These Things Just Keep Popping up
How pop-up restaurants became all the rage in Saratoga. PLUS: NYRA news, where to watch the eclipse, Saratoga on Bravo TV, and a local rower goes for Olympic gold.
As someone who tries to be in the know on all things Saratoga—and more specifically on all things Saratoga restaurants—it was a special kind of FOMO I experienced a few months ago when I saw a friend’s Instagram Story from a ramen pop-up at Pint Sized that I hadn’t known about. I’d never met Chef Michael Blake, I’m not a regular at Pint Sized, and I didn’t even know if the ramen was vegan, but still. The “one night only”-ness of the pop-up left me feeling profoundly left out.
Chef Michael went on to host a few more Mike’s Noods pop-ups, as well as Bloom Brew & Bite and izakaya pop-ups at Hamlet & Ghost earlier this month. Meanwhile, Chef Humble (aka Brandon Schatko) hosted a pair of weekend brunch pop-ups at Broadway Grind this past winter, and husband-wife duo Ryan Wood and Emilie Morin have been taking over The Horseshoe on a bimonthly basis for their own pop-up restaurant, Bun Guy. Most recently, Lucy’s Bar has hopped on the bandwagon, welcoming The Baker for a cupcake pop-up a few weeks ago and Free’s Smoke Barbecue this past Wednesday.
For Lucy’s, this is only the beginning. “We were overwhelmed with how successful it was,” Lucy’s event coordinator Taya Matthews says of the cupcake pop-up, which sold out in just over two hours. “Why not keep doing them? They’re fun and they bring people together.” Free’s Smoke also sold out in just one hour, but not before my boyfriend was able to down an order of the Loaded Mac n Chz, which came topped with pulled pork, barbecue sauce and crispy onions. He reported that it was “fire,” and Taya promised to add a vegan pop-up to her already growing list of future collabs Lucy’s will host on Wednesday evenings including Chef Humble on April 10, Ala Ala on April 24, and Kindred on May 8.
When it comes to restaurant pop-ups, selling out seems to be the norm. If you don’t get to Bun Guy early, there’s a chance there won’t be any coveted Dynasty Noods left, and at his most recent pop-up at Pint Sized, Chef Michael had to tell half the people still waiting in line that he’d sold out of ramen. (Unlike at regular restaurants, where chefs can save unused ingredients for the next day, any uneaten food at a pop-up goes to waste.)
In fact, the fleeting nature of pop-ups is part of what makes them so popular, and for me at least, so FOMO-inducing. If you didn’t get Chef Humble’s vegan breakfast burrito at Broadway Grind this winter, who knows if/when you’ll have the chance to try it again? Did Chef Michael serve some sort of life-changing izakaya dish that only the people at his Hamlet & Ghost pop-up got to try? Probably not, but I can’t be sure. I wasn’t there.
While pop-ups are far from just a Saratoga thing—Yelp reported a 105 percent increase in them from 2022-23—they’re especially splashy in the Spa City, which is often criticized for a lack of culinary diversity due in large part to the dearth of available/affordable real estate. “The pop-ups are popular because [they offer] diversity in cuisine, and diners these days are after that—they want to try food from all over the place,” says Chef Michael, who worked in research and development at the James Beard–nominated Japanese omakase restaurant o ya in Boston. “Our dining scene in Saratoga—nothing against the Italian American restaurant, but there’s so much of the same thing. And people want different things. They want exciting, newer, modern concepts.”
Judging by the success of Lucy’s Bar’s fledgling pop-up program, people will even show up for familiar foods (like cupcakes and barbecue) served in a new way or in a new city. “I wanted to bring different flavors into Saratoga, and that’s why I reached out to people in Troy,” Taya says of Pataconia, a Collar City–based Caribbean restaurant that’s popping up at Lucy’s on May 1. “I don’t really venture to Troy, but I think if I try some of this food and love it, I’m going to go to Troy.”
So while I may have missed out on some once-in-a-lifetime culinary opportunities this winter, it’s safe to say that there will be plenty more on the horizon. In fact, a little birdie just told me Michael Blake is hosting a ramen pop-up at Lucy’s on April 17. See you there, Saratoga.
—Natalie
Quote of the Week
“Update: not melting.”
