FeedMe518

from JUNE, 2021 - 518 PROFILES MAGAZINE

LIFEspa

Southern Charm Seasons Saratoga Springs

By Nellie Ackerman-Vellano, Feed Me 518™

Jasper was in the kitchen when I got to the restaurant at noon, already cooking as usual. He came out in a white apron and warmly greeted me as if he were inviting me into his home.

Jasper Alexander has been the Head Chef of Hattie’s Restaurant in Saratoga Springs, New York since 2011 when he and his wife Elizabeth purchased this restaurant and the original recipes created by founder, Hattie Austen Mosley herself.

If you ever meet Jasper and Beth in person, they are the kind of people who instantly make you feel like you've been friends for years. They love their community and customers, and it shows in how they give so much of themselves in everything they do.

Hattie's is a staple of Saratoga, NY, where Hattie's fried chicken recipe has never changed since 1938. "We had to stay true to Hattie's original menu. We kept her fried chicken the same and added new items like the fried chicken sandwich, chicken and waffles, fried green tomatoes, mac and cheese," said Elizabeth.

When I asked what made Hattie's work so well for so long, Elizabeth unselfishly credited her team, "We are truly one big family at Hattie's. We have employees who've been with us for 20 years, now their kids are working for us! Everyone knows Zoe, Sal, Llona, Maryann, and our brunch staff who have always been a welcome sight to our regulars. Mike has been in the kitchen 20 years, Zach and Steve 11 years, Chris and Scott about 3 years. Andres has been with us 56 years... he NEVER stops working. We are blessed to have a staff that stays with us and cares about the product they put out. We are so lucky to have had the same core group of chefs for many years and that is what helps keep our food so consistent. We could never do it without them." Chef Jasper has truly mastered the art of fine Southern & Louisiana cuisine that has been served at Hattie's for over 80 years.

This is the first time in my life that I can say I've had whole liver and enjoyed it. Without getting into all the details, my grandmother fed me liver as a child, and I haven’t eaten solid liver since. However...the delicious chunks of chicken livers with caramelized onions, smoked bacon, and

fresh herbs at Hattie's has totally changed my world view of liver forever. I'm finally a fan of liver.

Blue Cheese lovers, you'll love their homemade buttermilk pecan blue cheese dressing that accompanies their delicious Cobb Salad made of mixed greens, fried chicken, green tomatoes, avocado, candied bacon, and topped with a freshmade deviled egg.

The Peel and Eat Shrimp is fresh, wild Gulf shrimp quick-boiled in a blend of outstanding Creole spices. Hattie’s Classic Gumbo Chicken is a flavorful rich stew-like dish with andouille sausage, peppers, onions, garlic, celery, and thickened with a dark roux, served with rice. It was delicious. I had the leftovers for breakfast the next morning and could have eaten it for lunch later that day too.

Their Jambalaya is a generously and deliciously seasoned tomato and rice dish with tasty Andouille sausage, shrimp, and very tender pieces of chicken. I'll be going back for this dish.

I love waffles. This was one thing I couldn't wait to try! This was wonderful for so many reasons but what really made this dish stand out compared to many other "chicken and waffles" besides the delicious Fried Chicken & fresh Belgian Waffle, was the spicy honey maple drizzle that is poured over the entire dish. It's like the nectar of the fried chicken goddesses. Each order comes with two pieces of Hattie’s Fried Chicken, one white and one dark piece.

If you like your ribs falling off the bones, then you have to order their slowcooked tender pork BBQ Spare Ribs with Hattie's own dry rub and awesome BBQ sauce. Yes, I did lick the sauce off my fingers during and after eating them.

This is a wonderful small family-owned and operated restaurant that you must experience for its southern charm and delicious food.

Hattie's Restaurant is located at 45 Phila St, Saratoga Springs, NY

Happy Eating!

BBQ Spare Ribs and Fried Chicken Jambalaya

Gumbo Chicken Cobb Salad Nellie Ackerman-Vellano, Feed Me 518™ Instagram: @FeedMe518 FB: www.facebook.com/FeedMe518 Website: www.FeedMe518.com

Magic in the Making, Manifested One Moment at a Time Saratoga Staple Celebrates 27 Years in Business

By J’Lyn Coppola Photos by Stephanie Sittnick

When the wind is just right in Saratoga Springs, you can catch the smell of incense wafting all the way to Broadway from Phila Street. For more than two decades, the source of that scent has likely been The Magic Moon, which celebrates its 27th year in business this month. The store’s inception was set in motion many moons ago when a friendship was forged between two like-minded and motivated women, on a mission to manifest their magic and share it with the masses.

The store, which first opened its doors to the community on the Summer Solstice, was initially located directly across the street from where it operates today. “We received our keys to the building on Beltane, May 1,” said store owner Veronica Peschieri-Walczak.

