saratoga living December 2108 issue

*{is santa claus really from albany?}

DECEMBER 2018

2018

T HE CIT Y. THE CU LT U R E. T H E LIFE.

“I don’t think I’m obligated to give anything away.

It just makes me feel great.”

PERSON YEAR ED MITZEN The force behind Fingerpaint has a lot to say—and do.

By Kevin Sessums Photography by DORI FITZPATRICK

& 4 MORE SARATOGA HEROES

OF THE

IT’s the Holidays!

7 Deadly Sins Our Amazing Gift Guide Christmas in Saratoga

By Beverly Tracy

{exclusive}

Ramón Domínguez The Legendary Jockey Makes His Move

By Brien Bouyea

#SLNY @saratogaliving saratogaliving.com

Jennifer Egan Talks Yaddo Skiing In Cortina (And Vermont)

6 hours of entertainment 30+ venues SARATOGA ARTS PRESENTS:

First Night Saratoga 2019

70+ performances

Let’s Celebrate!

Monday, December 31, 2018 6pm - midnight downtown Saratoga Springs, NY

For more information & to purchase buttons visit Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway or saratoga-arts.org

EAT. DRINK. BE MERRY. REPEAT.

16 CAROLINE ST. SARATOGA SPRINGS NY 12866 gaffneysrestaurant.com

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“Best sports bar in Saratoga”

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’Tis the season to cheer for your team!

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518-226-4437

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inside december 2018

HH

H HH

2018

Ll PERSON YEAR OF THE

s

30 {exclusive} Ed Mitzen, Rebel ∂ 38 4 More Saratoga Heroes

PHOTOGR A PHY BY

PHOTOGR A PHY BY

BY K E V I N S E S S U M S D O R I F I TZ PATR I C K E X C L U S I V E LY F O R saratoga living

BY W I LL L E V I TH FR A NC E S C O D’A M I C O E X C L U S I V E LY

FOR

saratoga living

43 Gift Guide: 7 Deadly Sins N ATA L I E M O O R E

BY

60 The Holidays, Saratoga Style B E V E R LY TR AC Y

BY

62 New Year’s Resolutions: What’s Yours?

BY

J O N A H B AY L I S S

68 DeCrescente Distributing: It’s All In The Family BY

N ATA L I E M O O R E

72 Majesty On The Hudson BY

W I LL L E V I TH

76 When The Italian Alps Come Calling STORY A ND P HOTOG R AP HY BY

TE R R I - LY N N P E LL E G R I

’tis the season 15 Church serves up the next great Saratoga cocktail, p. 114.

P H OTO GR A P H BY

DOR I F I TZPATR I CK

Criminal Law/ DWI • Residential & Commercial Real Estate • Land Use & Planning • Business & Corporate National Loss Mitigation & Title • Family & Matrimonial • Civil Litigation & Personal Injury Trusts & Estates • Cyber Security & Data Privacy • Banking & Settlement Services Glens Falls, NY

Saratoga Springs, NY

Clifton Park, NY

Albany, NY

333 Glen Street, Suite 200 Glens Falls, NY 12801

6 Butler Place Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

805 Route 146, Northway 9 Plaza Clifton Park, NY 12065

8 Airline Drive, Suite 101 Albany, NY 12205

inside

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED... SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1980

december 2018

DEPAULA CHEVROLET SUPERSTORE

8 Next 12 The Team 16 From The Editor

s y y p a p d a H Holi T R A N S PA R E N T P R I C I N G M E A N S S A V I N G S Y O U C A N S E E !

26

the front

80 8 Reasons Why Yaddo Matters To Jennifer Egan WILL LE VIT H I LLU STR ATIO N BY JO H N DA LY BY

E X C L U S I V E LY F O R

saratoga living

82 The Long Road Back To Saratoga BY

BRIEN BO UYE A

P H OTO G R APH Y BY K AT IE D O B IES E X C L U S I V E LY F O R saratoga living

88 Breeders’ Cup Settles Some (Not All) Eclipse Award Races BY

MIKE WATCHMA K ER, DAILY R ACING FORM

F R O M O U R FA M I LY TO YO U R S

Piggy Went To Markey

29 Overheard

the back 90 Saratoga

After Dark

96 Luxe:

New Year’s Eve

98 Arts: James Fiorentino 102 Calendar 106 Road Trip: Manchester, VT 112 Over There 114 Drink: 15 Church 127 Play: Crossword Puzzle & Word Ladder

the end 128 *Saratogian Of The Month: Austin Bayliss

98

(82) KATIE DOBIES; (26) CHRIS BERGER; (98) JAMES FIORENTINO

82

19 Saratoga By The Numbers 19 It’s True (We Think) 20 Say What?

20 The Answers 22 Power Player: Mike Brown 24 Track: Good Bet 26 Words: Book Smart 28 Here: How The (Christmas)

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gimme more Expect more top-of-the-line horse racing content, jaw-dropping exclusives, comprehensive arts coverage and beautiful design from saratoga living in 2019.

Next

saratoga living Just Keeps Getting Better 20 19 IS GOIN G TO BE EPIC.

P HOTO G R A P H BY B I L LY FRA NC I S L EROUX

nd you thought the newlook saratoga living was on a tear in 2018?

Just wait until the new year! In 2019, the Capital Region’s premier lifestyle media brand will continue to roll out the mighty magazine’s reimagined majesty, with six must-have special issues, bookended by our stunning wedding extravaganza (The “I Do!” Issue, January/February) and giftacular Holiday Issue (November/ December). In between, you’ll get our highly desirable Design Issue (March/April), sizzling Saratoga Summer (May/June), can’t-miss “The Races!” Issue (July/August) and lavish Luxury Issue (September/ October), plus exclusives on our mustsee website, saratogaliving.com, powerful social media content and best-in-class events. Get ready to fall in love with saratoga living all over again.

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Richard Pérez-Feria EDITOR IN CHIEF

ON THE COVER Fingerpaint

Owner and Founder Ed Mitzen was photographed exclusively for saratoga living by Dori Fitzpatrick. Grooming: Matty Shu, Vinny’s Barbershop of Saratoga, Saratoga Springs.

Shot on location at Fingerpaint, Saratoga Springs.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR EDITOR SENIOR WRITER DESIGNER LUXURY EDITOR SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR DESIGN EDITOR ARTS EDITOR NIGHTLIFE EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR WEBSITE MANAGER SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER EDITORIAL ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE EDITOR

EDITORS AT LARGE

Kathleen Gates Will Levith Natalie Moore Anne Newgarden Jeff Dingler Linda Gates Marco Medrano Abby Tegnelia Colin Cowie Bill Henning Lizzie Hunter Erika Phenner Hakan Akyuz Dori Fitzpatrick Hannah Kotler Greg Calejo, Susan Gates, James Long

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Karen Bjornland, Brien Bouyea, Tony Case, Kyan Douglas Kate Doyle Hooper, Teresa A. Genaro, Cornelia Guest, Simon Murray Octavio Roca, Kevin Sessums, Zachary Weiss WRITERS

Jonah Bayliss, Chris Berger, Rosie Case, Rebecca Hardiman, Jacqueline Kuron Jordan Levin, Sandy MacDonald, Joe Mastrianni, Maria McBride Bucciferro Sarah Midani, Katie Navarra, Mario Quirce, William Roach Mitch Rustad, Michael Slezak, Beverly Tracy, Joe “Woody” Wood ARTISTS / PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kyle Adams, Meaghan Aldridge, Fahnon Bennett, Dave Bigler, Gabriella Boschetti Tracey Buyce, Lauren Childs, David Cowles, Francesco D’Amico, John Daly Katie Dobies, Billy Francis LeRoux, Anna Murray, Ian Parker, Terri-Lynn Pellegri Susie Raisher, Robert Risko, Myrna Suárez, TJ Tracy

saratoga living is published eight times a year by Saratoga Living LLC. Subscriptions: Domestic, $19.95 per year; Canadian, $24.95 per year (non-refundable). Application to mail at periodicals’ postage rate is pending at Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to saratoga living 422 Broadway, Suite 203 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Volume 20, No. 8, December 2018 Copyright © 2018 Saratoga Living LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Saratoga Living LLC. All editorial queries should be directed to editorial@saratogaliving.com; or sent to 422 Broadway, Suite 203, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. saratoga living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions.

Becky Kendall PUBLISHER

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

FINANCE DIRECTOR SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER

PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR

DIGITAL ACCOUNT MANAGER

MARKETING CONSULTANTS

Chelsea Moore Steve Bouchard Pamela Grandin Rachael Rieck Kathie González AMPLIFY Partners, New York City

Saratoga Living LLC Anthony Ianniello CHAIR

Richard Pérez-Feria CEO / PRESIDENT

Becky Kendall EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

the team

T

he one thing I knew for sure when Chair Tony Ianniello offered me the opportunity (and massive challenge) to lead saratoga living as its Editor in Chief and CEO a year ago, was that I had an incredible ally in Publisher Becky Kendall. Our happy partnership is already legendary in many circles and genuinely fuels the engine that this 20-year-old media brand needed. So, we decided to completely relaunch the magazine and website and tasked the best team anywhere—Creative Director Kathleen Gates, Executive Editor Will Levith, Managing Editor Natalie Moore, Designer Linda Gates, Account Manager Chelsea Moore, Senior Writer Jeff Dingler and many more—to dig deep to help us reach unprecedented heights and deliver in ways never before seen in this gorgeous part of the world. The stunning result in your hands speaks for itself. saratoga living and saratogaliving.com are dynamic, beautiful and deeply relevant information sources. Truly, how lucky am I to lead this talented, tireless team?

And we’re just getting started. Let’s go get ’em in 2019, guys. Who’s in?

–Richard Pérez-Feria

all-stars (top, back row from left) Senior Writer Jeff Dingler, Publisher Becky Kendall, (front row from left) Digital Account Manager Steve Bouchard, Executive Editor Will Levith, Account Manager Chelsea Moore, Editor in Chief and CEO Richard Pérez-Feria, Editorial Assistant Hannah Kotler, Managing Editor Natalie Moore; (inset, clockwise from top) Creative Director Kathleen Gates, Editor at Large Susan Gates, Designer Linda Gates.

team photograph by KATIE DOBIES exclusively for saratoga living

⁄

12 saratoga living

⁄ DECEMBER 2018

(Gates): ARTHUR GERUNDA

CEO / EDITOR IN CHIEF

the team

FRANCESCO D’AMICO is a

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DANIA BAGYI PHOTOGRAPHY

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CHRIS BERGER is a writer and historic preservation planner from the Washington, DC area, and travels to Cossayuna Lake in Cambridge, NY several times a year.

“Owl Pen Books has been around for six decades and has a loyal following in the Saratoga region, but it’s not located on a main road, so it’s not somewhere you just stumble upon,” Berger says. “I really wanted to spotlight a rare find.”

(D’Amico) LAUREN WICKIZER

494 Broadway Saratoga Springs

celebrated Saratoga Springs-based photographer. “What I hope people see in my portraits of Linda Toohey, Heather Straughter, Tas Steiner and Neil Golub is a glow that radiates from each of them,” D’Amico says. “I didn’t need to use any tricky lighting techniques or complicated Photoshop procedures; they each emanate enthusiasm, grace and genuine caring for others—it’s contagious.”

STUYVESANT PLAZA, ALBANY

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FRANKADAMS.COM

from the editor

code ed Fingerpaint’s Ed Mitzen is a business leader who cares for more than just the bottom line.

saratoga living

FOOD CITY

THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE THE DESIGN ISSUE

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NOVEMBER 2018 SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2018

AUGUST 2018 BIG PAPI EXCLUSIVE

JULY 2018

MAY | JUNE 2018

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MARCH | APRIL 2018

“I DO!” THE WEDDING ISSUE

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JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2018

Richard Pérez-Feria

EDITOR IN CHIEF

@RPerezFeria

everywhere anywhere saratogaliving.com @saratogaliving

#SLNY

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ARIANA ROCKEFELLER

THE RACES!

THE FASTEST (AND COOLEST) CAR ON THE ROAD THE DINNER RESERVATION YOU WANT AND CAN’T GET LEGENDARY PHOTOGRAPHER ANNIE LIEBOVITZ and so much more

FROM CARRIE BRADSHAW TO PRINCESS GRACE

“I Do!”

saratoga living

saratoga living

THE LUXURY ISSUE

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING

SARATOGA AFTER DARK

“The big day was amazing, like a dream you want to relive over and over.”

saratoga living

JANUARY FEBRUARY 2018

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THE OLYMPICS HIT HOME BY MIKE KANE MY SARATOGA, A LOVE STORY BY CORNELIA GUEST

7 BRIDES, 7 STORIES THE NEXT BRIDAL SUPERSTAR IS HERE GORGEOUS GOWNS

TH E CITY. TH E CULTURE. TH E LIFE.

{check out our fresh look inside}

Miami, San Francisco), I found that the homeless became but a mere part of the fixture of the urban landscape; a supporting player, if you will. But after years of being a bit proud of my ability to literally ignore human beings in dire need on the streets in front of me (my fellow large-metropolis residents can probably relate), I decided to try a different tack.

Beginning when I was living in LA more than a decade ago, I convinced some of my closest friends to join me in doing the classic good deed on Thanksgiving: donating time at a local shelter. We decided to go to Venice, steps away from the fabled “Muscle Beach,” and when the eight

DORI FITZPATRICK

he holidays are a curious time for me. As much as I do love the many traditions—the food, the bulky sweaters and, yes, the music (Mariah Carey’s classic, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is on a constant loop at my house)—there has always been something inherently jarring about the juxtapositions this season magnifies: the gulf between those who have and those who don’t.

Now, as someone who has lived in this country’s most expensive cities (New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas,

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heroes

of us descended early Thanksgiving morning, we were ready to work our tails off. And we did: setting up the large hall, cooking in the make-shift kitchen, removing garbage, serving the massive crowd, breaking down the tables—and, well…you know the rest. It felt so good to give back.

Moving to Saratoga Springs a year ago, a lot of things surprised me: how welcoming people have been to me and the many exciting changes we’ve made to saratoga living, how sophisticated our cultural offerings are for a city our size, how thrilling watching a horse race can be as a communal, civic experience. But most shocking of all was the realization of how many homeless people dot Downtown Saratoga Springs’ otherwise bucolic setting. It breaks my heart. And now, it’s winter.

Two remarkable Saratogians are among the heroes actually doing something about it. One, TJ Tracy is still in high school and his successful TJ’s Turkeys charity just commemorated its ten-year anniversary! TJ, who was featured earlier this year in saratoga living as part of our “Saratoga 20,” helps to ensure that kids in need have a hot meal at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. The fact that he’s still a kid himself is a testament to his proud powerhouse of a mom, Beverly Tracy. The other outstanding citizen mobilizing on this front graces this issue’s cover, Fingerpaint Founder and Owner, Ed Mitzen. I won’t spoil Kevin Sessums’ must-read feature on Ed, but check out this gifted writer’s take on one of our city’s most philanthropic titans. It’s quite a story.

I learned that just because you can ignore people in need, it doesn’t mean you should. TJ Tracy and Ed Mitzen have known that all along. Finally, I do too.

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Saratoga By The Numbers

9000

The number of Saratoga First Night 2019 buttons for sale as of December 1

1500

The number of brave runners who toe the starting line for the First Night 5K, which begins on Skidmore College’s campus

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The number of years First Night has been ringing in the new year in Saratoga, making it the oldest and largest New Year’s Eve celebration between New York City and Montréal

150

The number of First Night performances that take place between 6pm-Midnight

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The number of volunteers assisting at First Night

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The price, in dollars, of a First Night button, the all-inclusive pass to the night’s events. Children younger than 12 are admitted for free

It’s True (We Think)

Santa. Seriously?

NO, SANTA CLAUS IS NOT AN ALBANY CREATION.

BY NATALIE MOORE

I

t’s been a long year of bringing to light the myths that we here in the Capital Region have come to believe steadfastly. First there was the potato chip (was it really invented in Saratoga Saratoga Springs?), then there was Uncle Sam (a Troy native?), and who can forget “American Pie?” (Did Don McLean really pen the iconic song in Saratoga’s Tin ‘n’ Lint?) To round out a year of outrageous—and possibly true— claims, saratoga living wanted to go out with a bang. So when we stumbled upon a holiday-themed Upstate New York myth for our last issue of 2018, we thought it was too good to be true.

Two words: Santa. Claus. That’s right—Father ho ho, um, no!

Christmas is originally from Albany—or so notes a Saint Nicholas Day 2009 Times Union article entitled “Santa Claus: An was once mentioned in Albany Innovation.” The story claims that the first mention Albany’s Van Rensselaer of Santa Claus was in the Van Rensselaer papers, a cache papers—but nothing about of historic documents housed at the New York State Library Santa Claus himself was. in Albany. The article goes on to claim that when the Dutch settled what’s now the state capital, they brought along the tradition of the “Sinterklaas” figure, which was Americanized to “Santeclaus” and eventually became “Santa Claus.”

However, when saratoga living called the State Library to confirm which set of Van Rensselaer papers the author of the article was citing—those of the Van Rensselaer family or of the family home, Rensselaerswyck Manor—the story began to unravel.

According to the Library’s manuscripts and special collections department, no such reference to Santa Claus exists in either collection of papers. There is an early reference to Saint Nicholas Day (December 6), a precursor to Christmas Day (December 25), but that doesn’t help support the notion of Santa as an “Albany innovation.” Plus, Saint Nicholas himself was a real person—a bishop known for his piety and kindness, born in the year 270 in what’s now Turkey.

And there we end our “It’s True (We Think)” section: with a tidbit of fact (the mention of Saint Nicholas Day) blown way out of proportion (Santa was invented in Albany).

Maybe it’s a flaw—us Upstate New Yorkers laying claim to anything and everything we can connect to this region, even tenuously—or maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s just a killer combination of our vivid imagination and unapologetic civic pride.

⁄

saratogaliving.com 19

the front the

=SA

answers

illustration by

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO SAVE MONEY WHEN HOLIDAY SHOPPING ONLINE? Stack your savings. Buy discounted gift cards on giftcardgranny.com for stores where you plan to shop, click through cashback sites such as ebates.com to get a percent of your purchase refunded and make sure you know if there are coupon codes by visiting sites such as RetailMeNot.com.

—MICHELLE MADHOK, online shopping expert and Founder of SheFinds.com and michellemadhok.com WHAT’S THE BEST WINTER ACTIVITY IN SARATOGA? Everything Spa State Park. There’s something for everyone—children and adults alike. There’s outdoor recreation including snowshoeing, skating, cross-country skiing and walking or running on the cleared trails. The Roosevelt Baths & Spa offers mineral baths and spa treatments for health and relaxation, great for melting away the winter blues. The charming Home Made Theater is also located in the park, and it has various dramatic or musical productions each winter.

And don’t forget to sample the various mineral springs dotting the park. Plus, the Creekside Classroom Environmental Education Center offers great programming year-round.

–ANNAMARIA BELLANTONI, Vice President of Tourism, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce

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20 saratoga living

⁄ DECEMBER 2018

Y W H AT ? =

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harry:

“If you hadn’t left your own people, your goddamned Old Westbury, Saratoga, Palm Beach people to take me on—” helen: “Why, I loved you. That’s not fair. I love you now. I’ll always love you. Don’t you love me?” harry: “No.” – From Ernest Hemingway’s short story, The Snows Of Kilimanjaro

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not your average (cup of) joe Mike Brown founded the now-über-successful Death Wish Coffee in the basement of Saratoga Coffee Traders in 2012.

