week, I sat next to none other than Nancy Salzman, former president of NXIVM, who apparently got out of jail last spring — on my birthday. It was weird and we’ll have to have that convo in person.
cool! check out a recent post. https://substack.com/home/post/p-180162214