First Look: Common Roots Café At The Bierhall

Calling all coffee lovers! We’re thrilled to share a First Look at The Café at The Bierhall at Common Roots — a new weekday favorite for a cup of coffee, a breakfast sandwich, and the cozy, welcoming atmosphere that Common Roots has come to be known for. We caught up with Rich Wilson, Director of Food, Beverage & Taproom Operations at Common Roots, to hear a bit more about the space, the food, and the coffee, of course!

On Opening The Café at The Bierhall

In addition to wanting to extend the experience that we’ve been fortunate to build at our Taproom over the past three years, we also wanted to start making coffee for our line of coffee beers. We were so thrilled with the coffee that we created, we wanted to find more ways to showcase it. The idea of the Café was an opportunity to not only showcase and share the coffee, but also to invite the community into the new Bierhall space. With the Bierhall being primarily used for events and weddings, it was an opportunity to bring people here in a new and exciting way.

The hospitality aspect of the new Bierhall and Barrel House is obviously fantastic — we are so excited to be a bigger resource for the community by way of the Café and event space. From our standpoint as a brewery, we are also benefiting from this building on the production side — mainly in the form of warehousing and storage, as well as isolating the production of our wild fermentation sour beers.

The Bierhall Interior • Image courtesy of Common Roots

On The Coffee

We are sourcing as sustainably as possible from Colombia, Mexico, and Guatemala for the three beans that go into our House Blend. Here in our Café, we will feature one of those brewed hot over the course of our operations, but we’ll always have five products available as beans to go: the House Blend, the three single origins [Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala], and a decaffeinated Colombian. We’re packaging the beans into a fully compostable and resealable bag, so from a packaging standpoint, it’s as low impact as you can be.

With our ability to roast in house, we’re not only able to offer great coffee and beans, but we’ve also been able to really dial in the cold brew concentrate that we use for our Coffee Cup series of beers for the brewing side. Though at this point, I should mention that we are keeping caffeination and alcohol separate — we’ve had a few requests for breakfast beers, but we’re not there yet!

On The Food

When it comes to food, it’s always been important to us to source as local as we can and be as close to scratch as we can. We recognize that quality of preparation goes a long way, and that’s what we’re continuing to do here with our programming.

At this point, we’re offering a grab-and-go breakfast sandwich and burrito that are fully customizable and can accommodate a number of dietary restrictions as well.

On The Space

While we’re proud to offer grab-and-go, we also have an atmosphere here that encourages one to stay a while. We have free wifi, and there’s plenty of room to spread out. If you are looking for a place to have a small meeting, we have large tables to utilize.

The smiles and welcomes of our staff have become a big part of who we are, and we want to emulate that in this space as well and keep things welcoming and inviting.

On Hosting Events

We’ve hosted weddings, celebratory dinners, small birthday parties, and other events, so it’s relatively customizable. The fireplace inside is cozy and inviting, and on warmer days, we can open up the garage doors to include the outdoor space with the fire pits and Adirondack chairs.

The Bierhall and Barrel House Exterior • Image courtesy of Common Roots

On The Future

As winter approaches and as we learn a little more about the new space and all the fun to be had here, we hope to open it up for more public opportunities, which could take the form of live music. That’s something we haven’t been able to explore since our rebuild. Live music doesn’t really overlap smoothly with our restaurant operations on the other side, but that’s something that this space might allow us to get back into, with the added bonus of potentially booking a larger artist since we have seating for 200.

The Café at The Bierhall is open to the public Monday - Friday from 7am - noon. The Bierhall is available to book for events 7 days a week. Check it out at  www.commonrootsbrewing.com/events.

First Look: The Shop by Deliciously Different

Calling all cake lovers! There’s a new custom cake shop in town, so you’re going to want to plan your next celebration ASAP. Known for their catering, Deliciously Different has now opened The Shop on Dix Avenue, and we caught up with owner Robin Getchell-Smith to find out more about the inspiration for expanding their business, their offerings (from mini cakes to wedding cakes!), and more…

The Shop by Deliciously Different Team | From left: Custom Cake Designer Victoria Androsz, Owner Robin Getchell-Smith, and Client Experience Manager Taylor Ravreby

First, tell us a bit about yourself!

Hi there, my name is Robin Getchell-Smith. My husband Mark and I moved here from Long Island about 16 years ago. We loved the Glens Falls / Queensbury area. Our children graduated from Glens Falls City School District — it was such a great place for the children to grow up.

On Long Island I worked with friends who owned a catering company, and it allowed me to work on the weekends and be home with my kids during the week. I worked events for them mainly, but would also work within the kitchen at times. It definitely gave me insight on how to run a catering company. I am a self taught cook. I grew up with a mother who made most everything from scratch, simple fresh and few ingredients — yum!

Cake offerings at The Shop by Deliciously Different

How did Deliciously Different come to be? 

I learned so much from working with my friends on Long Island. After I settled into this area and started getting to know people, I landed a few small catering jobs. It wasn’t until I mentioned it to a co-worker who happened to be getting ready to open her property up as a wedding venue that things got real! Mark and I set up at their first open house and booked our first four wedding events. From there, the rest is history!

We now have a kitchen, office and greeting space at our location at 425 Bay Road. My full time Client Experience Manager, Taylor Raverby, and I have our office space there. Our newly opened Custom Cake Design Studio (The Shop) is located at 430 Dix Avenue. Both properties are located in Queensbury. We have been in business now since 2012. Eleven years — crazy! Our business continues to grow and we couldn’t be more excited about the future!

Tell us about The Shop!

Being in the wedding industry, most local folks never really got to know us. I have always considered opening a retail location to gain more of a local following, but never quite got around to it.  

I was inspired to open this new location, The Shop, as a Custom Cake Design Studio because there is a real need in this area. My friend Sandy, owner of The GingerSnap Cake Shop, was operating her cake business in our kitchen and we quickly ran short on space, so I started looking for an additional location.  

It took time to find the right place, and by then, Sandy had made the decision to retire.  So a new search began — we had the space, now we needed a designer. I am excited to share that we have an extremely talented designer who joined the team in January. Victoria Androsz, originally from Connecticut, was living and working in New York City and has now settled in downtown Glens Falls!  

Victoria Androsz, Custom Cake Designer

Tell us about your offerings!

The Shop by Deliciously Different offers beautiful custom cakes all made from scratch with our signature swiss meringue buttercream — so delicious!  We offer super cute mini cakes, cake nosh, baker bites and some other baked goods with our main focus on celebration and wedding cake designs.

Our cakes are all available to order online for easy pick up. Of course we are also available for all catering needs. After all, celebrations are what we do!

What has been most rewarding / challenging thus far? 

Opening a new business or extension of a business is always challenging. When we purchased the Dix Avenue building I really thought we would be up and running by May 2022. I was a bit off on the timing, as we didn’t officially open until December 6th!

My talented husband and partner, Mark, made all the custom counters and worked tirelessly to get everything just perfect. The interior is so beautiful, we just love the way it all came together.

It is so rewarding being able to offer an opportunity. Our baking team is amazing and I can not wait to watch as the business grows!  

Custom cake sketches by designer Victoria Androsz

What's next for The Shop + Deliciously Different? 

We are super excited to continue working with wonderful clients to create their dream weddings and events. We are always thinking about our next big idea. We have some things in the works but I am not ready to talk about that yet. You will all have to stay tuned!

In the meantime, you can visit our website to find out more about us or to inquire about how we can be part of your next celebration. 

Our website for The Shop is currently being updated, but you can always follow along on Instagram to see what we’re up to with all things cake!

First Look: Mint

Have you been to Mint? They’re now entering their sixth month in business on Warren Street, so if you haven’t been - consider this a sign to make your reservation! We caught up with owner Johanna Geldern to hear more about the how she got into the restaurant business (it all started with a fortune cookie!), what to expect from their menu, and what’s coming up next for Mint (hint: expanded hours!)…

The Bar Room at Mint

First, tell us a bit about yourself and your background!

I received my Masters in Education from the College of Saint Rose and had a career in teaching elementary school (regular and special education) for over 16 years. As the standardized testing pressures got more intense from states and districts, the gap between my philosophical beliefs and the changes to the classroom structure necessary to meet standardized testing goals motivated me to make a change. I sold a property and began searching for a small business that I could purchase and run with the goal of completely changing my career and becoming an independent business owner. My girls (Katriel and Cagney Houlihan) and I had always daydreamed about running a bed and breakfast or owning a small café.

The online search for purchasing a business lasted well over a year, and during that time one of my friends owned a beachfront restaurant and had a vacant shop space available for a summer beach snack bar.  It was sitting vacant but already had all of the necessary approvals to open, so I agreed to take on this project and created the menu, purchased the equipment and created the signage and theme. With her guidance and my hard work, we were able to open in about a month and I ran a very successful beach snack bar business for that season. This was equivalent to getting a Masters degree in running a small business in my mind.

Mint co-owner (and Johanna’s daughter), Katriel Houlihan

At the same time, my daughter‘s family moved home to New York from Florida and on a trip to see them in February, I discovered a café in Greenwich called Dish Bistro and I absolutely fell in love with the size, the location, the charm, and the healthy vibe of the menu. I literally said to my family and friends, “If I ever had a restaurant business, it would be just like this.” Months went by of searching and in August, I found Dish Bistro for sale online under my price range, and immediately began dialogue with the owners. We went back-and-forth with financials and logistics for a month and it was time for me to make a decision: was I going to pack up my entire life, sell my car and fly to New York to purchase this restaurant business?

I was out to lunch in Florida with my friend when the owner of Dish Bistro, Susan, called me. I hung up with her and I told my friend about the idea and potential plan of purchasing Dish and moving back to NY, and when I opened my fortune cookie after lunch it said “DISH” on one side and when I flipped it over, it said “Go for your dreams ~start with the spring roll” on the other side. My decision was made. At the time I had been studying the law of attraction and was looking for signs and I took this as a solid sign from the universe directing me to go for my dreams even though it was scary — terrifying, in fact!

