Albany County

CAP NY ACTIVATE! : 3 ARTS AND CULTURAL FESTIVALS FOR FAMILY FUN

August 3, 2022 By Nellie Ackerman-Vellano

Summer time for me as a child, meant practically living outdoors until school started. We played outside for hours with friends, our parents took us on picnics and hikes… but our favorite was going to festivals. As an adult, I love festivals even more than I did as a child, and my own children love exploring craft and vendor tables for unique handmade treasures or collectables. We plan meal times around visiting the various food vendors at each unique arts or cultural event.

I love handmade crafts and eclectic art, and finding things to bring home and display. More than one or many times actually, I’ve also been known to “accidentally” forget to bring a bag or tote of my own and of course I must buy a new tote, purse or reusable bag to hold all my festival finds in. My family thinks I do it on purpose, because I have a reusable bag obsession… and maybe, they are on to me. LOL!

Here are a few wonderful Arts and Cultural Festivals located in the Capital Region that are worth putting on your calendar and planning to bring your family to and spend the day at.

This article is presented through a content collaboration with ACE and CapNY.
Visit us on Instagram at @upstatecreative and @gocapny

THE ALBANY LATIN FESTIVAL
August 27th | 11:00 to 6:00

Founded in the early 90’s by Vichente Alfonso, Pedro Diaz, and Carlos Maldonado…. these three visionaries saw the need to “create an event in the Capital Region that would honor the cultural diversity of hispanic performers.” Pedro stated when he shared the groups motivation for this event when I interviewed him on the phone.

This festival has grown into a full day event. It is a “family-oriented festival with musical performances highlighting the diversity of Hispanic musical genres; a wide array of food, arts and crafts vendors; children’s amusements; and community, government, and business information booths.“

There will be great live music, delicious food for sale, and lots of local vendors to support.

“As a cultural event, LATINFEST celebrates the beauty and diversity of the Hispanic cultural heritage and acknowledges the contributions made by Hispanic Americans on local, state, national, and international levels.. It has established a hallmark, traditional cultural event for a burgeoning portion of the local community that is currently underserved and underrepresented, as well as for the larger Albany community.“

This event has been significantly supported by the City of Albany NY as an important part of the cultural landscape and recognized in the past at the Albany NY Bicentennial Celebration.

The Albany Latin Festival Association (ALFA) has offered Latin Festival every year for over 20 years now. ALFA is a non-profit organization that raises funds for this entire event, through donations and sponsorships. The organization’s mission is to promote and develop Hispanic cultural events in the Capital Region of the State of New York, for the purpose of acknowledging the contributions of Hispanic performing artists and promoting an appreciation for multi-cultural diversity.

This event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more info check out the EVENT PAGE

The festival is staged in Albany’s Washington Park at the end of August each year from 11am to 6pm.

EDITORS NOTE: They do have room for more local Craft Vendors. The application is on their website.

Saratoga Arts : Art in the Park | Photo: Provided

ART IN THE PARK
Saturday, September 17th | 10:00 to 4:00

“The Saratoga Arts Festival is an extension of the Saratoga Arts Center mission, to make the arts accessible to all. The festival is held outside in a communal location and is accessible to someone who may not wander into the gallery. It’s held outside and it’s beautiful. It features so many local artists and brings fine art outside into the community” Olivia Walton, Membership and Development Coordinator, shared with me in a phone interview.

This festival is going to offer a day full of outdoor art exhibits, artist vendors, wonderful local craft vendor tables, kids zone, a community booth in Saratoga Springs’ beautiful and historic Congress Park in Downtown Saratoga. Curated and presented by Saratoga Arts in partnership with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Art in the Park will feature a variety of art and crafted work from local and national artists. The event will also feature live music, artist demos, and MORE!

This event is FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
For more info visit the EVENT PAGE

Olivia also shared that the Arts Center also offers week-long summer camps, theater arts classes & various workshops for youth that make it worth traveling to Saratoga County with your children.

Did you know that the Saratoga Arts Center also offers grants or artists? They reported that 39 grants totaling $123,010 have been awarded to support community-based arts events taking place in 2020. Saratoga Arts has awarded over $1,536,000 in grants since these programs began!