Power Player

Mike Brown, Saratoga’s ‘Mr. Coffee’ D EAT H WISH C OF F E E ’S F OUNDER SPIL L S THE BEANS O N H IS C OM PA N Y ’S SU C CESS. n BY WIL L L EVITH

⁄

22 saratoga living

⁄ DECEMBER 2018

Y

ou could say that I’m a recovering coffee addict. The paraphernalia in my Troy kitchen alone should tell you all you need to know: There’s a French press, a ’60s percolator, a drip coffeemaker and a mini espresso machine. I used to consume coffee by any means necessary, anywhere I could get my hands on it. Then, one day—with the nagging fear of a thousand future anxiety attacks staring me down— I quit, cold turkey. I haven’t drunk a drop since. But every morning, when my wife wakes up and puts on a new pot, that unmistakable aroma makes me want to fall off the wagon.

The one brand I’d consider breaking my fast with? Saratoga Springs’ own Death Wish Coffee.

No offense to saratoga living neighbor Uncommon Grounds, but I’m looking for something that’ll make me want to run a marathon in place. What better way to do it than with the “World’s Strongest Coffee?” Founder and Owner Mike Brown tells me that he started Death Wish in the basement of Broadway’s Saratoga Coffee Traders back in 2012. “My hope for the company was just to give people what they were asking for every day—a highly caffeinated, smooth, bold blend,” says Brown.

Three years later, fate came

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The second the ad aired, 100,000 people materialized on its website and sales shot through the roof.

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knocking in the form of a Super Bowl advertisement contest. Intuit was offering one small business in the US the chance to run a 30-second spot during the big game—and after months of lobbying fans to vote for them, Death Wish, much to the Capital Region’s amazement, won. Literally overnight, it put the tiny company on the national map, and Br own remembers the second the ad aired, 100,000 people materializing on his website and sales shooting through the roof.

Since then, the brand’s gone global and has sponsored everyone from the Special Olympics New York and local arena football team, the Albany Empire, to a pair of NASCAR drivers and the New York Comic Con. The brand’s also gone galactic, having rocketed its freezedried coffee into space to be enjoyed by astronauts on the International Space Station. (They apparently loved it.) If I ever want to send myself into orbit again, I certainly know how to get it done.

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SKIS SNOWBOARDS SKIWEAR WINTER CLOTHING EXPERT SERVICE

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BY JEFF DINGL ER

B

eing the middle child, I learned early on that I had to share with my other siblings.

As my mom used to put it, “Sharing is caring.” I was reminded of the concept this past track season when I heard that bettors at Saratoga Race Course could donate a portion of their winnings to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), a nonprofit organization that awards grants to help retired racehorses, at self-service betting terminals.

The initiative was first unveiled in Saratoga Springs at the Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing in August 2017, having originally been proposed by—wait for it—People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA).

The concept so intrigued the Stronach

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Simply the theBest Best Simply &Voted theBest Best Simply the Best Simply the &Voted the Best Simply the Best &Voted the theBest Best &Voted &Voted the Best

Group—the owner of racetracks such as Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park— that it tested the philanthropy-on-the-go idea via a pop-up interface created by subsidiary AmTote International, a wagering technology firm. Giving became as easy as responding to a single screen prompt— and the process was wholly tax-deductible.

The easy-to-use AmTote terminals became so popular that the New York Racing Association (NYRA) installed them at all of its tracks. Maryland’s Laurel Park also bought in, and back in September, Florida’s Tampa Bay Downs became yet another convert. “We try to be very progressive with donations and realize that the sport has to go full circle,” says Margo Flynn, Vice President of Marketing at Tampa Bay Downs. “We have to be able to support the animals that support us, from beginning to end. So we’re pleased and proud to be a part of it.”

The next time I pick a winner at the track, I’ll have to remember what my mom taught me. Because she was right.

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the front

Saratoga Lake 587–9865 • on Rte. 9P (4 miles off exit 14) MON–FRI 10–8

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SAT 10–5

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counter intelligence The work table at the center of the store also serves as its checkout counter.

books & crannies Owl Pen Books is certainly off the beaten path: It’s behind a house on a gravel road a mile past fallow farmland.

Words

Book Smart

G R EENWI C H ’ S SE ASON A L OWL P E N BOOKS I S K EEP I NG TH E P R IN T E D PAGE A LIVE. STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS BERGER

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his can’t be the right way,” I say to myself as I turn onto a gravel road in Greenwich, NY. After driving a mile past fallow farmland, I spot a small, hand-painted sign hanging from a tree that reads “Owl Pen Books.” I

park in the grass near the orderly Greek Revival-style residence at the front of the property and walk around the dry-stacked stone wall to the outbuildings in the rear. Established maple trees shade the well-maintained grounds, which are accentuated by

blossoming flower beds and rocky outcroppings.

In 1960, Barbara Probst started selling used books here on her chicken farm.

She named the operation Owl Pen Books after she bought an antique cast-iron owl and hung it outside her farm’s pigpen. Seven years

later, Probst gave up raising fowl and expanded the bookshop into an approximately 3000-squarefoot structure across the yard. Fast-forward 20 years, and its “new” owners are Edie Brown and Hank Howard, that latter of whom is a former Skidmore College biology professor.

The hinges of the screen door squeal as I step into the former chicken coop. Neatly organized bookshelves fill the lowceilinged interior. The mismatched chairs invite customers to plop down

with a book in the blaring silence. The work table in the center of the space doubles as a checkout counter. The signs are all handwritten, including one that reads, “Help Fight TV—Buy A Book.” Owl Queensbury 798-0133 • 1060 Rte. 9 (by Sutton’s Market Place) decor is displayed throughout. Even the MON–WED 9:30–6 • THURS & FRI 9:30–8 • SAT & SUN 9:30–5 outhouse, named Chalet de Nécessité, www.TheFurntiureHouseNY.com exudes homespun charm.

The shop has an estimated 100,000 secondhand volumes in its stacks, with a particularly robust collection of history, gardening and children’s books. Open from May through October, the Owl Pen has a devoted fan base among the region’s seasonal and year-round residents, some of whom have been customers since Probst’s tenure. Rebecca Bramer of Queensbury has visited the Owl Pen since she was a child and now brings her nine-year-old son there. “There’s no other place like it,” she tells me. “We come at least once or twice a summer.”

Technology has only expanded the bookstore’s clientele. “I have no complaints about the Internet,” Brown says, noting that online sales account for about threequarters of the Owl Pen’s business. “It l ets you buy things that we’d never sell in the store.” As Howard and Brown approach retirement, Brown’s hopeful that the shop will find a third owner, as it 99 SOUTH BROADWAY• SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY• 518-584-2225 • DANCEMUSEUM.ORG did when she and Howard stepped in.

In the meantime, the sound of the screen door will continue to mark the arrivals and departures of delighted book99 lovers.

SOUTH BROADWAY• SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY• 518-584-2225 • DANCEMUS Can’t wait ’til May!

Thank you for a great 2018 season!

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99 SOUTH BROADWAY• SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY• 518-584-2225 • DANCEMUSEUM.ORG 99 SOUTH BROADWAY• SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY• 518-584-2225 • DANCEMUSEUM.ORG

the front Here

stop. hammertime The “Muddy” Peppermint Pig is hand-dipped in rich dark chocolate, (opposite) Peppermint Pigs come with a tiny hammer used to break them into bite-sized pieces.

How This (Christmas) Piggy Went To Market

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hough Saratoga Springs may be best known for its horses, come Christmastime, it’s all about the pigs.

Peppermint Pigs, to be exact. Known for their small size and vibrant pink color, the minty, pig-shaped

SPAC-SaraLivingMag-9.25x5.4375-Ad.indd 1

sweets hold in their tiny bodies the weight of a holiday tradition dating back to Victorian times.

As the tradition went, after Christmas dinner, a candy pig was placed in a velveteen bag and passed from person to person, each of whom would share

JODY BOYD, BOBROW DISTRIBUTING

SARATOGA’S SWEETEST TRADITION HAS NOW GONE NATIONAL. n BY HANNAH KOTLER

11/14/18 12:06 PM

a moment of good fortune from the previous year, then whack the pig-filled pouch with a tiny hammer.

But why a pig, instead of, say, a reindeer, or even a horse? Feeling pressure from European chefs who worked in the glamourous Saratoga hotels of the 1880s, local candy-maker Jim Mangay wanted to make a holiday treat that could function as a substitute for the highly sought-after, but difficult to find, marzipan treats. Mangay improvised,

using peppermint oil, and likely chose the pig because of its significance in the era as a symbol of prosperity. Fast forward through the sugar-rationing era of World War II—when the beloved confection nearly disappeared—to 1988, the year Saratoga Sweets’ candy-maker,

Mike Fitzgerald, decided to revive the tradition. (The shop’s now called Saratoga Candy Co.) After a series of fortunate events led one of the original Peppermint Pig molds into Fitzgerald’s hands, he launched production again—and the Saratoga tradition has been going strong ever since, even making its way beyond the Capital Region.

Annually, more than 130,000 Peppermint Pigs are produced in Saratoga

by Fitzgerald’s team, and the sweets are also available online and in some 200 museum shops and retail stores, primarily in the eastern US. I think it’s safe to say that this little piggy has gone far, far beyond the market.



overheard SOMETHIN’ TO TALK ABOUT...

“No, no, I’d rather not remember my wedding day.”

– UNCOMMON GR OUNDS

“I’m too old to go to the doctor.”

– S ECOND FLOOR , CITY TAVER N

“I’m considering dropping out because I haven’t gotten drunk in so long.”

– S KIDMOR E COL L EGE

HH

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2018

Ll PERSON YEAR OF THE

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ED MITZEN,

REBEL The Founder and Owner of Fingerpaint wants to transform his industry—and his city.

π exclusive π

BY KEVIN SESSUMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY

DORI FITZPATRICK

EXCLUSIVELY FOR

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saratoga living

trophy life Ed Mitzen stands in front of one of Fingerpaint’s several trophy walls in the company’s main office on the corner of Broadway and Division Street in Downtown Saratoga Springs.

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d Mitzen calls Saratoga Springs his Mayberry.

There’s certainly a bit of Andy Griffith about the guy—a studied guilelessness, an affability he wears like a badge—as he walks me the few blocks from his advertising company, Fingerpaint, to Boca Bistro, his favorite lunch spot on Broadway. By the time we’re seated, he’s shaken a few hands on the way over and waved at a couple of fellow diners. He orders his regular chicken sandwich and insists I try the dates stuffed with Valdeón blue cheese and Marcona almonds, which are then wrapped in bacon with a cider glaze.

“And would you like tap or mineral water?” the waitress asks me.

“I guess I should have Saratoga Spring Water,” I tell her as she rolls her eyes but dutifully goes to put in the order for the dates.

“I think she’s heard that before,” says Mitzen.

“I was doing it for your benefit, not hers,” I say. “I saw that Saratoga Spring Water is on your client list.”

“We’ve done some work for them,” he says, “although they’re much smaller than you’d think.”

“So are you,” I tell him, commenting on how compact he is, which makes him laugh at his own expense, this muscular motorcycle enthusiast with close-cropped, gun-metal hair.

On a bicep is a newly inked tattoo inspired not only by an intricately reimagined King Kong and Mitzen’s recently having turned 50, but also his own equally intricate attempt to reimagine what turning 50 means.

Tattooed, talked-about Ed Mitzen might be a small guy, but he’s a big man. The Voorheesville native has been referred to as a serial entrepreneur, having built four marketing companies with total revenues of more than $200 million.

Fingerpaint is his fourth, and is a full-service (though they dub it “right-service”) advertising agency with more than 200 employees and billing this year of $50 million, most of that in the pharmaceutical/health and wellness sector, which is the company’s specialty. Why Big Pharma? It doesn’t have the greatest of socially conscious reputations, even though Mitzen himself has developed one here in Saratoga. When one hears the term “Big Pharma,” one thinks “greed” and “profits over people,” which is ironic considering that Mitzen and his company are known for their people-first corporate philosophy. “I love science,” he says when explaining to me why he has purposefully found himself in a marketing league with Big Pharma. “I’ve always loved it. My dad was a biochemist. I’m sure a lot of it is about a lot of us wanting to make our fathers proud. My dad was a scientist and my mom is a retired nurse. I love that we work in the science industry.

I think it’s really sad that the pharma industry has a worse reputation than the tobacco industry. There’s a lot of good being done by pharma. We will not promote products that are

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being slanted in an unethical matter, but if you’re asking if I feel compromised because we work in healthcare and I give money away so I can sleep at night, the answer is no. I’m very proud to work in the healthcare space.”

Fingerpaint recently bought its headquarters building on Broadway, adding to its real estate portfolio in town, which already included 1 Franklin Square, a two-story building built in 1836, which the company purchased last year as an off-site center for ideation and brainstorming and conceptualizing new ways to market its clients’ products. There are even four apartments at the 1 Franklin Square site to house employees if they need to stay overnight for work or weather reasons.

Since its founding in 2008, Fingerpaint has created this kind of empathetic corporate culture for those who work there. From unlimited sick and personal time, to paid sabbaticals, to the agency’s paying 100 percent of healthcare premium costs for its employees and their dependents, it’s a culture that mirrors Mitzen’s own values and for which he was named Boss of the Year in 2017 by Digiday, the online magazine that covers the fields of advertising, sales force publishing and media. “I have Fingerpaint celebrates its an undying appreciation for ten-year anniversary in how hard my employees Scottsdale, AZ; (top) the work,” he says. “I’ve never Fingerpaint team in 2010; laid anybody off. I’ve been (opposite) Ed Mitzen in the ad business for 20 started Fingerpaint in years, and I’m very proud of a tiny office with a card that. If we lose a client for table—now it has more than 200 employees some reason, I’d rather lose and billings of upwards money for six months than of $50 million this year. fire these people. I think the town looks at our company as really good for the community, too. This past summer, we put together a program where we made 65,000 lunches for kids who needed lunches when they’re not in school.”

When he was attending school himself back in Voorheesville, Mitzen, who’s a big Boston Red Sox fan and longs for the day he can take his first grandchild to Fenway Park, didn’t

want to play baseball but football. He was both a star running back at Clayton A. Bouton High School and his team’s kicker.

Syracuse University, in fact, asked him to come try out to be a kicker on its varsity team, but Mitzen didn’t think the job was big enough. He liked running the ball. “I thought: “A kicker?

I’m not going to do that.” So I didn’t go and try out. To this day, it’s one of my biggest regrets, that I didn’t go and at least try.

Who knows? I could have been in the NFL as a kicker.”

His dream of being another Adam Vinatieri wasn’t the only one that didn’t materialize. He also wanted to be a doctor, but when his dad died of a heart attack when Mitzen was 18, he went through a dark period while attending Syracuse. He knew his grades weren’t good enough to get him into medical school, so he got a job as a drug rep after graduation and moved to Columbus. He even went back to business school because, during all his time at Syracuse, he’d never taken a business course. But Mitzen found himself at 30 with two young kids and feeling quite conflicted. “I had reached that point in my life that, if I were at work, I felt like a shitty dad, and if I were home, I thought I was never going to get my career going. I was miserable.

I came home one day on a Friday after a 70-hour work week—we’ve all had them— and my then wife asked me to watch our son. He was about one at the time. I was sitting on the bed watching ESPN and zoning out. My son rolled off the bed and fell. My wife came running into the bedroom ready to tear me a new one. My eyes filled up with water. I thought: ‘Screw it. I have to quit.’ So I did, and started a marketing consulting business. That grew. I had about 13 guys who worked for me. The clients were asking us to do advertising.

I was a dimwit. I thought, ‘It’s just words and pictures. It can’t be that hard.’ I knew that most of the advertising I saw in the healthcare space was shit. I still think that. You look at ads on TV, and they all look the same. There’s a lot of motion in the background to distract you as they tell you that your liver might fall out if you take this drug.”

So Mitzen packed up his family and moved back to Upstate New York in 1997, settling in Saratoga. “The first time I came to Saratoga I was still in high school,” he tells me. “I’d come for

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efforts when not managing the 40-acre farm where they live, about ten minutes outside Saratoga. “Two years ago, we were out at the farm for Christmas Eve dinner, just the two of us,” says Mitzen. “Lisa makes this big Italian thing. I don’t see my kids on Christmas Eve. I have them on Christmas day. [Mitzen has three children: Emily, in Manhattan; Nick, in Brooklyn; and Grace, a recent graduate of The Emma Willard School in Troy, who’s enrolled at UC-Santa Cruz.] So Lisa and I were sitting at home, and we thought, ‘Let’s go to the shelter and work.’

We came home from doing it that first time. I poured myself a big bourbon. She poured herself a glass of wine. And she said, ‘Our dogs live better than those people do.’

It really hit us both: We just have to do something. This is ridiculous. So we pledged $1 million to the charity involved in running the shelter to build a permanent one.”

It was in that moment that Mitzen’s advocacy for Code Blue Saratoga began.

Code Blue, a program of Shelters Of Saratoga, is an emergency homeless shelter open from November until April when the temperature dips below 32 degrees or a snowfall of 12 inches or more is predicted. All individuals seeking shelter are accepted without restrictions. The shelter’s temporary location is at Soul Saving Station Church at 62 Henry Street. “It’s nice that the church lets them stay there, but there’s no men’s and women’s sleeping quarters,” says Mitzen. “There are no laundry facilities. There’s not a lot of room to store a lot of food. There’s one bathroom for 60 people. I went to my buddy, builder Sonny Bonacio, who said he’d build it at-cost. Adirondack Trust agreed to give us a zero-sum interest loan. Everybody was wanting to do it.

We were going to put it on the grounds next to the existing sober shelter, so we wouldn’t have to buy the land, because dirt around here costs a fortune. We’ve been trying very hard.

I’m not giving up.”

That’s Mitzen’s nice and rather oblique way of his letting me know that his altruistic impulse met fierce opposition when 22 neighbors around the site banded together to stand in its way. “Led by one or two prominent people,” Mitzen decides to point out. He also claims Code Blue agreed to every demand those neighbors were making. The city’s Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved the building plan, but the neighbors were still able to get a court injunction against it at the last minute based on the zoning having been granted for a rooming house and not a shelter, because there’s no

“I needed a fresh start. I was at a turning point in my life. I had to take all the bad habits I had and throw them out the window.

I said to myself, ‘This isn’t you.’”

mitzen 360 (clockwise from top left) Ed Mitzen and his wife, Lisa, glacier hiking in Alaska; Mitzen with his first car in 1984; (from left) Lisa, Nick, Ed, Emily and Grace Mitzen hot air ballooning in Kenya; Mitzen on his Harley; the Mitzen family in Nantucket; Mitzen and the rest of the Voorheesville varsity football team in 1984; (opposite) in recent years, Mitzen has fought for the approval of a permanent homeless shelter in Saratoga.

concerts at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

I saw the Grateful Dead, the Doobie Brothers, Springsteen.

You could sit on the lawn for $10 and hang with your buddies.

In college, I’d go to the racetrack as a fun, social thing to do.

It was a lot different back then. It wasn’t nearly as built up as it is now. Our building now at Fingerpaint was a dilapidated pizza shop back then. The whole town has really blossomed.”

So has Mitzen since moving back here, but not without a few withering reassessments along the way about his life after he sold his advertising/consulting company in 2006. “I was also going through a divorce. I needed a fresh start. I was at a turning point in my life. I was 35. I had never had money before. I had never had success. I think I got a little full

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of myself. I just wasn’t doing well. I had to get my shit together. So I started Fingerpaint in a tiny office with a card table. It was sort of a mulligan for me. I had to take all the bad habits I had and throw them out the window. I said to myself, ‘This isn’t you.’”

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nd then he met Lisa.

“I immediately fell in love. I wasn’t planning to get married again. We’ve been together for 13 years.” Had she been married before as well? “She got married when she was around 23 to the guy in the band, and then he cut his hair. Lisa was great for me. She kept me grounded. She also helped me start Fingerpaint. The economy had tanked. Any stock I had had evaporated. My 401(k) was gone and that was what I was using to fund the business for cash flow. I had just paid this massive amount of money for a divorce. I was back to square one. I was thinking, ‘What the hell had I done?’ I was living in an apartment with a couch and a flat-screen TV and that was about it. Oh, I had a beanbag chair. I had that. Lisa— who worked for Countrywide at the time and hated it—actually lent me some money to help get the business off the ground.”

