Halloween Decorations in Jerry's Neighborhood

I love these decorations.

The bush on the left is

a goblin....

Many houses are decorated

with a harvest theme.

I am reminded of TNT

Haunted Trail when I

admire the decorations

at this house.

Such a sweet couple...

The first carved pumpkins

I've seen on a walk.

Frankenstein is
a fright....

This is the sweetest

ghost.

Eric took this picture
on Upper Broadway.

Halloween can be a
crime, if the candy
is stale....

Jerry is ready to greet

Trick or Treaters with

lots of fresh candy.

Jazz Brunch @ The Renaissance Restaurant in Schenectady, New York

I am so grateful for family!  After a "Round Robin" on Facebook, Eric and I met our cousins, Dan, Tracy and Barb for a Jazz Brunch at the Renaissance Restaurant...

... located in the basement of
the former Saint Mary's 
Church.

Saint Mary's also

has a Banquet

Hall.

Built in 1903, Saint Mary's was the Polish church in this section of Schenectady.  Church attendance declined as the city's population declined throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.  Saint Mary's celebrated it's final mass on June 28, 2009.  Sandra Vardine bought Saint Mary's in 2014 and created the wonderful space we are eating Brunch in today.

Sugar & Baked Goods
is catering this event.

Barb, Tracy & I catch

up on family doings

while Eric & Dan

talk tech.

The growing audience
listens to Jazz as we
enjoy our Brunch
selections.





The offerings include Pulled Pork, Ribs, Macaroni and  Cheese, Ziti, Southern Shrimp Scampi and Grits; Quiches, Pancakes, Sausage, Bacon, Sweet Potato Pie, Fluffy Confections, Apple Butter....

The full bar mixes whatever

diners want.

I saw a lot of Mimosas

during Brunch.

Sandra told me that the Event Hall is open and encourages me to go upstairs.

The altar, at the rear

of the Event Hall

is beautiful.

A portrait of Our Lady of Czestochowa is the focal point of the Saint Mary's rites.  

The Black Madonna's origin

 is clouded in mystery.

The image was used to rally the people to fight against the nomadic Saracens in Constantinople, and later to save Czestochowa from invading Tartars in 15th century Poland.

The pillars are painted

to look like marble.

There are many stained

glass windows in the

Hall. 

The beer taps sit

beneath a colorful

window.

The Pipe Organ sits in the

loft at the front of

the Hall.

I am happy to see Saint Mary's Church being used as a restaurant and Event Hall for all types of gatherings...  Wedding receptions, corporate events, non profit meetings and events, etc.  

I envision concerts here. The acoustics should be wonderful in this space.

Contact Information for

Renaissance Restaurant

& Event Hall:

Sugar Baked Goods

& Catering's

Information

Dining at Bombay Bar & Kitchen in Colonie, New York

Eric and the Groupons.... This is how he and I explore the wide range of restaurants in the Capital District.

Bombay Bar & Kitchen

is located at Central

Avenue & Fuller Road.

This is one of the busiest intersections in this sprawling town.  The traffic light at this intersection makes access to the restaurant easy.

There's a lot of mixing
going on at the bar.

Some of the many wines

served at Bombay Bar &

Kitchen.

Eric & I arrived
shortly after
5:00 pm.

We have the restaurant
to ourselves.

Mango Chutney,

  Sweet Tamarind

 Chutney &

Cilantro Chutney

accompany the

crispy Papadums.

Eric's Chicken
Vindaloo, our
Basmati Rice
& my Chicken
Korma.





Our meals are delicious!  Eric loves his spicy Chicken Vindaloo, paired with a Shiraz. 
My Chicken Korma has delicate flavors that go very well with my glass of Chardonnay.

We want to return for their lunch buffet, which includes many of the restaurant's entrees.

Looking for Changes in Jerry's Rotterdam Neighborhood

I found this vacant house

in the fall of 2014.

It wasn't until last year that I found out that there is a name for this empty house, and the others, I walked past in my mother-in-law's neighborhood....  Zombie 

Over the last three years,

it deteriorated....

Now it's being renovated.

The man working on the house told me that the interior is also being remodeled and updated.





The garage will be
torn down.

I watched this house decline

over the last three years...

A whole new roof was
put on in June.

It is now for sale.

At the back of the house
I see some unfinished
details.

There is a small pile

of debris to be

removed.

A week & a half ago 

I found this house in 

demolition mode.

I think a crew has been working full time since I took the picture.

Today, the siding is off...

It's getting a porch

 roof & an addition.

A very large addition....

The back of the original

house has an extention

on the second floor too.

My guess is that the addition will double the size of the original house.  The fenced patio looks welcoming...

The front of this house
looks good.
It looks like people
are living here.

There was a fire here

about a year & a

half ago.

A small backhoe sits in the back yard near piles of debris.  

I appreciate the effort that goes into restoring abandoned and damaged houses into habitable homes.

Change, and renewal....

Finishing Our Research With An Early Lunch at Wagon Train BBQ in Rotterdam, New York

Eric & I discovered

Wagon Train BBQ

in 2014.

We remembered liking our choices... Pulled Pork Sandwiches.  Our recent research at Pig Pit BBQ and The Memphis King BBQ requires another lunch out.

I like the Harvest
decorations.

Eric peruses the
Beer List on the
chalkboard.

The signature Wagon Train

is the focal point of

the restaurant.

This Gray Wolf is one of the

many stuffed animals here.

We admire the Six-

Shooter Salt &

Pepper Shakers.

Eric got a Coors Light to accompany his lunch.

Eric chooses the Brisket
Sandwich with Hush
Puppies.

I'm having Pulled Pork
with the Roll on the side.








Our meats come lightly tossed in their Traditional BBQ sauce.  Wagon Train BBQ puts 7.4 ounces of Brisket on their sandwiches.  The Hush Puppies were tasty.

And the verdict is.....  I prefer Wagon Train BBQ's Pulled Pork to Pig Pit BBQ, which was too finely pulled and was very saucy.

Comparisons with The Memphis King BBQ are hard because The Memphis King's Pulled Pork was ever so gently pulled, which is delightful.  I found the five sauces overwhelming, because I am pretty lazy about food choices.  Their House BBQ sauce worked best for me.  Wagon Train BBQ makes sauce choices easy by serving their meats with a whisper of their Traditional BBQ sauce.

Eric LOVED his Brisket Sandwich, with its generous amount of slow cooked meat.  He likes saucier dining experience and of the two sauces served here, Traditional and Sweet, he preferred the Traditional BBQ Sauce.  At The Memphis King BBQ, Eric also preferred their House BBQ sauce.

Currently, prices are better at The Memphis King BBQ, but prices are subject to change...

So.... If you're anywhere near Schenectady County, go to Wagon Train BBQ and The Memphis King BBQ to feast on awesome slow cooked, smoked meats.  You will not be disappointed.