Category Archives: local business

It’s Not Just For Wednesdays Anymore!

Regular readers know about my regular Wednesday thing of going to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY for music and food on a Wednesday night. Of course they have music other nights too.  This week I got to go there for some great music and family time on a Thursday.

I had not meant to go out this evening.  For one reason, I had to wait for the cable guy to come hook up my internet (long story, perhaps a little interesting but never mind).  While I was waiting my sister Cheryl messaged me that she was on her way to Frankfort and Fratello’s.  Damn!  That sounded good!

Long story a little short(er), I managed to join Cheryl, her daughter Kimi, and Kimi’s boyfriend, Matt for  a really fun time.  Matt happened to be on the porch making a phone call when I arrived.  He immediately gave me a big hug, which I sorely needed.  Joining Cheryl and Kimi at the bar, he said, “I brought in this lady.  She was just wandering around outside,.”

“You brought that old lady in here?”  my sister scolded. I got some more hugs.

They had already ordered their food, but I quickly got a glass of Pinot Noir and ordered a cheeseburger for myself.  The music had already started.  I took my obligatory shot to share on Facebook and encourage others to come down.

He was pretty awesome.

It was Matt Migliore, who I had heard of but never seen (I don’t think).  He played a wide variety of music and asked for any requests. Someone asked for Guns ‘N Roses, which he did a very good job of.  Some of the requests sounded more recent for my tastes, so I asked for Kansas.  It was the first one I could think of because I have been listening to “Leftoverture” in my car lately.  Then I thought of their orchestral, synthesizer-heavy harmonies and admitted it might be a little hard for a solo artist with a keyboard. He began playing a familiar riff on the keyboard then went into a beautiful verse of “Carry On, My Wayward Son.”  He paused at the chorus.

“I need a lot more voices to sing that!” he said.”At least five!”   But what he did was awesome.

Later I asked for something from the ’70’s, and he obliged with “Brandy.”  Other people asked for Cold Play or people I have never heard of.

It’s not just about the music!

Cheryl suggested I take a picture of her food for my blog post. She got Pasta  Al Forno .  I must try that some time.  I got a cheeseburger while Matt and Kimi split a pizza.

A fun group!

I asked to take a picture of my dining companions for the blog post. Cheryl was not best pleased and suggested I crop her out, but I think she is pretty.

Fratello’s Pizzeria is located at 158 E. Main St., Frankfort,  NY, phone number 315-894-8484.

 

Bad Sunday, Good Pizza

My Sunday was really crappy, although I’ll admit my problems were primarily of the first world variety.  Then again, when you feel your desires are simple, it can be twice as frustrating to be unable to meet them. Additionally, my whole life these days is overshadowed by the grief of losing my husband.  I am afraid anything that sucks is going to suck a little bit more for the foreseeable future.  One must live through these things.

All I wanted to do was watch television.  A little news in the morning while I played solitaire (on the floor with a regular deck of cards), a little Snapped in the afternoon while I knitted.  A relaxing Sunday.  However, it did not work out that way.  Once again, my television persistently told me “No Signal.”

I spent time on the phone with cable people, I drove to New Hartford, NY to pick up a cable they said I needed, I figured out how to replace said cable, I spent more time on the phone, I drove to Little Falls so the UPS store could send my (brand new) cable box back to the cable company, I required two more phone calls to actually cancel service.  Phew!  That is the short version, but I did not want to skip any steps.

So now I sit in silence on Monday morning, pecking in one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet (I always feel the need to tell you that), making my Sunday blog post late once again.  As you see, I did not cancel internet.  I am not a savage, after all.

Just to add a plug for a local business,  in between the last two phone calls, I went to Mangia Macrina’s which is handily located in the same building, for a wood-fired pizza and a glass of wine.  While I sipped and munched, I wrote another character sheet for my upcoming murder mystery, Shooting at the Grange (more about that later) (preview of coming attractions).

Good pizza!

Mangia Macrina’s (Macrina’s, not Marine’s, autocorrect!  Sheesh!) is located at Canal Place in Little Falls, NY.

 

I Do Love Music

On a recent Wednesday I made my way to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY, to meet my niece Kimi and her boyfriend, Matt, and to hear one of my favorite local musicians, Phil Arcuri.  It was a bittersweet but lovely evening.

Previously shared picture.

Regular readers know that my late husband, Steven, and I had a Wednesday thing of going to Fratello’s on Wednesday nights for food and music (not necessarily in that order).  More recently, I went alone as Steven did not feel up to it, but I always hoped he would be joining me again soon.  I like to think he was with me in spirit.

Right away Phil gave me a hug and said he was sorry about Steve.  Later on in the evening, he said he missed Steve’s smile.  Steve always was a big fan of Phil’s.  Some Wednesdays when he was disinclined to go out at all, I could tempt him by saying Phil was playing.

Phil opened, as he often does, with “Margaritaville.”  Traditionally, when he gets to the line, “It’s all my fault,”  I say it is Steve’s fault.  This night, I admitted it was my fault.  On the next chorus, I blamed Kimi and Matt.

