Hello, everyone.
Every now and then, when you work ridiculous hours and you're trying to figure out how to pay the bills and your toddler won't stop smacking your infant and your linen tablecloths get scorched and the fireplace breaks down, it's nice to get a little perspective on how things could be even more absurd. One of our three bartenders took a couple of unscheduled days off. This was not an occurrence that Paul and Cheryl were unduly burdened with because one of the remaining two bartenders is his brother, and he covered his sibling's shifts without troubling us. When the missing brother came back, he explained his absence: his mother broke her arm with a baked potato and one of the two brothers had to stay home to help her with chores, driving and errands until she acclimated to her cast.
Broke her arm with a baked potato? Well it's like this: "She had a baked potato with melted butter on it in a bowl and she was taking it to the couch so she could watch TV and eat it and she dropped it. She was cleaning it up and she didn't see a little pat of butter and slipped in it and broke her wrist."
O.K.
Faithful newsletter readers don't miss a trick, and we find that their appetites sometimes re-occur on an annual basis. Last week, in response to a specific request made each year, we tailored the Pink Plate Special to a woman who has come to expect pumpkin ravioli from us on her birthday. In 2005, a lovely woman came in to share in that special request, and liked it so much she came back the following week for a Pink Plate. As she was having pumpkin ravioli this week, she remembered that consecutive experience of a year ago, and on her way out the door told Cheryl that if Paul would do venison goulash - the Pink Plate she followed the ravioli with a year ago - she would be back the next week.
That made it really easy for Paul to come up with this coming week's Pink Plate Special: venison goulash. Well, it would be easy, if any of us could remember having served anything that could be described as venison goulash. Paul, who never does anything the same way twice, was perplexed. He's served many goulashes and much venison, but...
Cheryl said she remembered something like a venison ragout served over pasta. So she looked in the newsletter for trace evidence of this dish. She found a venison ragout served with raviolis, but this was served between Christmas and New Year's Eve in the year 2005.
Paul says it doesn't matter.
"It's a great idea, and it will be completely different this time,"
he said. 'Frankly, I can't remember what I did the last time, and even if I could, I wouldn't want to duplicate that. That would be boring."
He's nearly impossible to write a cookbook for, but he's never boring.
The Pink Plate is a weekly prix fixe special we offer on MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. For $30 per person, you get your choice of soup or salad, the featured entree, two selections from our cheese board or one of a couple of featured desserts, plus coffee, tea or espresso.
We are planning to reschedule our New York State Wine Dinner with Warm Lake Estate for January. We didn't give ourselves much time to sell tickets to these dinners, so we decided to postpone them until we can put together a better audience for these extraordinary wines.
Meanwhile, we'll be selling the wines on our wine list (formerly solely French!) This month is Uncork New York's promotion "New York Wines and Dines", and it seemed like the perfect time to launch a New York section on our wine list. It's been something we've been planning for two years, because it seems a little inconsistent for us to put so much emphasis on local farmers while completely ignoring New York's grape growers and vintners. Rest assured, however, that we will sell no wine that doesn't meet our standards - it has to be tasty and represent value for the price.
So far, the Warm Lake wines are the extent of the section because Paul was so impressed with them he bought futures several years ago and we stored them at the diner before we moved. We'll be offering one of the pinots by the glass, and we're on the lookout for other great New York state wines to add to the list. We've already zeroed in on some wines from Hermann J. Wiemer and Dr. Konstantin Frank in the Finger Lakes, and we're told we should revisit Long Island, because the wines there have come a long way from their fledgling effort of 15 years ago when we leaved on the East End and used to do some casual labor for a few of the wineries.
For more information on New York Wines and Dines Events, including the Pride of New York Harvest Fest this weekend at The Desmond, visit http://www.newyorkwines.org/informationstation/hottopics/topic.asp?
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Our Sunday Jazz Brunch this week will feature glazed pork chops with mashed sweet potatoes ($12); French toast crusted with corn flakes (American panko) ($11); sautéed chicken breast with tomato-saffron vinaigrette on frisée ($12); and poached eggs with crab ($15). The brunch specials run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The complete menu. offered from 7 to 2 includes a Continental assortment of muffins, pastries, fruit, yogurt, quiche etcetera for $9; omelettes ($9 to $11); pancakes du jour ($9); the All in One, which includes 2 eggs any style, homefries, toast and sausage or bacon ($10); waffles with sweet cream butter and local maple syrup ($10); and Irish steel-cut oatmeal ($8).
Jazz pianist Cole Broderick plays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cheryl has been trying to figure out what wines to pair with the special turkey tasting were doing on Thanksgiving in the private dining room, but it's a little hard because Paul thinks of a new dish he could add to the menu each day. She's been mulling the possibilities while trying not to prematurely stifle his creativity.
If he has a pudding (stuffing) course that features turkey with the classic components of sage and sausage, she's thinking that pinot noir would be a good match. A tart cranberry sauce and breast meat would call for a little Gewurztraminer. Paul's tempted to do something with fresh quince and braised shallots, and he'd like to work some chestnuts or chestnut purée into the menu. He might do something spicy, which would make a Syrah fun. There has to be some Champagne, or it's really not a holiday, and Cheryl was thinking of using it at the end of the meal for a "pumpkin pie toast."
