Tag Archives: herkimer ny

I Yetty While I Still Can

The For Sale sign on Yetty’s Pizza and Pasta of Herkimer, NY tells us a great place to eat might not be with us much longer.  Of course, Yetty’s fans hope somebody will purchase the property and continue the restaurant.  In the meantime, I was happy to see they were still open and serving on Friday, because I was hungry.

He looks so jolly.

I took that picture on a previous visit.  I did not take any yesterday, because I did not think of it.  It took me some time to peruse the menu, because I did not know what I wanted.  Pasta? Pizza?  At last I decided on a Black and White Burger.  Black and White refers to the sauce.  It came with fries, and I asked for ranch dressing to dip them in.

They always treat me special!

The special board probably says something different now, but I did not notice.  I really must start paying more attention to these things.  In any case, my food was delicious, and I took leftovers home.  I love leftovers!

I do enjoy eating out, and I especially love a local eatery.  When it is walking distance from my house, Score!

Yetty’s is located at 109 Mohawk St., Herkimer, NY.  Their website is yettys.com.  Go eat there while you can!

 

It Was a Sauvignon Kind of Day

I have not done a wine tasting post in a while.  In fact, I go to fewer wine tastings these days, but Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer has them almost every weekend.  In fact, many area liquor stores do, but Valley is the closest one for me.  When I still worked it was oh so handy to stop by on my way home on a Friday.  When I would go adventuring with my friend Kim on Saturdays, we often stopped in to taste, if something was going on.  I have a lot less wine in my house since I stopped being so faithful!

This weekend, Valley Wine and Liquor has tastings Thursday through Sunday.  I speculate that they are helping people get stocked up for Super Bowl parties.  I have not been invited to a Super Bowl party, but one never knows when a last minute invite may come along.  I needed exercise, so I walked down to the store Thursday afternoon.  I questioned my ability to carry multiple bottles of wine home but hoped for the best.  Sasha, one of the regular pourers, was sampling Bonterra Organic Wines from California.

We love wine!

We started out with Cabernet Sauvignon, which I declared very tasty.  Regular readers know I do not have a sophisticated palate and rarely taste notes of anything, but I liked this.  I liked the Red Blend, too, but not as much.  Alas, I neglected to ask what it was a blend of so cannot tell you.

For whites, I was quite taken with the Sauvignon Blanc.  I told Sasha I found I liked California Sauvignon Blancs best.  She said she liked all California wines.  Indeed, there are great wines coming from CA.  I liked the Chardonnay a lot, finding it not the least bit buttery.  I know some people like buttery chardonnays but I prefer the crispy, unoaked ones.

I purchased the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Sauvignon Blanc.  I confess I did not enjoy my walk home.  Two bottles of wine are heavy for an old, un-muscular broad like me!  It reminded me of a blog post I made years ago, when I walked home from the much missed Ramar’s Liquors with my even more missed dog Tabby and a box of wine.  I could have made a whole post about yesterday’s walk home but prefer to give a shout-out to a local business instead.

Valley Wine and Liquor is located at 326 S. Caroline St., Herkimer, NY.  You can check their website at shopvalleywine.com for the tastings schedule.

 

What’s a Good Name for a Bat?

Here at last is my shout-out to To Niche Their Own, a lovely shop on Mohawk Street in Herkimer, NY.  I have been there several times, finding some beautiful Christmas gifts and once saving myself from my own carelessness when I left the house NOT wearing earrings.

Extra points for a punny name!

The shop features the works of several local crafters.  Crochet items, stuffed toys, jewelry and more.  It is fun just to walk around and look.  The last time I was there (about two days ago), I fell in love with some Valentine bears.  I don’t have a Valentine any more, but maybe I could think of somebody to give one of these adorable bears to.

So cute!

I did make a purchase when I saw a lone bat left over from Halloween.  I told Ashley, the proprietress, about Mookie Wilson, the bat my late husband Steve won from a claw machine many years ago and which has hung from various light fixtures in our house ever since.  My sister Diane suggested the name.

Me and Mookie Wilson.

I wondered what I should name my new bat.  I don’t think I can do much better than Mookie Wilson as a name for a bat.  Ashley suggested I ask my blog readers.  Accordingly, I took a picture of the bat:

He is a two-sided bat.

Or maybe it is a she-bat. Oh dear.

Maybe it is a trans bat.  In any case, I was quite delighted with my purchase and happy to mention a fun new business in my blog.

To Niche Their Own is located at 127 Mohawk St., Herkimer, NY.

 

After the Snow, Adventures?

I had meant to make a post yesterday (Monday) about my adventures in snow shoveling (yes, I did try to PUSH the snow when possible, don’t judge me), but I neglected to take before or after pictures, and then, well, time got away from me.  I managed to NOT give myself a heart attack.  Note to self:  do not watch Reels on Facebook that explain with illustrations just how easy it is for a woman of my age to do that.