Lisa now teaches fitness classes at Saratoga Bootcamp Bike & Box Studio and is quite involved in the couple’s philanthropic

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wording in the city charter for zoning for a homeless shelter.

“Right now, we’re at a standstill,” Mitzen says. “Winter’s coming. They have the temporary shit box they have at the church. We’re going to support that financially and ensure that we can do the best we can with it. Now it’s incumbent on the city to figure out how to change the zoning laws, because, right now, I can’t put the shelter anywhere.”

You’d have no earthly idea that they’re homeless unless you took an interest in the homeless.”

Ed Mitzen will not give up until the shelter is built. And instead of focusing on or naming those who have stood athwart his desire to help and to house the homeless in Saratoga, he chooses to mention others who have influenced him in town. “When I got here as a 30 year old, I was very inspired by other leaders in the community by what aratoga is a small town—it is Mayberry, as Mitzen has they were giving back. Not just money. There’s this guy, mentioned—so he must know the opposition leaders Stephen Sullivan, who owns Olde Bryan Inn and Longfellows and travel in the same social circles. “There’s definitely Hotel and Restaurant. He’s always donating food for charity some friction,” he allows. “We’re civil. It’s not like I would events and dropping off food at the homeless shelter. I’m sure spit on the guys if they walked by me. On a human he doesn’t make $100 million a year, but he’s very engaged and basis, it’s hard not to make them the poster children for the aware of helping others. There’s Charles Wait, Chairman and problem. I also recognize they have fear and concern. I’m not CEO of Adirondack Trust. Marylou Whitney and her husband dismissing that. They might have young kids. I get it. But I do John Hendrickson—they donate a ton of money. I looked think, for the betterment of society, there comes a time when around at these people and thought it was very inspiring. I you have to put those fears away. A never honestly thought we’d be in a woman died on the street here—her position to do what we’re doing. But name was Nancy Pitt—and everyone it feels amazing. I don’t do it out of sort of looked around and asked a sense of guilt or obligation. I don’t how the hell did that happen here think I’m obligated to give anything in Saratoga, here in our Mayberry. I away. It just makes me feel great.” started to meet a lot of the homeless in Our lunch at Boca Bistro is coming to town through my volunteering, doing an end—he was right about the dates, meals—breakfasts mostly. I’d felt the they were delicious—and I ask about same way about the homeless as a his own politics. For all his philanthropy lot of folks did before I met them—you and his civic-minded volunteerism, know: scary, dirty, substance abuse Mitzen seems quite circumspect issues. But as I got to meet more about politics itself. He doesn’t reveal and more of them, it reaffirmed to me much. Does he want to take this that there’s a very fine line between chance to put them on display? “I being very successful and being on was a Republican my whole life until the streets. I could see some of the Trump won,” he readily admits. “And decisions I made in my own life—my then I changed to Democrat. I was so dad was an alcoholic—and somehow, shocked and disheartened. I think the by the grace of God, I luckily avoided Republican Party left me. I didn’t leave work as art A giant fingerpainting it. I’m hammered driving, for instance, it.” Would he ever run for office? “I hangs in the reception area at and I kill somebody, and I go to trial and don’t think I have the patience. I don’t Fingerpaint’s HQ; (opposite) “I never no one will hire me. And before you think I’d ever do it.” That’s not a no. “I honestly thought we’d be in a position to know it, I’m doing drugs to cope. All always tease my wife that I should run do what we’re doing,” Mitzen says. of a sudden, I’m living on the streets. I for the Senate. I don’t know where this really, firmly believe that people don’t arrogance comes from that I have any realize how fragile that line is and how easily they could end idea what it would be like to be a senator in Washington. But, up there. Clearly, some of them have mental health issues as I said, I don’t have the patience. Plus, I don’t think I’m mean that they need to get addressed, and there are substance enough or nasty enough to get in the mud with people,” he abuse issues. But I could argue there’s probably substance continues, although the whole Code Blue blowup got pretty abuse issues in every single office up and down this street. muddy. Indeed, he’s still scraping that mud off his boots and And then, a third of the homeless I’ve met just had some getting ready to stomp back even more purposefully into shitty breaks. They get up. They take the bus to work. They the civic fray. “I’d be the guy who would lose but would lose have alimony payments. And they just can’t afford a place to ethically,” he says, looking at me just as a steely glint comes live. Lisa and I knew a lot of them. They’re working among to his eye. He grins. King Kong flexes there on his bicep. “And if you don’t win, what’s the point?” he asks. us. You’d see them working in Starbucks and other places.

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“When I got here as a 30 year old, I was very inspired by other leaders in the community, by what they were giving back.

Not just money.

I never honestly thought we’d be in a position to do what we’re doing. But it feels amazing.”

Heather Straughter

Neil Golub

Chairman Of The Board, Price Chopper Supermarkets

Cofounder and Treasurer, Jake’s Help From Heaven

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BY WILL LEVITH D’Amico

living

CREDIT

photography by Francesco exclusively for saratoga

s I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten a lot more emotional. Put me in front of the right situation (the movie Up) and before you know it, I’m having a good, ugly cry. But when I read up on local nonprofit foundation Jake’s Help From Heaven, things went a little bit differently: Yes, I immediately got choked up, but it was soon followed by an intense feeling of hope.

Jake’s Help From Heaven was cofounded

by Heather and Brian Straughter, whose son, Jake, unexpectedly passed away in December 2010 (a massive seizure Jake had when he was eight months old led to innumerable complications). “I was 24/7, round-the-clock with Jake,” says Heather.

“And then there was this void.” To fill it, just days after Jake’s passing, the Straughters turned their grief into action. “Jake taught us about what was important in life, about resiliency and strength, and we wanted to honor him and use what we’d learned from him,” she says. The following March, they launched the foundation, with the mission of supporting families like their own, who were dealing with the life-altering effects of having a child with a debilitating illness.

Nowadays, if you’re a family in need and reach out to the foundation, the first person you’ll likely talk to is Heather. “We come from a place of ‘yes’. If we can make a difference for a family and impact its quality of life, chances are we’re going to say yes,” she says. This past December, the foundation crossed a major milestone, having awarded more than half a million dollars to families in need.

Since talking to Heather Straughter, another emotion has entered my being: pride. She and her family are making Saratoga an even better place to call home. And it’s all thanks to Jake.

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grew up helping check items off my mother’s grocery list at Price Chopper— and now I do the same, but at Market 32. When I’m there, my mind isn’t ever on my next altruistic act, it’s on my growling stomach. Not so for Neil Golub.

The self-described family-in-business grocer (“family business,” for him, implies that people get special treatment, and at his company, they don’t) is undeniably one of the most generous residents in the Capital Region.

Neil’s father and uncle founded what would become the Golub Corporation in 1932 and had “community involvement in their DNA,” he tells me. The company now operates Price Chopper, Market 32 and Market Bistro supermarkets in six states, including New York, and he serves as Chairman of the Board. Nowadays, Neil and his wife, Jane, support numerous causes, including the Special Olympics, the Double H Ranch and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Neil coanchored the local MDA Jerry Lewis telethon for more than three decades). Another cause the couple has championed for years is women’s health. Jane is a breast cancer survivor and has atrial fibrillation, and the Golubs have underwritten the Neil and Jane Golub Breast & Heart Health Center at Ellis Medicine’s Bellevue Woman’s Center. Additionally, they’ve contributed significantly to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). “I’d say, openly, that I’m a shill for BCRF, because most of the major advancements that have been made in breast cancer have come as a result of their fundraising,” says Neil.

Neil says he’s never been a big fan of the term philanthropist, because it really doesn’t get to the essence of what he does. “The idea of giving and doing deserves another definition,” he says.

The next time I’m at Market 32, I’ll think of Neil the grocer—and how I, too, can become a “philactionist.”

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Linda Toohey

Tas Steiner

FOUNDER, LEADERSHIP SARATOGA

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, WHISPERING ANGELS OF SARATOGA SPRINGS

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’d like to think that I’ve done a lot of good in my life. I’m pushing 40, and, well, I probably have a half-century in me before, well, you know. But when I look at Linda Toohey’s résumé, I can’t help wondering: Am I doing enough? In 1977, two years before my big arrival at Saratoga Hospital, Toohey left Iowa for Saratoga Springs, and our city has never been the same.

That year, Toohey was appointed President and Publisher of The Saratogian, making her the youngest woman in the country to hold a similar position at the time. Three years later, she became the Executive Vice President of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, where, in ’85, she founded the Leadership Saratoga program—basically, a Ford-style production line of future members of local nonprofit boards, city councils and political committees. “I think you learn how to be a leader,” she says. “I don’t think you’re born one.” The Chamber was lucky to have her leadership skills for more than three decades.

Over the arc of her career, Toohey has seemingly had a hand in everything that makes Saratoga…yes, Saratoga. She currently serves on the boards of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Charles R. Wood Foundation and Wellspring.

She’s also served on the boards of The Emma Willard School (her alma mater), Skidmore College, Saratoga Hospital and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Near the end of our conversation, Toohey drops something equal parts modest and powerful when I ask her about what we can all do to give back. “Everyone can become a philanthropist,” she says.

“The amount of money you give isn’t important. It’s that you give something.”

I guess I have my work cut out for me.

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s my colleagues can attest, every day—no matter how many open spots there are in front of the saratoga living offices—I park my car in the garage behind Putnam Market. And day after day, I walk by Saratoga Springs’ growing homeless population, sleeping in the garage’s stairwell or near the elevator bank. Now, let this statistic sink in for a moment: 40 percent of homeless youth under the age of 25 identify as LGBTQ. I can’t help but think that some of the people I’ve passed needed more than just a blanket, hot meal or roof over their heads. They needed acceptance.

That’s where Saratogian Tas Steiner—a former celebrity publicist/event planner turned Albany-based psychotherapist— and the nonprofit foundation he launched in 2017, Whispering Angels Of Saratoga Springs (WASS), come into play. “When a 16-year-old gets kicked out of her home because of her sexual orientation or gender identity, she doesn’t have anywhere to go,” says Steiner. She might couch-surf at a friend’s house—or worse yet, squat in the Saratoga Spa State Park. And the saddest part? “In the eight counties of the Capital District/Saratoga County, there are only eight beds specifically set aside for LGBTQ homeless youth,” Steiner says. Yikes.

Currently, the foundation supports LGBTQ issues in Saratoga, the Southern Adirondack area and the greater Capital Region, with a focus on at-risk and homeless LGBTQ youth. It drums up dollars, annually, via its popular Garden Party in June and Sleep Out event, where members of the community actually camp outside in the winter to raise awareness for homeless LGBTQ youth. Next year’s Sleep Out takes place in March. Now that’s dedication.

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∏ the

saratoga living

fantastical holiday luxury gift guide

This Holiday Season, Give The Gift Of Wellness

∏ B Y N ATA L I E M O O R E

Spa services using the finest organic ingredients...

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ALBANY 221 WOLF RD

518.489.5231

WWW.COMPLEXIONS.COM HOLIDAY GIFT CARD SPECIALS NOW AVAILABLE!

SARATOGA SPRINGS 268 BROADWAY

518.306.5502

CREDIT

RELAXATION LOUNGE STEAM ROOM & SAUNA FACIALS MEDICAL SPA TREATMENTS MASSAGE THERAPY HAIR STUDIO NAIL SALON MAKEUP ARTISTRY

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(ROMANCE)

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GLUTTONY (EAT + DRINK)

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(POSSESSIONS)

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(COVET)

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(THE LOOK)

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(ADRENALINE)

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(LEISURE)

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∏ four-course meal with bottles of Dom Perignon and Bourbon Barrel aged Cabernet with a duet playing on the lower deck. After dinner, watch a private fireworks display from the third deck and dance under the stars until the boat docks. $14,995 (available off-season only) lakegeorgesteamboat.com

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Amazing Prime At Saratoga National Experience

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Private Dinner For Two Aboard The Lac Du Saint Sacrement (Canfield): DANIEL CASE; (Prime) @FIFTYTWOTHURSDAYS

love boat What’s more romantic than a private cruise on Lake George, complete with a fireworks display and dancing under the stars?

Experience all Prime at Saratoga National has to offer with your significant other.

Begin your day with 18 holes of Championship Golf at Saratoga National, and top it with a private dinner for two at Prime.

Seated next to the infinity pool illuminated by floating candles, you’ll enjoy delicious Prime favorites, as well as wine and after-dinner cocktails and a violin/harp duo performing nearby. Finish the night off with an exclusive fireworks display overlooking the 18th hole and owl pond. $8000 (not valid during Saratoga racing season) golfsaratoga.com

Get picked up from Lake George Village by horse and carriage and brought to The Lac du Saint Sacrement, the largest boat on inland waters in New York State. Enjoy a

Romantic Skywriting

Tell her you love her or ask her to marry you in a way the whole city will see. Take her on a picnic on a sunny day and point up…there she’ll see your message written in clouds by an airplane. $7500-$19,500 flysigns.com

short of exquisite. at the hotel’s Instead of rings, L. RAPHAEL opt this time Beauty Spa; for diamond a flight of the earrings from exclusive 55deJonghe year whiskey, Original Balvenie DCS Jewelry for Compendium her and a Chapter, at Ty Thoroughbred Bar; a carriage Canfield Casino racehorse for ride through Central him. Finally, after the Park with a bottle of ceremony, hop in a helicopter Dom Perignon; dinner at which will bring you to JFK for 3-Michelin-star restaurant, Per a luxurious five-night trip to the Se; a show at Jazz at Lincoln Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, the Center; breakfast in bed by City of Love. Approximately chef John Johnson; a drive in $50,000 colincowie.com the Four Seasons’ Rolls Royce Ghost house car to shopping at Tiffany’s VIP salon; a stroll Ultimate Romantic through Rockefeller Center to Bar Sixty Five, located on the NYC Weekend 65th floor of Rockefeller plaza, Your 48-hour getaway in for drinks; ice skating at Bryant Gotham by Les Clefs d’ Or Park; dinner at Gabriel Kreuther; Concierge Clancy O’Connor of and finally Sunday brunch at Four Seasons Hotel New York Jojo, by Jean-Georges. $10,215 will include a stay at the Four fourseasons.com/newyork Seasons; couples massages

Saratoga Luxury Vow Renewal

What better place to renew your vows than Saratoga Springs? Use Dempsey & Carroll New York for your save-the-dates and invitations, and then host the event in the ballroom of the Canfield Casino. The globally legendary Colin Cowie team will make sure the ceremony showcases the journey you’ve taken as a couple, and that it’s nothing

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Ty Bar at Four Seasons Hotel New York

RENT OUT A BOWTIE CINEMA THEATER FOR TWO

COUPLES SPA DAY AT CLASSICAL CONCEPTS

CHIC UNDERNEATH FLORA NIKROOZ LINGERIE

Watch the latest rom-com on the big screen with all the privacy of your own home. $720 and up bowtiecinemas.com

Elemental Nature massage and facial, manicure and pedicure and relaxing shampoo and condition with styling, for two. $755 classicalconceptssalon.com

The matching Gabby Charmeuse Chemise with Lace and Wrap with Lace. $166 chicunderneathboutique.com

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Tetsuya’s, located in the outskirts of Sydney, is one of the world’s most exclusive

Personal Reserve Of Upstate Distilling’s Un-Aged Bourbon

Enjoy a private four-course dinner for eight by David Burke in the comfort of your home. A sample menu includes seared scallop truffle with risotto butter, braised leeks and nasturtium greens; crispy pork belly with cornmeal puree, wild red huckleberry and mustard greens; bone marrow-crusted, 45-day DB salt dry-aged strip

Wine Around The World

Putnam Market Wine Room Sommelier William Roach presents an afternoon tasting of eight wines from around the world for eight people in your own home. The wines hail

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ONE YEAR OF SARATOGA TEA & HONEY Four premier Saratoga Tea & Honey gift baskets—one for every season—delivered quarterly. $503 saratogateaandhoney.com

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Upstate Distilling is offering 50 bottles of un-aged bourbon, or white whiskey, along with a 10-gallon barrel that you can fill yourself to have your own personal reserve of whiskey. Sample the whiskey throughout its journey of aging with an included sampling device. $1000 upstatedistilling.com

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David Burke

KILWINS GOURMET ICE CREAM CAKE

MRS. LONDON’S ONE OF EACH BOX

Mint and cappuccino ice cream, a delicious chocolate cake, butter cream frosting and Oreo crumbles make for an unbelievable holiday dessert. $59.99 kilwins.com

One almond croissant, one cinnamon meltaway, one cranberry pecan scone and one of every other available baked good.

Approximately $100 mrslondonsbakery.com

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Tetsuya’s Restaurant

Private Dinner For Eight By Chef David Burke

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(barrels) TOM SHOCKEY/FLICKR; (burger) MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL; (Tetsuya’s) CAMW; (wine) KELSEY KNIGHT

If fast food burgers aren’t quite your style, take a special someone on a trip to Fleur By Hubert Keller in Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. There you’ll find the Fleur Burger 5000, the true king of burgers, comprised of wagyu beef, foie gras and truffle, served with a bottle of 1995 Chateau Pétrus 5000. $5000 mandalaybay.com

restaurants—for good reason.

The degustation menu is based on the Japanese philosophy of using natural seasonal flavors, and is constantly evolving. Add in one of Australia’s most comprehensive wine lists, with sommeliers to match dishes with wines by the glass, and a dinner at Tetsuya’s is one you won’t soon forget—if you can get a reservation, that is. $230 per person tetsuyas.com

steak with foie gras marsala and carmelized onions; and hazelnut financier chocolate mousse with smoked pecans and candied winter squash. $13,740 plus alcohol and tax/gratuity theadelphihotel.com

EAT + D R I N K

Fleur Burger 5000

from France to Napa Valley, Australia to Chile, and all are completely true to the place they were grown and the style of the house in which they were made. It’s truly a wine and travel enthusiasts’ dream. $2441.44 putnammarket.com/wine

more, please

bourbon street Upstate Distilling is offering personal reserves of un-aged bourbon for you to sample throughout its journey of aging.

Gluttony

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Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

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The latest update to Lamborghini’s flagship Aventador, the SVJ has a 770 horsepower, naturally aspirated V12 engine—the most powerful production V12 in company history. It goes 0-62 in just 2.8 seconds and its top speed exceeds 217 mph. Released this August, the SVJ is a thrillseeker’s dream car. $517,770 lamborghini.com

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RM 27-03 Rafael Nadal Watch

It’s one thing to win the French Open a record 11 times(!) and counting. It’s another to do it with a three-quarters-of-amillion-dollar watch on your wrist. That’s exactly what

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Get her one of the world’s great natural treasures: the 59.60-carat oval mixed-cut pink diamond known as “The Pink Star.” Don’t worry about the fact that renowned jeweler Chow Tai Fook bought the diamond at Sotheby’s in 2017 for $71.2 million, setting a world auction record for any diamond or jewel—make Chow Tai Fook Chairman Dr. Henry Cheng KarShun an offer he can’t refuse.