Their Grants Coordinator, Mae Hailu, commented: “Since the 1990s, Saratoga Arts has been pursuing the mission of making the arts accessible to all through our regrants program funded by the New York State Council of the Arts, which has provided millions of dollars worth of funding for community arts projects and arts educational programs, as well as directly funding the work of individual artists. The effects of these works have been felt by people from ages 5-99 throughout Saratoga, Fulton, and Montgomery counties.“

Mabee Farm Arts and Crafts Festival | Photo: Provided

MABEE FARM ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL
Saturday, August 27th | 10:00 to 3:00

The Mabee Farms Arts & Crafts Festival is a wonderful event coordinated and run by the Schenectady Historic Society.

“We’re bringing together the very best of the Capital Region’s handcrafted goods! Join us as 85+ artists and crafters spread out over the Mabee Farm grounds with their eclectic, beautifully handcrafted items. All items are handmade here in our region, and include jewelry, home decor, fine art, ceramics, artisan foods and wines, soaps, candles, woodworking, and more! Featuring live music!”

I spoke on the phone with Mike Diana, of the Schenectady Historical Society, and shared with me that the event also will Blacksmith and Carpentry demonstrations during the day. “This is a very juried festival” Mike said when we chatted about the different local vendors that would be at this specific event. Mike also wanted everyone to know that there will still be tours available of the House during the festival as well.

This is truly going to be a wonderful event to bring your entire family to, and worth traveling to Schenectady County.

A VIRTUAL MAP of Mabee Farm is available online.

ADMISSION: is $10 / parked car
For more information check out the FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE
This event is a fundraiser for the Mabee Farm, a not-for-profit organization.

Mabee Farm Historic Site
The oldest farm in the Mohawk Valley (1705), Mabee Farm Historic Site offers visitors today vibrant educational and recreational opportunities. With its deep history and riverside beauty, it’s the perfect place to explore the Mohawk Valley.
Walk across weathered pine floors in the home of 18th century settlers. Say hello to our resident farm animals. Ogle the hand-pegged Dutch Barn (1760s) or just meander through our orchards, gardens, and forest trails. Tied to the dock or parked behind the Dutch Barn sit our reproduction 18th century bateaux, giving visitors an idea of how goods were shipped up and down the river when Schenectady was America’s frontier.

Mabee Farm is also home year-round to interactive exhibitions, lecture series, workshops, and school programs plus extensive historical collections.

CAP NY ACTIVATE : 5 Family Owned & Operated Drive In Movie Theaters

July 12, 2022 By Nellie Ackerman-Vellano

Before there was cable TV and the internet (my own kids can’t imagine such a primitive time) families went out together to enjoy a movie in a car, packed full of kids. Sometimes the neighbor’s kids were mixed in the bunch too. I remember being about 8 years old, and walking to the drive-in movie concession stand with my dad, and the feeling I had when we all got to have our own brown paper lunch bags filled with buttered popcorn. We lived on a small income, and this was one of the few times when we didn’t have to share the one treat that might have been quickly bought on another type of outing. The small bag of popcorn was all mine! It was like we were on a vacation, and then my parents would even let us have candy after 8pm at night too. I remember seeing people of all ages enjoying the movies that we’d watch together as a family, under the stars.

This article is presented through a content collaboration with ACE and CapNY.
Visit us on Instagram at @upstatecreative and @gocapny

Hi Way Drive In Fence | Photo: Corey Aldrich

Kids today don’t like the things we liked back when we were kids right? I’m a parent that has these worried thoughts that many other parents have, and while I have really good kids… kids get bored easily. Would they be excited about sitting on a blanket or lawn chair outside watching the movie? Will my autistic middle child be able to sit through this movie with so many distractions and stimulation going on around him?

We packed the back of our suv with pillows & blankets, some lawn chairs, lots of hopefulness, and loaded ourselves inside and headed to the drive-in-movies for the first time with my children. We found the perfect spot, center of the field, not too close to the screen and not too far of a walk to the snack bar. We opened the back door, put some lawn chairs by our tail end, and set up the blankets and pillows too. It was now time to “officially” prepare for the movie. That means lots of snacks! We walked to the concession building before the movie started. There we rented a little portable radio that some drive-ins offer as an option to run your car radio on the vehicle’s battery, and it also can allow for the movie to be heard better outside of our vehicle while sitting in our lawn chairs.