Veronica was a teenager when her family relocated to this area from Long Island. After a few positions in retail that weren’t as lasting, as well as a stint working as a forklift operator for Stewart’s, she joined the staff at Al Kaye’s Jewelry Boutique, formerly located within what is now known as the Saratoga Marketplace at 454 Broadway. It was here, while serving as manager for 17 years, that Veronica learned all facets of the retail industry. It was here that she met Donna Cruger, hired to be her right hand at the jewelry store. The friendship that blossomed between the two laid the foundation for what is now markedly among the oldest surviving retail establishments in the historic downtown.

“We opened on June 21, the solstice,” Veronica said. “It just happened like that, the timing, like magic,” she added with a smile. Veronica doesn’t believe in coincidence, you see. She has always believed in the universe and what it has in store for her, so it made perfect sense she’d receive the key to her first retail venture — a business that would ultimately become deeply rooted in the community — on a day historically marked with community-wide celebrations filled with gratitude. Beltane is an ancient pagan holiday welcoming summer — offering blessings for the upcoming season, with hopes for fertile crops and livestock — in celebrations still observed by modern Wiccans.

Veronica candidly recounted a time — long before any plans to pursue the opening of her own business — when she sought advice in the form of an intuitive reading by the late Carole Ann Strong, an accomplished astrologer and dear friend at the time, who would later give readings out of The Magic Moon. “She said, ‘At some point, you are going to have your own store, a very successful one,’” Veronica said. “I was like, ‘How is that gonna happen?’” she laughed. It wasn’t long afterward that it did happen.

“I’ve always been interested in the Law of Attraction and the Law of Vibration,” said Veronica, painting a picture of when her interest in such thought patterns was first piqued. Flashing back to her formative years, when she was living with her grandmother Rita Conroy on Long Island, Veronica recalled “She was a cool lady. She was very magical — that’s the only way I could describe her.” Mesmerized by the titles and art images found in her grandmother’s extensive library, Veronica spent hours poring over the plethora of printed pages she hadn’t previously been privy to.

The collection included a copy of Dr. Wayne Dyer’s very first self-help book, Your Erroneous Zones, introducing Veronica to the then-novel concept one could consciously take charge of negative thought patterns and energetically shift them toward the positive, something she passionately practices to this day. Other texts included some of the first references to out-of-body experiences. “People didn’t talk about those things in public then,” Veronica said. Such topics were defined as “esoteric,” most often meaning obscure, or “occult,” which encompassed anything falling outside the purview of religion or documented science. These umbrella terms were assigned to anything emerging outside of mainstream or deemed acceptable patterns of thought. Even though Veronica acknowledged with gratitude that it seems we’ve finally reached an age of acceptance

where those stigmas are disappearing, at the time, the young girl’s only thought was, “I admired my grandmother. I looked up to her. I was looking at what she was looking at,” Veronica recalled.

The Magic Moon has grown in volumes since it first opened, both in size and reputation, based largely at first, on word-of-mouth accounts between friends, before social media and cell phones. In 2014, Veronica was given the opportunity to expand into the adjacent space. Finally able to build on an alreadyextensive selection of Wiccan supplies and literature, as well as crystal specimens for healing and tools for divination — the store responded to the growing demand of an undeniable resurgence in what was once termed “New Age” thought.

In its infancy, Veronica and Donna carried many items that remain staples today — crystals, incense, jewelry, clothing, tarot cards, and books — titles once likely to have graced the shelves of that well-used and revered library downstate. Signs of the times naturally ran their course over the years as well, and members of the community might chuckle at this reminder of the passage of time. A most impressive assortment of Manic Panic wigs was once among the myriad of modish merchandise having made its way through The Magic Moon over the last many years.

After 13 years as co-owner, Donna confronted health issues, prompting Veronica to became sole proprietor of the space. Donna succumbed to her long-term illness in 2018, further fueling Veronica’s drive to forever grow and improve on the magical creation the two had manifested. “It was born out of a friendship,” said Veronica.

“Magic Moon is a perfect example of what real magic is, and I feel and I know that it is a miracle that the store turned into the thing that it did,” said Veronica, adding “I feel that it is the culmination of every single person that has come in contact with the store that has helped it grow — by all the serendipitous moments, the synchronicity.” Speaking of the store’s diverse customer base over the years, she said “We’ve had surgeons, police officers, judges, priests — we’ve had people from all walks of life — people some might think would never shop in our store, shop in our store.”

Community support for The Magic Moon has never wavered, and it’s a blessing Veronica often cites as her main motivation to maintain relevance over the years. “We’re there trying to help people manifest their destinies and goals,” said Veronica. “It’s about that feeling that I get when I know we’re making a difference in somebody’s life,” she said, adding “Maybe they’re at a crossroads or they’re trying to turn a corner, and they’re really not sure what to do, but all of the sudden they come into the store and get clarity, and I just basically want to let people know that we’re all in there because we love people and we’re just following our collective passion.”

The Magic Moon, located at 15-17 Phila St. is currently open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Contact the store directly at (518) 583-2488, or on social media @MagicMoon518.