Upwards of $71.2 million sothebys.com

Everyone who loves luxury surely knows that Hermès’ Birkin Bag is the gold standard in exquisite handbags, and the 30cm Birkin Bag in the rare and breathtaking Vert D’eau

Matte Alligator is one of the brand’s most jaw-dropping items. It comes with a lock and keys in the clochette, sleepers and a signature Hermes box. $118,650 worldsbest.com

Le Beau Chapeau Owner and Designer Nancy Matt has created custom millinery designs seen in the Winner’s

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Pink Star Diamond Ring

Hermès Birkin Bag 30cm Vert D’eau Matte Alligator Gold Hardware

Custom Hat By Milliner Nancy Matt

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hat’s entertainment Milliner Nancy Matt provides private consultations with women to ensure their custom hat or fascinator is absolutely perfect.

tennis superstar Rafael Nadal did earlier this year, sporting Richard Mille’s Spanish flaginspired RM 27-03, created in collaboration with the legend himself. The watch can withstand shocks of up to 10,000 G’s while weighing in at a mere 34 grams. $747,000 richardmille.com

Circle at the Kentucky Derby, Travers Stakes, Preakness and Belmont, as well as on notable women from New York, to London, to Dubai. She provides private consultations and designs hats made with materials gathered while traveling, often to Europe. $200-$2500 nancymatt4477@gmail.com

DEJONGHE ORIGINAL JEWELRY WOMEN’S HORSESHOE BRACELET

SILHOUETTE TITAN MINIMAL ART ICON SUNGLASSES

SARATOGA THOROUGHBREDS

BY FRANKIE FLORES

A 14k gold diamond horseshoe bracelet on neoprene with a 14k gold clasp. $1750 djoriginals.com

Silhouette’s TMA Icon is a hybrid between a rimless and full-rim style that comes in an appealing array of accent colors. $375 silhouette.com

A 82"w x 74"h acrylic on canvas of five thundering horses and their jockeys by Saratoga Springs-based artist Frankie Flores. $28,000 floresart7.com

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∏ The Adelphi Hotel’s Owner’s Box Suite For Entire Saratoga Race Course Meet

Pumpkin Key is a 26-acre private island located in Card Sound Bay in the Florida Keys. The island is a ten-

Home to 165 residences, The World is the world’s largest private residential ship, and each year travels the globe on

CO V ET

Every skier’s dream is to go heli-skiing in Alaska, so go all out with a seven-day, eight-night stay at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. First fly 40 minutes from Anchorage to Judd Lake on a ski plane, where you’ll be staying in a 12-person private luxury lodge complete with copper hot tubs, a wine cellar, gourmet meals and an experienced wait staff. Then do what you flew all the way to Alaska to do: hit the 1.2 million acres of powdery heli-ski terrain waiting outside your door. $168,000 tordrillomountainlodge.com

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must have

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1863 CLUB AT SARATOGA RACECOURSE

TOUR OF TRAINER H. JAMES BOND’S PRIVATE BARN

2019 SARATOGA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER PATRON MEMBERSHIP

Rent one of the remaining private ultraluxury suites in the brand-new, climatecontrolled 1863 Club at the rail at Saratoga Race Course for the entirety of the meet. $125,000-$140,000 nyra.com

An hour-and-a-half tour of Bond’s barn with a discussion about what it’s like to be a Whitney- and Travers-winning trainer and why Bond made Saratoga Springs his home base. $300 tbond15007@aol.com

SPAC’s 2019 premier membership opportunity featuring full-access to exclusive Patron’s Club Dining, entrance to Patron’s Terrace and preferred patron parking. $2000 spac.org

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a journey determined by the residents and the captain.

Live just as you would on land in a luxury studio, one-, two- or three-bedroom residence, waking up to a new view from your private veranda each morning, participating in on-board recreational and fitness activities, dining at six unique restaurants and, oh yeah, going on expeditions in each port you visit.

Residences $2-20 million aboardtheworld.com

WOW

Pumpkin Key Island

Helicopter Skiing In Alaska

Live Aboard ‘The World’

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Orion Span has set its sights on creating the world’s first luxury space hotel orbiting 200 miles above Earth’s surface. Aurora Station will orbit our planet every 90 minutes, meaning guests will experience night and day from their private suites every hourand-a-half over the course of their 12-day stay. Orion Span plans to launch the Aurora Station in 2021. $9.5 million orionspan.com

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Vacation In Space Aboard Aurora Station

minute helicopter ride to Miami’s South Beach and a ten-minute boat ride to Ocean Reef, a private club in Key Largo. It features one main home, two caretaker’s cottages, a dock master’s apartment, tennis courts and a marina able to accommodate a mega-yacht. $95 million privateislandsonline.com

Attention all serious horseracing lovers! Live in the lap of luxury—The Adelphi Hotel’s Owner’s Box Suite—for the entire six weeks of Saratoga Race Course’s meet. The Owner’s Box Suite features two master bedrooms, two living rooms, a 400-square foot library and a private 500-foot terrace overlooking Broadway.

This also includes your own exclusive luxury box every day at the race course. $139,773.09 theadelphihotel.com

❤ Envy

yolo How does a dozen friends going on the trip of a lifetime sound? Get ready to helicopter ski in Alaska courtesy of Tordrillo Mountain Lodge.

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∏ New Wardrobe From Lucia Boutique Treat your lady to five headto-toe outfits for work, a holiday party, a cozy night in, date night and a casual day of shopping. $1100 luciaboutique.com

IJK

POLY Go

POLY Go, the portable, handheld companion to POLY (polychromatic light therapy system), is the newest innovation in LED light therapy. Rather than paying each time you get LED treatment at a spa, purchase POLY Go once and treat your problem areas yourself.

Options include POLY Go Clear for acne, POLY Go Regen for pain and POLY Go Rejuv for beauty. $295.99$349.99 mypolyed.com/go

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Retrouvé’s four-piece gift set, which includes a nutrient face serum, dynamic nourishing face cream, intensive replenishing facial moisturizer and revitalizing eye concentrate skin hydrator, is designed to be a wardrobe for the skin, and can be used in multiple combinations to provide anti-aging benefits and replenish moisture for men and women. Retrouvé’s products have quickly become a favorite for men because of their high potency and simplicity. $1500 retrouve.com

k

Dress your man in some of the best evening wear on the market: a classic Black Twill Windsor Tuxedo by luxury fashion designer Tom Ford.

Featuring generous peak lapels with contrasting satin and full-cut trousers with satin taping, this tux was made for that holiday Saratoga gala. $5620 tomford.com

miraculous skincare product called Prestige La Cure, which in just three weeks reactivates key mechanisms in skin reconstruction for even the most fragile skin. $1550 neimanmarcus.com

Dior’s Prestige La Cure was born when Dior researchers discovered a wild rose capable of withstanding the harsh seaside climate of the cliffs of Granville near Normandy.

The secret to the plant’s life force? A unique combination of eight molecules. Now, this life force is available in a

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∏ (Ford) NICOGENIN

Pride

Tom Ford Tuxedo

Dior Prestige La Cure, 0.51 oz.

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i love lucia Get a new wardrobe from Lucia Boutique in Saratoga Springs from brands such as ASTR, Five & Two, Gentle Fawn and Urban Expressions.

o

The Retrouvé Collection LimitedEdition Gift Set

MAKE ME FABULOUS’ ‘THE GOLDEN GLOBE’S’ PACKAGE

PERSONAL TRAINING WITH TYLER HAMMETT AT METABOLIC MELTDOWN

A one-hour facial, signature blowdry and makeup application to make her fabulous. $185 makemefabulous.com

Personal training sessions three times a week for 12 weeks with Saratoga Springsbased trainer Tyler Hammett of Metabolic Meltdown. $1920 metabolicmeltdown.com

GENTLEMEN’S NIGHT IN BY VINNY’S BARBERSHOP OF SARATOGA A party for 12 gentlemen including a haircut, hot towel shave or trim, facial mask peel and scalp and neck massage, as well as a shoe shine and top-shelf bourbon, scotch and rye. $3950 vinnysbarbershopny.com

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∏

Give the gift of speed to the car racing lover in your life.

Indy Racing Experience is offering a one-day-only opportunity to experience a high-speed, 200 mph IndyCar Ride and meet racing legend Mario Andretti at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27—the day after the Indy 500. The day is complete with a Q&A and autograph session with Andretti, a 200 mph club ring and crew shirt, a video and photo package commemorating your 200 mph ride, lunch, a cocktail reception and a private tour of the Dallara IndyCar Factory with Andretti. $3299 indyracingexperience.com

Act as an extra on one of the hit TV shows of our time: This Is Us (NBC). $50,000 nbc.com/this-is-us

Make your very own Shark Week! Get up close and personal with the South African beasts of the sea and land on this two-day adventure. Dive with great whites in “Shark Alley” off the coast of Gansbaai on the first day, and hit the Aquila Private Game Reserve for a drive the second. $230 sharkcagediving.co.za

Shoot A Television Pilot Episode

Always dreamed of producing a TV show? Shoot the pilot

∏ SARATOGA NINJA LAB MEMBERSHIP A year-long Saratoga Ninja Lab membership including unlimited open gym and two team practices a week. $1800 saratoganinjalab.com

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LAKE PLACID BOBSLED AND SKELETON EXPERIENCE

HORSEBACK RIDING LESSONS AT QUIET RUN LIMITED

Give the sports a try at the home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. $136 whiteface.com

Five half-hour private lessons and five 45-minute advanced private lessons. $425 quietrunlimited.com

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Shark Dive & Safari Game Drive

ADRENALINE

200 MPH Club Experience

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Be An Extra On A TV Show

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Yes, it’s as terrifying as it sounds. Located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, Mason Wing Walking Academy provides one- and twoday wing walking courses that teach thrill-seekers how to maneuver around the outside of a Stearman biplane, while in flight. Don’t worry—the academy’s website states, “We have never had anyone fall.” $650-$1800 masonwingwalking.com

episode with a full cast and crew, then have it edited and pitched to major television networks. $700,000 freestyle-la.com

(Indy 500) IMS PRODUCTIONS; (shark) HARRY STONE/WHITE SHARK DIVING COMPANY; (TV shoot) KYLECHEROPS

Airplane Wing Walking

test pilot Give the television fanatic in your life the ultimate gift: the opportunity to shoot a pilot episode of their own show.

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∏ locations (there are four in Manhattan, one in Boston and one in Greenwich, CT) during a private VIP experience. $189,000 hastens.com

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The Citizenry Nublado Throw

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Proclaimed “The world’s most luxurious bed” by Hästens, the Vividus is a showcase of the finest natural materials, including slow-growing northern Swedish pine, layers of flax, horsetail hair, wool batting and cotton, handmade by a team of four experienced craftsmen who specialize in one single task over 320 hours. You can learn more about personalization options at one of Hästens exclusive

Never want to get out of bed? Bring the bed to your head with Charlotte Simone’s Helmet Head Hat, the softest and fluffiest looking faux fur hat ever. It’s sure to keep you warm through the impending Saratoga winter. $113 charlottesimone.com

Pieced Fox Hooded FullLength Faux Fur Coat

This 48-inch faux fur coat, accented by a face-framing hood, velvet pockets and a satin-faced hem, comes in pieced fox (a blend of black bands of color and shades of grey and taupe), red fox and arctic fox.

It incorporates all the details you’d expect from a $30,000 animal fur coat, and is one of the most beautiful and authentic furs in all of Donna Salyer’s Fabulous Furs collection. $599 fabulousfurs.com

Panasonic Ku Robotic Refrigerator

According to a 2017 Reuters video, Panasonic has its sights set on releasing “Ku,” a robotic fridge that comes to you, within the next five years (this kind of laziness is worth the wait). All you have to do is say, “Ku, come to the living room,” and the fridge will navigate itself from its spot in the kitchen to bring you a beer—without interrupting the big game you’re watching. TBA Panasonic.com

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YOGIBO DOUBLE BEAN BAG CHAIR FOR 2 CREDIT

it’s a wrap Each of The Citizenry’s Nublado Throws are made entirely by hand by a master weaver in Peru.

Vividus By Hästens

Knitted exclusively in a fair trade environment entirely by hand by a master weaver in Peru, each extra chunky Nublado Throw is made of luxe, unspun wool left in its purest state, and takes one full day to knit. Its compact, easy-to-style size makes it the perfect cozy accent piece for any living room. $395 the-citizenry.com

Charlotte Simone’s Luxe Helmet Head Hat

A giant lightweight bean bag that conforms to your body and separates into two individual chairs. $419 yogibo.com

HALO MASSAGE AT ADIRONDACK SALT CAVE HALOTHERAPY AND WELLNESS CENTER A one-hour therapeutic massage in a relaxing Himalayan salt environment. $120 adirondacksaltcave.com

CAR AND DRIVER FOR ONE YEAR Have a car and driver at your beck and call 12 hours a day for one year. $240,900 namascarservices.com

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PING GUIDE

Gap 341 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

A A Silver Breeze 516 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Adirondack Cigar Shoppe 63 Putnam Street, Saratoga Springs Aggie Mullaney 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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Allerdice ACE Hardware Lumber & Building Supplies 41 Walworth Street, Saratoga Springs

Homessence 439 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Amour New York 6 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs

Impressions of Saratoga 368 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Antara Home 62 Church Street, Saratoga Springs

iRun LOCAL 425 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

AMP Galleries 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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Jacobsen Oriental Rugs 543 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Banana Republic 331 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

James & Sons Tobacconists 360 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Bella & Lindy Saratoga’s Pet Boutique 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Jos. A. Bank 358 Broadway Suite 102, Saratoga Springs

Blue Sky Bicycles 71 Church Street, Saratoga Springs

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Kettlewell & Edwards 13 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs

Carpetland 78 Church Street #1, Saratoga Springs

Kilwins 420 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Celeste Susany Artist 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Khymanyo Studio 60 Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs

Celtic Treasures 456 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

La Sartoria Of Saratoga 379 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Chic Underneath 7 Spring Street, Saratoga Springs

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deJonghe Original Jewelry

Dennis deJonghe opened his custom jewelry store with his wife Peggy on Caroline St. in Saratoga Springs in 1982.

Dennis saw the local support for his craft and quickly outgrew his small shop on Caroline Street, moving to the company’s current space on Broadway in 1988. Dennis and Peggy’s son, Evan, joined the business in 2013 and brought with him business acumen and a knowledge of gemology and jewelry creation using new-world techniques. deJonghe’s original designs have garnered worldwide recognition for their beauty, quality and elegant lines, and serve as the perfect one-of-akind gift for that special, one-of-a-kind person.

470 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 518.587.642

Caroline & Main

Caroline & Main, located, fittingly, on the corner of Caroline Street and Broadway, directly across from its sister store, Lifestyles Of Saratoga, is known for its elevated and inspired style that borders on the nautical. Customers love Caroline & Main for its wide assortment of apparel for the fun but sophisticated woman, including clothing, shoes and accessories. Owner Heidi West, a Fashion Institute of Technology graduate, opened the boutique in 2016 after having much success at Lifestyles, which she took over in 2013.

438 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.450.7350

Lifestyles Of Saratoga 436 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Lily Saratoga 6 Franklin Square, Saratoga Springs Loft 315 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Comic Depot 514 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Common Thread Saratoga 512 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Compliments To The Chef 33 Railroad Place Suite 104, Saratoga Springs Crafters Gallery 427 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Dehn’s Flowers & Gifts 180 Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs

Lucia Boutique 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Rockabella Boutique 10 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs

Lyrical Ballad Bookstore 7 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs

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Merle Norman Cosmetics 70 Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs

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Miss Scarlett Boutique 19 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs

Eddie Bauer 338 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company 490 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Embrace the Race 327 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

N n. Fox Jewelers 404 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Encounter 482 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Red Wolf 15 Springs Street, Saratoga Springs Rena’s Fine Flowers 51 Ash Street, Saratoga Springs

Mango Tree Imports 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Dark Horse Mercantile 445 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Raina’s Jewelry 380 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Lola Saratoga 372 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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Samantha Nass Floral Design 57 Woodlawn Avenue, Saratoga Springs Saratoga Botanicals Organic Spa & Store 80 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs Saratoga Candy Co. 5 Washington Street, Saratoga Springs Saratoga Closet 38 Van Dam Street, Saratoga Springs Saratoga Debut Salon + Boutique 58 Church Street, Saratoga Springs Saratoga Olive Oil Co. 484 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

F

Northshire Bookstore 424 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Saratoga Saddlery & International Boutiques 506 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Feathered Antler 517 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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Saratoga Shoe Company 5 Spring Street, Saratoga Springs

Pangea 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Flores Fine Art Gallery 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Francelise Dawkins 79 Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs

PaperDolls Of Saratoga 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Saratoga Signature Interiors 82 Church Street, Saratoga Springs Saratoga Sundress 493 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Piper Boutique 441 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Saratoga Tea & Honey Company 348 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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Plum & Crimson Fine Interior Design 51 Ash Street, Saratoga Springs

Saratoga Trunk 493 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

G. Willikers Toys & Games 461 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Putnam Market 431 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Silverado Jewelry Gallery 446 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

⁄ DECEMBER 2018

Soave’ Faire 449 Broadway, Saratoga Springs Something Bleu Bridal 75 Woodlawn Ave, Saratoga Springs

Violet’s Of Saratoga

Violet’s Of Saratoga, located in the heart of Downtown Saratoga Springs, is a women’s lifestyle boutique that carries casual wear, denim, workwear, cocktail dresses, handbags, shoes, jewelry and gifts, all made by contemporary designers.

With such a wide variety of affordable, ready-to-wear clothing from brands including Free People and The Frye Company, the Violet’s team is always ready to assist women who are looking to reinvent their wardrobe, searching for the perfect piece for a special event or in the midst of a fashion emergency.

494 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.584.4838

Spoken Boutique 27 Church St, Saratoga Springs Sports 4 All 78 Church Street, Saratoga Springs

T Textile Studio 143 Grand Avenue, Saratoga Springs The Black Circle 79 Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs The Loft Blow Dry Bar & Makeup Boutique 30 Beekman Street, Saratoga Springs The Magic Moon 15 Phila Street, Saratoga Springs The Moxie On Maple Ave 19 Maple Avenue, Saratoga Springs The National By Saratoga National Golf Club 385 Broadway, Saratoga Springs The Pink Paddock 358 Broadway, Saratoga Springs The Savory Pantry 486 Broadway, Saratoga Springs The Shoppe 370 Broadway, Saratoga Springs The Vault 10 Caroline Street, Saratoga Springs

U Up In Smoke Saratoga 40 Caroline Street

Y Yellow Boutique 491 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

(deJonghe) EXPLORE SARATOGA; (MinkyMink) BRIANA LYONS

Clothes Horse 396 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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PING GUIDE

Lex & Cleo 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Clare’s Embroidery 1 S Federal Street, Saratoga Springs

Frivolous Boutique 385 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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P SHO

Alpine Sport Shop is essential for holiday shopping, especially for the winter enthusiast in your family. Inside the classic ski chalet-style building on Clinton Street in Saratoga, you’ll find Kühl soft flannel shirts, Newland sweaters, Marmot jackets, Astis mittens, Pistil and Chaos hats and scarves as well as skiwear from Obermeyer, Sunice and Picture Organic, not to mention Alpine Sport Shop’s wide selection of skis, snowboards, snowshoes and gear from K2, Salomon, Blizzard, Volkl, Rossignol, Armada and many more.

399 Clinton Street, Saratoga Springs 518.584.6290

Green Conscience 33 Church Street, Saratoga Springs Hatsationa!

510 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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Alpine Sport Shop

Gemset Of Saratoga 72 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs

Alexis Aida Boutique 437 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Chico’s 329 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

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MinkyMink

MinkyMink is a fashion sanctuary located in Downtown Glens Falls that offers curated clothing and accessories at affordable prices. The boutique is known for its modern and comfortably chic wardrobe essentials and statement pieces, from a variety of brands including 7 For All Mankind, Alternative Apparel, Clara Sunwoo, Hunter Boots, Knot Sisters and Scotch & Soda, as well as jewelry from Buffalo Bannon Designs, a local company run by MinkyMink Owner Maura Forcier’s sister.

203 Glen Street, Glens Falls 518.926.7227

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I S T H E R E A N Y T H I N G LOV E L I E R T H A N C H R I S T M A S I N T H E S PA C I T Y ?