I still have the fortune cookie. I like to think that my story will hopefully inspire others to listen to their intuition and follow their dreams, and to not allow fear to hold us back from making changes to pursue what excites us.

Once I made the commitment, everything seemed to fall into place.

How did Mint come to be?

We started in Greenwich as Dish Bistro in the fall of 2014, and I rebranded to Sweet Beet Bistro in April of 2015. My chef was passionate about local farms and we decided to create a “farm to table” theme there and offer homemade scratch kitchen food using high quality local farms. We wanted to use ingredients which were grown, raised, and cultivated with positive loving energy, and we wanted to honor those artisans. We wanted to prepare and serve the food with the greatest energy of love and positivity to our customers. Our desire was to create an atmosphere and experience which would create great memories and keep patrons returning.

We closed the doors to Sweet Beet Bistro after Covid hit in 2020, and it seemed like the perfect time to transition to a new location with more foot traffic. We already had a strong support system of loyal customers from this area that traveled to our Greenwich location, so that was a selling point as well.

We had been working with Peter Hoffman on a downtown space to lease. When this space came up, he asked us (my daughter Kate Houlihan and I) to come over immediately and take a look. He wanted to know if we could see its potential and his vision for our business in that location. We could see it instantly, and with great enthusiasm we told him we were 100% in!

Our philosophy of using the highest quality organic and most lovingly raised local foods is still at the heart of Mint!

The Dining Room at Mint

Why Glens Falls?

We see tremendous potential in this city! The events with food and celebrations are creative. The Glens Falls Collaborative and other groups are really committed to moving the city forward. It’s so important to create a business that is desired and will be embraced and nurtured by the community, and we feel this is a mutually beneficial partnership which we are thrilled to be part of.

What inspired the name? 

We were originally going to name the new restaurant business Tarragon and Time. But after polling some friends and family, it wasn’t communicating the right vibe, so we went back to the drawing board. On a hike with my daughter Kate, she turned to me and said, “What about Mint?”.  We thought about it and it had great connotations, so we decided to have a longer tagline (Inspired Plates and Crafted Potions) and a shorter easy to remember name - Mint!

Tell us about your menu! What can people expect to see?

Imagine Paris meets Brooklyn meets San Diego!

Our food is eclectic and creative, using only the highest quality products. We taste test as a group and tweak recipes as a staff. It’s vey important that our sauces, dressings, and all of our items really, are balanced in texture, flavor and appearance.

We have unique appetizers including cheese boards and seafood cakes. Our proteins are grass fed meats, local pastured products and wild caught seafood. As for customer favorites, the pizza is at the top of the list, along with our grass fed burger and vegan beet burger. We use 30+ local companies like Saratoga Olive Oil, Saratoga Gluten Free, Vermont Fresh Pasta, and Rock Hill Bake House, to name a few. We work with a local farm for edible flowers on our plating. The presentation is meant to be visually pleasing as well as good for you and delicious.

We offer a solid variety for special eaters with vegan options, gluten free options.

The drink menu includes craft cocktails, local and international wines, and several spirits and beer from local distilleries and breweries. We use all small batch local distilleries for our liquors, and our beer is all from within 60 miles of Glens Falls. We don’t use any large mass production wine at all — it’s all organic biodynamically farmed or sustainably farmed. You’ll probably notice you won’t get a headache after drinking wine here! We also craft our own elixirs with syrups using fresh herbs and delicious ingredients for cocktails — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Patio seating at Mint

Tell us about the space!

We have three main areas: a bar room, dining room, and covered garden patio. It’s nice to have the three separate spaces to allow for private events and just general versatility.

The building owner, Peter Hoffman, collects antiques and is very skilled at mixing the old with the new. Everything here is modernized and updated, but layered with antiques. For example, the globe lights are antiques from Germany. They add such an immediate sense of charm and history. The frosted glass by the front door is an antique — irreplaceable and one of a kind. The end gates on the patio came from a vineyard in Italy, and they bookend the space perfectly. The banquettes in the bar room were salvaged from the Capitol Building in Albany when they were renovating the Governor’s restaurant there. We discovered they’re from 1920, so many governors have sat on them when having their business meetings there, which is pretty unique!

The patio has been a big hit this season, especially when we have live music. We’re hoping to install a bi-fold door from the patio into our dining room, so that when we do have a musician here, the sound and experience can carry inside as well.

What's coming up next for Mint? 

We’re hoping to start offering lunch by the end of September! We also hope to open seven days a week, as right now we’re closed Mondays. Also coming up - a to go menu! Lots of great things to come.

Most immediately, we’re looking forward to launching our fall menu around September 20 - stay tuned!

Mint
80 Warren Street, Glens Falls
Website / Facebook / Instagram

First Look: Common Roots Beer Garden

Two years after a fire ripped a hole in the heart of South Glens Falls, Common Roots Brewery is back.

The state-of-the-art brewery at 58 Saratoga Avenue, with an expanded menu, indoor pub space and spacious outdoor beer garden, opened quietly on May 3rd, but it didn’t take long for the faithful following to return. (Word on the street is the fried chicken sandwich, available in three levels of spicy hotness, is delicious!).

“It’s been really spectacular, honestly,” Bert Weber told Glens Falls Living. “The reception has been everything we had hoped for…nice crowds of people, they love the beer and the space and the food.”

Co-owner Christian Weber, Bert’s son, said, “The outdoor space has been great. It’s still kind of different…before you could get a beer and walk around and talk to each other.”

Owners Bert and Christian Weber also announced the creation of the Common Roots Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit to give back to the community that was so supportive in the aftermath of the fire.

Co-owners Bert Weber and Christian Weber

“The foundation actually took over Gears and Beers, and it’s an event they are going to help us organize,” Christian said. “It grew so much — in mid-summer, we’ll see 80 to 100 riders come out for it — so we wanted to make sure we were a little more buttoned up.

“And on Wednesday nights, a dollar from every pint of beer sold goes to the foundation. It is a little different because of COVID still. The requirements are you have to be seated, and can’t walk around. That is a particular event where people aren’t necessarily seated. You got your beer after the bike and you socialized, you walked around. So we’re still adapting. We’re still figuring it out.”

Christian said most of the existing staff has been vaccinated or is in the process of being vaccinated, and Common Roots is still looking to hire more people.

“We’re having a lot of fun,” he said. “We have a really great staff. We have the original group plus we added a few more so we could run this properly. We now have close to 40 employees and we’re still hiring. We’re very fortunate with the group that we have. We’re always so humbled by the co-workers who come out to work with us.”

And now the foundation is up and running, further strengthening the bond with the community.

“From the moment we opened the original brewery in 2014, we always knew what a close-knit community SGF was,” Christian said, “but I don’t think we really knew until we came here. We are really humbled being here.”

The foundation has a nine-person board, an executive director — Christian’s longtime friend Alex (Matthews) Kochon — and seeks members, sponsors and partners to expand its reach.

“We seeded the foundation with some initial startup money,” Christian said, “but we need more money so we can do more. And the membership drive is not only to get money for the foundation but to create stakeholders.” [For more information on the foundation, click here.]

Common Roots is open seven days a week. Hours are noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

“We are hoping to eventually do a brunch on Sundays and open a little earlier,” Bert said.

Common Roots
Website / Facebook / Instagram

First Look: Alif Café

Downtown Glens Falls has a unique new lunch and dinner spot!

Alif Café, at 193 Glen Street in the former Samantha’s Cafe space, features Pakistani and South Asian street food, chais and coffees, the energetic 24-year-old owner Muhammad Saud told Glens Falls Living.

His parents own the Tandoori Grill and the original Alif Café in Lake George Village, but Mr. Saud said “Our cuisine has been missing in Glens Falls for some time.”

“I was looking to open a new restaurant, and I looked everywhere from New York City to Houston, but I decided it was time Glens Falls got some mideastern cuisine!” he said. “We love Glens Falls! My family has been part of this community for nine years. We feel like we know exactly what Glens Falls needs.”

Alif Café opened on January 15. A proper “grand opening” is planned when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, Mr. Saud said.

Muhammad Saud at Alif Café

He describes South Asian food as diverse, flavorful and aromatic.

“We’re known for our diversity and our love for street food,” he said. “It’s not overpowering, but more of a blend of spices.”

Karahi chicken bowls, served with basmati rice, bread and salad, “have been going out the door like crazy,” Mr. Saud said. “Everything is made here every day.”

Another favorite is the unique “Naanwich, our panini-style sandwich version of our dishes, modernized and westernized. We’re still figuring out what people want. We want to do Pakistani breakfasts. We’re killers for eggs sunny side up, and we make the best omelets. There’s so much flavor it’s crazy!”

Other entrees include veggie bowls, Pakistani fruit lassis, rolled ice cream and pakora fritters, and more.

Open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (and now available on DoorDash), he said “last Friday we ran out of food! Business has been amazing. I’ve never experienced people being this generous. Everyone has been so welcoming.”

He said owners of other downtown restaurants like Gourmet Cafe, Farmacy, Mean Max, Radici and Mikado “have all been so supportive.”

Alif Café has a five-year lease with building owner Chad Nims, Mr. Saud said.

By the way, it’s not just Glens Falls that’s taking note of Mr. Saud’s innovative recipes - his TikTok food videos have gained him a following of over 20,000 and growing. “I’m looking forward to keeping it going,” he said.

Alif Café
193 Glen Street • Glens Falls
Website / Facebook / Instagram

First Look: Flight International Market & Deli

There’s a new - yet familiar - market downtown… Fresh ADK has transitioned to Flight European Market and Deli! We caught up with owner Melissa Brennan and her daughter Larissa Ovitt to chat about the inspiration behind the change, what you can expect from Flight, and some even more exciting news come January!

On the Rebrand

Sounds like you have some exciting changes in the works! What prompted the change from Fresh ADK to Flight?

During a trip to Portugal and Spain in the Spring of 2016, I completely fell in love with the culture and cuisine of the region, wishing that there was a place to be able to enjoy the same experience back home. In a time when so many people aren’t able to take those trips abroad or that family vacation, I saw the perfect opportunity to bring this experience to the states, and so Flight was born.

