What’s with the 🐬🏈 Fins & the 518?
BUT FIRST: Sweet tooth, activated — thanks to a local foodie celeb.
‘Sweet and unique treats’? Sweet tooth, activated
What is Saratoga Dessert Bar?
Our specialties include cookies and cheesecakes, but we also offer many other rotating desserts such as cannolis, gluten-free truffles and gluten-free lava cakes. We have amazing breakfast sandwiches, grilled cheese and homemade soups, too. Everything is baked in house.
Why did you start this venture and how has it grown?
Saratoga Dessert Bar started in fall of 2021. We operated as a commercial ghost kitchen in downtown Saratoga for many years offering online-only for delivery pickup. This allowed us to “test” the market to explore if there was demand for our unique desserts. Then I decided to take the leap due to growing demand year after year.
What is your goal for the future of the business?
When deciding on a name for the business I came up with Saratoga Dessert Bar — not only for my love of Saratoga and horses (hence the logo) — but also because we offer dessert bars as one of our delicious treats (see magic cookie bars on our menu). I also had a vision that one day I would open a Dessert Bar, naturally in Saratoga, where I could offer my desserts alongside high-end craft cocktails — hence the play on words Dessert “Bar.” That is the ultimate goal and vision. I was previously the Director of Food & Beverage at The Adelphi Hotel for 7 years, so I have the extensive experience to make it happen.
Is there any one item you’d recommend to a first-time customer?
Our cookies of course! The Samoa Cheesecake (yes, tastes just like my favorite Girl Scout cookie) or our Peanut Butter Confection…all are unique offerings and secret recipes I have been working on for over 10 years, and they are amazing.
Where and how can people try your treats and eats?
We have a brand-new location in the Wilton Mall food court as we are spearheading the mall’s turnaround with the new ownership. We are also available online daily via DoorDash, Grubhub and UberEats.
Anything else exciting on the horizon?
We are currently in talks with multiple local restaurants to deliver our desserts wholesale, so you might see us around the city of Saratoga Springs. Owners should definitely reach out if they are interested and would like a restaurant “sampler pack” sent to their establishment to try with their guests and staff free of charge.
Saratoga Dessert Bar is open seven days a week: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. For more info, visit saratogadessertbar.com.
This news was brought to you by…
New tech for treasured history
When Clifford Oliver’s exhibit opens at the Crandall Library Feb. 2, viewers might do a double-take. The veteran photographer decided that for this special homage to the Revolutionary War — our entire country will be celebrating the Revolution’s 250th anniversary this year — he would need to do something a little bit different.
“As a photographer of historic re-enactors for the last 25 years, it didn’t take me long to realize the authenticity I was seeking in my photographs insisted that I not photograph but paint,” he says of the 30 images that will be on display. “Thanks to my newfound skill in PhotoShop I converted my photographs into ‘paintings.’”
It was important to Oliver to reflect the entire story of the people who were there — including Native Americans, Black soldiers, patriots, loyalists and women. “I did not focus on any one battle,” he says, “but on RevWar camp life and death. All of these time warp scenes could have happened at Saratoga Battles but were staged at various sites in the Saratoga/Capital region.”
The exhibit takes place at the Crandall Library in Glens Falls Feb. 2-28, with an Opening Night reception Feb. 5 from 5-7 p.m.
📰IN BRIEF
Affordable housing
Six new apartment buildings are going up along Allen Drive, as part of a $44.1 million affordable housing project being co-developed by the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority, reports the Times Union. The Springs West Apartments should finish by mid-November.
Help for small biz
The Innovation Center is launching a program, “Entrepreneurship is Everyone’s Business,” designed to strengthen local small businesses and creators of all kinds via teaching, mentorship and long-term support.
For more info, visit innovationcentersaratoga.org
For a more exhaustive aggregate of Saratoga news, please subscribe to my partner Saratoga Report for a morning run-down that’s emailed daily!
The Fins and the 518
With on-the-field action halted as we stare down Super Bowl 60, the NFL’s juiciest drama is off the field — mainly, what is it with the Dolphins and the 518?
What is it with the Fins and the 518?
As the high-stakes coaches’ game of thrones plays out in the NFL, it’s impossible to overlook the fact that the Capital Regionites making the biggest headlines all have ties to one franchise: Miami.
It started with Saratoga High alum Anthony Weaver. The hot commodity just finished his two-season stint as defensive coordinator for the Dolphins, and landed an interview for the Bills’ head coaching job last Saturday, (they entertained a long list, but still).
Then came yesterday’s news: Buffalo promoted from within, naming offensive coordinator Joe Brady to the coveted role. Bummer — but Weaver is still in the running for some major gigs.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch in the Sunshine State…
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
The Dolphins’ new head coach, Jeff Hafley, is knee-deep in creating his coaching dream team. The 2001 Siena grad (he graduated just in time — the university disbanded its team three years later) cut his teeth with the coaches at UAlbany while completing his master’s degree.
Just last year, Syracuse made news by hiring two-time Super Bowl champion coach Sean Ryan, a native of Hudson Falls, as its quarterback coach. His last year in the NFL? Yup, he was a Fin.
Maybe after a few too many winter storms like the one we just had, the promise of Miami sun and South Beach glam is simply too strong to resist…
Of course, like Ryan and maybe Weaver, they often come back: Enter the great Bill Parcells. The iconic coach served as the Dolphins’ Executive Vice President of Football Operations from 2008 to 2010 — and now has family and a home here in Saratoga.
Fun fact, former Fins players:
RPI grad Andrew Franks played 32 games with the Fins in 2015-16; former Albany Empire (Arena League Football) owner Ron “Jaws” Jaworski was briefly a Dolphin in the ‘80s; and Charlie Leigh, who retired from the NFL in ’74, also played for Miami.
Fun fact, non-Dolphins:
Current Colts co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon was a religious studies and geoscience major during her time at Skidmore, although her life ended up taking a very different path. She joined the Indiana team — Dad was billionaire owner and CEO Jim Irsay — in 2008. When he passed away last year, he left the team to his three daughters: Carlie, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson last year, with Carlie becoming CEO.
📌 ICYMI…
Saratogian’s NFL rise, snow day
Siro’s for $100 please: Miranda Rae Hart on shooting her film ‘Off to the Races’ in Saratoga
 | A guest post by
|
I need to try the Dessert Bar!