The Calendar That Ate Fussy

Every Friday, I feel like I’m saying, “Where did the time go.” And it’s true. At the beginning of the week it can be a struggle to find a topic worthy of a post. But by the end of the week there’s just a crapton to cram into a few hundred words.

Yesterday I mentioned how busy the schedule has been, and part of that has been in preparation for what’s to come. Soon I’ll be driving down to New Jersey for the weekend. There’s a bat mitzvah on Saturday. And on Sunday I’ll be in NYC briefly for a museum visit of all things.

Whenever I’m in the city and not on an eating excursion, I feel like it’s a minor tragedy. But I’ll be back in early November, at the latest for a business trip. And since my business trip involves Yelp, I’m assuming there will be some good eats involved.

Speaking of which, I have the inside line for some good eats today, for those lucky enough to be in Albany at lunchtime. And I’ve got a whole bunch of other delicious things that might be off your radar. Perhaps today’s post is just a wee bit self promotional. But it’s always great to meet new blog readers at events, and see old friends.

You’ve been warned.

Did you hear about Slidin’ Dirty and the Thomas Breakfast Battle? Well, the truck is once again gunning to get some national attention, but this time with a corned beef hash slider that’s only available on the truck. It’s made with corned beef, caramelized onion, a potato pancake, a fried egg, provolone, dirty dust, and sriracha mustard.

It looked great, so I went to Troy last night to give it a taste, and it was delicious. I think it would be even better on one of Slidin’ Dirty’s signature rolls instead of a Thomas mini bagel, but this competition is all about Thomas, so I get it.

You can taste one of these for yourself, because the truck be at the Empire State Plaza for lunch today. To make it more interesting, the original Slidin’ Dirty crew will be there holding it down. That’s Tim, Brooke, and Pat. I wish I were going to be around even just to see the three of them back in action.

Saturday is for those who like chili.

One of the things I am doing with Yelp is helping to promote the chili cook-off during the Relay for Life at Joe Bruno Stadium. The cook off will be from 2:30pm to 6pm. The Ruck will be there. So will B-Rads and The Towne Tavern. Samples are only a buck. And knowing these places, I bet they will be delicious.

On the subject of Yelp stuff, Sunday is the day to make sure you submit an RSVP request to the next Official Yelp Event. That’s the best way to get onto the guest list and avoid the dreaded waitlist. The early bird snags the spot.

If you have a sweet tooth you won’t want to miss this. Because Uncle Sam’s is going to open up its store to the Yelp community for two hours, so Yelpers can taste anything and everything the shop makes. Like all Official Yelp Events, this is free. And it also includes beverage partners. In this case, Hudson-Chatham winery will be there pouring its port style dessert wines which will knock your socks off when paired with chocolates. Albany Distilling Company will also be there pouring samples from its full line of spirits.

I’m looking forward to trying the Death Wish Coffee Vodka paired with the Death Wish Coffee Vodka chocolate. Yes, Uncle Sam’s has made a chocolate using this locally made spirit, made with locally famous coffee.

The event is also going to have Uncle Sam’s signature butter crunch. And that’s the stuff that turned me into an Uncle Sam’s fan in the first place.

But it doesn’t stop there, because Thursday starts the Tech Valley Center of Gravity’s cooking series. I’ll be there. Once again with Yelp. And Rachel Mabb will be teaching the first session. I don’t know if she’ll talk about developing fat-kid-style recipes, but I hope to god she does.

And before you know it, it will be Saturday and we’re into October. That first Saturday of October, I’ll be one of the judges for Schenectady’s Wing Walk. It was this event that pushed back the previously scheduled Tour de Cider Donut. Now we’re looking at 10/15 for our annual romp through the countryside eating fried, sugared treats from regional orchards. Save the date. More on that soon.

How I’m going to prepare for our Jewish New Year’s eve celebration on Sunday night is still a mystery. But I’m hoping that Raf comes up with his family for the occasion.

Ugh. And it just keeps on going through November, but I’ll stop there. It’s a bit overwhelming just to write all of that down, however I can’t wait to live it. Have a great weekend. Eat well.