What inspired the name Flight? 

The word "Flight" really plays off the fact that both the new Market & Deli and the upcoming Wine Bar & Restaurant are specifically designed to reflect that fantasy and experience of international travel. However, it's also a nod to the beer and wine flight that allows you to sample the different tastes of those regions from around the world.

On the Goods

Fresh ADK has always been known for fantastic food that meets all sorts of dietary needs. What can we expect to see at Flight Market?  

Yes! We have always made sure to cater to people with specific dietary needs and preferences. At the Flight Market & Deli, we're still serving the same great breakfast and lunch options that you know and love, but now you can also grab some of those items on your grocery list. Specialty meats and cheeses, fresh breads and bagels, organic produce, milk and eggs, and a perfectly-paired cider or beer. Gluten free and vegan products are also available.

On Designing the New Space

What types of changes can folks expect to see in the new market? 

We're revamping the Market & Deli space to really create that European-style shopping experience, where you feel like you've found a little hidden gem right in the middle of downtown. The people there know you by name and remember your order. We are continuing to mold and craft the space physically to really become that destination spot.

Melissa Brennan outside Flight Market

On the Future

We see you’ve been working hard in your space next door as well - what’s next for Flight? 

Yes! The "cafe side", as it's been known thus far, has been closed down for the past few months for a complete redesign in order to house the mid century modern aesthetic of the new Flight Wine & Restaurant. Without giving too much away, you won't even recognize it as what it was before. It will be a brand new type of dining experience in the region and will be your new favorite place to dress up a little (or a lot, if you prefer), go out and have some great food, try new wines, new exclusive craft beers and really enjoy yourself. Then, after your meal, you can walk across the hall to the Market and purchase the same products that you just enjoyed at the Restaurant to take home with you. But stay tuned for more on that. We're planning to open in January or February of 2021.

First Look: Common Roots

We are so psyched that Common Roots is back up and running in their amazing new space and just when we thought things couldn’t get any better, they went and added artisan stone hearth pizza to their take out offerings - starting tomorrow! We’re sharing a look at the new space, the delicious new pizzas, and a chat with Christian and Bert Weber - check it all out below!

Christian Weber and Bert Weber

On Designing the New Space

At the time of the fire we had just begun our expansion project to the original facility. We had purchased the property next door and had plans to expand both brewing and taproom space. The fire changed everything and gave us an opportunity to start from scratch rather than expand by additions to the old structure. About one month after the fire, we sat down with Phinney Design Group and discussed our vision for the space. We knew we wanted to create a destination brewery, a place where our customers could come to not only enjoy great beer, food, and music, but also enjoy a more complete experience. We wanted the customers to have an intimate look into the brewing process, provide a space for special celebrations, and share a sense of community. 

With those broad stroke principles, we came up with the brewery concept that you now see today! The taproom is crafted as a gathering place and encourages conversation and community; it also has a direct visual connection to the brewery, and the spacious outdoor biergarten and covered patio provides additional space for gatherings. We’ve also included a special event space that allows groups to use the brewery for private events, corporate meetings, or family celebrations; with its own bar, AV capabilities and a great view of the brewing process.

The new production brewery designed and installed by a local company, Fronhofer Design, is the actual heartbeat of the new location. As you know, the fire destroyed most of the old brewing equipment and as devastating as the fire was, it did give us the opportunity to design and build a larger more efficient system using the expertise and engineering at Fronhofer. The new brewery now has a 30 barrel fully automated brew house and larger cellaring tanks. 

The new brewery is also much more energy efficient and boasts a 100,000kwh solar voltaic array on the roof. We also installed solar hot water panels and systems that recapture much of the heat loss during the brewing process. The taproom bar, tables, bench system, and parts of the ceiling, are all made from repurposed lumber by a local company in Greenwich, NY, Trevett Millworks.

The landscaping features the use of native plants and pollinator friendly plantings that will provide some respite for our native pollinators that are in real danger now. Visitors will also notice that we have purposefully eliminated the use of turf grass at the brewery. Turf uses a lot of water and needs fertilizer and pesticides to be properly maintained.

On Preserving Memories

We lost many sentimental items in the fire but, surprisingly, we were able to save a lot of them and they became part of our move to our temporary home at 30 Saratoga Avenue. The old bar, which survived the fire but had a lot of water and smoke damage, will eventually find a new home in another CRBC project that is now in the early planning stages.

Some of the brewery equipment, canning line, and grain management system did survive the fire and is now back working in the new brewery.

We have many smaller mementos in the form of signs, artwork and gifts from customers that will find a home in our new office space. Perhaps our favorite tribute to our original brewery is in the beautiful new metal sign that we’ve installed in the taproom. It has the iconic outline of our old building surrounded by trees and mountains. It was our way of paying homage to our humble beginnings and a daily reminder of how fortunate we’ve been to be supported by such a great community. 

Although much of the material nostalgia was lost during the fire -- it’s clear now that Common Roots is built on a vision that the community has embraced and will continue with the company regardless of the physical space or location. We couldn’t have been more humbled by the experience of watching our coworkers and customers continue with the brewery’s ethos of community and resilience throughout the past year and a half. Although we are blown away by our new and forever home at 58 Saratoga Avenue, we will never forget that this is still just a facility and that the culture of Common Roots is made possible by such a great community that we are all members of.  

Playing Favorites

Hard to say what our favorite part of the new brewery is…. we are both so amazed and humbled by the entire new space! When we are in the new taproom visualizing how good it’s going to be when we can fully open for customers to experience the warmth and comfort of the specially designed space we are in our happy place. The Germans have a word, “Gemutlichkeit” …which translates as a place or sense of comfortable belonging, which we think applies to the new CRBC.

We also love being on the new brew deck in the brewery. From that vantage point you get a real feel for the brewing operations and new technology we’ve been able to take advantage of. 

Or…standing in our beautiful new restaurant’s kitchen and watching pizza being prepared and placed in the Wood Stone pizza oven. We are real foodies at heart and really look forward to offering a complete menu to enjoy with our favorite beers!

Needless to say, we could go on and on about our favorite parts of the new space…we love it all!

On Silver Linings

Had anyone told us we would be here in this beautiful space 16 months ago, we would have told them they are crazy! The fire was a gut wrenching loss for our company and our family, a loss we will never forget. In retrospect, we now realize we’ve had many silver linings in this whole process.

First, the fire was devastating but, in the end, no one was hurt and all the first responders returned to their families that night unharmed.

We learned, very intimately, just what a wonderful community we live in. The response from our community after the fire has been nothing short of amazing. We have never been on the receiving end of such love and support and it has left us with a whole new appreciation of the word “community”. That community support, in the form of donations and fundraisers, allowed us to keep our most precious assets, our employees, whole and compensated through this entire process. 

On Adapting and Innovating  

Opening our new space under the shadow of COVID-19 is not exactly what we planned but even that has given us an opportunity to focus on how we can provide a meaningful, safe experience for our customers and ensure the safety of our staff and all visitors. It has been a challenge but it has also given us an opportunity to show we can be a resilient company that will continue to focus on people before profit. 

The switch to a beer to-go only option has been interesting and surprisingly good! The ability to deliver directly to our customers has also been a fun option and one we did not expect. As we moved into our new space, we have decided to focus on tightening up our procedures for beer sales and food to-go in the new taproom and so we have postponed our delivery option until further notice.

We have learned a lot in our short 6 years of existence as a company and our dedication to our founding principles has helped guide us through some rough times. Make great beer, treat people well, promote an active lifestyle, and remember we are all part of a community has been our company’s mantra since we began and it has continued to help us through this process. Including finding the right partners in business. We have gone the extra distance to find local companies to work with and it has made all the difference. We are extremely proud of our partnerships with Fronhofer Design, Phinney Design Group, V&H Construction, K&J Electric, Adirondack P&M, Apex Solar, Eclipse IT and Key Bank. 

We also believe that being part of a community means being responsible stewards of the environment and actively supporting the promotion of social justice issues. Being part of the resurgence of the New York State craft beer industry has been a tremendous experience and has given us an effective vehicle for doing much good in our community. It was in that spirit that we created the Common Roots Foundation as a separate 401C organization. The Foundation will be our way of paying forward all the good that was bestowed on us after our fire and will be a source to help our community members when unexpected events occur.

On the Future

Being creative people and working daily with so many creative and innovative staff, we find ourselves constantly looking for other opportunities to diversify the Common Roots brand while still honoring our commitments to our original business ethos. In the end, it’s always going to be about creating the best possible experience for our customers and the tremendous staff that work with us each day.

Beer

We have lots of new beer styles coming! The time spent in our temporary space did give a rare opportunity to work on small batch beers while our larger volume brands were being produced by our friends at Singlecut and Torch and Crown Brewery. Stay tuned as we move into full production in the new brewing space! 

Pizza!

We are excited to announce that we will be launching delicious artisan stone hearth pizza to-go starting Wednesday August 12! Who doesn’t love beer and pizza?! Although we are starting with a simple yet thoughtfully designed menu, we are actively perfecting other menu items that we cannot wait to offer in the near future. Food orders can be placed on-line, by phone, or in-person pick-up with your favorite CRBC cans or crowlers. As we mentioned, we consider ourselves serious foodies and as such, we are working closely with our new kitchen staff to create a culinary experience that will pair well with our beer. 

Operations

Our immediate plan is to move into full production and operations mode in this new beautiful space. Having this space is a dream come true to us and we cannot wait to show off its full potential!

Common Roots Brewing Company

Website / Facebook / Instagram

To Go: Siam Thai Sushi

One of the silver linings of this so called “pause” these last few months has been the opportunity to try dinner to go from new to us restaurants - one being Siam Thai! Spoiler alert - we loved it (so much so that we’ve already ordered a second time since this meal!). We chatted with General Manager Brian Kozelouzek to find out how they’ve adapted to this changing world - be sure to read to the end for your chance to win a $20 gift card to Siam Thai!

