Fussy’s Future Food Fun

When summer comes to an end, it ushers in two periods of frenzy.

The first involves trying to squeeze as much into the remaining weeks of summer as possible. The second has to do with scheduling events now that school is starting and family trips are moving to the back burner.

For some reason, I find it very hard to say no to interesting opportunities. And as I look out over the next several weeks, I wonder when I’ll get a chance to sleep. Somehow, amidst all of this, I’ll find a way to stay on a healthier trajectory of both eating and exercising in moderation.

You may want to grab your calendar, because some of these events might be off your radar.

Today, I’m excited because I finally get to go to a relatively new restaurant that I’ve been meaning to try for a while. It’s only lunch, but at least that’s a start.

Friday is the Travers Wine Tasting up in Saratoga Springs. It’s a benefit for Senior Services of Albany. Yelp is a promotional partner, so technically it’s a work event. But this organization does great things for our community. Mazzone Hospitality is catering. I’ll be all dressed up and out in public on a Friday night. That almost never happens. Everything about the event looks spectacular. Maybe I’ll see you there.

Saturday is the Tour de Soft Serve in Schenectady. Seriously, people, you should come out for this. I know it’s Travers. But would you really rather be jammed into a crush of humanity at the track, or get to drive around Schenectady visiting classic places that have been totally off your radar. Come on. Curry Freeze? Dairy Circus? Who could say no.

Saturday night, my old friend Chris Lamberth will be playing Proctors for Pretty Much the Best Comedy Show. I judged wings with him once upon a time, and even ended up on his podcast. And thanks to Chris, I found a pretty good moisturizer. It’s less creepy than it sounds. Anyway, I do hope to see his set. You know, if I’m not in a sugar coma from soft serve.

Sunday, amazingly, I’m driving back to Pennsylvania. Can’t get enough of that Keystone State. So if you want anything from Wegmans, just let me know. I can bring a cooler.

On Monday or Tuesday I’m going to have to hit up Nine Pin Cider to get in on the current 26er. Hopefully they haven’t sold out of it by then. I’ve been hearing horror stories of people playing this game who have been confronted with empty kegs and smashed dreams.

Wednesday is a Yelp thing at DeFazio’s. I’m going to eat so much pizza, it’s not even funny. Actually, I’ve come up with something called The Pizza Game. It involves 24 people eating 12 pizzas. Totally doable. There are rules. And there will be triumphs. But there may also be heartbreak. The event is totally full, and the wait list is as long as the guest list. However, I’ll let you know how it goes.

What do you think about free beer? Because on Thursday August 30, there is free beer at the Albany Pump Station. Well, to the first 100 people who come for the clean water event. Drinking beer in support of clean water? I can get behind that. Here are the details.

Later that same night is probably the most exciting event I’ve seen in a while. Did any of you know that Mark S. Meritt runs a pop-up piano bar? For those who don’t know Mark, he’s the musical genius at MopCo Improv Theater. And on Thursday, he’s bringing his talents to O’Slattery’s in Delmar from 7-10pm.

Whether I can make either of these events depend on when I get back from Corning, NY. Yeah, it’s another day trip. You know I have kids, right? These things can’t be helped.

Friday I rest.

Saturday is another day trip deep into Massachusetts. Part of me really really wants to make a beer run. The other part of me says, quit drinking so much beer and maybe your big old belly will tighten up a tad. I’m conflicted. We’ll see how I’m feeling on that first day of September.

The second day of September is the next Rascal + Thorn dinner. This time they are bringing a chef from Spain to Peck’s Arcade for two seatings of a seafood focused, multi-course meal. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make this, but it’s definitely on my radar.

The boy has a birthday on Monday. It’s Labor Day. Good thing he likes burgers. Because there will probably be burgers.

Tuesday, I’m back off for a final day trip to Massachusetts before the kids start school on Wednesday. And quite literally, as soon as the kids go off for their first days at their respective schools, I’m flying out to Chicago! It’s hard to eat healthy when on the road for Yelp work. I’ve heard a rumor there will even be a pizza tour. Let’s hear it for team building! I will also get a little time at the end of the trip to catch up with old friends.

But I’m coming back just in time to prepare for Erev Rosh Hashanah. Can you believe the new year is almost here? Who is ready for 5779? It seems like it just turned 5778! Hey, it’s on a Sunday night. Maybe we can get Raf to make a brisket and drive it up from Westchester.

Monday I get to spend the day with my rabbi and hundreds of other congregants in Schenectady. The crowds are rough, but this year I won an auction so I have super special VIP parking! It’s awesome, but I feel really really guilty about it.

That means I’ll be missing out on the first day of Downtown Troy’s Restaurant & Craft Beer Week. However, it goes through September 16. And if it feels like this is two promotions rolled into one, you’re right. Which should make it especially remarkable. I can’t wait to hear who will be doing what.

That Wednesday is also the Capital Roots Autumn Evening. Autumn? I really want to go, but I may need a break. Or I may be compelled to spend more time at Downtown Troy Restaurant & Craft Beer Week. Yelp is one of the promotional sponsors after all.

The new year is a great time to try new things. So later that week I have plans to finally go to Chom’s in Troy. I heard good things about the Thai food, and I’m looking forward to giving it a shot.

Is The Enchanted City on your radar? That’s Saturday, September 15. I’ve participated in the event for the past three years. I was a steampunk judge, a steampunk cowboy, and a steampunk pirate. Or maybe I was just a regular pirate. All of the details for this year’s event are here.

But that’s also the same day as Pearlpalooza and the Fall Fermentation Festival at Common Roots Brewing Company. I’m not the only one trying to squeeze in fun before the cold sets in. This weekend is a bonanza of fun.

Thankfully Yom Kippur falls the day before Yelp’s Third Thursday. So that means the day after fasting will be some kind of outing to some international eatery. I’m not sure what Steve N. has in mind, but I suspect I’ll be ready for a celebration of food.

Then there’s a little break, which is good, because as busy as all this has been, the week of September 30 scares me a bit.

Sunday the 30th is an Official Yelp Event. The event itself is still secret, so shhh.
Tuesday, October 2nd is another new 26er from Nine PIn.
Thursday, October 4th is the Food Pantries Harvest Evening Celebration.
Saturday, October 6th is the Schenectady Wing Walk.
Sunday, October 7th is Troy Chowderfest.

Those last three events, I’ll be judging.
Then I rest. And maybe diet.