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CapNY Insider Tips: King Bakery Donut Cart

October 28, 2020 By wordpress

By: Danielle Sanzone

Set your clock early on a Sunday and head out a road trip to get donuts in scenic, rural Washington County. The King Bakery Donut Cart is a family-run business open only on Sunday mornings. Some of their customers drive as long as 2.5 hours to wait on line to get a taste!

Family-Owned & Operated

From Deathwish coffee cream to maple bacon flavors, and their best-selling glazed donuts, people from near and far form lines up the driveway leading up to an old-fashioned cart that sits in front of the King family home.

 “My father thought no one would come to our house to buy donuts,” said James “Skip” King with a smile as he sat on his porch. His father started the family’s original bakery in Cambridge in 1956 and when the space closed, the King family moved the operation to their home.

From Their Farm to Your Donut

Holly King, the third-generation of the King family to have a role in this sweet business talked about how the menu offerings are heavily influenced by what they’re able to produce on their small property.

“My father is an avid beekeeper and honey is used as a sugar in many of our fillings and toppings. We tap our own maple trees. 30 chickens reside here to provide enough eggs for our production. We also grow our own rhubarb, black and red currants and black caps. Growing our own ingredients allows us to subsidize our product with high quality ingredients without the influence of the high purchase price.”

Community

You can also find Reggie’s Veggies of Greenwich selling produce in another cart in the King’s driveway. “We like to collaborate and help people out,” said Skip. They have always tried to serve their community.

The Kings, who all have other jobs during the week, have no interest in expanding their operation.

The King Donut Cart is popular during Saratoga’s track season, for summer road trips, and during foliage season. So set your alarm, hop in line, and get tasting on some of this local homemade goodness.

If you’re looking to spend the day exploring Washington County, check out our daycation itinerary here!

Note: They accept cash only!
Address: 108 West Main St. in Cambridge, 12186
Facebook:
their menu is listed weekly!
Phone: 518-677-3530.

CapNY Woman-Owned Business: Collective 131

October 28, 2020 By wordpress

“My dream of opening a gallery would be impossible in NYC. Here in the Capital Region, there’s a feeling that people want to help each other. I didn’t see that in the city or while living in Hoboken,” said Cassie Fiorenza, Founder and Director of Collective 131, a new gallery in Saratoga Springs. “Here, there’s a mindset of, ‘what’s good for me is good for everyone else.'”

Fiorenza grew up in the Albany area, worked in a major gallery in Manhattan and lived in Hoboken, NJ, and then recently found her way up to Saratoga Springs. This is where she’s decided to open up her first gallery space, in the town’s Arts District on Beekman Street. “If I can bring people to Beekman Street, it’ll be good for the other galleries on the street.”

Representing Women in Art

While working in galleries in New York City, Cassie found that female artists were underrepresented. She observed that many male artists were repeatedly being featured in shows and galleries, while the same did not hold true for women.

As a response, Cassie curated an art show in Manhattan that exclusively featuring women artists. The response was wonderful. This inspired her to start Collective 131, which originated as an online gallery.

Cassie began by featuring the works of her friends and close network, but the platform quickly grew to include the works of artists from all over the country. The goal was to develop a platform of affordable, original art created by women.

A Brick and Mortar Space in Saratoga Springs

The new space features work of two local artists, Tatiana Schynoll of Albany and Hazal Ozturk of Malta.

After an overwhelming outpouring of support for the online gallery, Cassie’s next step was to find a physical space to promote the art and mission of Collective 131. Cassie and her husband were living in Hoboken and starting to outgrow it. They were ready for a change.

When the pandemic emerged, they found it was a perfect time to make the move to CapNY. They landed in Saratoga Springs. They loved the bustling downtown area, the vibrant art scene, the restaurants, and the fact that it is surrounded by mountains and lakes.

Cassie joined Palette as a coworking member and with the support of other strong female entrepreneurs, she found a gallery space on Beekman Street, part of the Beekman Street Arts District.

Beekman Street Arts District

One Million Residents

There are one million residents across the 8-counties of CapNY. Cassie said if she was able to reach all one million of them, she would use her platform to promote the creativity of the female artists she works with…to make the art world a more inclusive place for female talent. She feels the potential of this region is endless and hopes to expand her galleries to other places across CapNY.

Collective 131 opened on 74 Beekman St., Saratoga Springs on October 27th.

Connect with Collective 131!
Website
Address: 74 Beekman St., Saratoga Springs 12866
Phone: 518-339-0512
FB / IG / Twitter / Pinterest

CapNY Small Business: Upstate Coffee Collective

October 12, 2020 By upstatecreative

Matt (left) and Kevin (right) talk coffee with Nick Furnia (middle) of Knockabout Coffee Roasters.

Sipping on a freshly brewed cup of their flagship coffee blend, All Day ADK, Matt Pfeifer, Co-Founder of Upstate Coffee Collective, said that if he had the opportunity to connect with every single one of the million people that live across CapNY, he would be able to spread the value of drinking ethically sourced, carefully crafted coffee.

Coffee & Community

Kevin with Nick Zigich, Business Lead

The small business venture started when Kevin Miner, co-founder of Upstate Coffee Collective, invited his longtime friend Matt to kru Coffee in Saratoga Springs. Kevin worked at kru for free in exchange for learning the ins-and-outs of coffee science & culture. He shared his knowledge with Matt — the science, method, and trial & error behind that caffeine deliciousness. Both passionate about coffee culture, they decided to form a small coffee club. VOILA! The Upstate Coffee Collective community was born.

