Eat, Drink, Raise the Barn

When I was younger about the time when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, I was a dancer &

choreographer. I grew up here in the Capital Region; started dancing here, started choreographing here. The problem was that there was nowhere to create. I could find places to dance, although the only performance opportunities were Nutcrackers and summer dance camps. So with wild ambition, a hearty dose of naivety and bull headed determination, I headed off to the City to pursue the art that I loved. What I found in the Manhattan was a land of opportunity and inspiration. I soaked it in, worked hard and then worked even harder and enjoyed a little bit of success.

Not only was I able to dance though, I was able to rent studio space, to work with composers on original music and to find dancers to work with on my pieces. It was pretty awesome to go from a void where my only option was of living in my mind to actually being able to take those ideas and bring them to life. Then there were the dancers, so many dancers with talent beyond what I could imagine, the teachers that were the luminaries of their generation that were all readily accessible and live music. Do you know what it's like to dance to live music when all you've ever had was a cassette tape? I was inspired every day; what I describe now as having the itch was a constant state of being.  What a difference a zip code made.

Fast forward to 4 years ago. I met a lovely couple, Jeff & Janel Mirel,  who loved the arts. We talked about this Festival that I do and how it helps provide sustainable funding to support the not for profit arts community. They told me about this project that they worked on that helps foster an environment for artists to create. We talked and talked. I learned all about the Albany Barn and its vision of creating a community renaissance catalyzed through creative collaboration. I thought to myself, that it couldn't really be all that they said, but it was true. I wished that this had existed when I was creating. I thought to myself that I must find a way to get involved with this group.

So involved I got. Every time I talk to one of the board members I get excited. Their energy is tangible. They think big, outside of the box and then most importantly they are do-ers. They have managed to make this thing a reality and it's going to be a game changer for the arts community in Albany and the surrounding Capital Region.

Imagine you're an artist and you can go to place to create. You can live and work there. The tools that you might not necessarily be able to afford are there. You can interact with other artists in other mediums. Think about that, the magnitude of the impact that it will have.

So want to support the Barn and have some fun? Here are a couple of ways:

The Halloween Party at the Washington Lakehouse

October 31, 2013

The Albany Chefs' Food & Wine Festival: Wine & Dine for the Arts

January 16 -18, 2014

or just DONATE direct here to help raise the Barn!
Albany Barn is dedicated to providing a sustainable creative arts incubator and community arts center in Arbor Hill – a place for artists to live, work and inspire.

Be Merry: 10 Types of Dates & Where to Go in the Capital Region

I read an article on First We Feast today that was seriously amusing and helpful all at the same time. If you don’t know FWF is a bad-ass foodie blog that you should be reading if you want to call yourself a foodie. The post was, “Whereto go in NYC for every type of date.”  Since I spend a lot of time in the City, I thought it kind of rocked, but then I thought well what about here.

Ok disclaimer: The categories were not my creation. FWF is way cooler than me, so please read their post for category explanation if you need it .

What would my 10 picks be for the Capital Region?

Group Date: taste at the communal table in the bar. Taste is contemporary, fine dining but the bar is more relaxed. The communal table is next to the fire fixtures in the wall which let’s face it, make great atmosphere.  Then let’s add in the fact the Mark Graham just became the chef there. So if you want flirty, sultry food this is the place to go.

UPDATE: It was brought to my attention that the communal table is not always there so I emailed Maura Gannon and this was her response:
"We did indeed take it out to put in other smaller tables for more capacity.bHowever, if people want to book the table, it is available to be brought in for a group dinner. It lives outside where it was used during the summer for music nights."

Determined to Get Laid Date: New World Bistro Bar. The premise of this is that the baller move is played, so if you take her to 677 on a first date she’s going to see right through it. (side note I think 677, National and Yono’s are great 3^rd  date places…because that’s when it’s appropriate to pull out all the stops to achieve said objective). So back to New World Bistro Bar….You all know how I feel about Ric. He makes sexy food, food that will as he says "leave you satisfied but wanting more. " The vibe is chill and sophisticated but not trying too hard. Isn’t that enough to put us in the mood?