Also a previously shared picture.

I was glad I got out of the house, and I am glad I finally wrote about the evening.  Fratello’s Pizzeria is located at 158. E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, phone number 315-894-8484.  They are open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Sunday 1 to 7 p.m.  You can follow them on Facebook to find out when local musicians are featured.

 

Not Much Post But Cute Pictures

I was too tired on Tuesday to make even a Tired Tuesday Post.  I would only have whined for 200 words, as I have done in the past.  It is now Wednesday morning.  I did not take my daily walk (can you still call it a daily walk when you miss a day once a week?), but I thought I would try to come up with some semblance of a blog post.

One thing I have is a couple of cute pictures I took at FarmHouse Restaurant in Ilion, NY, when I went there for a breakfast that I neglected to make a blog post about.

It looks like the creamer is talking to the cup.

I actually did not put creamer in my coffee, but it was so cute I had to include it in the picture.   I ordered a breakfast sandwich, which I did not take a picture of (I will end a sentence with a preposition if I decide to).  However, when I finished it,  I noticed the frogs on the plate.  My husband, Steve, collects frogs.  I took a picture so he could be jealous.

So cute!

Who knows, maybe the frog plates will entice Steve to join me for breakfast one day!

FarmHouse Restaurant is located at  9 Central Ave, Ilion, NY, phone number 315-895-0770.  They are open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday and Tuesday,  8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, closed Wednesday.   However,  I noticed on Facebook that they would like to expand their hours, based on staffing.

 

Another Fun Fratello’s Night

Regular readers remember my Wednesday Night Thing,  which I have not indulged in recently.  Today I went to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort in hopes of seeing a local musician.  Imagine my chagrin when there was no music this evening!  However, I had an enjoyable evening and thought I could make a blog post about it.

One thing that made it a good evening was that I encountered my niece Kim and her boyfriend Matt.  Everybody knows good company makes for a good evening!

A fun couple!

We had some good laughs as well as enjoying good food and great service.  Our bartender was named Kim too. She remembered that I like Pinot Noir and that I prefer a coaster above as well as beneath.  In fact, the coaster above is most useful in the summer, when there might be little bugs flying around.  But I like to  be in the habit, just in case.

Excellent service!

Kim the bartender graciously offered to take a picture of the three of us.

We did have a nice time.

I enjoyed my evening and took home leftovers for subsequent lunches or dinners.

Fratello’s Pizzeria is located at 158 E. Main St., Frankfort,  NY, phone number 315-894-8484.  They are open 11 a.m, to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

 

I Wine on a Monday

Regular readers know I love wine.  I appreciate it when the local liquor stores have tastings, because I can try before I buy.  This is one reason I often go to Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer, NY.  I was delighted when I heard they were doing 12 Days of Christmas Tasting.  Of course I do not intend to show up all 12 days (although it is tempting). In fact, I had already missed the first three days on Monday when I stopped in and was delighted to see a wine tasting in progress.

I had not consulted the flier I had picked up so did not expect a wine but a liquor tasting (Valley seems to do a lot of those lately, but perhaps it is just the days I happen to stop in).  This was OK with me, because I need to pick up a bottle of booze for a Secret Santa I am participating in.  I had not even brought in one of my little notebooks I use to record tasting notes.  However, I always have a little notebook in my purse.  Surprisingly, I did not have a pen, but the pourer, Felicia, had one I could borrow.

Felicia is one of my favorite pourers.  She is so friendly and knowledgeable about what she pours.  She often has good ideas about food pairings, a subject about which I know very little.

A tasting is so much better with a good pourer!

We started with Ruffino Prosecco.  I had been under the impression that all Proseccos are sweet, but Felicia told me they can go either way.  This one was middle of the road.  Felicia pointed out it was not so dry that one needed to mix it with juice or soda to sweeten it.  I said I liked the dry ones.  We moved on to the Ruffino Pinot Grigio, which was citrusy and very nice.  The Simi Chardonnay was oaky but not too buttery.  Felicia and I agree on disliking the buttery ones (although I know others love it).  Moving on to the reds, I sampled the Ruffino Chianti. It was very light.  The Simi Cabernet Sauvignon was also very nice.

I decided to get a big bottle of the Ruffino Pinot Grigio, because I was in the mood for a white.  I greatly enjoyed the interlude.  It was a nice ending to a Monday.  Looking ahead, I may return to Valley on Wednesday for Menage a Trois Wines.  After that… well, we shall see.

Valley Wine and Liquors is located at 326 S. Caroline St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-867-5800.

 

Sunday Yum!

This morning I indulged in my new Sunday thing of treating myself to breakfast at Farm House Restaurant in Ilion.

It is small but mighty.

I felt I deserved the treat, but perhaps I flatter myself.  I slept in till after six then went for a run immediately.  After the run and before my shower,  I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen,  including sweeping and mopping the floor.  At the risk of making myself look even worse than usual, I will confess I had not done dishes since Friday.

