Tag Archives: food

Monday Music

Posted on July 18, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I mixed things up a little and went to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort for music and food tonight instead of Wednesday (of course I could still go on Wednesday; no promises there).  Tom Maneen was playing acoustic guitar.  I have only heard him once before.  He is excellent!

I enjoyed his tunes a lot!

I sat at the bar as usual.  Kayla, the bartender, took good care of me.  I had Buffalo Chicken Salad with Mozarella Garlic Bread.  Yum!  Full disclosure:  I mostly ordered the salad so I could bring leftovers for my lunch tomorrow.

A couple sat down next to me.  They were very friendly.  First they asked if the seats were taken.  They were not.  I said they could certainly sit down.

“We’ll be your new acquaintances,” said Michael, as I later found out was his name.  His wife was Alysha. Michael decided to order a bucket of Utica Club, because it would be more economical, even if he didn’t drink one.

“You might as well,” I said.  “It’s on your bucket list.”  He appreciated that.  We chatted quite a bit.  Alysha tried a piece of my garlic bread.  Michael gave me a Utica Club from his bucket.  Eventually I asked if I could take a picture for my blog post.  They graciously agreed.

Nice folks.

I had a really nice time.  It was a pleasant start to my week.

OK, one more picture of Tom.

 

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I’m to Blame for the Blah

Posted on July 17, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

My rather blah weekend continues with a Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post.  To anybody who is playing that miniature violin (So snarky! And you know who you are), I point out that I am well aware I have only myself to blame for the blah (ooh, that might make a good headline! So alliterative).  Really, if blah is the worst thing that happens to me, I am ahead of the game.

I ran again this morning.  That is two days in a row of 20-minute runs. Exercise is very important.  I must get more of it.  Later I went to breakfast at Farm House Restaurant in Ilion NY.  It was either do the dishes, cook eggs in a big frying pan, or go out to eat.  I feel I made the right decision.

A good place to eat.

Later in the day I fixed myself hot dogs and beans.  I had gotten them for the Fourth of July but then decided to avoid fatty foods so close to the Boilermaker 15K.  For the past week every night after work, I had nothing in the house to eat yet felt it was entirely too much trouble to heat up hot dogs and beans.

“It doesn’t take much,” my mother pointed out to me.  I call my parents almost every day.

“These days,”  I replied, “it doesn’t take much for me to say, ‘Oh that’s too much trouble!’ ”

Today I discovered that it was in fact very little trouble.  I was inordinately pleased with myself.  I think I made the right choice there.  I could have been disgusted with myself for not cooking the hot dogs and beans sooner.  Instead I felt pleased.

So this is my blog post of blah weekend with hot dogs and beans.  Maybe I should have mentioned the hot dogs and beans in the headline.  Any thoughts?

 

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At Fratello’s Once Again!

Posted on July 13, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is Wednesday,  and we all know my usual destination on a Wednesday is Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort. My friend Kim and I originally started for the Food Truck Frenzy in Ilion to hear The Posers,  but unfortunately the heat and lack of parking drove us to Frankfort where we knew we could sit in air conditioned comfort.  Well, technically, I guess Kim drove us, if you want to be that way about it (and I know some of you do) (you know who you are).

He is fine, yes!

We sat at the bar and ordered wine (Moscato for Kim, Chardonnay for me).  We did not have to wait long for the music.  Justin Smithson plays a nice mix.  Kim especially enjoyed “Tequila Sunrise.”  I confessed to liking boozy songs myself.

I could not make up my mind what food I wanted but finally ordered a basket of calamari and fries, which we shared.  I asked for ranch dressing to dip the fries in.  Yum!  Gino, the bartender, took good care of us.

Kim and Gino.

I did not have my Tablet with me so took pictures with my phone.  It is a new phone, not very expensive, and as you can see, does not take the best pictures.  However, one makes do with what one has.

I kept the best few.

We had a lovely time.  I was only sorry I missed The Posers at the Food Truck thing.

 

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Tired But Patriotic, I Hope

Posted on July 5, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Tired Tuesday on the Fourth of July.

