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Published: December 31st 2009
Paint the Town Wicked Green
"Wicked" at Schenectady's Proctors Theatre was amazing! Sometimes we treat being "home" like it is a fun travel adventure. We just celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary "at home." The actual day started out with a great breakfast close to home in Vermont with Beth and Chris and the boys. Once back in Ballston Lake, we headed for a matinee at Bow Tie Cinema, a "non-mall" cinema in Downtown Schenectady with great seats and nice amenities. One of the great things about being "home" is spontaneously running into people we know. We loved the film, "It's Complicated," where we found ourselves seated next to old friends. The movie was "light fluff stuff" that makes you laugh out loud and cry a little. After the movie, we dodged rain drops on State St. and plopped down at the bar of Aperitivo, one of our good friends, Angelo Mazzone's, group of restaurant holdings. We enjoyed our martinis! The entrees and "small plate" offerings served nearby were temping; but we had other plans and headed for Upper Union Street and Scotti's Italian Restaurant. The restaurant was crowded with happy holiday diners. Our meal was exceptional. We can't get enough of our good friend Guy Sementilli's (chef / owner of Scotti's) delicious cooking.
Wicked at Proctors
Direct from Broadway to Schenectady and every bit as good as the Broadway production - lucky us! The service was outstanding (as always). Scotti's is a real family affair, with Guy's mother and sister and other Sementilli kin seeing to it that we were well fed and happy. The interior has recently been given a great "face lift" with a warm and textural "Tuscany" style faux finish by Rosemary Prock of Sow's Ear Studio (also on Upper Union St.). Our next stop was for Irish Coffees at Carney's Tavern in Ballston Lake, another independent restaurant that happens to be owned by good friends, Bob and Rosemary Carney. This is likely to be our New Year's Eve place to be. Sunday night proved perfect for getting together with the Vanderwerkers and Waymans to celebrate the grand re-opening of the Maloney family's Charlton Tavern, totally restored after a tragic fire leveled the place less than a year ago. The place looks beautiful. The food was fine pub fare. We ran into friends from all over including a whole family from our Mechanicville childhood days, a sorority sister with her new beau, a friend of Beth's from Junior High, and one of Tom's coaches from his BHBL High School football days! Serendipity like this can't happen on vacation. Our Capital
Scotti
The atmosphere is catching up to the splendid Italian food at Scotti's! Love the patio when the weather warms up! Region of New York State - Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga and Rensselaer Counties - offers theatre and club goers’ incredible choices for entertainment especially during the Holiday Season. Last week Zita and I had a delightful impromptu lunch at Provence in Stuyvesant Plaza (near I-87 in Albany) where Zita's trio of "sliders" was the hit of the day. In contrast; but no less enjoyable was hearty diner food at Bubbles in Mechanicville. A few weeks ago, some 34 of us, including little nieces, nephews and our three grand children, enjoyed Northeast Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker" at Proctors, Schenectady. The vividly costumed cast of local dancers and stars from the NY City Ballet danced their hearts out in a winter wonderland setting. We caught The McKrells for a Christmas show at the Parting Glass in Saratoga. The pub food was good and the show had its highlights! The star of Capital Region stages has to be Proctors. The national tour of "Wicked" in for a full month's run was exceptional and just as good as the original Broadway production. Bravo to the guys at Scotti's for getting us in and out with a wonderful dinner in plenty of time to catch
Carney's Irish Pub, Ballston Lake
This is our "cheers!" It is a historic central figure in our community. Good food, good company, charming atmosphere. Photo from Carney's web site. the show. Our fridge is full of yummy stuff in styrofoam boxes of restaurant leftovers. We still have a few family gatherings yet to come as we end 2009. It's been a nice year here in the Capital Region; especially as we run into familiar faces in familiar places! Dorothy knew --- there's no place like home!
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Neil and Jane Golub
non-member comment
43rd Anniversary Weekend
Dear Wes and Joanne, Happy 43rd - we have you beat by three - let's keep both of our runs going! We may be in Boca for the Christmas/New Year's week, but thoroughly enjoyed the pictures of our favorites in Schenectady - Bow Tie Cinema, Scotti's, Aperitivo, etc. We have Wes and Mary Holloway down with us (it has become a Holiday tradition of many many years) and we all agree we must get to the Charlton Tavern upon our return - Sure that our paths will cross at events - we're doing the initial planning for the Jazzy Party for SDN - We wish you both the Happiest and Healthiest of New Year's with a 2010 filled with all sorts of wonderful things! Jane XX