The Holidays, Saratoga Style B Y B E V E R LY T R A C Y ILLUSTRATION BY

LAUREN CHILDS

| PHOTOGRAPH BY

FRANCESCO D’AMICO

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hat I love most about the holiday season in Saratoga Springs is the unexpected spirit of giving, cheer and decoration. It was in the winter of 2006—my family’s first holiday season in Saratoga—that this became evident. As I walked toward Broadway from our small downtown apartment one evening in December, my little boys in tow, their matching red winter hats, navy coats, mittens and boots keeping their small bodies warm, the sweet hum of caroling filled the otherwise quiet night. As if walking into what seemed to be a Norman Rockwell painting, we joined a crowd gathered in front of City Hall, singing and drinking hot cocoa offered from a large pot, its steam drifting into the night.

A Salvation Army volunteer stood on the corner ringing her bell, and I watched as each passerby tossed money into the kettle. Across the street, the grand, iconic wreath hung on the Adirondack Trust Company’s façade, lit by strings of twinkling white Christmas lights. Each storefront window told its own holiday story with decorated trees, gingerbread houses, coveted toys and glistening ornaments. A soft white snow began to fall as we walked past front porches aglow with lights, fresh wreaths hanging on their doors, as if to say, “Come in friends, celebrate with us.”

Although the crowds and revelry of the summer months die down considerably in the winter, there is a different sort of bustle around the holidays—one marked by joy and merriment, giving an even more special feeling to the city. From the Victorian StreetWalk and the arrival of Santa Claus and his reindeer to his house (which magically returns every winter to Broadway) to the charitable Festival Of Trees, tree-lighting ceremony, and, of course, the epic First Night celebration, the wonderment of Saratoga at holiday time is just as magical to my family now, more than a dozen years later, as it was that very first season.

Saratoga’s winter season is marked by fancy charity galas and sparkling lights everywhere you look—and even on the coldest, snowiest nights, you’ll be sure to find a mug of hot cocoa, families taking in Broadway’s magic and a community that decorates and celebrates together.

Holiday magic is alive and well in Saratoga— aren’t we the lucky ones?

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bank shot A view of The Adirondack Trust Company in Downtown Saratoga Springs; (opposite) Broadway shines bright during the holidays.

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What’s Yours?

SARATOGIANS WEIGH IN ON THEIR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS.

By Jonah Bayliss

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Ah

, the proverbial clean slate!

Although sometimes hard to come by in the mire that life can become, perhaps that’s what makes a clean slate every bit more refreshing when one is found.

I think we can all agree that while life may offer up a varying degree of challenges, it’s not impossible to hit that reset button. And, well, each of us gets a chance every year, whether we like it or not. In short, we get the new year.

As we usher out the old year and welcome in the new one, we’re all gifted with the chance to reboot our lives. No matter where we are in the world, we all wake up on January 1 with newly affirmed vows to better ourselves. Whether the changes we promise ourselves to make are big, small, simple or complicated, the beautiful thing is that all are acknowledged as justified by the ringing in of the new year.

In the past, making my yearly resolutions was fairly easy for me to do. Essentially, I just looked at the level of professional baseball I was playing the year before and aimed for the next rung up. As it turns out, though, a lot can happen in a year, as I left the comfort of the town I grew up in (Williamstown, MA) and the only profession I ever knew (Major League Baseball) to sell real estate here in Saratoga Springs, all within a 12-month span. All of a sudden, my statistical success-markers appeared foreign: “strikeouts” were replaced by “listings sold” and “earned-run averages” by “average days on market.”

At first attempt, it was a major challenge to assess my past year. Life, it seemed, had gotten a little more complicated…or had it? The more I pondered, the more I realized that, at the end of the day, the fundamental objective remained the same: to be better than I was the year before. Period.

All of this talk of new years and self-transformation makes me think of a quote attributed to Ernest Hemingway: “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” Of course, open to interpretations as varied as the eyes that read it. Yet as I share with you some New Year’s resolutions from fellow Saratogians, a true constant resides in everyone’s responses: We all have room for improvement. So cheers to that clean slate! May we all use ours to its fullest potential.

Michele Desrosiers Chief Marketing Officer, Saratoga Performing Arts Center

My New Year’s resolution is to become more intentional in my consumption of social media—in a couple of ways. First, I’d like to replace some of the time I spend keeping up with social media with more reading for work or pleasure.

Then, I’d like to exercise more on my recumbent bike and use that time to catch up on social media.

Tina Nigro

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, Residential and Commercial, Julie & Co. Realty 1. Increase my emotional intelligence: Instead of being frazzled in stressful situations, I’m going to work on being more poised.

2. Bring more peace into my life and others’: By passing it forward. I feel many of us would have more peace in our daily lives if we thought about others before ourselves.

3. Travel more: I hope to go to Italy in September 2019 with my mom.

4. Learn something new every day: Be open-minded to listening and learning from others on a daily basis.

5. Get back in the saddle: Get back to the barn at Skidmore College’s Equestrian Stables! Horses are the best therapy.

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Adam Gray

President/CEO, SheetLabels.com 1. Never stop learning: Find something new to learn about— for me, it would probably be related to a venture I’m involved in.

2. Don’t let obstacles get in my way: Make sure any challenges I’m faced with are treated as a learning opportunity.

3. Have more fun: Make more of an effort to have more fun with my family and friends.

4. Stay focused on the win: Keep my head down, listen to my advisors and scale my efforts as far ahead as possible.

5. Reduce stress: Make it a point to schedule some regular alone time at the spa and the gym, and to meditate.

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Darryl Leggieri

Alyssa Vilsaint Barista, Uncommon Grounds

Some of my resolutions include being more responsible, actually saving some of my money and traveling more.

Also to convince my boyfriend that we need another dog!

⁄ DECEMBER 2018

Kristen Zorda Owner, Yoga Mandali

My New Year’s resolution is to help more people experience yoga in a way that’s accessible to them.

Yoga can serve people in a lot of ways, and there are many styles to choose from.

President, Discover Saratoga (Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau) • Have more fun with my family: As our three kids get older, it’s still important to create special family memories for everyone to cherish.

• My personal touch: I plan to write more handwritten notes for meaningful connections.

• My creative side: Start taking an oil painting class again (I haven’t taken one since college).

• Visit my parents: Spend more quality time with them, and help them when they need it.

• Man up: Spend more quality time with my wife.

• Contribute to a cause: It’s the least I can do to make my community a better place to live in.

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Gregory Dodd, DDS, FAGD Kelly Herbs, DMD

Deborah DePasquale

Saratoga Springs Family Dentistry SPECIALTY: Cosmetic and General Dentistry

CEO/Founder, TOGA HERITAGE

Molly McCormack Kindergarten Teacher, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District

I’m not really one for making New Year’s resolutions...not anymore, anyway.

I learned a long time ago that it’s a sure way to set myself up for failure. So, in short, I’m choosing joy for 2019...and the rest will follow!

When saratoga living first called me about a New Year’s resolution, I thought to myself: I can’t remember the last time I made a New Year’s resolution.

After thinking about it for a while and putting it off, I realized that deciding on a resolution is another way I can keep my dad’s memory alive. He passed away in June 2017, and he was and will always be my favorite person. He was the happiest, most hardworking man I’ve ever known, and I will always strive to be more like him.

So, long story short, my New Year’s resolution is to be more positive, work harder and have more fun, just like my dad.

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Sandra Fox Founder/President, Sensory Six

Danny Petrosino

Owner/Head Chef, Osteria Danny I take New Year’s resolutions very seriously. Extensive thought was put into this year’s: I plan to quit smoking, lose weight, exercise more, never raise my voice in the kitchen and drastically lower my menu prices.

“Zen” is my word for 2019, with the intention being to live my life with more peace, joy and balance.

I plan to be more mindful, giving my full presence to the people around me and the moment I’m in. Making a habit of spending more time in nature will certainly be a goal.

Maintaining a strong, healthy body and mind will continue to be a priority, fueled by sleep, exercise and healthy food.

I will also actively seek personal growth with continuous learning through new experiences and travel to new places.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I will surround myself with my tribe and make time to be with those people.

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Today, that small family dental practice has expanded to 7 offices serving the entire North Country and Capital District. Partners, Dr. Gregory Dodd and Dr. Kelly Herbs are proud to continue the history of exceptional dentistry and the commitment to optimizing each patient’s dental experience. The growth of this practice is directly the result of the trust and enduring loyalty Gregory Dodd, DDS, FAGD of generations of families. Their offices are truly Kelly Herbs, DMD challenging the traditional dental office model by Saratoga Springs Family Dentistry delivering the highest quality of care using the best Experience World Class Esthetic Dentistry possible materials and modern technologies and they Almost 50 years ago a small dental office opened to are the doing while ac cepting most major insurances. serve growingitcommunity of Saratoga Springs.

Today, that small family dental practice has expanded to The dentists in all of our offices take pride in patient 7 offices serving the entire North Country and Capital centered care.

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Partners, Dr. Gregory and Dr. Kelly Herbsthere is no perfect are proud to continue the history of exceptional den­ smile only the perfect smile for you. We strive to tistry and the commitment to optimizing each patient’s exceed the expectations of every dental experience.

The growth of this practice is di­ patient but we rectly the result of the trust and enduring of gen­ remain always aware thatloyalty every patient has different erations of families. Their offices are truly challenging expectations.

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The dentists in allate of ourstaff offices in takeapride in patient compassion family environment free centered care. We recognize that there is no perfect of judgment high smile only the perfectand smile for you. pressure We strive to ex­sales tactics. ceed All the expectations of every patient remain al­ of our offices offerbutawefull range of restorative and ways aware that every patient has different cosmeticIndentistry; to periodontal expectations. all of our officesfrom you will extractions immediately recognize blending of both thefrom science and art of (gum)the laser therapy, invisible (white) fillings to dentistry being done by a highly skilled and compassion­ crowns, inlays and onlays, fromandInvisalign to cosmetic ate staff in a family environment free of judgment high pressure sales tactics.most beautiful porcelain veneers for bonding to the All of our offices offer a full range of restorative and the smile offrom your dreams.

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somethin’ ’bout a truck Angelo DeCrescente started DeCrescente Distributing with one truck in Mechanicville in 1948; (opposite) the DeCrescente Distributing team supports Carmine DeCrescente III's 2017 Real Men Wear Pink campaign for the American Cancer Society by wearing pink to work.

DeCrescente Distributing: It’s All In The Family

The Capital Region powerhouse turns 70—and it’s just getting started.

B Y N ATA L I E M O O R E

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I

says. In other words, run the business as if it were a family. For t wasn’t until I met C.J. DeCrescente that I began example, DeCrescente hosts various family-friendly activities to notice all the DeCrescente Distributing trucks throughout the year for its employees, including a breakfast around Saratoga Springs. Sure, I noticed the with Santa Claus during the holiday season and a night at delivery trucks that always seem to be lining the Great Escape in Queensbury. As for DeCrescente himself, Caroline Street but I never realized just how running the family business wasn’t always in the cards. C.J. many of them are from DeCrescente. Dude, actually wanted to be a physical they’re everywhere. education teacher, and only after DeCrescente is driving his first sales route did he a Mechanicvillefind his place in the business. “I based beverage distribution liked the competitiveness of it company that’s celebrating its and I’ve always liked dealing with 70th anniversary in 2018. Angelo people, so that made me go in DeCrescente founded the the beer direction,� he says. business in 1948 with one truck, Turns out that “the beer and since then, the fleet has direction� isn’t all business, all the expanded to 55, which annually time; it’s allowed C.J. to have a delivers ten million cases of beer positive impact on his community, and other beverages to clients in too.

For one, he serves on the 11 counties in Upstate New York. boards of the Northeastern New That’s up to 800 cases per day York Chapter of the Alzheimer’s during the height of the summer Association, Saratoga Performing season. More importantly, since Arts Center, CAPTAIN Community the beginning, the company has Human Services and the David stayed family owned: Angelo’s Ortiz Children’s Fund. He’s also son Carmine I took over in the Chairman of the New York ’73 and his son C.J., who’s the State Police Signal 30 Benefit current President, assumed the Fund, which helps support officers leadership role in ’97. Now C.J.’s injured or killed in the line of duty sons, Matthew and Carmine III, and their families. All that, and both work at the company.

DeCrescente Distributing partners I first met C.J. at the home of with dozens of other nonprofit Boston Red Sox legend David organizations throughout the Ortiz, of all places. For being the year for benefits in the Capital wildly successful force behind Region. “The business that we DeCrescente Distributing’s growth do in the area has just enabled over the past two decades, C.J. us to participate in various was surprisingly easy to talk to, philanthropic activities that we like and seemed just as captivated doing and that are just good for

by Ortiz’s decked-out Red Sox the community,� C.J. says. memorabilia-filled man cave as C.J. remains quite bullish about I was. (DeCrescente distributes family ties (from top) DeCrescente Distributing’s the next 70 years of DeCrescente Ortiz’s Arias Wine.) first building, in 1961; C.J., Carmine I and Angelo Distributing. “I want the company A few months later, C.J. DeCrescente; Carmine III, C.J., Carmine I and Matthew DeCrescente celebrating the company's to be better than it was, and by and I reconnected to discuss 70th anniversary. the time it gets to my son, I want DeCrescente Distributing’s past, him to be able to make it better present and future. I first asked than when I had it,� he says. “If he can do better than me, him about his company’s secret sauce: How have the then I’ve done my job.

My goal is to put my two boys in the DeCrescentes kept their business afloat and in the family for best position to succeed in the future.

That’s really my job 70 years? “I’m not trying to be clichĂŠ, but I think if you can now—to get them ready.â€? create an environment and a culture where your people can And that, my friends, is the key to a family business that just feel good about where they work and that they have a voice plain works. Happy birthday, DeCrescente Distributing. I look and can come forward and bring their ideas or issues to you, forward to seeing many more of your trucks roll by. that creates the right culture and a family-type atmosphere,â€? he

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holidays

e n

i l o r & n Ca i a M

take me to church Olana’s Court Hall, filled to the brim with Frederic Church's art collection, right off the house’s main staircase; (opposite) Church designed Olana so it would have incredible views of the man-made lake and Hudson River.

majesty on the hudson majesty on the hudson

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A R T I ST F R E D E R I C C H U R C H ’ S 1 9 T H - C E N T U RY H O M E I S H I STO R I C , S C E N I C A N D J U ST P L A I N I M P R E S S I V E .

I T ’ S A B O U T T I M E I T G O T I T S OW N B O O K .

BY W I L L L E V I T H

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(view) STEVE COHEN

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the view (left) An aerial view of the main residence at Olana, looking south along the Hudson River, with the Catskill Mountains in the distance; (inset) Olana On The Hudson: Art, Landscape, Architecture was published in October 2018.

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y wife and I owned a beat-up Honda the last several years we lived in Brooklyn—and I can’t begin to explain how freeing having it was. That car was our one-way ticket out of dodge whenever we needed a break from city life. And our destination was always the same: somewhere Upstate. We drove to Bear Mountain (hiking), Woodstock (on our anniversary), Haines Falls (Selena’s Diner), Beacon (the Dia), Hyde Park (Franklin D. Roosevelt’s home) and Cornwall (Storm King Art Center)—anywhere where we could get a little slice of quiet and culture.

In 2016, we ended up going on a permanent upstate jaunt, landing in Troy. One of the first post-move day trips we took the following summer was to the Olana State Historic Site in Greenport (maybe we’d avoided it because it sounded too much like our old neighborhood, Greenpoint?).

I remember stepping inside of artist Frederic Church’s 19th-century, Persian-inspired home and studio— the main attraction on the sprawling, 250-acre estate—and immediately feeling a kinship with him: He was a collector like me. Each room had its own Metropolitan Museum of Art’s worth of rarities and oddities from around the world—including a number of Church originals—and every inch of space seemed to be accounted for. There was also the majestic view from his porch, overlooking the Hudson River and all the greenery that surrounds it, which I snapped a photo of and squirreled away on Instagram. It was one of the only times in recent memory when I can remember thinking, “I’m going to come back here again someday.”

For Capital Region residents, Olana should be added to your Upstate bucket list, stat. But for those of you who might have to book a train or flight to experience its majesty, allow me to offer a more economical option: the brand-new Frederic Church’s Olana On The Hudson: Art, Landscape, Architecture (Rizzoli, New York), which includes a comprehensive history of the famed Hudson River School artist’s digs, courtesy of Editors Karen Zukowski and Julia B. Rosenbaum, as well as a number of multi-season, panoramic photographs, shot

by Larry Lederman both inside the Olana house and on its grounds. My guess is this book will merely act as a catalyst; you’ll make the trip to Olana one way or another. Simply looking at the book is making me want to escape life again, even if it’s no longer from Brooklyn any more.

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stop and stare Skiers pause to take in the beauty of the Dolomites in Northeastern Italy; (opposite) a series of snow fences on the way up a chairlift.

When The Italian Alps Come Calling ⁄

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T h e r e ’s a r e a s o n t h i s ski-loving Saratogian has been to Cortina d ’A m p e z z o f i v e t i m e s .

STO RY A N D P H OTO G R A P H Y BY

T E R R I - LY N N P E L L E G R I

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a little italy (from top) The Gothic bell tower next to The Basilica Minore begins to glow just before dawn; the bright, midday sun shines on the façade of Hotel Ancora; the view on the last run of the day at Faloria ski area; Hotel Cortina is located on the pedestrian main street Corso Italia.

ski resort revealed itself as an unending winter landscape of snowy peaks and breathtaking natural beauty, thus earning the name Queen of the Dolomites.

Arriving at dusk, I witnessed the breathtaking enrosadira, or “alpenglow,” when the setting sun paints the mountains surrounding the village pink.

Cortina’s blend of authentic Alpine culture and vibrant, upscale ski scene makes it a winter destination like no other. The skiing is world class, but it’s not a prerequisite to having an unforgettable aprèsski experience. As it were, the European jet set put Cortina on the map following the 1956 Winter Olympics, which it hosted—and it has since become an international icon of its own. Classic Hollywood movies including The Pink Panther (1963), James Bond thriller For Your Eyes Only (1981) and Sylvester Stallone vehicle Cliffhanger (1993) were filmed there. The latter was shot on Monte Cristallo, part of the surrounding Dolomiti superski area, a 1000-year-old hotspot, which is inexplicably modern yet frozen in time. (It’s the real deal…

Che bellissima!)

Of course, when you’re in Cortina, you’re on Italian time: The rhythm of every day is a dance, and the pace is as free and pure as each cleansing breath of mountain air you breathe in. Want to enjoy a two-hour lunch on Tofana di Mezzo, Cortina’s highest peak, after hitting the slopes at 10am? No problem. There, you can get my favorite regional delicacy, casunziei, beet ravioli with poppy-seed brown butter—with a glass or two of prosecco to wash it down.

There’s truly no place in the world like Cortina—and, as luck would have it, the Alpine Sport Shop plans to host another ski vacation there in 2020. I’ll see you there. Andiamo tutti!

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he Alpine Sport Shop, which sits at 399 Clinton Street just past the western entrance of Skidmore College, is nothing short of a local icon. First opened in 1941, the familyowned business is now one of the oldest ski shops operating in New York State, and Owners Cathy and Jack Hay have welcomed generations of local skiers through the shop’s massive blue wooden doors.

Nearly a quarter-century ago, piggybacking on the success of their business, the Hays first organized and hosted a weeklong ski trip to Innsbruck, Austria, and their devoted customers followed.

Every year since, they’ve offered one or two destination ski trips per season—some domestic, others international—to legendary winter sports hubs, such as the Rocky Mountains in Colorado; Sun Valley Resort in Idaho; ChamonixMont-Blanc in France; and the remote Portillo, a resort located in Chile’s Andes mountains. (If you’re wondering, trip number 41 kicks off on March 2, 2019, in Taos, New Mexico.)

