Vibe Check: The Bunker
The Bunker's grand opening on spring snowstorm eve, American Idol's local contestant, a Hall of Famer's visit, the Saratoga season is happening, too—and more.
After a week of pre-opening hoopla—including a Thursday night bash that attracted the crew from Two Buttons Deep, Chamber president Todd Shimkus and Saratoga Arts grants and events guru Spencer Sherry—The Bunker Saratoga officially celebrated its grand opening last night.
The place was packed, as in wall-to-wall packed. Two floors of eager party-goers clutching their beers, The Bunker’s excellent food menu completely ignored (sitting down to eat would be oh-so-awkward), it was the place to be seen on the eve of our unwelcome spring snowstorm. I found a spot along the gorgeous windows overlooking Broadway and read about Kate Middleton on my phone as the crowd cheered in unison at a pretty stunning University of Florida three-pointer. (I believe they still lost. Brutal.)
Yup—in a pretty genius move, Saratoga’s fancy new sports bar maximized its few delays (it was originally scheduled to debut earlier this winter) and opened in the thick of March Madness.
The Bunker—on Broadway and Congress in the former space of Vent Fitness—is huge. In addition to the sweeping bar areas that double as a much-needed lunch spot by day (it opens daily at 9am), there are also state-of-the-art golf simulators—and darts, if golf isn’t your thing. (As I was leaving last night, a solo guy was navigating the thick crowd with his clubs swung over his shoulder.) Bays are $60 per hour for up to six people; there’s also a grand VIP suite that’s $160 per hour for up to 20 people. Really into it? Check out the leagues, available at all seven locations around the Capital Region.
Earlier in the week, several mid-afternoon stops revealed a solid lunch crowd. Most of the food is unique to the Saratoga location—including a new menu of boards, lunch-friendly salads and bowls, and an extensive pizza menu. On Thursday, there wasn’t a single open seat at the bar at 3 in the afternoon. A group of three women in a new sports bar—yeah, we were sitting ducks. When we asked a group of guys for the above photo of their John Daly cocktail tower ($70 for Tito’s vodka, lemonade and iced tea in a luxe contraption with a spigot for helping yourself), one leaned in: “Are you here because you heard about my perfect bracket?” March Madness started today. (We may be chicks who admittedly don’t care much about sportsball—but we’re news junkies!) “Hey, I’m two for two!”
We predict The Bunker will be quite the all-ages hotspot for quite some time—whether you’re into the night party scene or are thrilled to have a new spot in town for lunch. Or both. The three walls of stunning windows even open up for summer—and if we get another late cold snap, the enormous parking lot behind the bar leads right into a set of doors at the back of the bar. We’re looking forward to seeing what they have planned for track season, too. Welcome to Saratoga.
—Abby
Making Headlines
Recent Skidmore alum Julia Gagnon will appear on American Idol’s 8pm show tomorrow on ABC (or stream later on Hulu). The talented young singer will perform live in front of Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. After studying history at Skidmore from 2020 to 2023, she headed to the University of Maine for an accelerated law program. Break a leg, Julia—your fans in Saratoga will be watching!
Caffeine-Free
After the beloved Saratoga Coffee Traders closed up shop last fall and moved to Schenectady in December, it felt comforting knowing that we had a place to go to get our fix—if we wanted to make the drive. As it turns out, the Electric City had precious little time to enjoy its chapter of the coffee shop that birthed Death Wish Coffee and the specialty latte flight. Owner Scott A. Swedish is moving on. Stop by this weekend for your last cup of joe or to pick up any remaining merch—Saratoga Coffee Traders closes its doors tomorrow at 3:45pm.
Spotted: Hall of Famer
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame welcomed an A-list visitor this week: Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone. The only female to win a Triple Crown race—the Belmont in 1993—toured the museum, including the newly renovated Hall of Fame (she was inducted in 2000), and even donned a helmet and climbed aboard one of the museum’s exhibit horses to prove she’s still got it. Thank you, Julie, for your enormous contribution to the empowerment of women in horse racing!
Good News, Bad News
The news—as we all know—has created an insatiable appetite for rankings and lists. But we’ve gotta hand it to ESPN Radio, which in the same breath deemed Saratoga County the very best county in all of New York to live in (we agree!)—and the drunkest county (darn). There are 62 counties in the Empire State, with Saratoga County coming in at #1 for places to call home, based on HomeSnack’s stats on median income, home values, education and crime rates. (Albany, Rensselaer and Warren also cracked the Top 10). ESPN Radio name-checked the restaurants, bars and “city life with a small-town feel” of Saratoga Springs; the “quaint downtown vibe” of Ballston Spa; and the suburbs/goods and services of Clifton Park. Then without skipping a beat, the news report went on to Drunkest Counties per County Health Rankings and Roadmaps—yup, we’re #1 there, too, with 24 percent of us consuming four (women) or five (men) drinks on an occasion. We guess having it all is something to toast to.
What’s at Stake
Now that we got caught up on all things Belmont, we can finally start to look ahead to the Saratoga season, which this year runs July 11 to September 2. NYRA has just announced the stakes schedule, led by the $1.25 million Travers (its 155th run) on August 24 and the $1 million Whitney on August 3. Travers Day also includes four additional Grade 1 contests. The next day, New York-breds will be in the spotlight for New York Showcase Day, featuring six stakes for state-breds worth $1.25 million in all. In total, the 40-day meet features 19 Grade 1 races as part of 71 stakes worth $20.75 million in total purses. It was also confirmed that Saratoga Live with FOX Sports will return for its ninth season.
Music Fans
The Eddies Music Hall of Fame will be celebrated at Universal Preservation Hall on Monday, and the musical homages have just been announced. The open-to-the-public music extravaganza will induct the following artists with local ties: the late Jackie Alper, the late Nick Brignola, George Guarino, the Albany Symphony Orchestra’s David Alan Miller, the late Pauline Oliveros, Margie Rosenkranz, Billy Waring and Don Wilcock. The evening will feature folk artists Wanda Fischer and Kate Blain, who will perform works to honor Alper and Rosenkranz, respectively; jazz artists David Calarco, Mike Holober and Rich Syracuse will come together to honor Brignola; and Camtron5000 will perform a song penned by Waring for Kurtis Blow, the first rapper signed to a major record label. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit atuph.org.
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