Oh Snow You Don’t

Sorry, I can’t resist a good pun. This press release just came across my desk, and even though it’s not Sunday, I thought I would share for your commenting / eating / drinking pleasure.

You know what has been missing in the Capital Region, great four season outdoor dining. Maybe there is something I’m forgetting or a place that hasn’t made it onto my radar. But I’ve often lamented the short season for our seasonal soft serve ice cream and fish fry stands. Why can’t we be a four season ice cream market like much of Massachusetts and Vermont?

Some will say it’s the snow and the freezing cold. Well, that’s not going to stop Vic and Heather over at the Lucas Confectionery and Wine Bar from enjoying the great outdoors. Here are the details:

TROY, N.Y. (11/25/13) – Tomorrow morning, starting at 8 a.m., workers will install a retractable glass roof over the outdoor garden patio at Lucas Confectionery wine bar in downtown Troy.

Installation of the state-of-the-art roof, by Connecticut-based Roll-A-Cover, Intl. should take approximately two hours. The company has developed rooftop solutions in other countries and major metropolitan areas. This is the first Roll-A-Cover roof to be installed in the Capital Region.

The retractable roof measures 40 feet by 30 feet and cost $55,000. Confectionery Construction LLC is coordinated the installation of the product. The retractable roof will allow customers to enjoy the patio year-round regardless of the weather. The garden patio connects the wine bar, located at 12 Second St., to The Grocery, located at 211 Broadway, both co-owned by husband-and-wife team Vic Christopher and Heather LaVine.

Christopher said he and his crew worked tirelessly during the past month in order to have the roof ready for use before this Wednesday night, which is the busiest night of the year for bars. The installation is expected to last approx. 2 hours, being complete by 10 a.m.

Now I’m getting jealous. Troy is getting outdoor eating in the dead of winter. Saratoga Springs has the newest incarnation of TC Bakery Paris. Albany is getting access to great bread via The Cheese Traveler (who now has a killer sandwich menu). The Capital Region Coffee Collective has launched and is hosting public tastings. Troy has The Grocery. Saratoga Springs is getting a Fin Shops. Colonie will soon be home to a Whole Foods. Albany has a new Chinese dumpling shop that sounds amazing.

I leave for four months and the Capital Region’s food scene blossoms. Can’t wait to see what’s next.