Eating at the Track

It happened.  The track opened!  We went opening weekend with our friends from out of town (first-timers to the CapReg, and one of them had never been to a racetrack before).  You know you're in Smallbany (or the Smallbany area, at least) when you basically know a handful of people outside of work and manage to see 3 people you know at the Track opening weekend.  There were tons of people there, but almost immediately we saw a dude from work and two folks from the dog park.  Obviously we don't know their names--they are [dog's] mom and dad.

So, eating at the track has a lot of choices, but I'm still getting started.  See above - HATTIE'S!  While brunch there recently was a bit of a miss (chicken was a little off, eggs weren't cooked right the first time), you really can't go wrong with fried chicken.  They had some initial drama on the Facebook page and beyond about their new location, made a few threats not to be at the Track, but alas are still there.  And BTW it was very easy to find. 

The line for Hattie's was long and we'd been there before, of course, so we had some smoked meat poutine (with gravy and curds of course) from this joint. When Shirley's was sold to a Montrealian (Montrealite?), poutine hit the menu faster than you can say s'il vous plait.

Shake Shack.  Whether you're a burger and fries person or a straight up milkshake person (raises hand), you are covered.  The line moves fairly quickly.  The straws aren't extra big, which is a little sad for someone who likes to drink milkshakes as fast as possible.  The Sloppy Track shake sounds up my alley but really the black & white is my favorite.  I'm a fan of salted caramel (including the Starbucks salted caramel hot chocolate...swoon) but it was too salty, and mine was on the meltier side.  I like my shakes frrrreezing and hard to drink, preferably out of an extra wide straw.  Thanks.

For now, these are my only eating experiences at the track after exactly 2 visits and 2 summers as a local.  I have a feeling we'll be back a few more times this season and maybe I'll branch out.  To homemade picnic sandwiches that I brought with me...(PS that's a thing, you can do that.  We brought a small soft cooler with beer in it. CHEAP! YUM! CLASSY!)

Go, have fun, eat food (bought or brought), and don't lose all your money.  I ended up $2 up after 5 races, but with admission at $3 and my shake at $6, I guess I was really down $7.  Pretty reasonable for 3 hours of entertainment and the chance of the thrill of winning.

All Over The Internet

I haven't been posting much.  It's a pet peeve of mine when people apologize for that because it makes it seem like someone cares, and really the writer should just move on to their post. So I'm not apologetic, but I will tell you what you've missed since I haven't been posting it here.  However, I want to note that if you follow me on Twitter and Instagram, you probably haven't missed much, but my characters have been limited (which is probably a good thing. Too bad in real life I have more than 140 each time I open my mouth).

So, time passes.  We celebrated a birthday, an anniversary, anticipated a friend's baby, went to a wedding, and had a bunch of visitors.  Mostly, I cooked or assembled.  Sometimes we went out.

I was still all over the internet.  I'm in love with these Shiba Inu puppies. And a few of these Call Me Maybes.  This makes me laugh.  And of course, I was posting on Instagram and Twitter all this time.

ICYMI:

 This photo is from Memorial Day weekend, when we had two friends stay over on Friday, a sister and grandparents on Saturday and Sunday, and parents on Tuesday (on their way up north).

We went to an awesome wedding, and a friend we've known since we were 5 and 6 years old literally rode in on a white horse and married his beautiful bride.

 For two weeks straight I was addicted to knitting this blanket in all of my free time.  One of those weeks I was home alone with pup and knitting time was fairly short, but I fit it in whenever I could.

3/4 of us had chicken and waffle (singular) at Hattie's, plus one crabcake eggs benedict.  The poached eggs were hard inside but they were happy to make them pretty quickly.  Sitting on the covered patio is really relaxing and there was no wait for brunch.  

 We took Henry hiking for the first time, a short one in Thacher Park.  Not one, but two people told us he looked "just like" another dog they knew.  He was bringing back memories left and right.

The rest of the summer is going to be great. Another boating day on Lake George, two more weddings, a bachelorette party (whooooa watch out), and many more meals.

