Mangia @ Mario’s!

September 26th, 2011

If a trip to Italy isn’t in this year’s budget, the next best thing is a dining excursion to the newly opened Mario’s Trattoria at the corner of  John and Wall Street in the historic former Stuyvesant Hotel building.  Only one short block from the Uptown Pike Plan, Rocco Panetta and his chef Mario Garcia are offering a dining tour of the best food and drink Italy has to offer, at a wide range of prices and calories!

Want to manga Italiana on a budget?  Tuesdays and Wednesday from 5pm to 10 pm offers delectable pasta special, served with a salad for only $10.95.  The Penne Giuseppe with its delicate pink cream sauce and mushrooms, peas, and chicken is an exquisite variation on the usual Italian fare.  There is a large selection of soups, salads, and panini for those looking for lighter dining.  Friday from 5 to 7 Mario’s hosts a happy hour that is becoming an uptown tradition with its generous selection of drink specials and $5 appetizers that are generous enough to serve as a meal, including Clams Oreganata or Mussels Marinara with Tuscan Grilled Bread!

For those who feel like splurging on a joyous celebration, there is a selection of upscale wines from California and Italy from the Trattoria’s extensive wine cellar.  For those who prefer beer, Mario’s offers everything from Michelob Ultra Draft through the ubiquitous Bud Lite.  And yes, of COURSE there is desert!  The Cannoli have sweet ricotta impastata with chocolate chips in a flakey shell — or there is the delicious Ricotta Cheesecake, or a half dozen other delicious choices.

Of course, Rocco’s restaurants (he owns one in New Paltz also) are online at  http://www.lastazioneny.com/, and you can visit on twitter and facebook also!   The best way to visit is to head for 33-37 John Street–and remember to bring you appetite!    Remember, you don’t have to put money in the meters after 5 pm or on weekends!

 

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Push for 323 Wall Street Highlights Performing Arts

September 28th, 2010

Backstage Productions, the performance space at 323 Wall Street whose events have been a highlight of Uptown nightlife for the past decade, has taken on new energy. Owner Teri Rossin, who purchased the 1872 building, which houses a former theater, more than a decade ago, has strived to establish a thriving performing arts center in the space, and her inviting of Sevan Melikyan last month to manage BSP’s production company, 323 Wall Street, is a huge step in that direction.

“My initial goal is to keep this building open for all kinds of use,” said Melikyan, who has put up a comprehensive website of all upcoming events and related initiatives, www.323wallstreet.com. An Armenian who was born in Turkey, Melikyan was a theatre rep in Manhattan before becoming marketing director for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition series in Fort Worth, prior to moving to the mid Hudson Valley with his wife and son. As a musician himself—he plays piano and drums—Melikyan is sensitive to the needs and requirements of performers, and he is active on numerous fronts promoting the space’s multiple facilities:

  • The New York-certified sound stage (meaning a production utilizing the space would receive a 30 percent rebate from the state), which he hopes to rent out to film and TV productions companies comprising the region’s fledgling film industry;
  • The second-floor dance studio. Classes for both kids and adults, held six days a week, recently started up in the space, led by dancer/choreographer Erin Parsch;
  • The 25,000-square-foot theater with its original 19th-century proscenium.  Melikyan said he’s talking to promoters to get live pop and touring acts into the space. Two advantages are its proximity to the Thruway and the lower rental rates, compared to venues in Albany or New York. “I’m contacting people who specialize in these tours and see if their acts could stop by here on a week day.”  The space is also suitable for benefits and larger private events. The Woodstock Film Festival is having its Maverick Award in there this Saturday.
  • The front-room bar and performing space, a perfect venue for private events, corporate events such as mixers and upcoming Holidays parties, open mics (one is scheduled this Thursday, at 8 pm), live music by small bands, and events sponsored by various community groups. Bands performing as part of the O+ Festival on Oct. 9 and 10 will play here, followed by a jazz concert on Oct. 19 and a Halloween bash on Oct. 30.

Melikyan said he hopes to book theater companies and events for children in the space, as well as host art exhibitions. He would also like to present concerts of classical music and has put the word out that he’s looking to obtain a baby grand piano, which would make this possible. If you know of one—or are interested in making a donation–please contact him.

“The potential to bring in hundreds of people is great,” he said. “I feel a tremendous responsibility in succeeding in this neighborhood.”  Clearly, Uptown has the facilities, talent, and ideas needed to thrive.

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Destination Kingston

May 11th, 2010

Plenty of people are discovering Kingston through word of mouth and on the Internet. So say the owners of two of the city’s bed-and-breakfasts, the Rondout Inn, located at 79 Broadway, and Schwartz’s Inn, at 70 North Front. Both places have hosted visitors from as far away as Europe and the Mideast—and after spending a few days in Kingston, the newcomers love it here.

Two weeks ago, for example, the Rondout Inn hosted a couple from London, lured by Kingston’s history. The visitors had already traveled in New England and wanted to experience the Hudson Valley, said co-owner Larry Zalinsky. Being so central—the couple visited Hyde Park, Woodstock and Cooperstown–Kinston was the ideal base. A couple from Turkey stayed a month visiting their daughter, who was attending the Culinary Institute of America. Zalinsky said he and his wife and co-owner B.C. Gee recommend nearby restaurants to their guests and even volunteer to make the reservations.