That is all that comes to my mind to type in.  I did not want to make another late post so took my Tablet up to bed with me, trusting that words would follow.  And here I am, one finger typing because I neglected to bring up a stylus and am too lazy to go back downstairs and get one.

I did mention yesterday that I have not given up whining.

That year I had not given up wine.

Here is a picture from July 2021, of the wine I was bringing to a celebration with my friends Phyllis and Jim.  See?  Red, white, and blue.  I can get seasonal on occasion.  Earlier today I ate red, white, and blue with strawberries, blueberries, and Cool Whip.  Yum!

My neighbors seem to be getting into the holiday spirit with firecrackers.  They did so last night as well (at least, it may have been different neighbors; I did not investigate the matter).  They did not keep it up all night, so that was all right.

Brewer, patriot…

I just looked through all the July pictures in my Media Library, and this was the only other patriotic picture I could find.  I had neglected to purchase any Sam Adams beer for the holiday so made do with iced coffee in a Sam Adams glass.  I had a tradition of drinking Sam Adams beer on the Fourth of July for a number of years.  That was before I became such a wine aficionado (I always thought that word should have two f’s you know, like affection).

Ooh, look, I am over 250 words!  Not bad for a Tired Tuesday Post.  Happy Independence Day, everyone!

 

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More Phil, Yes!

Posted on June 22, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Every week I say I am not going out, and every week I find a very good reason to change my mind.  This week the reason was that Phil Arcuri would be at Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort.  How could I resist?

Phil is so much fun when he plays!  He adds things to many songs.  For example, he mentioned Chicken Riggies at Fratello’s in “Under the Boardwalk.”   But what really cracked me up was, “on a blanket with my Geno.”  Geno is the excellent bartender.

There was some confusion during “Margaritaville” as to whose fault it was.  Phil blamed Geno, Kira, and Brian.  What none of them seemed to know was that everything is my fault on Wednesday.  It has been that way for a number of years.

Great musicians!

At one point, Geno, the bartender, decided he would add to the vocal entertainment.   He was excellent.

I took a couple of pictures.

They tried to get the waitress, Kira, to sing.  She said that although people had told her she had a good voice, she could not.  I said that was where she and I differed.  I could easily get up in front of people,  but nobody ever told me that I had a good voice.

I was very happy I had gone out.

Fratello’s Pizzeria is located at 158 E. Main St. In Frankfort,  NY.  You can follow their Facebook page for musical entertainment.

 

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I Just Couldn’t Resist!

Posted on June 15, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Every week I say to myself,  don’t go out this week.  Stay in, save money, save calories.  I agree with me at the time.  Then Wednesday rolls around, and I want to go to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort for music and food.  Today I went and once again was glad I did.

Justin Smithson was playing.  I have heard him before and loved him.  I was happy to hear him again.

Excellent musician!

I was loving his acoustic guitar.  He played a mix of songs from The Eagles to Jimmy Buffet to Johnny Cash and more.  When he sag, “I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain,”  I said, “Yes, we have,”  because it had been raining all day.  He smiled.

A couple walked in and greeted Justin.  I thought the man looked familiar and asked did I know him.  He said he used to be on TV.  It was Steve McMurray of WKTV in Utica, NY.  He is general manager now so not on the air as often.  I told him of a time my husband I had met him at a Stuff the Bus campaign one December.

“I took a picture for my blog, but I don’t remember if I used it.  If I can find it I’ll put it in tonight’s post,” I said.

My Steve loved to donate toys.

It took some looking, but I found them!  It was actually November 2019.  It is a good memory.  I will be sure to donate to Stuff the Bus again this year.

Full disclosure:  when I got home I was too tired to make the post so am making it Thursday morning.  And I need more coffee.

 

 

 

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Love that Matt Grainger

Posted on June 8, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I decided to go back to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort on a Wednesday night and I was so glad I did!

I was undecided to leave the house at all, with the creepily hazy skies from the Canadian wildfires.  Stay inside, all the advice said.  But I felt strangely disinclined to do so.  I thought, driving in the car with the windows up to a place with windows closed must be OK.  So I did.

When I walked into Fratello’s and saw Matt Grainger was playing,  I said yay!