Concession stand at Jericho Drive In Theater | Image: Corey Aldrich

Next, we needed food and drinks. The menu options now offered in many snack bars at drive-in movie theaters, compare more to pub fare and the food is good. This is a huge life saver as a parent. I didn’t have to rush making dinner and feeding it to the kids before we left the house. We each ordered a main menu item, drinks, and of course you can’t not order freshly popped popcorn and candy to have during the movie. After our picnic style meal, we cleaned up a bit, and then sat back, ready to watch the movie. I will never forget how I immediately felt sharing this cherished childhood memory with my own kids, and watching them experience seeing the largest outdoor movie screen they’d ever seen for the very first time… together as a family, under the stars.

Drive-in movie theaters are almost always owned by a local family living in the very community their theater is in. They don’t make much money off of your movie ticket. The families sell snacks and other foods, and that’s what helps keep these classic old school drive-in movie theaters open and alive for all of us to enjoy still. Some have been here for over 70 years. The concession stands create jobs, and employee people all throughout the duration they are open. Jericho Drive-in for example currently employs over 45 people. Please be sure to visit and support the snack bars when you go to the drive-in movie theater. I know these local family owned businesses will greatly appreciate you for this.

Below are a list of 5 drive-in movie theaters including my two top picks. All mentioned are worth taking a little drive to while visiting each of the counties they are in.

Hollywood Drive In Theater | Image: Corey Aldrich

HOLLYWOOD DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATER
Averill Park, New York

Open since 1952. Owned and operated by the Fisher family.

“In 1968 Frank took over the business from his father and still enjoys running it to this day .He has learned everything from the projectors to the concessions when he was just a teenager working with his father and through trial and error and have improved the theater tremendously from those early days.” their website stated. “The Hollywood Drive-In (TM) has been in business for 70 years and over the years has seen many changes. We have always maintained that having fun is what a drive-in is all about. We offer a neat and clean facility with a freshly mowed parking area. At the Hollywood Drive-In (TM) you will find a well trained staff ready to serve you with a relaxed atmosphere for you and your family to enjoy.“

They have also recently remodeled their concession building and have an expanded their menu to suit everyone’s palette. They offer fresh homemade pizza, which you can order by the slice or the whole pie. You can get cooked to order hamburgers, hot dogs and fries… and of course the old time favorite popcorn.

Their website mentions that the popcorn boxes are randomly stuffed with free passes into the drive-in.

Food Permit: We understand that people have food allergies or people prefer to bring food from home or elsewhere. However, outside food seriously hurts our ability to sustain our business. Admissions mostly belong to the studios. We have instituted a $5 food permit for those bringing in food. Deliveries to the theatre are strictly prohibited.

WEB: hollywooddrivein.com
ADMISSIONS: Adults $11 | Children 3-10 yrs old $6

Jericho Drive In Theater | Image: Corey Aldrich

JERICHO DRIVE-IN & ICE CREAM SHOPPE Glenmont, New York

Open since 1957. Owned and operated by the Chenette family.

I was able to reach and speak with Lisa Chenette by phone, one of the owners of The Jericho Drive-in & Twist Ice Cream Shoppe. She shared with me their family’s story. Jericho Drive-in was purchased in 1995 by Mike Chennette, and has since had a stand alone ice cream shoppe built in 2007 that services both their drive-in movie guests and the general public. This well thought out stand has service windows on both sides of the building, that sits partly inside of the fence surrounding the drive-in, and accessible to non moviegoers who only want to enjoy a cold treat from the ice cream stand. Like their Sweetheart Sundae that tells the sweet story of how Mike’s mother always called his father, Sweetheart. This special sundae was added to their menu in memory of Mike’s father after he passed away, and is only offered around Valentine’s Day, when the ice cream shoppe officially reopens for the season.

Their concession stand was just remodeled and their menu includes Philly cheesesteaks on a toasted bun, and Chinese Egg Rolls made by the local Chinese in Restaurant in their town to support another local small business.

WEB: jerichodrive-in.com
ADMISSION: Adults $11 | Children 11 and under $6

Here are three more family owned and operated Drive-in movie theaters that I recommended visiting in these different counties here in Upstate New York.