Zalinsky said the inn, which consists of two charming one-bedroom apartments, also attracts a lot of weekenders from New York City. Four out of five are young couples from Brooklyn, who heard that Kingston was a cool place to visit, he said. “A lot are interested because Kingston is a city. They like the funkiness and the fact they can walk around and find stuff to do.” The Rondout Inn also puts up people attending the workshops at R&F Handmade Paints, which cross-promotes the lodging. Other guests have included the parents of Bard students, UPAC theater goers, antiquers from Vermont, an intern at Fleisher’s Grass-fed and Organic Meats, and the captain of the Coast Guard ice breaker (he invited Zalinsky and Gee out for a ride).

Schwartz’s Inn has also attracted numerous visitors from England. “They like this area because of the history. We’ve had people who stayed a week or town,” said co-owner Barbara Cohen. “They love the architecture, museums, waterfront and the restaurants. They always say the people here are very warm.” Other guests are in Kingston to attend a wedding, first communion, or funeral, she said. A special niche is Jewish visitors who can walk to the orthodox and conservative synagogues on Lucas Avenue, which meets their religious requirement not to have to drive.

 Schwartz’s Inn is unusual in that has a direct, personal link to the city’s past. It’s located above the optometry practice of Barbara’s husband, Joe, in a building that was once occupied by his grandparents (they ran a tailor shop and café and lived upstairs). The inn has two units, although only one party at a time books the space. Guests can choose from a wonderful assortment of cafés and restaurants within walking distance in which to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, noted Barbara.

On occasion Schwartz’s will accommodate visitors in the summer who want to escape the heat of NYC and hop on the bus. Other guests have docked their boat in Kingston and don’t want to spend the night onboard. Schwartz said she and Zalinsky and Gee are very supportive of each other, referring guests to each other’s lodgings. Schwartz’s Inn is listed on the websites for the city and Ulster County Tourism and belongs to the regional B&B association.

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Elephant – Wine and Tapas Bar

April 5th, 2010

Elephant, located at 310 Wall Street, was named “best wine and tapas bar” by Hudson Valley Magazine two years in a row. It specializes in “nose to tails cuisine,” according to Rich Reeve, who opened the tapas bar three years ago with his wife, Maya Karrol. Lately he’s been cooking up Basque-style barbecue pigtails, flavored with smoked Spanish paprika. “I’ve cornered the market on tails,” Reeve said. “I get them from Fleisher’s, Adams and a third company, Northeast Family Farms.”  As for the nose, Reeve said head cheese was on the menu not too long ago.

The bar and dining area are located in a storefront transformed into a chic, minimal space with European panache. Elephant has no formal kitchen; Reeve whips up his small-plate concoctions using two toaster ovens, a hot plate, sandwich grill, freezer and couple of refrigerators. He serves 20 plates a night, including a few regulars (“I can’t take them off the menu or they’d kill me”): oyster sliders, lamburguesa, crispy pork belly tacos, roast parsnip and arugula salad, pickled beets and blue cheese salad. Other sample dishes are crab gratin and shaved Brussels sprouts.  The price range is from $3 to $15 (sometimes a little higher), and all wines are sold by the glass, from $6 to $10.

Reeves said that Elephant had “a remarkably good year. We’re looking forward to the new businesses opening in Uptown.” Open from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, the place starts getting busy around 7 or 8 p.m. “We have a cool diverse crows that hangs out here,” Reeve said. “We’re not your typical restaurant. We get a lot of restaurant people from all over the area, younger artists and transplanted locals.

“It’s been fun, and we watch our pennies,” he added. “We still spin records. And I got a new tattoo”—bringing his total to six. Of course, “I get them locally too.”

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Funky Gifts/Bop to Tottom

December 7th, 2009

Bop to Tottom
299 Wall St.
Uptown Kingston
845-338-8100
Open 10-5:30 Monday-Saturday

Karen Adin opened this funkadelic, reasonably priced gift store 10 years ago in uptown Kingston. The hip selection of flap hats, fashion accessories, scarves, jewelry, candles, picture frames, novelties and notions, and kids’ toys has attracted a loyal base of customers, some of whom are weekenders from the city. Karen travels to the city once a week, visiting different stores and wholesale vendors to see what is popular and trendy. “I stock the latest and the greatest, and we do not mark items up here as much as other retailers do,” she says. “Keeping it affordable is key.” Two part-time employees, Mary Ellen and Jeanne Lange, who are sisters-in-law, help Karen out, and she is a strong community supporter. “We donate to almost any request, provided it’s local,” says Karen, who moved to the area from Boston 26 years ago. Karen likes the diversity of living and doing business in the city. “I chose uptown Kingston because it could be a beautiful neighborhood,” she says. 

I bet you didn’t know

1. Jimi Hendrix shopped here when the space was a music store. George Kennedy shot pool in the pool hall that used to occupy the top floor of the building.
2. The building is on the National Registrar of Historic Places.
3. Customers come from as far away as Albany and Westchester.
4. Bob to Tottom is located at the crossroads of Uptown Kingston.
5. Among the numerous actors and actresses who’ve visited over the years are Melissa Leo and John Hurd.
6. Karen has been in the wholesale retail industry for 26 years.
7. The store have so many brochures and maps “we’re known as the information center of Kingston.”
8. People ask us everything from where to eat lunch to a recommendation for an attorney.
9. Much of the jewelry, hats, and artwork sold in the store are made locally.
10. Nobody gets the name right and nobody forgets it.

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