On Overcoming Challenges

Our greatest challenge since the beginning of the pandemic has been not knowing exactly what we should expect. It has made planning and preparing tricky, to say the least. It has been far from business as usual. With a staff reduced by 85 percent, a dinner service that typically goes from 3:30-9:30pm that is now a mad dash to finish orders that are similar in volume but all take place from 4:30-6:30, a much larger customer base with patrons who are not familiar with our menu, and the well founded fears many people have expressed has made this an unforgettable experience.

On Evolving

The average work day now barely resembles what it was prior to the pandemic. All but 2 hours of the day are really about prep work and setting ourselves up for success. In the past Siam Thai Sushi has always had a very strong to-go business, but it was a distant second to our polished casual dine-in experience. Now we’ve added curbside, a well coordinated time call system for orders placed in advance, and for a short time even delivery. We have had to make the entire process that we were already proud of even more efficient. Knowing our menu simply has not been enough, the staff has had to be knowledgeable enough to explain Thai and Japanese cuisine to patrons with no prior experience ordering these types of dishes.

On the Bright Side

This hasn’t been all bad, just different. The staff that stayed on during the pandemic has bonded and learned to work together seamlessly. They all work side by side almost every day from open to close and as a result they all respect each other’s commitment and ability in a way they never could have. We like to think we did a great job before this... now everyone is so sharp and accustomed to a work load we never thought we could or would need to handle. We are also grateful to have had the opportunity to share our food with members of the community who were new to the STS experience.

On the Future

We have learned the importance of being flexible and adapting. We are so impressed by the level of commitment of every restaurant in town. The bar has forever been raised by everyone out-doing each other and looking for a way to offer our community more. More safety, more speed, more convenience and more ... well, patience. Restaurants that can change their entire menu, staff and strategies at a moments notice will stick around.

Brian Kozelouzek, General Manager

Siam Thai Sushi
Website / Facebook
- Now open for indoor dining and take out -

Special thanks to Glen Street Associates for making this story possible.

Glen Street Associates develops, owns and manages multifamily, commercial, office, and hospitality properties in Warren, Washington, and Saratoga Counties. With an appreciation of the history of downtown Glens Falls, Peter Hoffman, along with his wife Suzanne, have restored several downtown buildings (like the one in which Siam Thai resides, for example!), adding the modern updates needed to create professional office space that is attracting tenants to the City. Check out their commercial and residential offerings here!

Thanks for supporting the businesses that support Glens Falls Living!

Enter to win a $20 gift card to Siam Thai Sushi!

Thank you for entering! The giveaway is now closed and the winner has been notified by email!

To Go: Fenimore's Pub

Where are you grabbing takeout from this weekend? We grabbed an awesome meal to go from another GF favorite, Fenimore’s Pub, this week and to be honest, we’re debating heading back tonight for another round of Herbed Chicken Sandwiches and Crispy Chicken Wraps. While we were there we caught up with Food & Beverage Director, Jerid McKinney to find out how operations have been since the “pause”, as well as hear some of their silver linings and lessons learned. And… Read to the end for a chance to win a $20 gift card to Fenimore’s!

Herbed Chicken Salad Sandwich, Caesar Salad, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Crispy Chicken Wrap, Onion Rings

On Overcoming Challenges

We believe we have experienced a lot of the same challenges as all local restaurants and downtown businesses:

-Keeping our team safe and informed.

-Dealing with an abundance of ever-changing information/misinformation.

-Adjusting operations based on evolving time tables and moving targets.

-Figuring out how/if we can be operationally successful (and safely) in this climate/environment.

On Evolving

Operationally, we have shifted to a takeout, cash and carry model. All of our menu items are served to-go, and we’re also focusing on cash and carry alcohol sales.  We’ve been highlighting local craft beverages, like 4 packs of Mean Max and Brewnited brews and bottles of Adirondack Winery wines. We’re also about to launch some fun spring cocktails that will be available in mason jars to-go.

Originally, we offered a limited version of our menu for inventory and production reasons, but as we “found our way”, so to speak, we felt confident enough to resume our full menu of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrees, etc. We had hopes that the more diverse offerings and the return of fan favorite dishes would help increase our volume of takeout orders. So far, I would say that it has been successful! 

On The Bright Side

Our Easter Sunday and Mother’s Day take out events were a very pleasant surprise for us! These spring holidays typically kick off our banquet and event season at The Queensbury. We were very concerned in the current climate that we would be unable to execute these community focused events as we are accustomed to.

We were able to take our family meal concept, and expand upon it offering an Easter Dinner and Mother’s Day Brunch. We experienced great success with both menus serving 150 meals each holiday. We included house made Bloody Marys and Mimosa kits for Mother’s Day which were also a hit! 

Since these meals feed a family of 4, we served 1200+ guests between the two days. We may not have been able to open our doors and fill the ballroom with families and groups of friends like we’d have liked, but we were proud to have found a way to still serve our community in these times and still be a part of people’s celebrations on these days.  Depending on how the next few weeks progress, we may even do a Father’s Day Takeout event!

We know we could not have achieved this level of success without the patronage and support of our community. Without the support of our local guests, we would have struggled greatly to maintain operation through these challenging times. We’ve always been proud to be a part of the Glens Falls community, and now more than ever.

On Lessons Learned

Maintain an open mind, stay flexible and stay positive. The world we occupy is fragile, and you never know when a situation could arise that will force evolution and adaptation. 

“Fortune favors the prepared mind” –Louis Pasteur 

Food & Beverage Director, Jerid McKinney

Fenimore’s Pub
Website / Facebook / Instagram

This story was made possible by Mahoney Alarms.

“These are challenging and unprecedented times for all of us. Being in business for 65 years, we at Mahoney Alarms have a proud heritage of supporting our local businesses, banks, hotels, schools, museums and homes with our unwavering commitment to provide high-quality service tailored to the individual needs of each of our customers. By keeping our focus on their needs, we appreciate how they have grown and changed with the times. We take pride to be part of a community that has shown the strength and resilience to survive and know we will emerge from this stronger together.”

Click here to learn more about Mahoney Alarms and here to follow them on Facebook.

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support Glens Falls Living!

Enter to win a $20 gift card to Fenimore’s Pub!

Enter your information below by Thursday, June 4 at 11:59PM for a chance to win a $20 gift card to Fenimore’s Pub. We’ll contact the winner via email on Friday, June 5!

To Go: The Bullpen

What’s for dinner this weekend? We grabbed dinner to go from longtime Glens Falls favorite The Bullpen Tavern this week, and we haven’t stopped thinking about those wings, fish tacos, and fries since! We also caught up with the team to find out how they’re doing, what they’ve learned through all this, and what they’re looking forward to as we inch toward reopening…

Shown… Chicken Caesar Salad, Chicken Philly Sandwiche, Famous Bufflao Chicken Wings, Baja Fish Tacos Special.

On overcoming challenges

Although we have overcome many challenges over the years (most notably a total rebuild in 2013 due to a fire), this pandemic has certainly provided us with many new ones. I would say that the most notable challenges would involve having to completely change the way we’ve done business for over twenty five years. We’ve gone from a bar/restaurant with a second floor catering venue to a take out only business. The kitchen was already maxed out to begin with and now they’re busier than ever. They’ve adapted though and work so well together getting the orders out efficiently and consistently.

We think our larger challenges lie ahead when we’re allowed to reopen. What parameters are we going to have to follow? What are our responsibilities for monitoring social distancing? How do we maximize our space at 25% or 50% capacity? 

On the Menu

Some fan favorites that continue to do well with to go orders are our Baja Fish Tacos (panko breaded cod with our house made mango pineapple salsa, ancho chile crema, crispy jalapenos, grilled flour tortillas), The Houston (blackened shaved sirloin, sauteed peppers & onions, pepper jack, bacon, crispy jalapenos, chipotle ranch, grilled garlic bread), and the Jackson Burger (blackened 8 oz. Kobe burger, house made pimiento cheese, banana peppers, bacon, crispy onion straws, grilled brioche).

On the Bright Side

The biggest positive we’ve seen is the community support, which has been unbelievable. From family to friends to our regulars to people coming in for the very first time, it really has been incredible. The number of new people who have now been introduced to our food should really add a whole new audience to our already solid customer base.

On the Future

The main thing we’ve learned is to not take anything in life for granted. One day business was booming like we’ve never seen, St. Patrick’s Day was coming, the boys state basketball tournament was returning to town, the NCAA tournament was starting and then life as we knew it changed in an instant. We’re hopefully only about a month away from opening, in whatever capacity, and we can’t wait for a little normalcy. We’re definitely looking forward to seeing all of our customers again and seeing all of our downtown restaurants open. Downtown Glens Falls is a pretty special place full of great people and great businesses and we can’t wait to see it booming again.

The Team - David Krogmann, Paulie Bricoccoli, and Pam Bricoccoli. Not pictured: Jason Krogmann, Scott Endieveri

The Bullpen
Website / Facebook

This story was made possible by Associates of Glens Falls and Loomis & LaPann Insurance.

Associates of Glens Falls and Loomis & LaPann Insurance have been a part of the Glens Falls community since 1852. We’ve seen our region go through challenging times over the years, and we will come through the Covid-19 crisis better than ever. Our team stands ready to help everyone with their insurance and risk management needs. We’re also sharing risk management resources to assist businesses with their reopening plans.   Visit AOGF.com to learn more.

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support Glens Falls Living!

Enter to win a $20 gift card to The Bullpen!

The giveaway is now closed - the winner will be contacted by email on Friday, May 29!
Thanks for participating!

To Go: The Log Jam

Have you been to The Log Jam lately? And by “been” we mean - have you grabbed dinner to go? We took a ride up to Lake George, picked up a delicious meal (it smelled so good in the car on the way home!), and chatted with General Manager Tony Grecco to find out how they’re doing, how they’ve evolved to take on the pandemic, and how the challenges have made them stronger - hear it all from him (and check out that amazing meal!) below!

On Pause

The challenges since this all started have been numerous...