He is fine, yes!

I ordered the Grilled Chicken Salad and Garlic Bread with Mozzarella.  I mostly wanted leftover salad for my lunches for the rest of the week.  This is part of the beauty of Wednesday nights at Fratello’s.

Still fine.

I guess my pictures of Matt are kind of similar, but I like them both so could not bear to delete one of them.  This is how I overload my camera app on my Tablet.   These things happen, I suppose.

I had a very enjoyable evening, eating food, listening to music, and visiting with other patrons.  I even had an opportunity to tell Matt Grainger how excited I had been to see he was playing and how much I enjoyed his music.

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

 

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Yet More Music

Posted on May 18, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Are posts about music at Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY getting a bit tiresome?  I hope not, because here comes one more.

I had made up my mind not to go out for a while.  Stay home, I told myself.  Be frugal of money and calories.  On Wednesday I was regretting that decision.  I mentioned my dilemma to a co-worker.

“I think you should do what you enjoy,” she said.

When I talked to my mother on the phone, she echoed the sentiment.  I had in fact already decided to do so.  After all, I got home from work, I put in laundry, went on a two mile run, and did the dishes.  I could reward myself and not dirty any more dishes.

It turned out to be a great reward, because Phil Arcuri was playing.

He is so fun!

I have said this many times, but it bears repeating: I love watching Phil play because he is clearly having such a good time.  I sang along with all the songs I knew and chair danced when I wasn’t eating.  It was great.

Fratello’s Pizzeria is located at 158 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, phone number 315-894-8484.  They have music other nights than Wednesday.  Check it out!

 

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Are Wednesdays a Thing Again?

Posted on May 4, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

After deciding last week that I was going to stay home every night this week, I  decided to go to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY for food and music, as I used to do almost every Wednesday.  A quick check of their Facebook page told me Justin Smithson was playing acoustic guitar.

He is an excellent musician.

As I walked in, I was greeted by Geno the bartender and Justin Smithson himself.  I ordered a garlic pizza with sausage and mushrooms.  It was one of Steven’s favorite things to order.  I was sipping some Chardonnay, also a favorite of his.  The music started shortly.

I was loving it right away.  Justin started with a beautiful James Taylor song.  Then I dissolved into embarrassing tears as he got to the chorus:  “But I always thought that I’d see you again.”  This is what happens.  Every day I realize I will never see my husband Steve again.  However, I must try not to make a spectacle of myself.

This one turned out a little dark.

Justin moved on to play a variety of tunes.  At one point he asked for requests, and a man said, “Cat Stevens!”  Justin played “Wild World,” which is a song that plays in my head when I am running and go by a WildWood camper.

“Made my night!” said the requestor when the song was done.

I greatly enjoyed hearing the music.  I will be back at Fratello’s again soon!

 

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Fun Friday

Posted on April 8, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a late Friday post that is not lame?  At least it will not be admittedly lame, as it includes two Mohawk Valley Adventures and  couple seasonal pictures.

My friend Kim and I started our evening with a cocktail tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer, NY.  Felicia, one out our favourite pourers, was giving samples of pre-mixed drinks in cans.

I had to get a picture of the Eastery display.

Kim especially liked the sign:  “EVERY HOUR IS HAPPY HOUR.”  I was taken with the bunny butts.  The drinks were made with vodka or tequila with real fruit juice and no added sugar.  They were pretty tasty, but not really my thing.

From the liquor store we went to Yetty’s for supper.  We were happy to find seats at the bar.  We had not been there in a while, but the bartender remembered us and greeted us warmly.  The first thing I noticed was that the head that graces the shelf behind the bar was dressed for the holiday.

It was perhaps a little dark, but you can see the bunny ears.

We both had fish and chips.  Kim had mayonnaise with hers; I got tartar sauce.  It was quite yummy.  We had a very fun evening, and I got a real blog post out of it (or do I flatter myself?).

Valley Wine and Liquor is located at  326 S. Caroline St.  Yetty’s is at 109 Mohawk St.  Both are in Herkimer, NY.  For more information,  you can visit their Facebook pages.

 

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