But the shop’s ski trip closest to my heart took place in Cortina d’Ampezzo (Cortina, for short), a resort town in the Northern Italian Alps, in 1995. After closing my own local business, I officially joined the Alpine Sport Shop team, linking up with the Hays on their second ski extravaganza. Since then, I’ve been reminded, daily, of the trip by the handmade wooden sign on my kitchen wall that points southeasterly and reads, “Cortina 3831 Miles.” It was a treasured gift from the Hays. Under the sign is my clock in the shape of a squirrel, the mascot of Cortina, with its paws indicating whether I need to speed up my day—or have the luxury to daydream about the Italian Alps.

I remember that first journey to Cortina like it was yesterday.

(As part of Team Alpine, I’ve been back five times, leading and hosting a number of Saratoga Springs-based skiers on the trip of a lifetime.) We first flew into Venice, then wound two-and-ahalf hours north into the Italian Alps, where the world-renowned

ciao, siri A sign on a ski trail points to Rifugio Scoiattoli, which directly translates to “squirrels shelter,” though it should really translate to “the best restaurant you’ll ever eat at on the mountain.”

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8 Reasons Why Yaddo Matters To Jennifer Egan The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Visit From The Goon Squad looks back at her multiple stays at Saratoga’s legendary artists’ retreat.

BY WILL LEVITH

JOHN DALY e x c l u s i v e ly saratoga living

i l l u s t r at i o n b y for

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brought along Jennifer Egan’s newly-minted Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Visit From The Goon Squad, on my honeymoon in 2011. I remember reading it on some Argentine vineyard and thinking, simultaneously, “Man, this is incredible writing!” and “Man, I’m never going to be able to write like this!” The novel’s sublime; separated into interconnected but self-contained vignettes—with one chapter conceived as a PowerPoint presentation—it was like nothing I’d ever read in my life.

It was raging against the machines of conformity, something I’d always related to in art, whether it be a Sex Pistols song or a René Magritte

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hadn’t published yet, getting in was really the first feeling of legitimacy or approbation that I ever received from the literary world.

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ADMISSIONS ADMONISHED There’s luck to anything that has an admissions process, because you’re trying to please the right people at the right time. One year, I was a panelist for admitting people to Yaddo, and I’ll say that I think it’s a fair process, because the work is read blind. You don’t know whose work you’re reading; several people read it, and they give it numerical values.

Also, judges have the option of giving a push to one person they believe in, who isn’t getting the numbers to get in. I should add, the last time I applied to Yaddo before I had kids, I didn’t get in. I was rejected. I hadn’t won the Pulitzer, but by that time, I’d published two books and lots of journalism.

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painting. In recent years, Egan’s added to her quintet of novels with 2017’s Manhattan Beach and been named President of PEN America. She’s also been a five-time Yaddo resident, and below, I’ve captured her thoughts on her times there, in her own words.

FRIENDS WITH BENEFACTORS You mostly meet other artists at meals. Especially in the off-season months, when it’s just one small dinner table. You’re making dinner conversation; that’s how I met most of them. The food is fantastic, and there’s plenty of wine flowing—if people want to bring it. (They don’t serve it there.)

If people wanted to, they could share their work in the evening. You could have a presentation or reading if you wanted to; it’s not required, and the last time I went, I didn’t do it.

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FIRST THINGS FIRST In 1989, I ended up getting into Yaddo off the waitlist, and it was for a winter session, right around Christmas. It wasn’t a very popular time to be there. I hadn’t had any success as a writer at all; I was 26, and I’d never sold a story. I got into Yaddo as much as anything through persistence, because I basically called every other day and chatted with this nice woman who used to be the administrator there. In a way, since I

DIARY OF A MADWOMAN Yaddo has had a weirdly pivotal role in my writing life. One time, I went to write the first draft of my first piece of journalism. It was about a model named James King. I’d never written as a journalist before, and I had no freaking idea what I was doing.

Luckily, the room I was given had this large office, and the entire thing was covered with papers and Post-its to help me keep track of all this stuff I had. Someone walked in and said,

“This really looks like the room of a madwoman.” It turned out that the first draft was a complete nonstarter.

But it was the beginning of what was ultimately published and was the beginning of my journalistic career.

[Editor’s note: “James Is A Girl” was a New York Times Magazine cover story in February 1996.)

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FAILURE IS SUCCESS IN DISGUISE The last time I went to Yaddo, I was at a very, very low point with my novel Manhattan Beach. I even considered leaving, because I felt it was so uncomfortable to be confronted every day with this project that I had such grave doubts about. But I really got a huge amount done, and that actually helped me get over that terrible phase I was in. Yaddo was kind of crucial. I’ve tried to pick moments where I thought I would really, really need it. You should think carefully about what you’re going to do at Yaddo, and whether there’s really a reason to be there.

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SPA CITY ENVY I love the city of Saratoga. I’m always incredibly excited by 19thcentury landscapes and buildings, and that excitement has only grown.

I think, in a way, it was even more intense this past time I was at Yaddo, because I was working on a historical novel [i.e., Manhattan Beach], and Saratoga came up a lot in the material I was researching. One time when I was there, I went and had a mineral bath. I’d also often walk from Yaddo to Downtown Saratoga, because I didn’t have a car. For me, walking and thinking about writing are intertwined. I feel a connection to Saratoga, actually.

Most of all, the history that you can feel percolating right under the surface; to me, that enriches any place.

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VISITATION RIGHTS I’m currently working on something related to Goon Squad that will

follow those characters into other realms. There’s a lot of structural challenges about that that are really formidable. The problem is that the characters come from a different book, and making them connect to one another is very difficult without a lot of authorial intervention that’s going to feel really forced or phony.

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NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN As far as going back to Yaddo’s concerned, I don’t think I need to be there. My life has simplified a lot. I’m lucky enough to support myself with my writing, so I don’t have a day job I want to escape from. I feel connected to Yaddo without actually utilizing it in the way that I have. And I hope that will always continue.

But I’ll never say never about going back to Yaddo.

garden of egan Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan is drawn to Yaddo and its location: “I feel a connection to Saratoga, actually. Most of all, the history that you can feel percolating right under the surface; to me that enriches any place.”

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L E G E N DA RY J O C K E Y A N D B R A I N I N J U RY S U RV I VO R , RAMÓN DOMÍNGUEZ, COMES HOME.

THE LONG ROAD BACK TO SARATOGA

BY BRIEN BO UY E A

PHOTOGR APHY BY K AT I E D OB I E S EXCLUSIVELY FOR saratoga living

home stretch Hall of Fame Jockey Ramón Domínguez found glory at Saratoga Race Course—and now, a new home in Saratoga Springs.

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“It took time and a change in mindset, but I came to realize that I was extremely blessed to have accomplished the things I did and to have been a jockey for as long as I was.

Racing gave me so much and it never owed me anything.”

horse power Domínguez aboard Havre de Grace in the 2011 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga, which she’d win; (opposite, from top) Domínguez was enshrined in horse racing’s Hall of Fame in 2013; Racing Museum President John Hendrickson (left) posing with Domínguez at the Hall.

NYRA

amón Domínguez has always been a perfect fit in Saratoga Springs.

During his illustrious career as a jockey at Saratoga Race Course, Domínguez set multiple records with his extraordinary athletic prowess, and became one of horse racing’s most beloved superstars because of his incomparable work ethic, humble nature and engaging personality. He always made time for a genuine conversation with a fan, had a willingness to pose for a photograph or offered a smile and an autograph for a child.

None of what fame brings—nothing—ever seemed to bother him.

That’s why I’ll never forget Domínguez’s powerful, emotional response when I called him in the spring of 2016 to tell him he’d earned Thoroughbred racing’s highest honor: induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame right here in Saratoga. (Making these calls to the few individuals who’ve reached racing’s pinnacle is one of the parts of my job I enjoy most.) When I told him he’d been inducted, Domínguez immediately deflected the praise from himself to the owners and trainers who supported him throughout his career, as well as his longtime agent, Steve Rushing, who introduced Domínguez at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony that summer. Above all else, Domínguez commended the horses he rode for their courage and determination, and his family for their encouragement and support through both good and difficult times.

Domínguez, now 42, has been retired from riding for more than five years. On January 18, 2013, he suffered a terrible injury during a race at Aqueduct Racetrack. Approaching the top of the stretch aboard a horse named Convocation, Domínguez was looking for an opening to get his horse through a busy field—but it never materialized, and Convocation got tangled with another horse, throwing Domínguez violently to the ground. He was diagnosed with multiple skull fractures and a traumatic brain injury. Throughout his recovery and rehabilitation process, Domínguez always believed he’d return to riding. Five months after the injury, though, his doctor advised him that if he were to suffer another injury, it could prove catastrophic. So in his prime, his career was effectively over.

The news was jarring for an athlete who was at the top of his profession and appeared to still be getting better. At the time, Domínguez had earned three consecutive Eclipse Awards as the top rider in North America. He’d won 4985 races, including 160 graded stakes, compiling purse earnings of $191 million. At Saratoga in 2012 alone, only months before his injury, Domínguez set the track record with 68 wins for a single meeting. That summer, he also equaled the track standard of six wins on a single card. Toward the end of the summer, Domínguez rallied the stand-out colt, Alpha, to finish

in a dead heat with Golden Ticket in The Travers Stakes.

By the end of the year, Domínguez had set a new record for purse earnings in a single year, at more than $25.5 million.

Domínguez is forthright when he talks about the immediate aftermath of his injury-forced retirement: “For a while, I really wanted to stay away from racing,” he says, “I didn’t go to the track and I kept my distance from it all. I owe my wife a lot for encouraging me and giving me strength to be around the

track and the sport again. It wasn’t easy. It took time and a change in mindset, but I came to realize that I was extremely blessed to have accomplished the things I did and to have been a jockey for as long as I was. Racing gave me so much and it never owed me anything.”

Slowly but surely, Domínguez returned to the sport and culture of racing. He has since become an ambassador for the game and an accomplished motivational speaker. He’s

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“The competition at Saratoga Race Course forces you to be sharp every day in every race.

When you combine that with the passion of the people in Saratoga and their love for the sport, it’s an easy place to fall in love with.”

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#winning (clockwise from top left) Domínguez celebrates winning six races in a day at Saratoga; Domínguez now works as a motivational speaker; the jockey, surrounded by his adoring fans; Domínguez landed his 4000th win at Aqueduct.

to Saratoga. Domínguez knew there’d be an adjustment period, as their children, Matthew and Alex, got acclimated to a new school and new friends, but the family has since settled in, and are in the midst of their first holiday season as Saratogians. “There’s still a lot to do around the house, boxes and things to put away, but it has been great, and the boys are fitting in and getting used to it all and so are Sharon and I,” Domínguez tells me. “We’re really happy here, and we love everything that Saratoga has to offer. There are so many things to do and experience and so many opportunities to take advantage of. We’re really blessed to be a part of it, and this is where we wanted to raise our family.”

(Saratoga, Aqueduct, fans) NYRA

eloquently shared his stories and philosophies with a variety of people, speaking on topics such as overcoming obstacles, the psychology of success and learning from mistakes. He recently spoke to a rapt audience at the Equestricon horse racing convention during Breeders’ Cup week in Louisville, KY. “Racing will always be in my blood and something that I am passionate about. I will try to give back to the sport in any way I can and be a positive presence,” Domínguez said.

“Racing has so many great people in it, and we need to tell our stories and promote what we’re all about to bring new fans into the game. I want to be a part of that.”

In his retirement, he’s also come full circle, deciding to move his family to Saratoga. “I’ve always loved Saratoga, both the track and the city, and being inducted into the Hall of Fame was something that I never could’ve imagined when I began riding,” says Domínguez, who originally hails from Caracas. “I certainly didn’t do it alone. I always looked forward to each summer at Saratoga, because the racing is the best—the best jockeys, best trainers, best horses, best fans. The competition forces you to be sharp every day in every race. Your mind and your concentration have to be right to succeed at that level. I loved everything about it. When you combine that with the passion of the people in Saratoga and their love for the sport, it’s an easy place to fall in love with.”

Just a few months ago, he and his wife, Sharon, decided the time was right to move from Floral Park on Long Island

Besides acting as a racing ambassador and motivational speaker, Domínguez is also trying his hand at the horse racing business—this time, from the ground up. He’s been working on designing a new riding crop—i.e., the short whip jockeys use to spur on their horses—which he hopes will be introduced into the sport within a few months. “There really haven’t been any changes to the crop since about 2008, and it’s important to always be looking for ways to increase safety and reduce the risk of injury for horses and jockeys,” says Domínguez. “These new crops are also more cushioned, to reduce impact and lessen the chance of harming the horse. This design also won’t absorb water. It’s something I’m really excited about.”

Additionally, Domínguez is involved with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, and logs occasional media work for outlets such as the Horse Racing Radio Network. (Whoever said retirement had to be idle time?) When he’s not focusing on racing, Domínguez is enjoying his new home. “I’m learning more about Saratoga all the time, and it’s been a great experience for our family,” he says. “I’ve joined a running club and I’ve been checking out all the great culture and history of the area. There’s plenty to keep us busy. We absolutely love it here.”

This horse racing legend, this Ramón Domínguez sounds like a real Saratogian to us. Welcome home.

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Breeders’ Cup. Her Grade 1 victories in races such as The Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, Acorn Stakes at Belmont and Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga—races that shout “championship”—will do that for you. But if there was any sliver of doubt left in this division going into The Breeders’ Cup, it was obliterated with Monomoy Girl’s victory over older opponents in The Distaff at a nine-furlong distance.

OPINION

Breeders’ Cup Settles Some (Not All) Eclipse Award Races

TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE Game Winner is a mortal lock

for this title, as The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile was his third straight Grade 1 victory. However, I understand why some folks might be less than enthusiastic about this group as a whole.

Although Game Winner gives the impression of being one who will appreciate every bit of distance he can get, the fact that Knicks Go and Signalman finished second and third in the Juvenile at odds of 40-1 and 67-1 casts doubt on the overall strength of this Juvenile field.

So, too, does the fact that Game Winner ran 0.05 seconds slower justify our love Justify and his than Jaywalk did in winning the connections in the Winners’ Circle Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies after the 2018 Preakness. after comparable early paces.

The Daily Racing Form’s expert handicaps horse racing’s Oscars.

BY MIKE WATCHMAKER DAILY RACING FORM

choice for this Eclipse Award. Grade 1 victories in The Santa Anita Handicap, Gold Cup at Santa Anita, TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar Racetrack, Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita and Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs make for a résumé that just overwhelms everyone else in his division. The way I see it, it was just Accelerate’s awful bad luck and timing that he did all of this in a season when there was a Triple Crown winner.

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THREE-YEAR-OLD FEMALE As far as I was concerned,

Monomoy Girl had this wrapped up well before the

TWO-YEAR-OLD FEMALE The winner of this division will be either Juvenile Fillies winner Jaywalk or Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord.

Historically, this division goes to the dirt specialist. But, while taking absolutely nothing away from Jaywalk, who was thoroughly dominant in the Juvenile Fillies, Newspaperofrecord was absolutely breathtaking in her third blowout win in as many starts. She might just be the one to seriously test the historical tendencies of the Eclipse Award electorate.

MALE TURF HORSE The best finish by a male in The

CREDIT MARYLAND GOVPICS

OLDER DIRT MALE Accelerate should be a unanimous

OLDER DIRT FEMALE This is one division where The Breeders’ Cup Distaff offered no help whatsoever.

When Unique Bella was retired in August, Abel Tasman was poised to take control of this division, but she was dismal in The Distaff for a second straight start, leaving a bad taste that her previous Grade 1 wins in The Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park and The Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga Race Course had a difficult time masking. And The Distaff fade by Blue Prize, winner of the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse, likely eliminated any title hopes she had. It seemed unthinkable, when Unique Bella retired, that the record she compiled earlier in the year—Grade 1 wins in The Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar and Beholder Mile at Santa Anita, a Grade 2 romp in The Santa Maria at Santa Anita and a second in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Stakes at Oaklawn Park—could stand up while others decided the big fall races. But with the crazy way things have played out, it just might. What a weird division.

CREDIT

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his year’s Breeders’ Cup fulfilled its duty— to a significant degree—by helping identify divisional Eclipse Award champions. But before we get any deeper into this topic, I’d like to voice my strong opinion that despite Accelerate’s victory in The Breeders’ Cup Classic, Horse of the Year honors and the three-year-old male championship were settled on June 9, when Justify won the 13th Triple Crown in history. Here’s my read on the 2018 Breeders’ Cup’s impact on the rest of the Eclipse Award categories:

FEMALE TURF HORSE No matter which way this division goes, the Breeders’ Cup will have spotlighted the winner. Do you side with Enable, who prevailed over fellow filly Magical and buried the males in The Breeders’ Cup Turf to become the first filly to win The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France and Turf in the same year, and to accomplish that as a female? Or do you go with Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Sistercharlie, who has racked up a compelling campaign stateside? In the past, the Eclipse Award electorate has been reluctant to reward horses, such as Enable, who make only one US start. That said, Enable will test this standard, primarily because of the history involved with her Turf win and the fact that she is now a two-time Arc winner. It’s quite possible that Enable is a better horse than Sistercharlie.

But Sistercharlie compiled a US campaign that merits carrying the vote; the Filly and Mare Turf at 1⅜ miles was Sistercharlie’s fourth Grade 1 score of the season, all at different distances.

Breeders’ Cup Turf was managed by Sadler’s Joy, who checked in third, and he was beaten by almost ten lengths. Expert Eye came from Europe and got up in time to win a Breeders’ Cup Mile that seemed decidedly subpar. Other than that, our best turf males were seeming flukes or one-shot wonders such as Glorious Empire, Channel Maker and Robert Bruce.

Unfortunately, The Breeders’ Cup couldn’t help sort out this mess of a division.

MALE SPRINTER Roy H made it back-to-back Breeders’ Cup Sprint victories with a thoroughly decisive score November 3 after a wide sweep from off the pace, and he’s extremely likely to make it two straight male sprinter championships as well.

FEMALE SPRINTER Eight of the 11 winners of The Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint have gone on to be voted champion female sprinter for that year. However, two of the last three winners did not win titles, and there’s a chance this run could extend to three out of four after Shamrock Rose recorded a 25-1 Filly and Mare Sprint upset on November 3.

Shamrock Rose’s only other graded stakes victory came in The Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland.

That’s not a strong CV, so Marley’s Freedom, a Grade 1 winner this year who also won two other graded stakes and was a close fourth on November 3 as the strong favorite, should still get support. And the undefeated Dream Tree could attempt a Unique Bella by creating a strong title candidacy with a late-season Grade 1 score.

This was originally published in the Daily Racing Form

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t’s hard to think of a Halloween party theme as spooky—or as theatrical—as Bram Stoker’s Dracula. So naturally, it was perfect for SaratogaArtsFest’s annual All Hallows’ Eve Masquerade Ball, held at Saratoga’s Canfield Casino on October 25. SaratogaArtsFest is known for the free immersive arts experiences it holds throughout the year that are made possible by its annual fundraiser, which, as it turns out, is always equally—if not more—immersive. This year, performances were based on scenes, plotlines and key moments from Stoker’s famous novel and starred Saratoga resident Jonathan Scott Albert as Dracula himself. The creative genius behind the night’s production was SaratogaArtsFest’s Artistic Director Nicole Coady.

The annual fundraiser is a showcase of what SaratogaArtsFest does year-round, says Ellen Beal, the organization’s Chair. “We love the fact that there’s a growing movement in support of immersive theater where the audience members aren’t simply passive observers, but are meant to be pulled into the action,” she says. “It’s become increasingly popular as audiences want more personal, participatory art experiences, so we like to think of ourselves as doing this as a way to bring cutting-edge artistic experiences to Saratoga.”

This year, SaratogaArtsFest added a live auction to the night’s docket to help raise money to set up a paid internship program for one local student interested in a career in the arts. The night raised a total of $25,000—enough to fund four free arts experiences in the coming year.