To name a few: the logistics of how to go from dine in to pick up and delivery, staffing & training, what kind of menu to do, what our hours should be, how to let people know that we are still open, getting the correct supplies for packing food, how much food to prep and order, pricing, and deciding if this was all worth staying open for. We also wondered how to make contributions to the community while at the same time trying to keep ourselves afloat.

Chicken Piccata

On Evolving

We started out doing our normal lunch and dinner menu and realized the menu and hours were not feasible. We then went to one combined menu. After the first week we went from opening at 11:30 to opening at 3:00 or 4:00 each day. Last week we changed again and started opening at 1:00pm each day using one menu all day.

We now do specials each day, which are items that are not on the regular menu. We also do family style which feeds 4 people at a reduced price.

While we started out only doing beer, we have since developed a "Quarantine Cocktail" list which has proved to be very popular. Sometimes we will include a drink with the special of the day.

As we have slowly started to bring back our staff, we’ve realized that we have to train people to the new ways, whether it be the mechanics of the operation or using masks and gloves.

One of our most popular items has always been Prime Rib.  At first we didn’t have that on the take out menu, because of the time it takes to cook and us wanting to minimize the waste. By talking to customers who called we realized people were interested in it.  We now have Prime Rib on the menu every night...while it lasts.

We’ve also signed up for DoorDash and GrubHub to give us more exposure.

On the bright side

We have lots of people that order every week, and it’s been wonderful talking to them while taking orders over the phone - hearing their ideas on what they like or don't like, and thanking them for their support. 

We’ve come from doing 10-20 people a day to doing over 100 on weekends. Many people doubted if we would be able to pull it off. It's kind of like we accepted the challenge and ran with it. We feel it is a great accomplishment to where we are right now.  

There is a core group of staff that has stayed with us and worked very hard. We ran on a very thin staff, especially in the kitchen. We have since started hiring back staff and everyone has been on board. Seeing everyone's dedication is very rewarding, though not surprising.

Fresh Sea Scallops

On the Future

It’s been important to learn from the hard times. A few lessons:

Social Media, Social Media, Social Media - it’s more important than I ever thought.

Also important: thinking outside the box, learning to adapt, and making decisions on the fly.

We may do some different things with our menu when we reopen that we might not have otherwise done. 

We’ll be keeping things like DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats etc. and continuing to tap into the take out market.

Most importantly, never take things for granted.

Tony Grecco, The Log Jam General Manager

The Log Jam
Website / Facebook / Instagram

For updates on all of your favorite local businesses, click here.

This story was made possible by the Beef Jerky Experience, located in The Outlets of Lake George East.

“It has been truly extraordinary to see how the community has come together to support local small businesses during this unprecedented time. As a specialty grocery store, we have kept our doors open so that the community can stock up on high protein, long shelf life products for their pantries. We have increased our sanitation measures in-store and offer curbside pick-up of our products. We also ship, and if you spend $100 or more the shipping is on us. You can order online at www.lakegeorgejerky.com. Thank you for the support you have shown us during this time!”

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support Glens Falls Living!

Enter to win a $20 gift card to The Log Jam!

Thank you for participating! The giveaway has ended - congratulations to our winner, Michelle B.!

To Go: Radici Kitchen & Bar

Dining “out” looks a little different these days, but we’ve been happy to continue to support our local favorites by grabbing something to go. Tonight, we’re excited to roll out our new series called To Go (creative name, we know!), starting with a new downtown gem - Radici Kitchen & Bar. We chatted with Chef Brian Bowden and his partner Carly Mankouski below to find out how the restaurant is doing during the pandemic - what challenges they’re facing, the unexpected wins they’ve experienced, and more. We also grabbed a little something to go for ourselves, and we can’t sing their praises enough - we loved it. 

Pro-tip: grab some pretty plates out of your cupboards and enjoy it on your porch or in your backyard - it makes it feel like a real dinner out, which is oh so special these days. 

On Pause

We have faced numerous challenges since the start of the pandemic. Obviously there is the business side of things where we had to evolve from an upscale casual, full service dining room to take-out only. Initially this was a bit terrifying! We had only been open for five weeks but we hit the ground running and forged wonderful relationships with our guests. The support from Glens Falls residents and beyond had us overwhelmed with joy that our new venture would do well. Then, bam! The State mandated shutdown certainly had us reeling.

Shrimp Aglio e Olio

On evolving

Keeping a positive attitude, we began to brainstorm value driven ideas to generate sales without sacrificing the quality and the standards our guests had come to expect. We came up with our signature three course dinner for two which has really done quite well...even if it's in a take-out container! At first, the idea of take-out containers had me quite unhappy since I believe "you eat with your eyes first" and a to go box just doesn't have the same aesthetic appeal. That said, restaurant folks are resourceful and our combined experience has carried us through thus far.

Beefsteak Tomato and Avocado Salad

AT HOME

The real challenge is now trying to keep our seven year old son Jackson entertained, educated, engaged, but more importantly - safe! Since we are all quarantined and the schools are closed, we have to bring Jackson with us to the restaurant everyday, which is taxing for us all. Especially for a seven year old that doesn't quite understand why he can't see his friends, or leave the yard, or go to school. Or why everyone is wearing masks and he has to sit in the restaurant office for dinner "service". This is very stressful for us all!

On Small Victories

Some unexpected wins for our business are that we are still keeping our head above water! The community support has been outstanding and each day brings new challenges which we can confidently face head-on knowing we are in Glens Falls. Our supportive guests have been very understanding during this transition. Some nights are fluid and efficient. Other nights people may have to wait for a few minutes for their food and they are ok with that...even if they are spread six feet apart while wearing masks. 

Chef Brian Bowden and partner Carly Mankouski

On the Future

Going forward, when the world re-opens and we have a la carte dinner service again, we plan to continue our signature Grab & Go three course dinner for two. It was something we planned to implement before this all began and has proved to be a real crowd pleaser!

On the Small Business Community

We believe it is important to practice what you preach.  We have appreciated the support from other businesses and business owners, and we have reciprocated.  This has been a very humbling experience for everyone, and it's amazing to see how everyone has banded together.   

Radici Kitchen & Bar
Website / Facebook / Instagram
518-804-1007

For updates on all of your favorite local businesses, click here.

This story was made possible by Keena Staffing.

“It’s wonderful to see how our Glens Falls businesses have adapted and overcome the challenges we have all faced over the past few months. From the locally owned restaurants to lawn care and hardware shops, Glens Falls has stood strong in the face of adversity and we are proud to serve the HR, payroll, and employment needs of all these amazing businesses. As a local HR company, we understand the unique challenges of our hometown businesses and can tailor our services to your needs. Please check out our website here to learn about what we can do for your business!”

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support Glens Falls Living!

At the Lake: Erlowest E-gloos

We’re excited to bring you the first in our new At the Lake series - and what better place to start than one that holds a special place in our hearts - The Inn at Erlowest (where we had our wedding reception!). Sure, some folks may not think of the lake as a winter destination, but with the Winter Carnival, Ice Bars, and now, igloos (or as they call them at Erlowest: e-gloos!) - winter at the lake is the new summer ;)

With a gorgeous spot overlooking Lake George, The Inn at Erlowest was looking for a fun new way to provide outdoor dining with a view once the summer season ended, and this unique idea definitely fits the bill! We popped in to enjoy dinner in one of their e-gloos earlier this month, and it definitely has our vote as a perfect winter date night.

Decked out in white lights (and outfitted with their own little heaters!), the e-gloos are perched on the patio - a prime location to enjoy the view as the sunset turned the sky pink. It just so happened that our e-gloo was also next to the gorgeous outdoor fireplace - always a hit in the summer and even more appreciated in the winter! We couldn’t help but pop out to enjoy the crackling fire (and the view) between courses.

Speaking of courses, the meal (prepared by Chef Scott Dewar), was outstanding. Some favorites: the Harvest Bisque with Maple Cream and Spiced Pumpkin Seeds (like candy!), the Jumbo Shrimp with Polenta, the Brown Sugar Cured Salmon, and the Scallops (cooked on a salt block!). We couldn’t stop talking about the food the entire drive home (and Bri is still talking about the scallops!).

They’ll be serving dinner in the e-gloos through April 15 (which is perfect for our winters that don’t seem to end!). You can grab more details here, or reserve by giving them a call at 518-668-5928.

Chef Scott Dewar at The Inn at Erlowest

Until next time!

P.S. Still hungry? Check out more local favorites here.

Fresh Look: New Menu at Samantha's Cafe

Have you popped in to Samantha’s Cafe lately? When we heard about their new menu, we couldn’t wait to stop in to see what was new.

Samantha’s has always had a warm, cozy aesthetic, and on this visit, the smell of cinnamon buns greeted us as we walked through the doors from Glen Street. Which, by the way, you must try if you haven’t. The. Best.

We grabbed a couple of delicious sandwiches (on their freshly made bread!), and caught up with owner Bea Morin to get to know her a bit better and get the scoop on the new menu. And don’t worry: they kept most of your old favorites, too!

ON THE BASICS

We’ve loved Samantha’s for quite a while now… How would you describe it to someone new to town? 

Samantha's Cafe has a relaxed yet comfortable vibe with some delicious eats! We have been in business for over 30 years and still make the bread from scratch. 

We’d love to hear a bit more about you! Where are you from originally? 

I was born in Troy, NY and moved to South Glens Falls before I started kindergarten. I have lived in Queensbury most of life since graduation. 

ON GLENS FALLS

There’s a lot of great energy downtown these days…what’s your take? 

I love the spark of Glens Falls. We have so many organizations and businesses working together to keep the energy alive in our little Hometown USA. No matter what day of the week it is you can find something to do whether it be going to grab a bite to eat, shopping, the museums, the library, taking a stroll through the park, visiting the wonderful shops in The Shirt Factory, and all of the events that happen weekly. 

ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP

What inspired you to become a business owner? 