With a veritable tower of dishes air drying (I refuse to waste effort on what patience will accomplish), I was disinclined to dirty anything more.  I have had a few breakfasts at Farmhouse since discovering they are open Sundays.  I was delighted to return.

The restaurant is tiny but welcoming.  Last week I was fancy and had Eggs Benedict but today I had an egg sandwich with bacon and provolone on an Everything bagel.  Yum!  I also had coffee.  Since it was a good three hours later than I usually have my first cup, the hot brew was more than welcome.

The magic elixir that makes my morning better!

I greatly enjoyed my breakfast and may return on every possible Sunday.

Farmhouse Restaurant is located at  9 Central Ave., Ilion, NY,  phone number 315-895-0770.  They are open Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Wednesday.

 

More Music on Wednesday!

Regular readers may have wondered if I was ever going to return to my Wednesday Night Thing of going to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort for music and food.  Well, tonight I finally did.  I had the best time!

I got there between 5:30 and 6:00, and noticed a bald, bearded man setting up equipment. I asked who the musical talent was.  The bartender, Kimberly, told me it was Justin, at the same time the man setting up told me, “Justin!”  I said, “What’s your last name, Justin?”  He told me Smithson but I could put “Smithsonian.”  I told him I would put it in my blog post, and he acquiesced with Smithson.  Another patron told me Justin was the lead singer with Showtime.  I have heard of that band but never seen them, so I was interested to hear this Justin.

Great guitar!

I was not disappointed.  He opened with “Layla,” followed by “Peaceful, Easy Feeling.”  He asked for requests, so after a couple other numbers,  I asked if he knew “Sister Golden Hair.”  He looked up the lyrics on his IPad, saying he would rather cheat and do that rather than cut the song short.  He did a wonderful job on the song.

“Looking up lyrics on your IPad isn’t cheating,” I told him.  “It is research!”  He liked that.

I like the hockey pennants you can see in the background.

I greatly enjoyed my evening.  I even stayed for one more song than I intended, dancing with another patron.  It was a friendly crowd at a friendly venue with a friendly, talented singer.  How I have missed my Wednesday Night Thing!

Fratello’s Pizzeria is located at 158 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, phone number 315-894-8484.  They are open 11 a.m. to 10 pm. Monday through Saturday, 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday.  Local music is featured other nights than Wednesday.  You can follow them on Facebook to find out more.

 

Dominick Street Delight

It is still Saturday and there is plenty of time for me to make my Scattered Saturday Post.  Full disclosure:  I have already had a few cocktails.  Why not?  It’s the weekend!

At any rate,  I drove into Rome, NY, earlier today to visit family.  My sister Diane and I drove to Dominick Street, which has become quite the artsy area.  We enjoyed a few local businesses.  Not all of my pictures turned out, but I will try to plug a few deserving businesses.

The first place we stopped was The Copper Easel, which includes the Superofficial coffee shop.  My pictures here did not turn out, but we enjoyed looking at some beautiful local art.

From there we went to the Capitol Theatre.  I remember going there when I was a little girl and being so impressed by the ornate decor.  We missed the guided tours, but a young man told us we could explore on our own.  We were delighted to do so.

I just love the look of a curtained stage.

After the Capitol, we went to the Keaton and Lloyd Bookstore.   I love a bookstore!

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” — Groucho Marx

It is a delightful bookstore. It includes a space for community events, such as author readings or book clubs.

I need to publish a book, so I can do a reading here.

After the bookstore, we went into The Balanced Chef.  Full disclosure: we went in to get a stamp, because they were doing a thing where you could qualify for prizes if you got six stamps.  However, I want to go back there when I am hungry.   It looks like a good place to eat.

Note to self: eat a lighter lunch when about to visit downtown Rome.

Next we went to Franca’s Wine Room, where I also did not get any photos.  I went there before with my friend Kim, and wrote about it for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  Hannah, the bartender, remembered me.

Hannah, in a previously taken picture,

I greatly enjoyed my Scattered Saturday,  and my sister  Diane was happy to participate in a Mohawk Valley Adventure.

 

Not Wuss-out, Shout-out!

I should have known I would wuss out on Wednesday.  I had to work late (for me).  But never mind that.  Instead of another post that is not really a Post (autocorrect decided to capitalize that, and I think I like it), I will share a couple more pictures from my Saturday adventures, thus giving another shout-out to a local business.  I have used this headline before, but I guess I am wussing out on coming up with a better one.

Aren’t they cool?

This is from Rose Quartz Stand in Herkimer, NY, who recently moved next door to a larger space.  They have all kinds of gems and minerals, but I am particularly fascinated by the geodes.  How do the geologists (if those are the ones that find them) know which rocks to crack open?

Very pretty!

I have purchased several of these angels for friends.  Who couldn’t use a little blessing?

There are also some delightful animals carved from stone.  I have a small collection, which I usually add to when I stop there.

Rose Quartz Stand is located on the corner of Mohawk and South Main streets in Herkimer.  315-868-5199. They are open Tuesday and Wednesday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.,  Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday.  You can also Like them on Facebook.