Paul prefers to start with Champagne. Cheryl was thinking a dry rosé would also be really festive in the glass and might be a pretty way to start, but then we end up with the Parker family problem of having too many open bottles to finish off before we leave the table. You know we're going to be tempted to haul out some dessert wines. We'll figure it out.
This special Thanksgiving dinner is limited to 20 people around a communal table, and will include at least five courses featuring heritage breed turkey and at least four spectacular wines. This is a particularly good option for people who love to dine well and in a festive setting, but won't be with their families on our national day of gratitude.
It starts at at 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $100 per person, plus tax and gratuity
Also, turkey dinner will be offered in our main dining room, in addition to our regular menu, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. It will include free-range, all-natural local roast turkey and trimmings and pie for dessert for $35 per person, or your guests may order from our regular menu. Turkey dinner for children under 12 is $15. We will also be offering turkey dinners by reservation during lunch.
Call for reservations 518.583.3538
The Saratoga is offering our guests discount rooms as available. The package prices for dinner and an overnight stay run thus:
Regular turkey dinner with a room would be $114 per adult, plus wine, taxes and tips.
Regular turkey dinner for 2 with a room would be $149, plus wine, taxes and tips.
Regular turkey dinner package for 2 adults and one child under 12, staying in the same room, would be $164
The wine tasting dinner with an overnight stay for 1 would be $179 plus taxes and gratuities.
2 people staying overnight together could do the wine tasting Thanksgiving for $279, plus taxes and gratuities.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Night Dinner December 24 and 25 Details to be announced We will be serving options suitable for families and for gourmands wishing for a special holiday meal. Rooms available at The Saratoga at a steep discount for Chez Sophie ticket holders. ($79 per night.)
New Year's Eve at Chez Sophie, 2006
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Our most elegant party of the year
Early seating prix fixe special
Tables available at 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m.
Prix fixe five-course menu including options for three of the courses, with a glass of Champagne included
Cost: $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity
New Year's Eve late night party
Tables available at 8, 8:30, 9 and 9:30 p.m.
Prix-fixe eight-course menu, including options for three of the courses, midnight Champagne toast included Jazz Pianist Cole Broderick to play starting at 8 p.m.
Cost: $125 per person, plus tax and gratuity
Special prix fixe wine menu available as well as our full wine list and bar Double rooms at The Saratoga available for $199 per night.
Reservations required with credit card confirmation
518.583.3538
Live Piano Jazz
Jazz pianist Cole Broderick plays the baby grand Tuesday through Friday night, and during Sunday brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
(barring special events that preclude live music.)
Cost: No cover charge
Tango Wednesdays
The members of Tango Fusion, a local tango club, gather in our lounge after their Wednesday night class ends at 8:30 for cocktails, snacks and dancing. The public is welcome to come hang out at the bar, join in and pick up a few dance pointers from instructors Diane Lachtrupp and Johnny Martinez. For more information about local classes by Diane and Johnny, see the Saratoga Savoy website at www.saratogasavoy.com/files/instructors.html
Cost: No cover charge
Tasting menus
Chef's Choice seven-course tasting menu available each night. The menus are designed based on the best and most creative dishes Chef Paul K. Parker is serving each evening. We will pair wines for you or you can order from our extensive wine list.
Cost: $75 per person, plus tax and tip. Everyone at the table must partake in the tasting menu
If you're feeling less impromptu, you can call ahead to arrange a special tasting menu with the number of courses and wine pairings designed to suit your capacity, dietary restrictions and budget.
Tasting menus arranged in advance will be printed on commemorative vellum scrolls personalized with the name of the host or the reason for the event.
Cost: $50 to $200, depending on the number of courses and the wines selected; available for two to 75 guests Call Cheryl to make arrangements 518.583.3538
The Pink Plate Special
offered Monday, November 13 through Thursday, November 16 $30 per person includes your choice of soup or salad, a special entree, selected desserts or a cheese course and coffee, tea or espresso.
This week's special entree:
venison ragout with pasta
Notes on Nico and Léo: As Cheryl sits at the end of the bar trying to hammer out a newsletter, the babysitter has gone home, and there are just a couple of bar customers left. They all like kids. So we've released Nico and Léo onto the big carpet in front of the fireplace.
It was charming until Nico decided to body slam his 9-month-old sister. Chef Paul is currently on his knees conducting an extremely complicated game in which Nico is to pass back and forth very close to the crawling Léo without ever touching her. If he lays a finger on her, he loses. You would think this would be an extremely boring game, a step or two below Simon Says. Everytime Nico loses, however, he begs for a do over.
Moments later, two customers in the nearly deserted bar are dancing to a slow tune. Nico strolls out of the kitchen in his mud kicker boots with a strawberry in his hand. He props the other fist on his three-year-old hip and demands: "You're still HERE???"
By the way, CitySearch has named Chez Sophie the Capital's Region's most romantic restaurant two years in a row.
We hope to see you soon,