Saturday Brunch Date: Carmen’s Cafe Troy. It’s a relaxed, eclectic neighborhood place with Cuban-Spanish–American food in a bistro setting. The food is outstanding and because it’s probably a newer experience for you both (or if you are true foodies) it will give lots of talking points.  Oh and they great sangria to take the edge off.

Reconnected After Many Years on Facebook Date: So you don’t know what’s going to happen and you’re a little nervous. Is this a date or a reconnect (even though you know it’s a date but you’re not admitting that to yourself)?  Hmmm. Well I’m thinking Aperitivo Bistro. Sit in the big chairs in front of the windows. It’s a cool place to go. It’s not too formal or too romantic. It’s actually a place where "in the know" foodies go so you might get bonus points for that if you’re feeling on the datish end of things. You’ll definitely have a wow experience. If the mood strikes, the wine has flowed, you’re happy...poof romance has happened.

First Date with Someone You've Already Slept With: The Ginger Man. I love this category, I don’t know why but I do. I actually loved FWF’s explanation of it. So thinking that you’re not going to the Circle Diner for obligatory breakfast, I’m recommending the Ginger Man. It’s not too fancy to be trying too hard, not to casual to be well awkward. The food is great, it’s a Capital Region institution and the wine list has won tons of Wine Spectator awards…yet it’s humble.  You can sit outside on a nice summer night and there’s a lobster roll to die for. That’s a good vibe for this occasion right.

Six Year Anniversary with No Marriage in Sight: Wine Bar & Bistro on Lark. The Wine Bar is super romantic whether you're in the secret garden or in front of the fireplaces. I love it personally as a date spot (ahem, wish I had more occasion for that).  Do a tasting menu, pair it with amazing wine, be in love…Happy Anniversary

Meet the Parents Date: Yono’s. You’re nervous because things are getting real, you want to look good and have an amazing experience. You want to wow them and you want everything to be perfect. Go to Yono’s. Why? They never mess up.

(note, this would also be a good place to propose if you were doing  it at  a restaurant for all the same reasons and if you call ahead and say “Hey, I have something special in the works” trust me they will make magic happen.

Date with a Texas Transplant:  So this is what I’m thinking. I’m never recommending a BBQ place to a Texan because they do it WAY different from us. What I do know is that you can wow any Texan with a really good steak. Where do you get the best steak in town? Angelo’s677 Prime. Get a great steak, a seafood tower, a great bottle of wine and live large. Why, just trust me. Oh and my Texan friend is totally laughing at this.

Day Drinking: The Ruck. Well you all know that my bestie is Chef Rachel. Well , Chef Rachel introduced me to Day Drinking as a concept.  Turns out she now is the “Head Chefie Chef” at The Ruck but that is not why I make this recommendation. Day drinking is an art. If you’re doing it on a date you need activity or  you will get sloppy (and boring). So The Ruck has darts and shuffleboard and a sports game to fall back on. You can drink there for hours with activity and if you need something to eat, they have some pretty good food these days too.

Tinder Date: I admit I had to Google this one. I had no idea what Tinder was. So now that I have signed on and flipped through, had a hearty laugh, and discovered that I will never ever, ever date someone with a red solo cup in a profile picture (or a Budweiser bottle or mainlining Jack Daniels for that matter), I feel qualified to answer this one. So this is the concept of the Tinder Date: you need to meet somewhere first to have a drink to make sure that the goods match the advertisement before you go vodey-oh-doh.  Go meet at someplace like Peddler’s,  have a drink, make your decision. This is not a dating site and everyone on it knows it. So no need to be confuse the matter by going someplace that you would actually go on a date. You can thank me later for enduring that in the name of research.