I never in a million years thought I would own my own business. When the opportunity was offered to me I was shocked, yet honored that the previous owners of Samantha’s, Jennifer Kraft and Elizabeth Wilcox, wanted me to be the "next chapter" to Samantha's Story. Being the third generation of a women owned business seemed like the perfect opportunity. 

Did you have any mentors as you got started? 

The previous owners, Jen and Liz, have been wonderful mentors and so supportive after the change of ownership. Also, my staff has been nothing short of amazing with their support and guidance. 

At Samantha's we are a family. We have all worked together for many years, building unbreakable bonds and friendships. PJ has been with Samantha's for about 10 years and has gone from a head catering position to being my right hand man in the cafe as well. He always has Samantha's on his mind and calls me with new ideas daily.  

What do you love the most about running the cafe? 

I love getting to know our customers day to day. Knowing their names, favorite menu items, and their hobbies makes their experience enjoyable and more on a personal level. Who doesn't love making new friends?

What advice would you offer someone considering opening their own shop? 

Always follow your heart and do what you do best.

ON THE NEW MENU

Tell us about the new menu...what inspired the change? 

We have been ready for a change in the cafe for a while now but wanted the "new" us to be perfect. One afternoon as we were brainstorming, the idea of new names for the menu items was brought up. With our love and passion for the town we live in, it only seems right to take inspiration from our small town and its fascinating history and incorporate it into our menu. 

What are some of your fan favorites? Any hot new items? 

We have kept many of our top sellers including our Turkeyberry and Turkey Cheddar Apple but we have added some great additions. The Wing has been a HUGE hit since the menu launch - it’s a Panini with roasted chicken, cheddar, cream cheese, and Frank’s Red Hot. We also added The Adirondacker (a double decker sandwich), Quesadillas, French Toast and The Southwest Burrito (a great vegan option!). Don't worry, the bread is still made in house so you can get your favorites still. 

ON MULTITASKING

Anything else you’re working on behind the scenes? 

We have a beautiful venue to hold small private parties such as showers, birthdays, receptions, you name it. 

Off site catering is another thing we do weekly, from 15 person lunch orders all the way to 150 person weddings. We customize each and every menu per client and keep in mind any food allergies, budgets, and menu flair they desire. 

Our Private Chef service with Chef Donnah Lewis is another great avenue to look into for a small intimate gathering. Her Latin/Carribean cooking and amazing personality are always crowd pleasers.

Owner Bea Morin with PJ Duell at Samantha’s Cafe

The First Look series is made possible by O’Brien Insurance Agency.

Your hometown insurance agency, they offer car, home, commercial, and life insurance (and lots more). O’Brien shops the best rates for you, often saving you money and getting you better coverage (and they make it super easy to switch to them if you’re considering a change!). Most importantly, they’re local people who are always there for you when you need them.

O’Brien Insurance is thrilled to offer our readers a chance to win a $25 gift card to Samantha’s Cafe! To enter, simply sign up for the O’Brien Insurance email list (click here!) by January 27. They’ll be in touch with the winner next week!

Thanks for supporting the businesses that support Glens Falls Living!

Fresh Look: Fenimore's Pub

Have you been to Fenimore’s at The Q since their refresh this summer? We finally got a chance to pop in for a look around (and for some amazing comfort food!), and can’t say enough about the changes to the space. Beautiful new wallpaper to match the historic look of the hotel, sleek new tables and chairs, classic black and white hex tile around the bar, and a gorgeous new banquette…with perfectly styled built in shelves to boot!

On top of the beautiful decor, the food was perfection - classic, yet elevated. We were excited to have a chance to catch up with Chef Colin Miner (who you’ll remember from our story on Park 26 over the summer) to chat about some favorites on the menu that will keep you coming back this winter.

On the Secret Menu

I took over the Fenimore’s menu in September. And immediately I thought that we should have a secret menu that only the locals know about. I don't mean to date myself on this one, but there was a commercial Michael Keaton used to do and it was like you tell two friends, and then they tell two friends, and it went from two blocks to four blocks to eight to sixteen blocks. So that was the idea with the secret menu. 

So our most popular item on the secret menu is our buffalo chicken dip - it's like everything good about Super Bowl Sunday. And we serve it with pretzel chips - we actually take the pretzel sticks and we slice them thin and then crisp them in the fryer. We finish it with a little bit of jalapeño oil - we de-seed the peppers and take out the membrane so that relieves a lot of the spice. 

On the Vegetable Risotto

Our Risotto uses pretty much everything in the Fenimore’s house salad, except in Risotto form. We start with a little pat of red wine shallot butter. Instead of using cheese - because I feel like sometimes when people add too much cheese to a risotto, it becomes like cement - the red wine butter is the only dairy that we use in it. 

So we start with the butter, some vegetable stock that we make in house, and the risotto, and we just let that get creamy, throw in the roasted tomatoes and portobello mushrooms, and then a handful of fresh spinach right before we plate it. Then we top it with some chive oil that we make in house, and some really, really fine sliced chives as well. 

On the Perfect Burger

We do a Wagyu beef patty for the burger. I like to use the bib lettuce because - instead of using the romaine, let's do something a little bit different! And on top of the patty, you have a pork sausage - so you have an eight ounce patty, a three ounce sausage, and then we add three ounces of peppers and onions. And then we add four ounces of housemade Mornay, which is a really nice cheese sauce. So essentially you're looking at just over a pound of food - not including the onion rings! 

On Elevated Mac and Cheese

I think a very, very important thing with mac and cheese has to be the noodle. A lot of people go with the elbow and I like it, it’s classic. But when you use the gemelli, it has deeper crevices in the noodle itself, so it actually picks up more of the cheese. For the most part, you don't have any leftover sauce in the plate when you’re done. We top it with these panko bread crumbs, so for every bite, you're going to have that crunch. It’s taking that nostalgia of mac and cheese and just elevating it a tiny bit. 

On the Blondie Sundae

So the Blondie Sundae was actually created by one of my line cooks since I like to give them the chance to create something of their own on the menu. He took a traditional blondie recipe and turned it into a Brown Butter Blondie Sundae. 

You have the scoop of the ice cream right in the center. You have both white chocolate and dark chocolate in there. And then the ice cream is topped with a spice caramel. Initially, we thought about going with just caramel - but we elevated it a little bit. We added chili powder, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and all spice. And it's not hot, but there is that little nice little kick. That's the first thing that you catch is the spice aroma, which is my favorite thing. 

Colin Miner, Chef de Cuisine

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Is your mouth watering yet?! We’ll be heading back for another round of mac and cheese again soon - and to check out the rest of that secret menu ;)

P.S. Be sure to check out The Q for their annual New Year’s Eve bash (or reservations at Park 26) - details here!

The First Look series is made possible by O’Brien Insurance Agency.

Your hometown insurance agency, they offer car, home, commercial, and life insurance (and lots more). O’Brien shops the best rates for you, often saving you money and getting you better coverage (and they make it super easy to switch to them if you’re considering a change!). Most importantly, they’re local people who are always there for you when you need them. Grab a free quote by clicking here!

Thanks for supporting the businesses that support Glens Falls Living!

First Look: Birch Bark Eatery

Remember those signs promising a Donut Diner downtown? Turns out it was the popular Birch Bark Eatery behind it all! They just recently opened in their new location on Ridge Street after moving from their previous spot in Queensbury, and we were thrilled to check out the new space, sample some old favorites, and taste the donuts, of course. Their entire menu is filled with everyone’s favorite comfort foods - all vegan - and all delicious. We were excited catch up with owner Tania Sharlow to see how they’re settling in downtown and hear a bit more about how it all got started.

What inspired you to get into the restaurant industry?

I’ve always been in the restaurant industry. And I say restaurant loosely because I don't consider Dunkin Donuts (where I started out) really a restaurant, but I have worked in kitchens before. I just love the environment, the atmosphere, the crunch for time, you know, the “get stuff done” mentality. And then the satisfaction of creating something people then enjoy and are grateful for. That’s the payoff for all of it.

When I knew that I wasn’t going to do Dunkin Donuts anymore, I knew I wanted to stay in the industry, but I didn’t quite know how.

So how did it happen?

A lot of things came into play that seemed like the universe just kind of working for me. I got hurt at work. That was kind of the universe pushing me in the right direction, into doing my own thing. I found a small spot that I thought could work and I knew at least if we gave it a go there and it failed, we wouldn’t be losing everything. But if it was great and it excelled, we’d have nowhere to go but up.


How did the name Birch Bark come about?

Where I'm from, which is about three hours north of here, there's a little tiny bookstore called the Birch Bark Bookstore and it was just part of happy childhood memories. It initially popped into my mind because it's catchy, but the more we talked about it, with it being something from my childhood that has meaning, it just fit.

ON BEING VEGAN

What prompted you to transition to a vegan diet?

It was just something that was happening in our family. My youngest daughter decided to become vegetarian, and my boyfriend and I decided to support her. We all stopped eating as much meat, and around the same time I saw a horrific video of what happens to chickens, and I get emotional every time I think about it. I didn’t want to put my energy into that. I’m big on energy. Wherever your intention flows, energy goes. And I didn’t want to be a part of that anymore.

So, how do you take yourself out of that? Well, you stop spending your money on it, because that is your energy, and then you start putting your energy into things that fight it - so, veganism.

Have you found there are any misconceptions about being vegan?

There is of course the idea that vegans only eat grass and sticks, or more seriously that we only eat salads, which just isn’t true. We want home cooked comfort foods as much as we want chia pudding and the things that we know are good for us.

What was the easiest thing (or the hardest thing!) about transitioning to a vegan diet?

For myself personally, the easiest thing was just giving up the meat because there are so many good substitutes out there when you’re craving something like that. You can have a buffalo chicken patty that doesn’t have chicken in it, and now you can have a Beyond Sausage - which tastes better than the real thing I think. Beyond Burgers are amazing. There are a lot of amazing things that, if you get a craving, you can fulfill it with those.

The hardest thing was cheese. Along our process, we were vegetarian first and subsisting on omelets and cheese for a long time. So to drop that, when it was a significant part of our diet, we asked ourselves - what do we do now? And unfortunately, the vegan cheese was not always as tasty as the real thing.