The Pandemic & The Pivot

The community quickly grew. About 30 people a month were showing up to their gatherings all across CapNY to taste and learn more about coffee, but then Covid hit. They pivoted, developed a website and a podcast where they shine a spotlight on people in CapNY doing cool things through the lens of coffee. They also set up an online retail store with highlights of special roasts and stories of its origins, producers and roasters. Matt said, “So many hands touch coffee on the way to your cup; the farmers are making a living on this agriculture, and we need to tell their stories.”

CapNY Entrepreneurship

When asked what role community has played in the development of the business and concept, Matt said, “Other CapNY coffee shop owners have been very supportive and are happy we’re chasing our dreams. They support us and we support them. It didn’t take much for me to make valuable business connections. People are so willing to hear your story and learn about your startup. I believe CapNY is in its infancy for major transformation in entrepreneurship…what we have now is incredible, but I see the possibility of something greater on the horizon.”

Connect with Upstate Coffee Collective!
Website
Phone: (518) 391-5773
Email
FB / IG

Photo credit: Kieran Mangels and Nick Rovazzini

Want to learn more about coffee? Read their blog, listen to their podcast, and check out their YouTube channel!

CapNY Apple Picking Map (Plus Craft Beverages, To Boot)!

September 20, 2020 By wordpress

By: Gabby Fisher, ACE Digital Manager

Me on my 3rd or 4th hot cider donut…

There is nothing that says a CapNY fall like being out in the orchard on a crisp sunny day! Whether you’re competing for the best looking apple or chowing down as many cider donuts as your stomach will allow, it’s a great day out for families and friends. The only hard part is trying to save room for the homemade apple crisp later.

Upstate New York is known for some of the best apple picking IN THE WORLD. Even though you may have a favorite spot, I challenge you to visit a new spot this year! Try our downloadable Google map of the “U-Pick” locations all over the Cap Region, which you can find at the bottom of the page.

We’ve also marked all of the nearby local brews and ciders, to check out before or after your orchard adventures.

Here are some of our orchard and craft beverage combo picks…

Albany County: Indian Ladder Farms & Meadowdale Winery

My nephew and I…see what I mean about the views from the farm!

A visit to Indian Ladder Farms is an annual tradition in my family. There are so many things to see and do at this farm aside from great apple picking (Honeycrisp are my favorite by the way). They have farm animals that you can pet and feed, incredible scenery, drool worthy cider donuts, a restaurant, brewery…and the list goes on… You could spend the whole day here, but if you’re looking to explore more of the Altamont area, there are a few spots I’d recommend exploring.

Beautiful Thatcher Park. You can see Meadowdale Winery from the lookout spot.

Head on over to Meadowdale Winery to try one of their nine wines (some award winning!) made wholly of New York ingredients. You might be happy to know that this spot is an ultra-low-carbon, zero-waste winery. Win-win! Then, you HAVE to venture right nearby to Thatcher State Park to see enjoy the beautiful fall foliage and if you’re feeling up to it, explore one of the trails and you might see a few small waterfalls!

Rensselaer County: Windy Hill Orchard East & Stable Gate Winery

I think I am just going to let these next few photos speak for themselves…

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! These are just a few of homemade desserts you can enjoy at Windy Hill Orchard East after you pick your apples. They also have wagon rides, a corn maze, sunflower field, fire pits and frequently have food trucks and live entertainment to enjoy! This place has it all.

Stable Gate Winery

If you’re looking to maximize your time in the area, head on over to Stable Gate Winery. Stop by for a wine tasting, some live music, yoga on the farm, or even brunch! Their events calendar is always jam packed.

Between these two spots, you’re guaranteed to have an unforgettable day.

Enjoy & don’t forget to tag us in all of your Instagrammable moments, @upstatecreative and use #CapNY #getCAPtivated #UpstateCreative!

Click HERE to download a PDF list of all of the Apple Orchard locations


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Upstate Overnights: Catskills Edition

August 19, 2020 By upstatecreative

A Getaway.com Cabin

Historical boutique hotels, tiny homes in the wilderness, campgrounds, creatively curated redesigned homes by fabulously talented locals – we have it all in CapNY, making it the perfect weekend destination. Whether you’re a CapNY resident or just visiting for a few days, these spots are guaranteed to make your mini-vacay super unique and Instagrammable.

Gabby’s Fall Picks

Click on each of the picks for The Low-Down, what Gabby loves about each spot, and details on how to book!

Getaway

Scribner’s Catskill Lodge

Gather Greene

Devil’s Tombstone Campgrounds

Winter Clove Inn & Resort

Longneck Inn

CapNY is a perfect fall getaway destination. You deserve a vacation. Book, enjoy, and relax. Don’t forget to tag us in your photos! We’d love to share. @UpstateCreative


Gabby Fisher is an avid CapNY ambassador, travel lover, & foodie. She is ACE’s Digital Media Manager and the Founder of co-mads, a consulting company that curates travel and volunteer experiences; along with providing marketing, event, and content creation services to organizations whose missions align. She’s a Co-Founder of Flips Resale and does freelance consulting work with forward-thinking organizations.


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