Hi Way Drive In Theater | Image: Corey Aldrich

HI-WAY DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATER
Coxsackie, New York

Located between Catskill and Coxsackie NY, Hi-Way Drive-In movie theater is referred to as the ‘Cinema Under The Stars.’ The Gate and the Snack Bar open 90 Minutes Before the 1st Movie starts.

WEB: hiwaydrivein.com
ADMISSION : $11 for ages 12 and up, and $6 for ages 3 – 11
(children under 3 years of age are admitted free)

Malta Drive In Theater | Image: Corey Aldrich

MALTA DRIVE IN THEATER
Malta, New York

Open since 1949!

This is the Drive-in movie theater that created my own family’s very first drive-in movie memories. I can still remember when my 12yr old son asked for the first time if he could walk his little brother to the concession stand, by himself, and how as a child he felt like this was a move towards growing up. I watched them walk towards the snack bar, holding hands, and walk into the building. I watched and waited for my two boys to walk out of the snack bar and proudly bring back food and drinks for their other brother and their mom. I must say, I love the burgers here. Make sure you grab one from their snack bar when you visit them.

This two screen drive-in theater is family owned and operated by Ed & Tom Caro. “Many of our staff have been working here for years“, Ed shared. Ed & Tom Caro are both very active in the drive-in theater and both of their children have worked at the drive-in in the past too. Ed & Tom have worked towards not only making their drive-in theater a place where families can come to and make memories… they have also encouraged their staff to be a part of their drive-in family too. In fact, Ed shared that “We have a father & daughter, a mother & son, two sisters, and three cousins that all work for us“. This small locally owned family business, welcomes locals and visitors from outside of Saratoga County to come and feel like part of the Caro family too.

The Caro family added the second movie screen in 2008, and with the new addition they also updated & expanded their restroom area as well.

Outside Food, Beverage, and / or Cooler Permit: $5.00 per car, per night

Movie sound is broadcast in stereo over FM radio and can be heard via your car radio or a portable radio that you bring. Additionally, boom boxes can be rented for $5 in the concession stand (limited availability) and we require surrender of your driver’s licence until return of the radio. They do not have any speakers on the posts.

WEB: maltadrivein.com
ADMISSION: Adults (Age 12 & Older): $11.00 | Children (Under 12): $6.00

Glen Drive In Theater | Image: Cinema Treasures

GLEN DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATER
Queensbury, New York

Open since 1958! Glen is open 7 nights a week during the season starting at 7:00 PM. Shows start at dusk.

WEB: glendriveintheater.com
ADMISSION: Tickets Adults $11.00 / Children $6.00 | CASH ONLY

Nellie Ackerman-Vellano is a freelance brand development professional, writer and photographer who writes for a variety of periodicals including 518 Profiles Magazine. | IG: @FeedMe518 | @BonVivantPhotographe

CAP Region 5 : Independently Owned Authentic Korean Restaurants

April 3, 2022 By Nellie Ackerman-Vellano

Food image from Seoul Restaurant. — **Seoul Korean Restaurant** | Photo: **Bon Vivant Photographe**

It wasn’t that long ago in the Capital Region where you would either have to have a Korean friend or personally know a Korean family to enjoy Korean Food in Upstate NY. They’d invite you over for a sit down style family meal consisting of white rice, kimchi, and all of the other favored Korean dishes that are served in almost every Korean home. The classic bulgogi dish, or a kimbap roll were not always mentioned between friends looking for a place to meet out for lunch, or in the office discussion as a food option for a group order for delivery.

I was born in Seoul, South Korea, raised in a Korean home with a Korean mother making the most delicious Korean food I’ve ever had… and of course no one makes food the way your own mother does. Going to the market place in Seoul as a child, I still remember the smells of the food being made by street cart vendors and the aromas coming from the restaurants as we walked for blocks and blocks shopping while looking for a place for my family to eat dinner at.

I first moved to Upstate NY when I was a teenager, and since then I’ve always longed for this region to embrace and appreciate Korean food. Today, you can easily find about a half dozen korean food restaurants offering traditional and newer korean style foods to the Capital Region.

