Mohawk Valley Today

Mohawk Valley Today in Little Falls, St. Johnsville and Herkimer

August 31, 2018/in Out and about in the Mohawk Valley

Out and about in Little Falls, St. Johnsville and Herkimer

Time sure flies by and we’ve been busy out and about in the Mohawk Valley.

Think Local Little Falls and Main Street First

On Monday evening, we were fortunate to sit in on the Think Local Little Falls and Main Street First in Little Falls meetings. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn all about the vibrant community in Little Falls. Community and business leaders work together on events, new initiatives, and community outreach. During the meeting, Judy Wolf as president of Main Street First, and Tolga Morawski of the Greater Mohawk Valley Land Bank signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to return neglected and abandoned buildings to productive use. MyLittleFalls.com has a great news article on the memorandum signing. Many thanks to everyone at the meeting for welcoming us so warmly.

Parkside Drive In adds St. Johnsville to Mohawk Valley Today

On Wednesday, we visited the Parkside Drive In in historic St. Johnsville, NY. We had the pleasure of meeting Samantha and Aaron, the owners of Parkside who “came home” to the area about 12 years ago to be closer to family and to continue the local family-oriented restaurant’s legacy at Parkside that started back in 1978. While the restaurant has expanded since 1978, they continue to be focused on serving high quality, homemade food. Recently renovated, Parkside offers a wonderfully warm and inviting atmosphere. The menu, along with the specials, reflects Samantha and Aaron’s creativity. We treated ourselves to lunch and it was delicious! Thanks so much to the Parkside Drive In for a warm welcome and great homemade food.

The Java Shop by Cucina Berto in Herkimer added to Mohawk Valley Today

Thursday had us visiting The Java Shop by Cucina Berto in Herkimer. We were happy to meet with the owner, Rob, a native of Herkimer, who always wanted to open a store on Main Street. At The Java Shop, you can stop by for coffee, breakfast, or lunch, with desserts available. Rob’s enthusiasm for Herkimer makes a visit any time of day a happy one. He’s excited about expanding and renovating which are projects already in the works. We had been running errands in the area and were happy to stop for a turkey wrap and spiced chai that hit the spot just right for us! We’d like to thank Rob for chatting with us and giving us a place to regroup before we hit the road.

Mohawk Valley Today visits Amsterdam and Fort Plain, NY

August 19, 2018/in Out and about in the Mohawk Valley

Our visit to Amsterdam, NY, brought us to Rockn J Flea Market

This past week took us first to Amsterdam, NY where we met with Jolene at Rockn J Flea Market on West Main Street. Jolene greeted us with her flair for southern hospitality as we got to explore her flea market filled with antiques and vintage items along with thrifty bargain bags of clothes. Jolene’s flea market features some of her own items for sale along with vendors’ and neighbors’ items. If you’re headed to Amsterdam, be sure to stop in at Rockn J Flea Market.

We also visited three locally owned businesses in Fort Plain, NY

Highwheeler Coffee Shop

We’ve been wanting to stop and make a day of it in Fort Plain, NY, and we did just that on Saturday. Our first stop was The Table at Fort Plain where we met Aaron who was wonderfully hospitable and showed us his restaurant where we took pictures, viewed sample menus and talked about The Table. Next, Aaron introduced us to Becca at the Highwheeler Coffee Shop where learned about their coffee and tea products. We decided it was a good time to take a break at Highwheeler Coffee and had a light lunch along with a chai latte that hit the spot just perfectly.

Fort Plain Antiques and Salvage

After lunch, just a short walk away, we stopped in and met Chris and Julie at Fort Plain Antiques and Salvage where they have 18,000 square feet of antiques, vintage wood and salvage. Folks from all across the Mohawk Valley frequent Fort Plain Antiques and Salvage. It’s known for its wide selection of everything from wood, to furniture, antique door knobs and fixtures, to glassware and home decor. If you’re looking for a particular vintage item, there’s a good chance you’ll find it there. If not, you can add what you’re looking for to their wish list. It was great to meet them and if you love local history and antiques, you need to stop in at Fort Plain Antiques and Salvage.

Pan roasted duck breast with maple siracha sauce

The Table at Fort Plain

Finally, at the end of the day, we went back to The Table at Fort Plain and enjoyed a truly wonderful meal. You’ll find friendly and experienced staff and the best menu that makes the most of seasonal local produce. This was our first dinner at The Table and we couldn’t help but feel like we were being greeted as if we were old friends. We saw the same warm atmosphere repeated at every table around us. From appetizers, to the main course, and then on to desserts, everything was flavorful and presented perfectly. What an experience! The Table at Fort Plain is a must visit for an outstanding, specially selected, seasonal menu.

Mohawk Valley Today gets some upgrades

August 17, 2018/in What's happening on MVT

When we started Mohawk Valley Today less than a year ago, we didn’t realize how much fun we would have traveling up and down the valley meeting local business owners. Every time we venture out, we meet great locally owned businesses in villages and towns throughout the valley. The thing of it is, we might not have heard of some of our now favorite businesses if we didn’t talk with folks about places they recommend. So now, we’re hooked.

Because we really do love the Mohawk Valley and all that it has to offer, we decided it was time to take things up a notch with our online directory at Mohawk Valley Today.

This past summer, we upgraded our server as well as the software that powers our website to deliver content faster on both mobile devices and desktops. All of these upgrades took some time and it was time well spent.

Our new online directory now features:

Easy-to-use search forms that deliver results based on the users’ location.
More ways to highlight destinations and businesses.
Information that shows when a business is open along with when they’re opening or closing.
Nicer layouts for business pages complete with directions, contact information, and hours.
Improved search engine optimization to help people find listings when searching on Google, and so much more.

Everything we’ve been working on focuses on presenting site visitors with local business information in a way that highlights all of the great things local business owners are doing in the Mohawk Valley.

If you have any questions or suggestions about Mohawk Valley Today, please let us know.

Thanks so much!

Ginny and Jim