(from left) Matt Raggio, Andrea Spungen, Keeley DeSalvo, Steve DeSalvo

(from left) Drayton Patriota, Daniel Reilly, Jason Ohlberg, Scott Erickson

Diane Lachtrupp waits for a drink.

SARATOGAARTSFEST’S SOIRÉE WAS SOMETHING ELSE. n BY NATALIE MOORE photography by KATIE DOBIES

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CREDIT

Did We See You At The All Hallows’ Eve Masquerade Ball?

Ryen Van Hall, Johanna Torkelson

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BY NATALIE MOORE

n October 30, saratoga living celebrated both Halloween and the release of its first-ever Luxury Issue at our “Icons & Legends” party at Putnam Place. Guests came dressed as their favorite superstar—and we held a costume contest. Some of the highlights included a circa-Thriller Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe and Cher, but it was ultimately Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (saratoga living Senior Photographer Dori Fitzpatrick) who walked away with the contest title and a $100 gift card to Max London’s.

Guests also enjoyed a seasonal (and delicious) signature cocktail, provided by Upstate Distilling Co., fittingly dubbed the ScaryToga, and Capital Q Smokehouse’s food truck served up tasty barbecue just outside Putnam Place’s doors.

Tarot card reader Jacqueline Kalage supplied free readings, and DJ XXX cranked the tunes from the stage. The evening’s cohosts included Putnam Place, Max London’s, Upstate Distilling Co. and Malta Development.

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GALACTIC BOWLING The “spooky twins” from The Shining made an appearance.

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“Michael Jackson” danced the night away.

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(clockwise from top, left) James Kettlewell (right) accepts the Community Arts Leadership Award at the Saratoga Arts Fall Soirée; Longfellows Restaurant hosted the Soirée; Brad Wagner and friends at the soirée.

More, More, More Galas!

S (Gateway) JACOB W. VEITCH; (Saratoga Arts) MICHELLE VARA/BALLARD ROAD ART STUDIO

THREE WORTHY CAUSES, THREE FUN EVENTS.

BY NATALIE MOORE

aratoga celebrated a trio of local foundations this fall at a celebration, ball and soirée. On November 1, Gateway House of Peace, a nonprofit hospice home in Ballston Spa, held its 5th Annual Thanks-For-Giving Celebration at Longfellows Restaurant. Gateway board member and Emmy-winning Friends producer Kevin S. Bright served as the master of ceremonies and former WNYT anchor Kelly Lynch was also in attendance. Guests were treated to live music by Tom Choiniere, a wine pull, dinner provided by Longfellows and a silent auction. At the Veterans Ball on November 4 at the Saratoga Hall of Springs, the community came together to honor local heroes and support the Veterans & Community Housing Coalition, which provides housing and support to homeless veterans. Six vets, representing each branch of the military and various conflicts, served as the night’s honorees. And on November 7, the community returned to Longfellows, this time for the Saratoga Arts Fall Soirée, which raised funds for Saratoga Arts. Now in its 32nd year, the organization’s mission is to make the arts more accessible. The night’s honorees were Mona Golub and James Kettlewell, who were awarded this year’s Community Arts Leadership Award.

Scenes from Gateway House of Peace’s 5th Annual Thanks-For-Giving Celebration

(from left) Cheryl Hage-Perez, Sid Gordon; local veterans were honored for their service at the Veterans Ball.

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the back Luxe ⁄

party favor “Plan an easy menu that allows you to be a guest at your own dinner,” says event expert Colin Cowie of his go-to New Year's Eve dinner party.

A Glam New Year’s Made Easy OUR EXPERT’S FOOL PROOF HOSTING TR I CK S .

BY COL IN COWIE

N

ew Year’s Eve is an overrated night.

Restaurants offer expensive menus and, despite the mask of glitz and glamour, the hype doesn’t always deliver.

My favorite way to plan a New Year’s Eve dinner is to invite up to ten guests, and ask them to get dressed fabulously and show up for dinner at 9pm. Always consider timing. If you start the dinner at 7:30 or 8pm, you’re done at 10:30pm and still have 90 minutes to kill before the stroke of midnight.

Plan an easy menu that allows you to be a guest at your own dinner.

You should be glued to the dining room chair, not chained to the stove. The key is to be resourceful.

Some people like to set the table, some like to cook and some delegate really well. Figure out what you like to do and plan accordingly.

Whether you cook the meal yourself, have it catered or have your favorite restaurant make an entrée for you, you can do it rather stress-free. Start with a soup or salad that can be prepared or bought the day before. Heat the soup plates, bring them to the table

and pour the soup from a coffee pourer; sprinkle it with something fabulous, and your first course is done. For the main course, you need to serve a one-shot (or onepot) wonder—something that comes directly from the oven to the table and allows you to serve tableside. It could be a chicken potpie with black truffles, lasagna with white truffles or a beef bourguignon. These are all dishes that can be made a day ahead or easily resourced. Finally, you’ll want to treat your guests with a super chic and decadent dessert that's

Happy Holidays!

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store-bought. Dribble some chocolate sauce on a dessert plate, place a scoop of chocolate ice cream on top and place a champagne chocolate truffle on top of the ice cream. Just like that, you now have chocolate three ways!

Of course, this could turn into a costly night. Here are a few things I’ve done to cut costs in the past that have worked really well: You can ask your guests to bring two bottles of champagne each.

Perhaps one couple brings red wine, one white wine, one dessert and a bottle of champagne. And if you really want to splurge and take charge on behalf of your friends, add an ounce of caviar each, total all the expenses and divide it between your guests.

You should plan on ending dinner around 11:30pm, so you have time to go around the table and ask some fun questions. What was the best thing that happened to you this year?

What’s the one thing you want to leave behind this year? And most importantly, what’s your New Year’s resolution?

Find interesting ways to interact and bring your guests together before filling those glasses with bubbly and toasting to the New Year!

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picture perfect (clockwise from left) Fiorentino’s painting of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis; his 2015 portrait of American Pharoah, with jockey Victor Espinoza aboard, winning the Triple Crown; a portrait of Chicago Bulls great and Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

The Art Of A Champion JA MES F I O R EN T IN O’S H Y P E R -R E A LI STIC PA I NT I NG S ST R IK E A SA R ATOGA C HORD.

T

hose closest to me like to call me The Historian, because I’m the resident family history buff: I love whiling away rainy weekends sorting through old pictures and mementos, seeing which ones tell the best stories.

One of my favorites is an oil painting of an agesold Syrian marketplace, which we brought back

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from my dad’s home city of Damascus in 2006. When I look at it, I’m instantly transported back in time.

New Jersey-based artist James Fiorentino, who’s made a career of painting hyper-realistic watercolors of the biggest names in the sports world, wields that same power with his paintbrush—and he’s become a Saratoga Springs star because of it.

Fiorentino’s been making

⁄ DECEMBER 2018

KLEIN AND ULMES

BY SA R A H MIDA N I

a cottage industry out of sports art since his teenage years. At the age of 15, Fiorentino had one of his paintings of New York Yankees legend Reggie Jackson displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown during the ball player’s induction ceremony. Before he

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old college try Fiorentino’s painting commemorating the first Big 10 win for Rutgers University against the University of Michigan in college football.

and I present the painting to them live at the event,” says Fiorentino. “Then I make reproductions of the work to raise money for the Center.”

This past summer, he produced a stunning action shot of jockey Mike E. Smith aboard his Triple Crownwinning mount, Justify, at Belmont Park. Fiorentino’s impressive paintings for the Siro’s Cup are not only supporting worthy causes in the Capital Region, but also helping to preserve Saratoga’s most beloved sport. And that’s something we can all get behind.

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past, present, future (clockwise from top left) New York Giants rookie running back Saquon Barkley and artist James Fiorentino; Giants quarterback Eli Manning, Boston Celtics star Larry Bird; New England Patriots’ QB Tom Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick; Fiorentino’s painting entitled “Early Morning.”

even finished high school, Fiorentino had amassed an enviable portfolio of paintings, including portraits of Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams, the Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio, boxing champion Muhammad Ali and Baltimore Orioles’ icon Cal Ripken, Jr.—for whom he’d later serve as official artist during the player’s record-breaking consecutive games streak. He even had the chance to meet many of his subjects. Fiorentino went on to pursue a degree in Fine Arts at Drew University in New Jersey, where he played varsity baseball.

“I paid my way through college, on my own, with painting,” says Fiorentino.

“That was really one of the best times of my life.” Was it ever: Famous athletes, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre and Yankees Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, phoned him in his dorm room—and he became the youngest artist inducted into the Society of Illustrators, which includes heavyweights of the medium such as Norman Rockwell and Rockwell Kent.

Since 2003, Fiorentino’s been lending his artistic talents to the philanthropic world—notably, here in Saratoga. He’s created custom artwork for The Siro’s Cup, an annual event that takes place at the seasonal bar, Siro’s, kitty-corner to Saratoga Race Course, and benefits the Center for Disability Services in Albany.

“Whomever gets honored that year picks out the horse they want me to paint,

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the back Calendar ⁄

the Spa Little Theater in Saratoga Springs December 7-9 and 14-16.

Watch as young Ralphie tries to convince his parents, teacher and even Santa Claus to give him the ultimate Christmas gift: a Red Ryder air rifle.

family jewels (from left) Atz Lee and Nikos Kilcher (Jewel’s brothers), Jewel—the superstar of the family— and her father, Atz Kilcher, will be appearing on December 14 at Albany’s Palace Theatre.

DECEMBER 14

EDITOR’S PICK

Jewel’s Handmade Holiday Tour Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jewel is bringing her Handmade Holiday Tour to Albany’s Palace Theatre on Friday, December 14. For the holiday-themed tour, Jewel is hitting the road with her father, Atz, and brothers Atz Lee and Nikos Kilcher, all of whom star in the Discovery Channel series Alaska: The Last Frontier. The family band will perform holiday classics and originals—and of course, Jewel’s biggest hits, such as “Who Will Save Your Soul” and “You Were Meant for Me.” A limited number of VIP tickets, which include backstage access, are also available.

BY JE FF DIN GL ER

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Disney On Ice: 100 Years Of Magic

Cherish The Ladies: A Celtic Christmas Nothing says Christmas like some good, oldfashioned caroling. The Grammy Award-nominated Irish-American super group, Cherish the Ladies, will present “A Celtic Christmas” at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Tuesday, December 18.

The Ladies’ performance includes Christmas carols,

DECEMBER 29

Wilton Bicentennial Holiday Dinner It’s not every year a town celebrates its 200th birthday. The SaratogaWilton Elks Lodge #161 will honor Wilton’s big bicentennial with a holiday dinner on Saturday, December 29. The evening’s schedule includes dancing, entertainment provided by Richie Phillips and a delicious meal from Waterford Banquets.

DECEMBER 29

Pretty Much The Best Comedy Show Holiday cheer will transform into gut-busting laughter at Pretty Much The Best Comedy Show (PMTBCS) at Schenectady’s Proctors Theatre on Saturday,

December 29. Now in its fifth year, PMTBCS has become one of Upstate New York’s top showcases for stand-up comic talent, featuring rising stars and accomplished comedians who’ve appeared on shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Conan, Last Comic Standing and Late Night With David Letterman.

DECEMBER 30

A Joyful Noise!

Gospel Brunch Caffè Lena invites you to get your soul on with A Joyful Noise! Gospel Brunch on Sunday, December 30. Enjoy an afternoon of brunch provided by Hattie’s Restaurant, plus inspiring soul and gospel music from mouse pad Disney On Ice is bringing its “100 Years Of Magic” tour to the Times Union Center December 13-16.

With a century of classic films and unforgettable characters, Disney has plenty to celebrate—and it’ll be on display in all its glory during the popular Disney On Ice ice-skating tour, which lutzes and axels into the Times Union Center December 13-16.

Orchestra Of St. Luke’s At SPAC

The performance features a cast of more than 50 characters from the Disney universe—including Mickey and Minnie, of course—and sing-alongs will abound, with a 30-plus song set list.

DECEMBER 7-9, 14-16

A Christmas Story Home Made Theater presents a stage adaptation of A Christmas Story at

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accompanied by Celtic instrumentation, along with Irish step dancing.

DECEMBER 15 DECEMBER 13-16

SCOTT DICKERSON

Why Jewel’s A Holiday Gem

has gone on to achieve phenomenal success, including recording 118 albums (four of which have won Grammy awards); playing 50 commissioned works; and performing more than 175 world, US and New York City premieres. This special performance takes place at Bethesda Episcopal Church in Saratoga on Saturday, December 15.

Back for its second annual performance of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, presented by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), is the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Founded in 1974 as a chamber music ensemble at Greenwich Village’s Church Of St. Luke In The Fields, the orchestra

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SARATOGA Calendar

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features more than 70 regional music, comedy and theater acts performing in 30 different venues across the Spa City.

The night also includes a 5K run, which begins at Skidmore College, a parade and a final fireworks extravaganza at midnight in Congress Park.

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Albany Chefs’ Food & Wine Festival Albany Chefs’ Food & Wine Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a tribute to Indian culture and, particularly, the colorful Hindu festival of Holi.

Festival-goers will enjoy gourmet foods and fine wines, including the festival’s own signature bottle. Along with all the wine/food greatness, there will be a number of tasting seminars, competitions and demonstrations, including the main event: the 10th Anniversary Grand Gala Reception and 6-course dinner.

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JANUARY 19

A Purple Tie Affair Be sure to break out that purple tie for the National Museum of Dance’s annual A Purple Tie Affair on Saturday, January 19. The fundraiser, which includes a dinner, dancing, raffles and prizes, benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as well as Nick’s Fight To Be Healed Foundation, which supports pediatric cancer patients.

all about eve More than 70 acts perform at First Night Saratoga on New Year’s Eve (that's SIRSY playing the 2017 edition); (TOP) First Night always ends with a bang—a fireworks display in Congress Park.

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DECEMBER 31

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Garland Nelson, front man of the popular Saratoga-based band Soul Session.

Also appearing are Azaam Hameed (keyboard), Steve Candlen (percussion) and Lena’s Inspirational Voices gospel choir with special guest singer, Jayda Chance (who made her debut at Amateur Night At The Apollo at the age of eight!).

Join scores of revelers throughout Downtown Saratoga to welcome in the new year at First Night Saratoga 2019, one of the city’s most popular annual traditions. Saratoga Arts presents the New Year’s Eve celebration, which

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Dust off your platform shoes and bellbottoms for the Funky Ice Fest at the Adirondack Pub & Brewery in Lake George Village, which takes place the last two weekends in January. Savor the essence of winter by putting to good use the brewery’s frozen beer pong table; marveling at a gallery of handcarved, interactive ice sculptures; and dropping by several ice bars, offering local beers and frosty specialty cocktails.

Oh, and of course there will be plenty of ’70s funk hits spinning, not to mention disco balls glimmering, to keep your feet busy (and warm).

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the back Road ⁄ Trip big house A solarpowered goat farm, Georgian revival mansion tour, formal gardens and an observatory are just the beginning of an amazing day at Hildene House; (inset) the Hildene House interior dressed for the holidays.

Vermont’s Luxury HQ ermont, in general, is one of those magnificent places that’s just far enough away from major metropolises that many people don’t get to witness (or know about) the town’s year-round splendor.

Manchester, at the southernmost part of The Green Mountain State, is just an hour-ish car ride from Saratoga

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n

Springs. What are you waiting for?

Pack a bag and let’s hit the road.

To many Saratogians in the know, Manchester rivals the fabled East End of Long Island’s Hamptons as a destination. The difference? Let’s just say you could probably pack for this trip without having to spend much time thinking about what elegant outfit you have to bring. Low-maintenance luxury?

Yes, please! Manchester, here I come!

BY M A R C O M E DR ANO

That said, whether for glamorous skiing in the winter or lakefront relaxation and berry festivals in the spring and summer, the traveling elite dug in deep here decades ago. And when worldly people with discerning taste inhabit a region, all the trappings that their world requires magically get weaved into the fabric.

Looking for Food Network-worthy dining? Check. Wide open spaces as far

(interior) ALAN NYIRI

V

HAVE YOU BEEN TO MANCH E ST E R LAT E LY? I T ’S T I M E .

as the eye can see? Lakes? Check and check. Vermont has a historic and wellearned reputation for environmentally friendly practices because the residents demand it. This is why much of our finer dining fare comes from free-range farms in Vermont, nowadays. Skincare botanicals and regulated smoking herbals are grown there, too, because of the purity. In Vermont, to be green is definitely to be in.

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Open until 2pm Dec 24th

the back Road ⁄ Trip

chic digs A bartender works the bar at Copper Grouse at the Taconic Hotel; (top) the library table at the Taconic.

Let’s check in, shall we? the Kimpton Taconic Hotel is perfect. How’s that for starters? Yes, the public rooms, suites and indoor/outdoor corporate meeting spaces are divine, but it’s the chef’s table at the Copper Grouse that makes it Manchester’s epicenter of haute cuisine. The Taconic is also a great destination option for a whole slew of winter fun (a well-stocked activities page on its website is broken down into seasons). This is where outdoorsy elegant fun is done right.

How about a late afternoon après ski or nightcap at the Christmas-themed Miracle Pop-Up Bar November 23-December 31, 2018? I say, yes!

Equinox Golf Resort & Spa is part of The Luxury Collection and is an

room Equinox House, established in 1853. For modern outdoor entertainment, consider its Land Rover Driving Experience through the Green Mountains. Or sleigh riding, dogsledding, snow tubing, snowmobiling and much more.

If your pampering needs are matched by your must-be-green bonafides, then Amanda Birch Seed To Skin is where you should point your compass. I love that Amanda requires two hours for your first signature facial ($200), which can accompany one of my favorites, Red Light Therapy, for 30 minutes ($80).

Ask about her personally batched Hydradermie resurfacing hydrator or other locally sourced products.

If a luxury home-away-from-home is more in keeping with your lifestyle, absolute destination unto itself for the super personal Reluctant Panther wellness and unique snow sports.

Inn boasts posh local digs and Though you certainly don’t have to attentive service in the heart be a wintering NFL player of Manchester’s village. or PGA finalist to indulge Choose from the Main here, that’s definitely House, Mary Porter the vibe. When House or Carriage people of repute House, and take patronize a spa comfort in the resort for weeks, you know you’ve consistent excellence made the right of its namesake decision. In this case, dining establishment, many people come to the Reluctant Panther yum A baked apple be put back together, Restaurant, which from The Silver Fork. as a sort of full-on, body/ draws patrons from mind/spirit therapy. With a true, around the world. state-of-the-art gym and a year-round Ready to taste and judge some of indoor pool, the spa itself draws return the area’s legendary farm-to-table visitors from afar. Historical and grand, delicacies? The Silver Fork tops the the resort features the original 200list, while Ye Olde Tavern, Raven’s Den

hot spot The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa is a luxury wellness and snow sports destination that’s not to be missed.

Breakfast & Lunch Breakfast & Lunch Served Served Daily Daily Breakfast & Lunch Served Daily

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Open until December 24 easy being green If your pampering needs are matched by your must-begreen bonafides, Amanda Birch Seed To Skin is definitely for you.

Steakhouse and Taproom and Nipper’s Cafe & Steakhouse serve up delicious fare as well. Or try Seasons Restaurant, where the owners’ worldliness makes for playful fare, or Ponce Bistro for artsy/chic ambiance and dining.

Southern Vermont Arts Center is packed with 20th-century artists’ works and houses a great permanent collection, though it’s in fuller bloom after April. But you can see Hildene House, a wellpreserved estate built by the president of the Pullman Company and only child of Abraham Lincoln, year-round. Don’t make the mistake I did. It’s easy to overlook it.

You could undoubtedly spend an entire day here with your whole family. A solarpowered goat farm, the Georgian revival mansion tour, formal gardens and an observatory are just the beginning.

If you just need to escape to an allcountry locale, then how about Mountain View Ranch or Taylor Farms? Make it the perfect boots-and-jeans day for a sleigh or horseback ride. Or, there’s always the Manchester Designer Outlets, a muststop for many visitors.