This article is presented through a content collaboration with ACE and CapNY.
Visit us on Instagram at @upstatecreative and @gocapny

Images of Korean BBQ at NOMU Restaurant — **NOMU** | Photo: **Bon Vivant Photographe**

NAMU | Colonie

The first Korean BBQ grill restaurant in the Capital Region, Namu has been offering guests the upfront and close experience of having their dinner grilled at their table right in front of them since 2014. The owners of Namu had the vision for this interactive dining experience in the Capital Region when they opened their restaurant eight years ago. With 30 tables in their dining room, each with its own grill in the center, the large and spacious restaurant still allows for an intimate dining experience with those sitting near you. This is a great date night place and invites engagement and conversation, and it is a good place to bring the family while the kids watch their food being cooked on an open grill.

The menu here caters to the more traditional Korean palette, while dining in a more contemporary atmosphere, with modern western decor and k-pop music playing in the background.

IG: @namukoreanbbq | web: namukoreanbbq.com
p: 518.591.0800 | a: 1770 Central Ave, Albany 12205

Interior and food shots at Son of Egg — **SON OF EGG** | Photo: **Bon Vivant Photographe**

SON OF EGG | ALBANY

Bringing Korean influence to Albany, NY in 2020, Mincho Ko and her son & co-owner, Justin Ko, opened Son of Egg around the corner from Lark Street. The narrow cafe and wall counter seating reminds me of my visits to K-town in NYC, as we walked to different restaurants and grabbed a quick order of mandoo to eat on the go. Son Of Egg offers one of my favorite Korean foods, a traditional kimbap roll. A small roll sells for $2, which I grabbed two of, and jumped back in my car and ate them on the way home. They offer a more contemporary menu with Korean inspired flavors and ingredients, fused into a street food concept that you can eat in-house or while walking around town. They’ve switched up Korean family meals a bit with their Bulgogi Burger… and the Tornado Potato, which is a deep fried spiral cut potato on a bamboo skewer served with a variety of sauces on the side.

As a small locally owned business that cares about their community and those in it, Son Of Egg created “The Good Egg Initiative”, which allows you to purchase a meal in person or online for a homeless individual in need of a meal. The meal tickets are left in a designated location and made available for the homeless and or those with food insecurities to receive a free meal. At any time during business hours, this individual can discreetly come visit, grab an available meal ticket, and present it to the cashier. Meal tickets are $9.

IG: @son_of_egg | web: sonofegg.com
p: 518.917.3806 (text or call) | a: 418 Madison Avenue, Albany

Interior and food shots of Bespoki Bowl — **Bespoki Bowl** | Photo: **Bon Vivant Photographe**

BESPOKI BOWL | TROY

An authentic Hawaiian & Asian eatery in the heart of downtown Troy, NY, the Bespoki Bowl started in the Troy Kitchen in 2016, and opened around the corner on 4th Street in 2017. Paul Park, owner of the Bespoki Bowl, has artful murals covering the walls around the dining room, and asking thoughtful questions such as “how do you feel?”

Making their own kimchi in house, and mixing their bulgogi marinade from scratch, you will absolutely find authentic Korean flavors in the Korean foods served in this neighborhood restaurant. You can order traditional bulgogi & rice here, or get a more modern Bulgogi Taco. The Spam Musubi, spam on rice with teriyaki sauce wrapped in a nori sheet, is one of my favorites here and sells for just $3 each. Whether you grab a bulgogi bowl to go, or sit and enjoy a plate of spicy pork and rice, you’ll experience a taste of Korea each time.

IG: @bespokibowl | web: bespokibowl.com
p: 518.244.5347 | a: 122 4th St, Troy 12180

Exterior and food shots of Seoul Korean Restaurant. — **Seoul Korean Restaurant** | Photo: **Bon Vivant Photographe**

SEOUL KOREAN RESTAURANT | LATHAM

One of the longest operating Korean restaurants in the Capital Region, Seoul Korean restaurant offers authentic traditional Korean foods as well as street foods. Opened in 2013 in Latham, was purchased three years ago by Mijung Kim and her husband, both from Seoul. You’ll walk past shelves of Korean pantry items and products as you enter the restaurant leading you into a large dining area, which accommodates bigger parties and families looking to dine out together.