Where was I?  Ah yes, on Tuesday morning, hoping to make some semblance of a blog post.  Quick, throw in a picture to pep things up.

Random snow shot from a couple of years ago.

Most things have been shut down around here since Sunday.  I think they are back open today, so it would be a good idea if I got out and gave a local business some, you know, business.  I can’t keep the local economy going all by myself, but I can spend a few dollars here and there and give some local places a shout out.

Maybe I could buy myself a Valentine.

This is a decoration from Home Town Diner on Main Street in Mohawk, NY.  I’ve already eaten breakfast, but I will be hungry for lunch before I know it.  I could also stop by To Niche Their Own in Herkimer.  I don’t think I have ever taken decent pictures there nor given them a proper shout-out, but I did purchase some excellent Christmas presents there last month.

Will I make it to Little Falls?

And there is my new favorite bookstore, Athenix Books and Brews.  There are a number of good places in Little Falls: Venture Fourth, Chickweed Boutique, the Mustard Seed… I’m sure to leave somebody out.  Oh dear.

So now I have cheered myself up to the tune of 300 words of blog post and plans.  I hope everybody has their parking lot plowed out by now!

 

Scattered Tuesday?

I just went adventuring with my mother and my sisters Cheryl and Diane.  Did I take any pictures?  Um, ‘fraid not, but perhaps my Media Library can help.

Our first stop was Athenix Books and Brews (only books so far) in Little Falls, NY.  They are going to carry some of Diane’s books.  Yes, she is a published author, and I must up my writing game.

A regular stop for me now!

Mom, Cheryl and I browsed around while Diane talked with the owner.  I found a book by Fannie Flagg, one of my favorite authors.  Cheryl and I were looking at the shirts when she pointed out me one with a ghost.  It was 50% off.  How could I resist?  She took a picture of me holding it before I decided to buy it; maybe I can get it from her for blogging purposes.

After that stop we pondered where else to go.  So many shops are not open on Tuesday!  When we drove back to Herkimer, looking for lunch, we saw Mohawk Valley Community Market.  How did I not think of that?  It is a great place to shop!  We spent a goodly amount of time browsing.

I have one of those bags!

Renewed and Rescued is the anchor store of the Market, the people that started it all.

At last we went to lunch.  Many places are not open for lunch on Tuesday, but one my favorites, Salvatore’s Pizzeria and Restaurant is!

There was snow on the ground today.

We had a delicious lunch.  I’m still full!  And after all those adventures, I have plenty of time left to do something useful around the house.  As soon as I read some of that Fannie Flagg book.

 

Mid Sunday Wrist to Forehead Post

Earlier today I was at the Regional Competition of the Elks Hoop Shoot.  Alas, I did not take any pictures.  The Herkimer competition took place in December, during which I kept score.  Today I got to chase rebounds, which was much more fun.  Now I am home and waiting till it is time to go to the Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts in Little Falls, NY, where there is a farewell reception for Oscar Stivala.

Oscar Stivala is a doctor, musician and artist.  I know him in the latter two descriptions.

Oscar and friends.

The picture is from The Renaissance Pub on Main Street in Little Falls.  It was the opening of an exhibit of Stivala’s artwork. I went for the music as much as the art.

I guess it all sounds pretty good, with no reason for me to swoon, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, on a handy chaise lounge, or failing that my couch (I STILL don’t own a chaise lounge and I feel pretty ill-used about it).  But I am having a bit of a headache, and I don’t care for that. Ooh, I just remembered, my sister Cheryl gave me a neck pillow, the kind you heat up in the microwave.  Yay, Cheryl!

So this is my Sunday post.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

Messy House, Many Adventures

I had an adventure filled day yesterday but foolishly did not take any pictures along the way.  Well, I will recount my activities and trust to my Media Library to provide some illustration.

I started with breakfast with friends at Top of the Morning Cafe in North Utica, NY.  I had never been there before and wish I had taken pictures.  However, the parking lot was quite icy so I did not want to pause and try to aim my camera at their sign.  It was a very good breakfast, though.  I am sure we will return.

Back home, I was planning the best way to go about cleaning my messy house when my sister Cheryl called and asked did I want to go out to lunch.  She needed to get a calendar as well.  I told her I knew a place where she could get a swell calendar free: Basloe Library in Herkimer had a stack of canal calendars.  I told her to take her time coming over, since I was still full from breakfast.

We went first to the library where Cheryl got the calendar and found a couple of books at the book sale.  From there we went to Little Falls and Athenix Books and Brews, where I found a book. I introduced Cheryl to the owner as my sister that did not write novels.  I don’t know if he recognized me as the person who said her sister wrote novels, but it amused me.

A very welcoming sign.

Next we walked up Main Street to Chickweed Boutique, where Cheryl found a couple of things she wanted.  I noticed that the sleigh out front was gone.  The owner told me it had been sold to a man with three kids, so it would get a lot of use.