I hope you're enjoying this unbelievable weather week and that you had a great weekend!

Hattie's

First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SEEEEEEEEESTER!  My partner in crime as a paparazzo of delicacies, my Will Travel For Half Marathon T-Shirts buddy, my dear friend who might read this in a few weeks because she's busy having fun, that city slicker.

If you have one night only in Saratoga, you should probably go to Hattie's. It's not fancy, it's delicious, and it's pretty classic Saratoga.  When I tweeted out to the world for suggestions for me and my intern on two separate occasions, people were all about Hattie's.

I've never been one to shy away from fried food done right.  While my family doesn't eat fast food on a regular basis, we obviously fry Chanukah latkes and indulge in the best of what's fried in the world, which includes, but is not limited to, many fries cooked in duck fat. 

When E was in town for a week at the track, we met up at Hattie's to get to the bottom of all these recommendations.

 Stop it with the outdoor charm.

 Yummy biscuits and cornbread.  Has anyone ever made cornbread French toast? They should...today.

 Riiiiibs.  A little fatty, but enjoyed by all.  Not the star, though.

The star!  Pabst Blue Ribbon Fried chicken!  Hot, meaty, crispy, salty, crunchy fried chicken.  In a bucket.

You might have dessert at Hattie's, but if the weather is fair, I encourage you to grab ice cream, gelato, or frozen yogurt somewhere along downtown Saratoga.  Go for a stroll--after the fried chicken you will definitely need to stretch your legs and move around a little bit.  And hydrate.

I'll definitely be back at Hattie's; not too often, because I want to enjoy what I think they do best.  But it's a place to bring out-of-towners and a reliably happy, fun experience.

Hattie's
45 Phila Street
Saratoga Springs, NY

Karavalli

One of my coworkers goes to Karavalli once a week.  Some people might find this mundane and redundant, but let me be clear: he often switches it up by alternately visiting the Saratoga location and then back to Latham, closer to where we live. 

I really can't blame him.  It's just so good.  The portions are enormous, you feed yourself and then some with leftovers to bring back the good memories at a later date, and the service is prompt and friendly.  The place is always busy, humming with a good energy that just makes you feel glad.  Maybe it's the blue "sky"?

If you've been around a while, you know we love Indian.  Upscale modern Indian from Rasika, cheap takeout from Delhi Dhaba, sit-down traditional from Delhi Club, or crazy colors pizzazz at Tandoori Nights.  We haven't met much Indian cuisine that we don't like, but we had high hopes at our new digs.  And the menu had some items we'd never seen before--apps go well beyond the typical samosas and pakoras.  Let's discuss below.

Mmm giant beer + buttery naan.  J's pale hand cannot wait to spoon some palak.

Above you'll find Bhel Poori, a typical chaat or snack.  Rice puffs, chopped onion, potato, coriander leaves, and tamarind. It's odd how they left out how it's made with crack, but clearly there's an addictive substance in it.  I shovel it first to my plate, then quickly (really, before it really arrives) into my mouth as if a famine is going to set in at any moment.  I'm like Katniss when she first leaves District 12--insatiable, despite the bounty before me.  

Crispy tamarind eggplant with a similar flavor profile to the bhel poori, but with yogurt, too. 

Lamb korma.  Delightful, but not as favorite in my heart as the apps.

A rock solid palak paneer.  The tandoori chicken was also a delight.  Seriously, one appetizer + two entrees + naan and you'll still have leftovers.  Which means if you're us and you get two apps + two entrees + naan you won't have to cook dinner the next day, which is nice.

Our current obsessions with Karavalli and Ala Shanghai (rainbow shredded chicken WHAT'S UP) make me super meh about going to a random Italian or new Americanish place on our hypothetical list.  Why pay $20ish per entree for something that might be good when I can have 6 soup dumplings for $4, and delicious entrees with guaranteed fab flavors (and leftovers) for $10-12?  Recently it's been Vietnamese, Indian, Thai, Chinese, repeat.  It kinda makes me want to move to Latham.

Karavalli
9B Johnson Road
Latham, NY  (add'l locations in Saratoga)