The foods and flavors at this restaurant remind me of downtown Seoul and the many family meals of my childhood in Korea. Their traditional Korean food makes this restaurant appealing to anyone looking to be introduced to authentic Korean foods for the very first time or who is in town looking for a good Korean meal. The extensive dinner menu ensures that there is something for everyone to enjoy. You can enjoy unique asian bottled sodas for the kid in all of us, and a variety of Soju, Plum wines and asian beers are available for the adults.

IG: @seoulkorean_restaurant | web: seoulkoreanlatham.com
p: 518.782.9609 | a: Peter Harris Plaza, 952 Troy Schenectady Rd, Latham

Image of the outside of Sunhee's Restaurant — **Sunhee’s Farm and Kitchen** | Photo: **Bon Vivant Photographe**

SUNHEE’S FARM AND KITCHEN | TROY

Jinah Ahn came onto the downtown Troy food scene in 2016, opening her Korean restaurant with a big vision and a huge love for her community. Sunhee’s is a farmhouse style restaurant with a small shop in the back offering some shelves filled with Korean market items, stationary products, and a small fridge with jars of their homemade kimchi for sale. Wooden farm tables, rustic pitchers & glass vases filled with dried wild flowers welcome you to sit in their dining room. In addition to the Troy location, Sunhee’s operates a small family farm in Cambridge, New York, raising chickens and ducks while cultivating a mix of organically grown Korean and domestic vegetables.

Serving traditional Korean favorites such as Bibimpap and Japchae, Sunhee’s goes above and beyond the delicious Korean cuisine they serve by also offering free English classes for adult immigrants, from beginner to advanced via zoom or in person in downtown Troy. Classes are open to all immigrants, and all are welcome.

IG: @sunhees95ferry | Web: sunhees.com
P: 518.272.3413 | a: 95-97 Ferry Street, Troy

Nellie Ackerman-Vellano is a freelance brand development professional, food writer and photographer who writes for a variety of periodicals including 518 Profiles Magazine. | IG: @FeedMe518 | @BonVivantPhotographe

This article is presented through a content collaboration with ACE and CapNY.
Visit us on Instagram at @upstatecreative and @gocapny

CAP Region 5: Vegan / Vegetarian Spotlight

March 1, 2022 By Susie Powell

Susie Davidson Powell | Food Writer and Times Union Dining Critic
Special to the Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy

The plant-based food industry has boomed in recent years with myco-protein chik’n and beet burgers that bleed, branded with names like Beyond and Impossible suggesting we’re scaling new heights. The pandemic only sharpened growth with renewed interest in health conscious eating, efforts to reduce animal consumption (hello, meatless Mondays), and awareness of strained farm-to-table supply chains coupled with new direct-to-consumer options. Suddenly, plant-based options surged on mainstream restaurants’ simplified, post-pandemic menus and customers continue to feed the demand for meatless options when dining out.

Downstate, we’ve seen a Michelin star and James Beard award nominations for a vegan restaurant, chef and veg-driven hospitality group. Upstate, the Capital District is enjoying its own share of the action with more growth in the vegan/vegetarian dining scene in two years than the last ten. And they aren’t they aren’t doing it lightly. From the growing vegan list, we’ve picked five eateries putting flavor, fermentation and local farms at the forefront of their plant-based creations.

This article is presented through a content collaboration with ACE and CapNY.
Visit us on Instagram at @upstatecreative and @gocapny!

BAR VEGAN | Center Square | Albany

From Lark St. Poke to the Loft 205, sibling owners Will and Mary Phan have opened downtown spots that earn a loyal crowd. But after closing their popular college bar, LAX, during the pandemic, Will was inspired by vegan restaurant Avant Garden in Manhattan and reinvented the LAX space as a vegan restaurant, including an entirely vegan bar. Partnering with a local florist, the place has been beautifully transformed with shiny white subway tiles, leafy planters and trailing vines, and the menu offers shareable plates that won’t break the bank. From a kitchen carefully separated to avoid cross contamination with the Loft restaurant upstairs, try the sweet potato tempura sushi roll, edamame potstickers filled with a luxurious edamame puree (choose steamed or fried), stuffed avocado and bang bang cauliflower florets. All wines and spirits are vegan or organic.