Of course, this is just a small sampling of why Manchester is the ideal HQ for winter sport and luxe diversions. Is it any wonder why so many savvy travelers consider our chic Vermont neighbor to be one of America’s great escapes?

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MOUNT SNOW 1 hour, 9 minutes away Park rats assemble! Mount Snow’s not only known for its whopping ten terrain parks, but also its impressive snow coverage and grooming mastery.

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KILLINGTON RESORT 1 hour, 8 minutes away

You’re In Manchester: It’s Ski Time!

I went to college in Burlington, VT, for the mountains. I thought, what’s better than an East Coast city that’s less than an hour and a half from six awesome ski resorts? Turns out that Manchester, VT, the ski capital of Southern Vermont, has that beat. In between all your dining, shopping and relaxing, be sure to make a day trip to one—or all seven—of these nearby ski resorts.

– NATA LI E MOORE

“The Beast” has both the longest season in the East, thanks to its massive snowmaking operation, and the most skiable acres (1509), which span six peaks.

❸

PICO MOUNTAIN 1 hour, 1 minute away A little bit closer and

significantly smaller than Killington, Pico gets all the snow its neighbor does, but not the unruly crowds. It’s a big mountain with small mountain charm.

❹

OKEMO MOUNTAIN RESORT 46 minutes away A family mountain boasting Southern Vermont’s highest vertical drop (2200 feet), Okemo has an even distribution of beginner, intermediate and expert trails for skiers of all skill levels.

and intermediate terrain, Stratton has impressive glade skiing. Plus, at its base, Stratton Village is the perfect place to stroll around after a long day on the slopes.

❻

MAGIC MOUNTAIN 27 minutes away A small, local Vermont ski area, Magic Mountain’s known for its challenging terrain (26 percent of its trails are labeled Double

Black Diamond) and closeknit community.

❼

BROMLEY MOUNTAIN 14 minutes away Another family-friendly mountain, Bromley’s a mere stone’s throw from Manchester, and as it’s the only ski area in all of New England with Southern exposure, you can count on having many more sunny days over there.

manchester united Seven ski resorts are within an hour and 15 minutes of Manchester, VT, including Bromley Mountain, pictured here.

❺

STRATTON MOUNTAIN

43 minutes away For a mountain with 72 percent combined beginner

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the back Over ⁄ There

Fantastic Voyage(s)

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glow boat Yachts, boats, kayaks and canoes, illuminated by intricate holiday light designs, annually sail through Newport Beach harbor for five consecutive nights in December.

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ant to light up your holiday season, but maybe not here in Saratoga Springs? Look no further than two spectacular light shows happening this winter, one in Rhode Island, the other in Connecticut.

Some four hours away, in Newport Beach, RI, you can take part in The 110th Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, which takes place December 19-23 and draws millions of spectators annually. On-shore paradegoers can watch (free of charge) as yachts, boats, kayaks and canoes sail through the harbor, decked

trolley la la la Climb aboard a closed trolley car or open electric sleigh for a journey through the “Tunnel of Lights” November 23-December 30 at the Connecticut Trolley Museum.

out in eye-popping and intricate holiday-themed light designs. You can also opt for a “Dine & Watch” experience at a participating harbor-side restaurant—or for as little as $32, get on one of the magnificent light-show boats for one of the five nights of the parade.

A

little closer to home, the Connecticut Trolley Museum is hosting a Winterfest And Tunnel Of Lights event Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, November 23-December 30, where passengers can climb aboard a closed trolley car or open electric sleigh for a cold-weather adventure

through the beautifully decorated “Tunnel of Lights” (the museum is about two hours from Saratoga).

Whether trolley riders choose the open or closed car option, all will experience a colorful winter wonderland during their trip, which ends inside the festive Visitor Center that’ll be packed with holiday decorations, model trains and hot chocolate for all. Guests can also catch Santa Claus—with gifts in tow, of course—each night until December 23. Tickets are $3 for children under 4, $10 for children 4-12, $13$15 for adults and $12-$14 for seniors. What are you waiting for? Head down I-90 East this December for a holiday season that’s sure to shine.

the back Drink ⁄

Behold, The Saratoga Rose 1 5 C H UR C H OF F E R S UP T H E C I T Y’S F I NA L ‘ NEX T GR E AT SA R ATO GA COC K TA IL’ ENT RY O F 20 18. p h otogr a p h y by D O R I F I T Z PAT R ICK

W

hen creating new cocktails, I turn to the classics, and I like to shake them up with a modern twist and local ingredients. The Saratoga Rose is a riff on the original Saratoga Sunrise (i.e. orange juice, vodka and grenadine), combining rose petal-infused Rosolio with local honey and rye whiskey. I'm also using cocktail-making techniques passed down from one of the masters of mixology, Jerry Thomas. It tastes as beautiful as it sounds. Cheers!

The Saratoga Rose INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Italicus Rosolio 2 oz. Redemption Rye 7 dashes orange flower water Drizzle of Saratoga Honey 1 tablespoon superfine sugar 1/2 teaspoon St. George Absinthe

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• Spritz or rinse a cocktail glass with the 1/2 teaspoon absinthe. Lightly drizzle honey on the inside of the glass then sprinkle sugar to give the appearance of a frosted glass.

• In a mixing glass filled with ice, combine whiskey, Rosolio and orange flower water. Stir and strain into cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange peel.

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

2019 Maserati Levante

The 2019 Maserati Levante is now available at DePaula Auto Group in Albany. This sleek new Maserati performance SUV boasts power with V6 and V8 engines crafted exclusively at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy, plus luxury with leather or class-exclusive Ermenegildo Zegna silk upholstery. Q4 intelligent All-Wheel Drive keeps the Levante a composed riding experience over all terrain, too, and 5-way active air suspension means maximum off-roading capability. This top-of-the line luxury SUV allows drivers to rough it in style and with maximum safety because every Levante is designed to provide world-class levels of automotive security and safety features. And with two series of Levante, drivers can have their pick between GranLusso, designed for elegance, or GranSport, designed for a more sporty and engaging driving experience. The 2019 Maserati Levante is now part of DePaula Auto Group’s incredible array of new and used vehicles including Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet, Mazda and Ford.

MASERATI OF ALBANY | 1101 Central Ave | Albany, NY 12205 | 518-407-0777

2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio DePaula Auto Group in Albany carries an impressive inventory of quality new and used vehicles, including the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Inspired by Formula 1 racing, this new Alfa Romeo luxury sports SUV was designed for the highest level of performance driving and practical utility. The racecar-inspired engineering of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio includes 505 horsepower, a top speed of 176mph and 0-60 acceleration in just 3.6 seconds. The Q4 All-Wheel Drive system allows drivers to tackle every road condition with confidence and control.

It’s also built with top-of-the-line innovative technologies to insure both the safest and smoothest driving experience possible. That includes a 14-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, an all-aluminum twin-turbocharged V6 engine for extra pick and go and advanced integrated braking system with carbon ceramic Brembo brakes for incredible stopping power, too. Whether it’s for sporty Alfa Romeo or Maserati or for Mazda, Chevy and Ford, DePaula Auto Group has what you’re looking for.

ALFA ROMEO OF ALBANY | 1101 Central Ave | Albany, NY 12205 | (518) 205-8783

BY JEFF DINGLER | Photographed by KATIE DOBIES on location at WINDVIEW ACRES in Stillwater, New York

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

2019 INFINITI QX50 AWD

Experience the all-new 2019 INFINITI QX50 AWD, now available at Lia INFINITI on New Loudon Road in Cohoes. INFINITI’s QX50 is one of the top luxury crossover SUVs on the market, and the 2019 model has been designed to put the driver at the center of the INFINITI experience, balancing brand name elegance with driver comfort and safety. The QX50 contains the world’s first production-ready Variable Compression Turbo engine, which combines sports car performance with eco-friendly efficiency. The QX50 also keeps drivers safe via a number of INFINITI’s ProPILOT Assist technologies, such as hands-on Steering Assist; Advanced Intelligent Cruise Control, which adjusts itself across a range of speeds; and Distance Control Assist, which helps a driver maintain distances between cars in traffic. With an impressive 65.1 cubic feet of cargo space and seating for five, the 2019 QX50 is the ideal car for weekend getaways or family vacations. Test drive one of the six models at Lia INFINITI today.

LIA INFINITI OF LATHAM | 965 New Loudon Rd | Latham, NY | 12110 518-738-0800

2019 GMC Sierra Denali

Mangino Buick GMC in Ballston Spa is now offering the brand-new 2019 GMC Sierra Denali.

This sleek, full-size pickup has been totally redesigned and includes an industry-first GMC Multi-Pro Tailgate with six functions and positions for enhanced loading, perfect for adapting to all your tailgating and camping needs. Other new tech includes a digital head-up display (HUD) for driver safety; a ProGrade Trailering System, which makes hitching a trailer that much easier; and built-in 4G WiFi, with a 50-foot range. Compared to previous models, the 2019 Denali is bigger, wider and more powerful, with the ability to pull up to 9400 pounds, and more fuel efficient, too, with its V-8 engine that includes stop/start technology, which briefly cuts out the engine while stopped in traffic. Family owned and operated, Mangino Buick GMC is the Capital Region’s top dealership for finding the best deals on the 2019 Denali and other new and used Buick and GMC vehicles.

MANGINO BUICK GMC | 1484 Saratoga Rd | Ballston Spa, NY 12020 | (518) 885-5301

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Osteria Danny

Max London’s

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un by Executive Chef Danny Petrosino and his wife, Patti, Osteria Danny specializes in Italian-American cuisine with an emphasis on simplicity and creative development. As such, the menu is updated frequently to encompass new culinary concepts and locally sourced ingredients when they’re available. Although the menu is continuously evolving with the creative will of Chef Danny, original recipes remain a pivotal influence in the dishes that Osteria Danny produces. For example, there’s a simple dish called “Shrimp the way my father liked it” on the menu, which is accompanied by lemon risotto, butter garlic and “a bunch of other stuff,” and all pastas and desserts (mmm… pistachio cheesecake) are made by Danny himself.

n its cozy yet sophisticated nook on Broadway, Max London’s sits beside its sister shop, Mrs. London’s Bakery, a local favorite known for its delicious pastries and baked goods. Max London’s uses locally sourced ingredients, including fresh-squeezed fruit juices in its cocktails and house-made mozzarella cheese, making it an appealing choice for those looking to support local farmers. The menu contains many enticing culinary offerings, such as the “Devils on Horseback” appetizer (medjool dates stuffed with blue cheese and marcona almonds, accompanied by applewood smoked bacon and smoky maple syrup), and there’s a separate (equally delicious) menu for weekend brunch.

26 HENRY STREET, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.423.7022

Dunning Street Station

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ocated about ten minutes from Downtown Saratoga Springs on Rt. 9 in Malta, Dunning Street Station, with its various soups, entrées, desserts and drinks (including 16 beers on tap), is a prime location for a hearty meal (Sunday brunch, anyone?), slightly outside the bustle of the SPa City’s nexus. Bob McKenna and Chef Scott Ringwood purchased the restaurant in 2015, and take pride in maintaining high-quality dining and customer service standards, having won multiple awards for the restaurant, including Best Newcomer at the 2017 Saratoga Chowderfest.

Can’t-miss dishes include the lobster mac, salmon (served with jasmine rice), a prime rib special on Sundays and a generous variety of steaks, burgers and wings.

2853 STATE RT 9, MALTA 518.587.2000

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466 BROADWAY, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.587.0505

Mama Mia’s Pizza & Cafe

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ust outside Downtown Saratoga, Mama Mia’s Pizza & Cafe, a family-run Italian restaurant, is situated in the Ballston Avenue Price Chopper Plaza. Mama Mia’s takes pride in the diverse range of Italian comfort foods that it serves, such as calzones, Italian meatballs, hero sandwiches, pasta dishes and hand-tossed woodfired pizzas, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free entrée options. While Mama Mia’s has a relaxed, cozy vibe for dining in, it also provides full-service catering—from food and tent set-up to large trays of delicious food—for any event or holiday. Take-out is also a popular option for many of the restaurant’s loyal customers, and for every $100 in gift cards you buy, you’ll receive a $20 bonus card.

185 BALLSTON AVENUE, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.583.7783

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Saratoga Stadium

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rom its Broadway locale, Saratoga Stadium is arguably the city’s finest sports bar, providing televised coverage of a range of top sporting events. Saratoga Stadium offers patrons a casual atmosphere, with a menu full of all the traditional favorites—burgers, nachos and pizza—as well as 25-cent wings from 6pm to close on Wednesdays.

Saratoga Stadium also offers a diverse range of seasonal drinks (including a Kentucky Mule), wines by the glass and by the bottle and house-made sangria. To finish things off, the dessert menu displays some tempting treats: fried dough and the “Junior’s Giant Cheesecake for 2.”

389 BROADWAY, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.226.4437

Prime at Saratoga National

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The Inn At Erlowest

he Inn At Erlowest, a Queen Anne-style stone castle on the western shore of southern Lake George, isn’t just a private residence turned award-winning tensuite luxury hotel—it’s also a fine dining, farm-to-table restaurant destination for guests and the public alike. The inn serves an à la carte dinner menu—with dishes including Berkshire pork ribeye, red wine braised beef short-rib and Hudson Valley duck breast—in its dining room (and seasonal outdoor

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dining area, complete with a fire pit and gorgeous view of the lake), as well as a lighter fare menu of cocktails and appetizers, such as coconut shrimp and charred tomato risotto, at the Library Bar. Weekly specials made with seasonal foods ensure that each visit is a unique dining experience. Guests at the inn are also treated to a farm-fresh breakfast in the dining room the morning after their stay. Be sure to check theinnaterlowest.com for seasonal dining hours and more.

3178 LAKE SHORE DRIVE, LAKE GEORGE 518.668.5928

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ocated on Union Avenue near Lake Lonely and Saratoga Lake’s north shore, and headed by Angelo Mazzone, Prime at Saratoga National is one of Saratoga’s top upscale dining venues. The restaurant, open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, as well as for jazz brunch on Sundays (think omelettes, pastas and carving stations), offers indoor and (seasonal) al fresco dining, overlooking the 18th hole of the beautiful Saratoga National golf course. Besides regular daily seatings, Prime is also the perfect setting for weddings, anniversary parties and corporate events/galas, such as UPH’s annual Shaken & Stirred Celebrity Bartender Party, which took place there this past May. 458 UNION AVENUE, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.583.4653

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The Local Pub And Teahouse

Gaffney’s

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longtime Saratoga Springs staple, Gaffney’s is a local favorite for casual American dining and bar fare. Its Caroline Street location in the heart of Downtown Saratoga solidifies its status as a go-to spot for late-night dining, drinking and dancing. Patrons can enjoy regular DJs and live music performances there, as well as half-priced beers on Tuesdays beginning at 4pm.

In addition to the burgers, wings, nachos and specials available on its dinner and late-night menus, Gaffney’s offers Sunday brunch from 10am-3pm, featuring breakfast staples, sandwiches and more.

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he Local is a neighborhood restaurant and bar that serves traditional English and Irish specialties, such as fish ‘n’ chips and bangers & mash, with a unique selection of both craft beers and organic teas from around the world. In addition to its daily lunch and dinner menus, The Local is open for its awardwinning brunch on weekends from 9:30am-3pm and for breakfast sandwiches, pastries and an espresso bar serving Kru Coffee products seven days a week at 7am.

Other special menus include a late-night menu with traditional pub fare including wings and nachos, and a $5 lunch menu, available Monday-Thursday.

16 CAROLINE STREET, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.587.7359

142 GRAND AVENUE, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.587.7256

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Lake Ridge Restaurant

Don’t Miss An Issue of

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onveniently located about 15 minutes south of Downtown Saratoga in Round Lake, Bob McKenna and Chef Scott Ringwood’s Lake Ridge Restaurant has been a local favorite for casual fine dining for 17 years of greatness. Lake Ridge specializes in award-winning New American cuisine, which it shows off on upscale lunch and dinner menus, highlighted by Herb Crusted Swordfish, Duck Breast, Filet Mignon and Pecan Pork Chop. McKenna says Lake Ridge Restaurant, which operates under the slogan “simply the best and voted the best,” is proud of its “consistent greatness,” as it has been winning awards for more than a decade, including Best Chef in the Saratoga Today Best of 2018 awards.

35 BURLINGTON AVENUE, ROUND LAKE 518.899.6000

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play Celebrate The Holidays

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50. Casino fixtures 51. Now! 52. Trim 53. Academy Awardwinning actress Goldie 54. A Great Lake 55. Machu Picchu builder 56. Transmission of texts (abbr.)

WORD LADDER Solve each clue and transfer the second word of each answer to the first column on the next line to complete the word ladder from CHRISTMAS to TIME.

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Holiday house plant Colorful amphibian Brothers Grimm fairytale character He’s third in line to the British throne America’s first president DC newspaper Scheduled start of a horse race

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44. Brief 45. “Help me” 46. Belonging to a 26-across 47. Celebrate Thanksgiving 48. “____ Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” 51. Celebrate Hanukkah 56. Rise 57. Song in an opera

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So, here she is, this passionate New England Patriots fan, married to the man of her dreams, mom to what could be the world’s best six year old, in a city she has fallen hard for. Is life really as good as it seems for the best caterer in Saratoga? Let’s find out.

cake boss

“I love that every day is different and unknown,” says in-demand Saratoga caterer, Austin Bayliss.

What has been the most surprising thing about living in Saratoga?

For me, it’s the incredible restaurants. I don’t feel so guilty anymore that I cook for everyone else but my own family.

Austin’s City Limits

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HAVE YOU MET AUSTIN BAYLISS YET? YOU’RE IN FOR A (SWEET) TREAT. n BY RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA photography by KATIE DOBIES

hear her before I see her, and I like it. In the middle of telling a story in a nearly empty bar in Downtown Saratoga Springs, Austin Bayliss is regaling a small group of friends with a tale so fantastical and amusing that nothing else seems to be happening in this very moment on Earth: This woman is a lot of things—award-winning caterer, master innkeeper, loving mother and wife— but she’s also a gold-medal-grade raconteur. Is she ever.

Smart, optimistic, funny, talented, Austin will not be ignored. Married to former pro baseball player Jonah

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Bayliss, Austin is that rare powerful person who becomes more herself in the presence of her equally formidable life partner. Austin doesn’t shrink from a fight, from a joke, from a moment of silence—she’s a fighter who will charm and delight you in ways you didn’t realize possible. And then there’s her cooking. Oh. My. Yes, she’s well known as the world’s greatest baker of cakes—the masterpiece she created for my recent birthday is the stuff legends are made of—but it’s her savory dishes that have me begging for more. Her chili quite literally brings me to tears.

How did you end up with your home, mom and job on the same block?

Very lucky I guess. We relocated to Saratoga quickly, and moved in with my mom so our daughter could begin school. Friends told us that the house across the street was available, the very involved grandmother thought the location was “absolutely perfect” and so did we. Joining the Petrosinos, the owners of The Inn At Five Points, was just a home run; I found the ideal kitchen to work in and the ideal people to run an inn with.

What’s the secret to a truly great cake?

Ahhhh, if you know me, you know this one: a pinch of salt.

So what’s the big dream?

My dreams are forever changing but, for right now, being in a new city, I just want everyone to try my dark chocolate espresso cake. Let’s start there.

The absolute best part of being a mom? A wife? Having a career?

The greatest thing about being a mom...

I love seeing Jovi’s kind and loving spirit every day. Not only am I overcome with pride, but I’m reminded and inspired to be the same. The greatest thing about being a wife...knowing that I have unconditional support in any adventure I take on. The greatest thing about having a career...I love that every day is different and unknown. I like to say “yes” to it all, and just figure it out as I go.

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T H E H E A RT O F S A R ATO G A S P R I N G S 466 BROADWAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS

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