The sleigh.

I told Cheryl about the sleigh that had been there in December, handmade and beautiful.  I would have loved to buy it myself!

By then I was hungry too, so we went back to Herkimer for lunch at Paradise Eatery.  I had gotten appetizers there but never lunch.  The waitress remembered me, which was flattering.  The food was yummy.  We will certainly go there again.  For one reason, I need to take a better picture.

From a post titled, “Bad Pictures, Good Eatery.”

It was a delightful day.  I was glad I had met my friends, and that Cheryl had called me.  My messy house was waiting for me when I got home.  Full disclosure:  I did not clean it today either.

 

Running into 2026!

This morning I ran for the first time since the Reindeer Run 5K in Little Falls, NY on Dec. 13.  People like to say, “Sometimes you just have to force yourself.”  Well, I did not force myself.  I decided to run today, and I did.  And it was great! It was quite cold, and the roads were far from bare, but I felt damn good and ran for over a mile and a half.

The sky was not that blue, for one thing.

I cannot find a winter picture of Herkimer’s Historical Four Corners in my Media Library, but that is the first place I ran.  I wanted to do a Running Commentary Post so purposefully ran by places I knew I had pictures of.  Just imagine a lot of snow.  I ran in the road for the most part, sticking to new fallen snow when possible, because snow gives you a little traction.  I did not trust the slush but did not run into any problems.

Right away I was amazed at how good the run felt, and how my body did not seem to have any problems with it.  It wasn’t even too difficult breathing in the cold.  At first there was little breeze, which was great.  Later when the wind picked up, I said, “Rats!”  But I kept going.

I do not do everything I am told to do.

I went by a couple of Do Not Enter signs, entering of course.  I KNOW they are talking about vehicular traffic not crazy old ladies.  Just let me enjoy my rebel cred.

I’ll go here later to celebrate the new year a little more.

After one Do Not Enter sign, I ran by the Elks Lodge.  Joining the Elks was one of the highlights of my 2025.  Lots of nice people there, and they do a lot of good for the community.

I kept it up for almost 26 minutes, 1.71 miles.  I was just happy my first mile was under 16 minutes.  Real runners know that is a very slow mile, but I do not apologize.  I was out there improving myself.  Never mind how much room there is for improvement!

 

It Was Yummy at Yetty’s

I was sorry to see a For Sale sign on Yetty’s in Herkimer, one of my go-to restaurants.  However, they are still open currently, so I stopped by for an early dinner the other day.  I enjoyed the Christmas decor.

Nutcrackers! Like my husband used to collect!

I got a Muffuletta sandwich.  Do you need to say “sandwich” or is that implied by muffuletta? Fine foodie I am!  But I know it is yummy!  I had leftovers, which did not last long.

Everybody has the Christmas spirit!

My picture of the fish with the Santa hat came out blurry, but I am unlikely to get down there again and take a better one before the New Year.  Then again, one never knows.  I also have a craving for pizza, and Yetty’s pizza is delicious.  If you get it with sausage, the sausage is a whole layer on top of the crust.  I get hungry just thinking about it.  Then there is pasta, salads, subs, appetizers, and more.  So much food.  So little time.

I do not know how long Yetty’s will remain open.  It could be somebody will purchase the restaurant and keep it going.  In the meantime, I hope to eat there again.  Of course now that I think about “so much food, so little time,” I am thinking of all the other great restaurants in the Mohawk Valley.  Oh dear.  What a dilemma.

Yetty’s Pizza and Pasta is located at 109 Mohawk St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-4201.

 

Christmas Wrist to Forehead

Oh, it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  Not even 10 a.m. and I have dithered enough to send a normal person into a tizzy.  Fortunately, I am an experienced ditherer, and nobody has ever for one minute in my life accused me of being normal.  I have not actually swooned, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, but let me tell you, I’m close.

I can’t seem to find that necklace. Rats!

What, don’t you decorate your gorilla for the season?  This is actually from last year.  I have not decorated my house nor even cleaned it thoroughly.  Judge me if you are so inclined.

My favorite socks and slippers.

Maybe if I get a few things done, I will feel justified in putting my feet up and taking a rest, as in this picture from 2023.  I went out this morning to purchase wrapping paper, etc.  As I searched for what I needed, I kept hearing Boris Karloff’s voice in my head saying, “It came without ribbons.  It came without tags.  It came without packages, boxes or bags.”  Well, it very nearly did come without tags, because I couldn’t find any for what seemed like the longest time.

We were a cute Christmas couple.

I close with a picture of myself with my late, dearly missed husband Steve.  We were at Salvatore’s in Herkimer, one of our favorite places to eat.  I have not been there in a while.  I do not think they are open on Sunday, but perhaps tomorrow I could stop in for lunch or dinner.  Maybe I will even wear the vest I have on in the picture.