Bar Vegan | 205 Lark Street | Albany NY | Phone: 518.818.0833

TAKE TWO CAFE | Schenectady

Take Two picks up where much missed Shades of Green on Lark Street left off years ago. Owner Chelsea Heilman has created a gorgeous garden-inspired oasis on Schenectady’s State Street where foot traffic is high and it’s hard to miss her hand-painted sidewalk tables. An avid traveler, Heilman serves a chickpea curry, inspired by one from Iceland, along with a replica avocado-pesto-feta-walnut toast and a tofu scramble breakfast burrito with chorizo, chile, and homefries both inspired by cafes in Melbourne, Australia, and Colorado.

Among the most labor intensive ingredients is Heilman’s faux lox salmon. Carrots are given a 32-hour bath in a seaweed, soy and caper brine for umami bite – perfect to pile on a bagel with vegan cream cheese. Stop by and join an all-day crowd pouring in for sandwiches and vegan pastries. Fix your coffee as you like: A counter refrigerator is jammed with all the plant milks from oat to almond.

Take Two Cafe | 433 State Street | Schenectady | Phone: 518.280.9670

Meadowlark @ Troy Beer Garden | Troy

As if this stylish, leafy, downtown cocktail bar could get any greener, Meadowlark Catering – from the team behind Wizard Burger (Albany), Burrito Burrito and Takk House (Troy) – has taken over the kitchen reins at Troy Beer Garden. Upping the spice stakes with Nashville Hot Cauliflower, their much loved sticky, battered General Tso’s cauli rivals the namesake original in chili-garlic sauce and white sesame seeds.

But this short menu is designed for sharing so order up Cajun-spiced loaded pub fries smothered in chickpea cheeze sauce, smokey sweet BBQ, and pickled jalapenos and try their seasonally evolving taco trio, mac-n-cheeze or chickpea “all flat” wings. Who cares if the wings look more like fat fingers than boneless chicken when it’s packed with 15 herbs and spices and drizzled in green goddess sauce. While you munch, sip a Fakin’ Bacon Manhattan made from Bulleit bourbon, maple, Antica amaro and capped with a fake bacon spear.

Troy Beer Garden | 2 King Street | Troy NY | Phone: 518.244.5215

WIZARD BURGER | Downtown Albany

It’s hard to overstate the craftiness behind the Wizard’s vegan creations. If you visit the Wiz on social media, you’ll find burger abominations flying off on intergalactic, space odysseys. Go in person and this purple-hued counter service spot has added a line up of boozy and non-alcoholic cocktails and an additional room in which to enjoy them surrounded with curios from plant terrariums to crystal balls.

Whether you go for lunch or happy hour, the team behind Wizard Burger has all their nighttime cravings on the menu. Get the Mumbo Jumbo – an Impossible burger topped with house chili, battered onion rings, tater tots and jalapeno-garlic crema – or a crispy chik’n Raptor, but don’t forget battered pickles on the side. Those with a sweet tooth might choose the Impossible Strawberry Snail with an Impossible patty and raspberry jelly on a glazed donut by tiny Strawberry Snail vegan bakery. Go ahead and sip zero-proof cocktails like the hibiscus-based Unbound, but keep in mind purple margaritas are 2-for-1 every Thursday.

Wizard Burger | 74 N. Pearl Street | Albany NY | Phone: 518.250.9440

THE JUICE BRANCH | Catskill & Hudson | Black-Owned Business

Painted all the colors of a tropical island, it’s no surprise George Salter’s juice bar is an uplifting place to hang out whether you visit his Warren Street, Hudson location for an antioxidant packed smoothie or hop the Hudson river to Catskill. In Catskill, you’ll find Salter whipping up his lunch du jour, teased a day ahead on social media. It might be crisply fried oyster mushroom sandwich or plant-based Smack-n’Cheez. Sink into a barrel chair in the window, dip into a book on juicing or the benefits of tea, and Salter will hand deliver plates. Pick from more than twenty-four smoothie combos, add boosts from ginger, elderberry or MCT shots. Munch on nutella and banana or avocado toast topped with hard-boiled egg, hemp and chia or fuel up with an acai or peanut butter banana bowl. (Note: Cash or Venmo only in Catskill)

Susie Davidson Powell | Food Writer and Times Union Dining Critic
Special to the Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy

This article is presented through a content collaboration with ACE and CapNY.
Visit us on Instagram at @upstatecreative and @gocapny!

