Snowy getaway…

The last time I wrote, I was worried about a snowstorm. As it turned out, I worried for nothing. The snowstorm didn’t dump nearly as much as initially forecasted and didn’t hinder our overnight trip to Schenectady at all.

The storm started winding down just as we were leaving Friday around noon. We had our overnight bags packed, cases of spätzle to deliver, and our farmer’s markets coolers ready to go for Saturday morning; then, we hit the road.

The ride was slower than usual since the roads were still snow-covered. Our first stop was the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany to drop off their three cases of spätzle. While we were on the Northway, I saw my first rolling roadblock, snow plowing. I have to say this is genius! Four trucks plowed the entire highway at once, leaving all four lanes snow plowed instead of one lane at a time. Brillant!

I am always stressed out when we are traveling on snowy roads; the only thing I could think of was finding a Bloody Mary somewhere in Schenectady to help my shoulders come back down from up around my ears.

We decided to check-in and park at the hotel before doing anything. After we parked, we saw the Backstage Pub 50 yards away from the parking lot. We didn’t know what to expect; I really didn’t care what the place was like; I just knew I wanted a Bloody Mary.

I haven’t frequented bars, especially during the day, in a long time. I forgot how much I like walking into a dimly lit bar and finding that perfect bar stool. In my case, the perfect bar stool is right on the corner of the bar.

We had a fantastic young and beautiful female bartender who was very good at her job. I ordered a Bloody Mary with all the “stuff,” and Marty got a fresh berry tequila cocktail. I let out a “Holy shit!” when I saw my drink. It was exactly what I wanted and more. Marty’s drink was gorgeous, fresh, and delicious. I forgot to take a photo of his; I was so over the moon over my drink.

I would consider this Bloody Mary the equivalent of a salad. A healthy salad at that too! Let me break it down for you. My salad drink contained potatoes from the vodka, tomatoes, horseradish, cucumbers, olives, two different hot peppers, cheese, and bacon. I have to say this was the best Bloody Mary I ever had.

It was already 2 pm, so we didn’t want to eat anything too big since we would have an early dinner before the show. We picked corn tacos with braised brisket, creamy coleslaw, and sriracha. I completely trusted the bartender when she checked with the kitchen if the tacos were gluten-free, something I don’t always do.

My first bite of the taco may have been the best taco bite to date. Everything was balanced with some nice heat. The brisket wasn’t fatty or chewy; the coleslaw had the perfect amount of creaminess to cool down the sriracha. I told Marty that if these tacos ended up making me sick, I didn’t give a fuck; they were that good.

Fortunately, they didn’t make me sick, hallelujah! I will be thinking about these tacos for a long time. They are not a regular menu item, just a special, so I probably won’t be able to have them again.

I had a good buzz on from the Bloody Mary as we walked across the snowy parking lot back to the hotel. We stopped to help push a car out of the driveway, something we always did in Jersey when someone was stuck in the snow. I felt 12 again!

As soon as we got into the hotel room, I yanked off my snowy clothes, jumped into bed, and took a restful nap. Good thing I set the alarm because I am not sure how long I would have slept I was that comfortable.

As I showered and got ready for dinner, Marty made a reservation for an Asian fusion restaurant right across the street that assured him they could prepare us gluten-free food without worry. Good!

Dinner at Zen was ok. The location was perfect. I loved the decor. The hibachis shrimp and vegetables were meh but didn’t make us sick and filled us up. The best part was Proctors Theater was right across the street.

The Broadway show Waitress was so good! We knew the music and storyline, but I wasn’t expecting to love the play this much. It was witty and funny. The singing and acting were dead on. It made me tear up a couple of times. It had everything that makes up a great show.

We were grateful we stayed only two doors down since the show got over at 11 pm. We played with the idea of hitting one of the bars for a nightcap, but we had an early wake-up call in the morning to get up for the farmer’s market. I should have gone out because I tossed and turned all night like I usually do whenever I am away.

The streets were still slick and snow-covered in areas on our way to the market. The streets and parking for customers with the snowbanks made me think the market would be slow. It was quiet, long, and felt like being in a refrigerator for seven hours.

Saturday nights, I don’t want to cook anything elaborate. A gorgeous bowl of spaghetti, a salad, and a glass of wine is usually what I fall back on. Yes, we make our pasta as a business, but it’s either all gone or has been flash-frozen and in the freezer on Saturday nights. I keep Schar gluten-free spaghetti on hand for these kinds of nights.

I decided on spaghetti with tomato and creamy ricotta sauce, caesar salad, and a glass of red wine. It hit the spot. This morning I slept until 9:45 am, making up for the lack of sleep the night before. I woke up feeling refreshed, which rarely happens.

I woke up craving French crepes that I topped with a Meyer-lemon simple syrup. It was so light and bright on a cold morning. This dish makes me think about having breakfast on the back deck in the summertime.

I am relaxing today and deciding what I want to make for dinner for my birthday tomorrow. The curtain on the stage of Waitress was a humongous cherry pie, so that is what I will be making instead of a birthday cake. If we are ever on a game show together, and the question is, what is my favorite pie? It is cherry.