It’s nice to have so many options out there now! What do you make of more fast food restaurants catching on - for example, the Impossible Whopper at Burger King or the Beyond Sausage Sandwich at Dunkin?

I think that all of it is amazing. Whatever pushes vegan plant based diets to the forefront and lets people know that it is becoming more mainstream is amazing. We talk about Dunkin Donuts and their new signs that say “Plant Based, Great Taste” - so you know, they’re doing my advertising for me now!

Things are changing fast. Restaurants are scrambling to add these things to their menus. Development in fast food typically takes a while, and it seems like we’re seeing things popping up on the menu faster than ever. Now is the time.

Have you seen more and more people being open to trying vegan food in your experience here?

Absolutely. I'll draw upon a situation that happened a few days ago… We had two men that came in wearing full camo gear and were obviously just coming in from hunting. They sat down, and I was a little bit nervous wondering if they knew they were in a vegan restaurant. People don't always know when they walk in here, and some people don't realize until they start reading the menu! The one gentleman mentioned to the server that this was his favorite restaurant and he brought his friend to try it. When I walked out to check on them, the guy said, “actually, everything's really good!” in this way that was like he couldn't believe it.

We don’t care where you came from, we just want to share great food with you and change minds one mouth at a time.

Any suggestions you’d give to someone transitioning to a vegan diet?

Definitely Beyond products, and definitely Impossible products. A lot of people say they can’t tell the difference between an Impossible Burger and a real beef hamburger. And definitely some of the things that we make! We’ll change your mind about vegan cheese. We’ve learned how to season it, melt it, and make it taste better than you’d expect.

ON THE MOVE

How did you decide to make the move downtown?

We knew we needed more space, since every weekend our tables would be packed. We’d been thinking about it for a while and had our feelers out since April of this year. We were looking at things as they came up. When we found this space, it actually coincided with our one year anniversary, so we decided to surprise everyone. We made up an excuse that we were going to have an anniversary party, but that we invited so many people that we had to rent someplace bigger for it.

And then we moved the restaurant in 10 days and reopened it, which took a small army of very dedicated people working around the clock.

Did you make any changes to the space?

We mostly painted. It took a lot of painting. We kept what we had and added a little flair of our own, and we’ll continue to add to it as we have time!

What’s one of your favorite things about the new space?

I just love the vibe of being downtown with people walking by. We love that folks now have the ability to just pop their head in to check out the space and say hello. And we love the feeling of being more a part of the community.

ON THE MENU

Did you have any changes to the menu with the move?

We added pizza! There was a pizza oven in the space when we moved in, so why not? We’re a nice compliment to folks already offering that, but we make it “Birchy”.

Haha! What’s Birchy?

A little over the top. You know, like onion rings on your pizza.

Any other fan favorites?


Cauli bites, avocado fries, or the ultimate Grilled Cheese - it’s like a cheese stick sandwich!

We overheard a group saying they came from Albany - sounds like you have folks coming from all over?

Oh yes. We’re a destination. Vegans will travel for good food. I’ve done it myself!

We’ve met people who have driven up from New York City to have lunch and dinner here, and they spend the night and then come back for breakfast in the morning. It warms my heart every time I hear somebody planned a trip around what we do here.

How do they find out about you?

A lot of social media. That's something that vegans are really on top of. When they find good vegan options, they want to get it out there and continue to normalize it. Our guests have been our best marketers and cheerleaders.

You can find Birch Bark Eatery at 21 Ridge Street in Glens Falls, and check them out online here.

The First Look series is made possible by O’Brien Insurance Agency.

Your hometown insurance agency, they offer car, home, commercial, and life insurance (and lots more). O’Brien shops the best rates for you, often saving you money and getting you better coverage (and they make it super easy to switch to them if you’re considering a change!). Most importantly, they’re local people who are always there for you when you need them. Grab a free quote here. By the way, they also love to support our community (which we love too!). You can learn more about their group O’Brien’s Angels and find ways to give back here.

Thanks for supporting the businesses that support Glens Falls Living!

First Look: Craft on 9

Have you been to Craft on 9 in their new location downtown? We were so excited to check it out for the first time a couple weeks ago, and our jaws just about hit the floor when we walked in. The new space is absolutely amazing, and no detail was overlooked in the (12 month!) renovation. From the cozy lounge, high-tops, and bar in front, to the booths and mezzanine seating in back, it’s definitely a place that makes you want to linger a little longer over their fantastic food + drink. We were lucky enough to catch Chef Rob Murphy and his mom, Maria to hear a bit more about their renovation and move, some favorites from their menu, as well as some background on how it all began.

SOME BACKGROUND

Chef Rob, we’d love to know - what inspired you to become a chef?

Rob: I grew up with all of my grandparents being great home cooks. Watching them was fun, especially my grandfather Jim Murphy. I also was homeschooled by my grandmother from grades 7-9 and traveled with my family’s furniture business “Cottage Crafts”. We ate out a lot at very cool and unique restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner - sometimes being away from home for 4 weeks at a time. Seeing different cuisine from all over the country was very inspiring.

How did Craft on 9 come about?

Rob: I learned just about everything I know from Chef Shawn Whalen from Bistro Tallula (RIP). He gave me the tools I needed to be a successful chef/owner from the day I started working for him up until the point where I opened Craft on 9, which was five years. With my love for the community of South Glens Falls, when I heard that the former Luisas Italian Bistro had closed, I thought it could be a perfect spot to finally have the restaurant I had always wanted.

Maria: My husband Jeramie and I knew how much Rob wanted his own place. We had some financial availability to help with that, and along with Jeramie’s abilities in building we decided to take the leap of faith to help our son live his dream.

How did you decide on the name?

Rob: I wanted to focus on everything being handcrafted - from the food, cocktails, and of course, craft beer. I thought the simple but bold name “CRAFT” was catchy and then added the “on 9” to give it a “homey” feel as Route 9 pretty much runs through the center of all of our lives around here.

ON THE MOVE

We’re so thrilled to have you here downtown - how did you decide to make the move to Glens Falls?

Rob: It was a combination of it being a much better location with more seating, and the chance to have a new fresh breath of air with a space that will be maintained and kept up well by my new landlord Chris Patten.

How have things been at the new location? Settling in nicely?

Rob: We are settling in GREAT! We have just about quadrupled sales from the last restaurant. People seem to be enjoying it, as we’ve been sold out every weekend. We also have many private parties booked and have already done at least a dozen. We’re seeing a lot of the same faces plus many new regulars.

What kind of feedback have you gotten from customers on the space? 

Rob: We have been welcomed to the neighborhood for sure! Everyone has been super great to us and seem to be excited that were closer to the majority of the population.

What's been the biggest advantage to having the new space?

Rob: Definitely the prime location and being able to seat 140 customers. The last location had a very dilapidated parking lot - it’s nice to have the Pavilion parking lot right next door also.

What's your personal favorite thing about the location in GF?

Rob: My personal favorite thing is and was being able to design this space from the ground up, with my parents and landlord Chris Patten. Also just the whole building being beautifully renovated, and the soon to be South Street project underway is very exciting.

Maria: The space, the people!! Glens Falls feels very alive and it’s inspiring!

ON THE TEAM

Sounds like it was a group effort to get all of the renovations done... how does it feel now that that's behind you?

Rob: It feels great! We had the best team ever while designing and building this place…my parents and I (who did the majority of the work) couldn’t have asked for better help than we had. Tons of people gave up extra time out of their days on the regular, such as my brothers, my uncle Matt, girlfriend Morgan, best friend Hank, and even some of my employees would come and help on their days off. The amount of help we received was incredibly overwhelming, and we are super grateful to everyone that lent a hand as the project STILL took 12 months.

Maria: Throughout the winter and spring it became difficult to stay motivated and there were times we lost sight of the light at the end of the tunnel, so it feels very good to be done and exciting to see guests enjoying the space as much as we hoped they would. 

Amazing! You mentioned your employees - how many do you have on board now?

Rob: We now have 18 employees, and I really do have the best employees. My new GM Bill Dingman and my Sous Chef Shawn have been killing it and really taking a huge load off my back, along with Bartender Joe and Chef Bill Nash who came with me to this new space from the old space. These guys have made training all of the new employees at Craft an absolute dream. I even got to hire my mother Maria full time…it feels great to be able to do that.

Yes! We noticed "Mom's Office" inscribed on the door upstairs..what's Mom's role?

Rob: Mom keeps all of the things that you don’t really think about while being a chef nice and glued together. She is basically my human resources person and accountant. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.. cooking really good food is the easiest part of owning your own place.

Maria: I’ll help wherever I am needed, but the main responsibilities will be anything to do with keeping the lights on and the employees paid. And decorating - my favorite thing to do in this amazing space!

ON THE SPACE

Speaking of the space - what was the most fun part and / or biggest challenge with the renovation?

Rob: The most fun part was definitely seeing and working closely alongside my parents for countless hours even though it wasn’t exactly what most people would call fun. I enjoy spending time with my family. The biggest challenge for us was working our normal full time jobs in between it all.. also I hate tile now.

Maria: The most fun part was when we started gutting and opened up the space to find the beautiful potential this old building had and to freely create and design the space. Another fun part of remodeling was when I built the bar back. Using the old shiplap flooring we found and the old Exit 17 highway sign we had made. It was one of the first of our designs to be finished. The most challenging part was balancing family time and the renovations. Working full time jobs and renovating in between. And the project taking 366 days!

Any fun surprises that came about during the renovation? 

Rob: There were many surprises during the demolition part, which was to be expected in these old buildings. Countless layers of flooring installed through multiple decades - and apparently some people just poured concrete over problem areas back in the day!

Maria: All of the brick, high tin ceilings and the words Hotel Rolluf Glens Falls we discovered written on the I-beam on the front of the building. So much history and beauty.

Now that you’ve been through it, any recommendations you would offer to anyone looking to dig into a major renovation?