Dishing Out the Deets with Susie Davidson Powell

January 27, 2022 By Corey Aldrich

Pretty sure I met Susie Davidson Powell while enjoying a glass of wine at The Confectionary in Troy a few years ago. Since then, I have had opportunity to hit the road with her and get a front row seat on what its like to enjoy the food life from the drivers seat…and also the passenger seat – in her Porche 911 Targa 4S. Yup, she rolls in style!

Many would think that you have a dream job! What is it exactly that you do and for how long have you been doing it?

I’ve been writing about food and drink in the Hudson Valley for close to a decade, first when I moved to Columbia County after living in the city, and then in the Capital Region. I’ve been the Times Union dining critic since 2014, so I write weekly restaurant reviews, critic’s notebook features, The Food Life (a trend-focused digital subscriber newsletter) and a monthly cocktail column. I also co-founded thefoodlife.co for Hearst and wrote and filmed Kitchen Raid, a 6-week armchair travel, cooking and recipe subscription focused on pro tips and kitchen ingredients to make fast plates and amazing cocktails. But it’s not as glamorous as people think…

How did you end up getting into this business? Was this part of your original career path or did you develop this over time?

Not at all! I grew up outside London, England, and was always traveling through Europe, later working in Poland and on a Greek Island. Throughout uni and grad school, I worked as a bartender and cocktail waitress, server and occasional kitchen help. This was a great eye opener in terms of the industry and chef and customer behavior.

I came to Albany, New York to attend grad school. I worked as a research program director and stayed in publishing/curricula development for several years. I’m so grateful for that experience. I’d be out on the road for weeks, eating my way from L.A. to El Paso or D.C. to Roswell, NM. A real culinary education. After moving with my family to Columbia County, NY, I wrote a weekly newspaper column about country life and started covering the growing farm-to-table scene around 2003 just as Swoon opened on Warren Street, Hudson, and not long after the 9/11 exodus Upstate. The rest is history.

What does your job look like on a daily basis? I mean, from a practical perspective beyond all the glamour parts! Ok, maybe some glamour stuff also…

I’m constantly tracking new openings, following chef moves between restaurants, and driving – anywhere from Hudson or Woodstock to the Adirondacks – in search of food. I visit new restaurants once or twice each week and circle back for breakfast, lunch or take out a few times a week. I spend a lot of time on background research too, reviewing current and past menus, and setting up interviews. All this before I get to write. One review with travel, eating, and writing time can take 10 to 15 hours. But I do get invited to talk about food-and-drink on radio and TV and I’m often sent wines and spirits to try. That’s the only glamour part!

I pivoted my coverage, writing about take out, drinks to-go, Black-owned eateries following the BLM protests, staff funds, and a series of behind-the-scenes Shutdown Dairies with restaurateurs and chefs. It felt important to show the struggle faced by industry people. Also, I rapidly compiled the first 50 restaurants that switched to take out in the initial lock down, which became the basis of a Times Union take out database. I’m proud of that.

I also ditched my anonymity and hosted online Food Life Lives, chatting with restaurateurs, sommeliers, farmers, even a DJ. We wanted to touch on what we were missing, what we could plate or pour at home, and how to recreate that feeling of being looked after that you have when you dine out. Before the pandemic, I used to host a lot of dinner parties and private wine or whiskey tasting events, so during the lock down I was asked to do a few via Zoom for the Times Union.

What are your goals for 2022? Anything additional that you would like to mention?

All the Covid delays have made me a little gun shy of setting timed goals but I have a drinks, dining and travel hospitality guide in the works called thedishing.com. You can sign up online for details about its launch!

EDITORS NOTE: Corey here, with a shameless plug. Susie with be bringing a non-alcoholic cocktail series to Arts Bar at the Arts Center of the Capital Region for the first quarter of 2022. The events, are held on Troy Night Out in downtown Troy on the 4^th Friday of each month. The first will be on 01.28 from 6:00 to 8:00 at 265 River Street Troy. Come join us for art and a variety of non- and-alcohol based cocktails!

IG: @artsbartroy