A fund raiser for Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and the United Way, "The Sip" offered a view of Saratoga establishments that one might easily overlook. Since the town has so many little interesting places to eat and drink that it's difficult to merely see them all, let alone step inside. So my collaborator Zena, Goddess of Fire and I decided to take advantage of a programmed evening and at the same time make a donation to an organization that cares for animals who might otherwise be in vulnerable circumstances.
We picked up wristbands and maps at Gaffneys and proceeded to stroll around the downtown area and survey the scene.
The Bourbon Room offered a wheel of cheese and a peach and bourbon cocktail that was a perfect refreshing starter for an evening.
The Circus Cafe Crown Bar served up popcorn and wine.
The Swedish Hill Winery, in its new digs, was holding a tasting of a lightweight white.
Forno was offering canapes on one of their lovely patios
We skipped Mingle on the Avenue because they were a bit too crowded for our taste, but we both think it looks really gorgeous.
The Parting Glass had a jam session going and a lovely wheat beer.
Henry Street had an outdoor scene happening.
The Goddess had a little bit of evil to vanquish and we were nice and strolled-out by the time we got up to the Lake and Henry Street corner, so we called it a night.
My impression was that the establishments weren't organizing their evening around the event, and that they didn't expect much of anyone to come by. Most didn't have extra staff and one bar even ran out of glasses (!) within the first hour. There was no sense that planning had taken place for what would be on offer for the $25.00 wrist band fee on the part of the organizing group, so each establishment thought about and presented what they had for participants in a different way.
That aside, we had an interesting evening in Saratoga and a list of places we'd like to revisit. You'll see more posts regarding our trips to the northern reaches of the Capital District coming up over the summer months.
Map/Guide to participating places. Click on the map to get a larger image and see the full list of participating restaurants and bars.
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