Rob: If it’s in an old building, allow yourself much more time than you think you need.

Maria: Do what it takes to stay motivated and work past the hard because in the end hard work will pay off.

Any favorite unique details in the space?

Rob: We got to use all of the old shiplap flooring from the 1800s that was in the now dining room on the front and behind the bar - gives it a real nice touch. Also, I got to hang my great grandfather “Bud” Scoville’s original “M.C. Scoville Jewelers” sign above my kitchen.

Maria: I love the huge old doors dividing the bar lounge from the dining area. I am also loving my office area as we added that floor to the mezzanine plan where it was originally just open space. My amazing husband found a way for me to be there rather than the basement!

ON THE MENU

All the regular favorites are still there... any plans on adding anything new? 

Rob: Yes! Now that the train is rolling nicely and all new employees are well trained on how we do things here, we will start running more specials and change a few of the menu items to go along with the seasons.

How would you describe the menu to someone from out of town?

Rob: It’s hard to describe it honestly..when people ask what kind of menu I have, I tell them “it’s really whatever I feel like cooking”. It’s nice not being limited to one thing like Italian or Mexican. We have some American, Japanese, and lots of European dishes.

You've got about a dozen local brews on tap... how often do you rotate them?

Rob: Often! We never get two kegs of the same thing back to back and very rarely does one keg even make it through one work week.

What's your favorite dish to prepare?

Rob: My favorite thing on my menu is the Ramen for sure.. it’s also the most difficult to prepare but its just sooo good.

We can’t wait to try it. We’re so excited to have you downtown!

Maria: We are so excited to be a part of the growth downtown is experiencing!

Thanks Chef Rob and Maria - we’ll see you again soon for sure!

P.S. Reservations are recommended (they’ve been busy!) - you can grab all of their info and check out their awesome menu here.

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Hungry for more? We’ve featured a few other downtown restaurants here!

The First Look series is made possible by O’Brien Insurance Agency.

Your hometown insurance agency, they offer car, home, commercial, and life insurance (and lots more). O’Brien shops the best rates for you, often saving you money and getting you better coverage (and they make it super easy to switch to them if you’re considering a change!). Most importantly, they’re local people who are always there for you when you need them. Grab a free quote here. By the way, they also love to support our community (which we love too!). You can learn more about their group O’Brien’s Angels and find ways to give back here.

Thanks for supporting the businesses that support Glens Falls Living!

First Look: Alchemy Bagel Cafe

Update: As of August 1, 2020, Alchemy has closed their Cafe, but they continue to offer their amazing goods at local markets and via special order - keep up to date on their offerings here!

Alchemy Bagel Cafe popped onto the scene at the Glens Falls Farmer’s Market this summer and almost immediately became a favorite part of our Saturday morning routine. Walk the dogs - head to the market - fill our bag with fresh fruits and veggies - grab bagels, a baguette, and a blueberry muffin from Alchemy - head home and devour the aforementioned baked goods on the back porch. We are so excited that they are now up and running in their new space at The Shirt Factory so that we can grab their goodies pretty much any other day of the week, too!

It’s been fun getting to know owners Meg and Alex at the Market this summer and seeing their passion for what they do. We loved hearing the story about Meg receiving a cake decorating kit for her 11th birthday, whipping up a cake, and her grandfather being so impressed that he encouraged her go to college for baking. “Only the best,” as she remembers him saying, “Go to the CIA.” And go to the CIA she did - the Culinary Institute of America - where she met Alex in what she describes as a “love at first sight” scenario, graduated with a Baking and Pastry Degree, and the rest is history.

Meanwhile, Alex, who grew up in Queensbury, started his baking career at the age of 16 working summers in Nantucket at the widely known Something Natural Bakery. He worked his way up over five summer seasons, gained knowledge in the operation of a high volume bakery, and while he studied briefly at the Culinary Institute of America (and met Meg!), he ultimately found the best fit with the Sustainable Agriculture and Production Program at Green Mountain College, where he was able to combine his two loves - farming and cooking.

While they spent the last few years working on Nantucket, they came back to the Glens Falls area to be closer to family as their son gets ready to start preschool. “We knew from our connections to the area that Glens Falls was turning the corner for the better and new businesses were moving into the city, along with more young people,” they said. “This gave us the confidence that Glens Falls would be the right place for us to start up; as it was, in our minds, a way to break into a growing culinary scene. This, in combination with the access to a commercial kitchen [at The Shirt Factory], which was generously outfitted to our needs by Eric Unkauf, made it possible for us to get off the ground.”

And if you’re curious, like us, about how the name came to be - Meg noted that it’s because Alchemy “is the predecessor of modern chemistry, which is a large part of pastry and baking. Managing the interactions of ingredients, elements, and specific technique is essential to great baking, and is the premise of Alchemy.” Perfect choice!

So, the Cafe! The space is perfect for a morning pick-me-up, light and bright with a big wall of windows on the far wall, and a gorgeous counter that Alex built himself.

And of course, the food! They’ve got a plentiful variety of the most delicious bagels, but if we had to pick a favorite, it’d be the Parmesan. We loved it even more as a bookend to their traditional breakfast sandwich, served alongside a hot coffee at the cafe. Their blueberry muffins were a favorite of ours all summer (made with farm fresh berries from Hand Melon Farm in Greenwich), and of course we could not leave without a baguette (a hot commodity in our house, since Tom has been known to steal large portions of it when I’m not looking!). And don’t leave without grabbing a few of their amazing macarons - so many great flavors like carrot cake (our favorite!), salted caramel, pumpkin, espresso… we could go on! We also couldn’t help but notice the cupcakes that were featured on their Instagram the other day - chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing and crushed butterfingers on top. It just doesn’t get much better than that!

Have you been over to the Cafe yet? They’re open Wednesday - Sunday in Suite 111 of the Shirt Factory. See you there - but save us a couple of Parmesan bagels! ;)

Owners Meg and Alex at Alchemy Bagel Cafe

P.S. See more of our First Look series with local restaurants here.

Fresh Look: A Patio Brunch at Morgan & Co.

It’s hard to beat a summer night on the beautiful wrap around porch (and gorgeous expanded patio!) at Morgan and Company, but have you been to brunch?! As much as we love keeping Morgan in regular rotation for date night, there’s something about a sunny Sunday morning there that we might just love even more (which could have something to do with the coffee cake…and mimosas!). We caught a fresh look at Morgan and Co. from the patio last weekend, and looking through these photos now has us thinking about going again tomorrow morning, too!

While we’re total creatures of habit, we switched things up in a big way (ha!) by sitting on the patio instead of the porch this time. Such a treat! We loved relaxing in the sun amongst the flowers with the view of City Park just beyond. If you’ve ever been to Morgan, you know the ambiance is a big part of the draw, and it’s exciting that they’ve extended that feeling into this pretty space.

So, the food! First things first, do yourself a favor and order the coffee cake. It’s a must for us each time we visit for brunch and it feels a little bit like eating dessert first (which is always a bonus in our book). The addition of the whipped honey butter is perfection and overall it’s just dangerously good - highly recommend!

French toast and funnel cake are two things that Tom can never resist, which made his choice of Funnel Cake French Toast a no-brainer. A little maple syrup on top and you have comfort food at it’s very finest. So good.

As for me, I’m no stranger to the Eggs Benedict here (a go-to!), and always love their willingness to sub meat for veggies - in this case, summer squash! The light summer salad is the perfect compliment, and our favorite sea salt frites are a welcome addition any time of day.

Heading to brunch on Sunday? Just save us some coffee cake :)

Brunch is served on Sundays from 10am - 3pm.

Steve Butters and Rebecca Newell-Butters

P.S. In case you missed it, a first look at another downtown patio here.

First Look: New Menu at Park 26

Now that summer weather has arrived (finally!), we can’t get enough of patio dining downtown. Lucky for us, Park 26 at The Queensbury Hotel has a great spot overlooking City Park. When we heard about the new menu put together by Chef Colin Miner, who recently joined the team at Park 26, we were even more excited for an evening on their pretty patio.

We settled into a table overlooking the gazebo in the park across the street, one of our favorite Glens Falls views. In addition to the tables, Park 26 also has a couple of cozy couches (with fire pits!), which we made a mental note to snatch up the second that they came available :)

The service at The Q is always fantastic, and this night was no exception. Everyone was so sweet, especially our waitress, who cheered on our every menu choice and had us even more excited for our meals to arrive.

We loved all of the special touches Park 26 offers while dining with them - a little snack to start the meal, warm rolls with an assortment of butter - made in house (traditional, herb, and mushroom), and an intermezzo between courses (Rosé and lime sorbet!). All of these rotate weekly to keep things fresh and seasonal.

It’s tough to play favorites, especially when everything was amazing, but it’s hard to beat (no pun intended) how gorgeous and delicious the Beets and Citrus was. First, the colors! It was almost too pretty to eat. The ricotta and the orange supremes were so light and perfect for a summer meal. And, we’re still thinking about their twist on a traditional Bruschetta - the Burrata and Tomato. The crumbles on top instead of it being served on a crostini were a total game-changer, and we can’t wait to go back for more.

Did we already declare favorites? We take that back, because the entrées were fabulous. Their vegetarian option, the Cavatelli, was amazing - the perfect light summer pasta, and Tom couldn’t say enough good things about the Scallop and Dill (and again, look at the beautiful presentation and colors!).

Once the sun started to set, the fireplace was flipped on and we started thinking dessert. Their take on Crème Brulée was a trip down memory lane, with the Cap’n Crunch creme (that tasted like cereal milk!), the fruity pebbles, and the dehydrated strawberries that tasted like the fruit roll-up your mom packed in your lunch box when you were a kid. Perfection! And we couldn’t leave without trying the Baked Alaska, with the house made graham cracker and coconut snow - each element delicious on it’s own and an amazing mix when put together.

Colin Miner, Chef de Cuisine

Until next time, Park 26! Save us a seat on the sofa! :)

P.S. In case you missed it, a first look at another new outdoor dining option downtown here.