Finger Lickin’
Business for Good, a foundation that, among other philanthropic endeavors, donates profits from restaurants it owns to Capital Region charities, has brought Saratoga’s famous fried chicken south to Albany. At press time, Hattie’s Albany was set to open March 14 in what used to be Lombardo’s Restaurant. While Hattie Moseley Austin’s famous Louisiana recipe was surely not altered, the Albany team has created some new dishes to serve during dinner (every day but Sunday) and weekend brunch.
Ode to Albany
Sandra Foyt, an Albany resident of more than 25 years, has penned an homage to her adopted hometown. In 100 Things To Do Before You Die, Foyt promises a hefty bucket list that both shows off New York’s Capital City to tourists and provides delightful-yet-obscure finds to surprise the natives. Her must-visit locales range from the Capitol building’s haunted Million Dollar stairs and the world’s largest indoor roller-skating rink to a mini hot dog stand. Already been to those? Just 97 more to go.
Shuck Yeah
Chef Javier Villatoro cut his teeth in San Francisco, working his way up in the foodie-centric city after leaving his home country, Honduras. Next stop? Delmar, his wife Casey Carroll’s hometown, to open their own restaurant “surrounded by family and friends.” The recently-opened Coray Kitchen offers a fresh oyster bar and a main menu kept to about a dozen small plates and entrées to ensure freshness and quality. “Everything is made from scratch, embracing a sense of home,” Villatoro says. “We proudly work with local Hudson Valley farms, and source from our own backyard garden, to deliver the best of the region.”
The Last Word
Grieving loved ones can be devastating, and now there’s a new book to help us get through it. The Grief Experience gathers 20 authors (including 11 from the Capital Region) with a range of experience with death and grief. “All of us authors have been through some tragedy or loss,” says Brittany DeMarco-Furman, a licensed funeral director and celebrant at Glenville Funeral Home—and author of the book’s Last Responder chapter. “We lay it all out there, telling you what helped us, honestly.”
Stronger Together
Amsterdam has officially welcomed To Life!’s signature brand of breast cancer support to town. The Delmar-based information hub was founded as a welcoming place for women to ask medical questions, learn how to explain things to their families, and even as a comfortable setting for trying on wigs and prostheses. The nonprofit’s new Amsterdam locale is in the Riverfront Center thanks to New York Oncology Hematology, which offered To Life! office space within its cancer treatment center. Two businesses, one goal: to show breast cancer patients that they’re never alone.