—A snowed-in friend’s text message to me on Saturday night after I’d told her I thought the two feet of snow Saratoga got last weekend would melt quickly
Beer Talk
The New York State Brewers Association has announced the winners of its eighth annual craft beer competition and, as expected, the list has a few familiar names. Druthers Brewing Company went home with gold in the Dark Lager category for Dark Encounter and silver in the Light & Amber Ales & Lagers category for Lavel Up. Artisanal Brew Works got gold for its Trappist at the Track Belgian Tripel, while Malta’s Active Ingredient took silver in the Golden & Blonde Ales category for Freudian Sips.
The Road to Belmont
Speaking of horse racing, on Thursday NYRA announced that it’s anticipating a 20 percent decline in revenue from betting this year due to the temporary closing of Belmont Park and the weakness of the “brand” of Aqueduct, where the majority of Belmont’s races will be run. Talk of NYRA’s 2024 budget was outlined in the Daily Racing Form, which reported that NYRA President David O’Rourke said Aqueduct is presenting them with a “bit of a headwind”—meanwhile, Saratoga’s star shone brightly, with David bragging that demand for tickets for the four-day Belmont meet at Saratoga “has been off the charts.” Also announced this week: the addition of the Grade 1 $150,000 Beverly R. Steinman, a 2 3/8-mile steeplechase event for older horses, that will be contested as part of the Belmont meet at Saratoga on Sunday, June 9.
[Saratoga] Summer House
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In case you’re not up on your Bravo TV gossip, Saratoga got a shoutout on the premiere of Summer House season 8 when Loudonville native Paige DeSorbo had a FaceTime conversation with her boyfriend, fellow reality star Craig Conover, about their upcoming trip to Saratoga Race Course. On the call, which was filmed last summer, Craig shared his latest career move, which involves his Southern Charm castmate (who made a splashy appearance in a past issue of Saratoga Living), Shep Rose. "Saratoga's gonna be a little more exciting for us this year," Craig told Paige, "’cause I'm buying a racehorse." Paige was less than enthused, calling the idea “the dumbest decision I’ve ever heard you tell me.” According to SLAH’s resident Bravo expert (sales assistant Tracy Momrow), it doesn’t seem like Craig ended up going through with the purchase, but he did post a video of Paige and himself leaving the track on opening day last year.
Farm Charm
If Southern Charm’s Craig Conover is serious about racehorse ownership, he has a chance to be schooled in the fine art of horse breeding thanks to an upcoming farm tour series presented by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. This year, the Museum will partner with seven Saratoga County farms that will host behind the scenes tours between April 27 and October 20, including a special visit to Old Tavern Farm on the Friday of the Belmont racing meet. “Visiting these beautiful farms are incredible opportunities to learn about the daily life there, the care and routine of the horses, and the chance to meet the people who make these operations so successful and vital to the community and racing,” says the Museum’s executive director, Cate Masterson. Each tour is $30 for Museum members and $40 for nonmembers.
Fun Without the Sun
There are only nine days until the total solar eclipse passes just north of Saratoga Springs, and locals are getting stoked. While we aren’t in the path of totality, 97 percent of the sun will be covered by the moon on April 8 at around 3:20pm in Saratoga—and that’s enough for us! You can simply step outside to witness the once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, or head to eclipse viewing parties at Saratoga National Historic Park, Gore Mountain, Albany Skyway, or plenty more in the Adirondack Park. Don’t forget your solar viewing glasses!
Fish to Fry
Soon, Saratogians won’t have to drive all the way to Halfmoon or beyond to get their favorite fried fish feast. This week, beloved Capital Region chain Ted’s Fish Fry announced that it will be opening a new restaurant in a former Pizza Hut building on Doubleday Ave in Ballston Spa. “To have a quality area business like Ted’s located in the Village of Ballston Spa is exciting and represents the strength of our wonderful business climate in our Village of Friends,” Ballston Spa Mayor Frank Rossi II told NEWS10 ABC. “Like many others, I grew up enjoying Ted’s food for many years. Having a Village location operated by a Village resident is a win-win situation for us, and I can’t wait to be one of this location’s first customers.”
We’ll Always Have Paris
Saratoga’s going to the Olympics! This week, USRowing announced the first 21 athletes who will represent Team USA at the 2024 Olympics Games in Paris this summer. On the roster? ARION Rowing’s own Kristi Wagner, who, after finishing fifth in the women’s double sculls event at the 2020 Olympics, launched The Other 3 Years, a podcast produced by Bright Sighted Media that follows her journey in between Olympic Games. Kristi will be joined in her boat by fellow five-time national team member and Olympics first-timer Sophia Vitas, with whom she won bronze at the 2023 World Rowing Championships.
ICYMI
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