Serotta, one of the world’s premier handcrafted performance-bicycle manufacturers, has officially released the Fondo SG, a bike that combines the durability of titanium with frame geometry that delivers all-day performance.

“Our goal with the Fondo was to meet or exceed cyclists’ expectations in ride performance, design and manufacturing integrity--all while keeping an eye on price,” said Ben Serotta, president and founder of the company. “We’re convinced that once cyclists try the Fondo, they’ll know we hit the mark.”

Emblazoned with anodized blue graphics, the Fondo SG is offered in six standard sizes. With an optional Heads Up head tube extension, the Fondo will fit most cyclists. A complete bike, including a Shimano Ultegra Tried & True component kit, retails for $4,295. A frame and fork only retails for $3,195.

The Fondo features Serotta’s size-specific tubing and carbon front fork, Power S-bend chainstays and proprietary titanium rear dropouts.

“We know only one way to build a bike,” Serotta said. “Like every Serotta, the Fondo is built by hand in our factories in Poway, Calif., and here in Saratoga Springs by the same craftspeople to our one standard: Serotta perfect.”

For complete details, see Serotta.com. To download photos, see the gallery on Flickr.

Serotta strives to make each moment on the bike more meaningful. Founded in 1972 to build the best bicycles in the world, the company has a 40-year history of industry-leading innovation in material design and engineering. With the introduction of the Size Cycle in 1979 and the company’s internationally acclaimed educational programs, Serotta ultimately transformed the way the industry looks at bike fitting, indirectly benefiting millions of cyclists. Along the way, Serottas have been tested in dozens of the world’s most demanding competitions, from the Olympics (first appearance in 1976) to the Tour de France and World Championships in Road, Mountain, Time Trial and Triathlon, claiming scores of victories along the way.

--Jennie

Circus Café and its longtime karaoke host Team A-Man Karaoke will be holding a contest over five Saturdays, including Jan. 5, Jan. 19, Feb. 2, Feb. 16 and March 2. Two contestants from each Saturday will move to the March 16 semifinals. Each contestant reaching the semifinals will receive a $20 Circus Café gift certificate. The top five contestants in the semifinals will move to the final contest round on March 30. The first-prize winner will receive $300, second prize will receive $100 and third prize will receive $50.

“Karaoke fans have been requesting a contest for more than six years, and now we are going to deliver!” said Christel MacLean, co-owner of Circus Café.

Karaoke is every first, third, and fifth Saturday of the month from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. There is no cover charge, and valid photo identification is required for admission.

For more information about Circus Café, call 583-1106 or visit www.circuscafe.com. 

--Jennie

 

Nacre Dance Company will offer a master class with its first visiting artist of the new year, Sabatino Verlezza, on Sunday, Jan. 13 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Myers Center for Dance, 153 Regent St.

Verlezza danced as a soloist with the May O’Donnell Dance Company in New York City for nine years, and continues to teach O’Donnell's technique and stage her classic works. In 1988, he established Verlezza Dance. In 1994, he became artistic director of Dancing Wheels, where he created an award-winning outreach program. Verlezza Dance continues to present concerts nationally, and partners with Cleveland Opera, Opera Circle and the Cleveland Orchestra.

This class is open to intermediate modern dancers. There is a participation fee of $15 per person or $10 for students. For additional information, e-mail Beth@Nacredance.com or visit www.nacredance.com.

--Jennie

 

Towne, Ryan & Partners has announced an affiliation with Rowlands & LeBrou, who will act as special estate-planning counsel to the former firm.

“By partnering with Rowlands & LeBrou, we are able to expand on the sophisticated estate-planning services required by our high-net-worth clients,” said James T. Towne, Jr., one of the founding partners of Towne, Ryan & Partners. “In turn, we are able to offer a full range of legal services outside estate planning to the clients of Rowlands & LeBrou.”

As part of the affiliation, the attorneys of Rowlands & LeBrou will use Towne, Ryan & Partners’ six offices, including taking space in the firm’s newly expanded Albany branch.

Established in 2009, Towne, Ryan & Partners is a full-service law firm with offices located along I-87 from Poughkeepsie to Saratoga Springs and east to Bennington, Vt. The firm’s practice areas cover transactional and litigation work across a broad range of legal fields including municipal law; representation of automobile and truck dealers; family and matrimonial law; real estate law; vehicle and traffic law; corporate and commercial law; insurance defense; employer defense; and equine, racing and gaming law.

Rowlands & LeBrou was established in 2011. The firm’s practice areas cover estate planning, asset protection, estate and trust administration, and elder law matters.

For additional information, contact Towne at 452-1800 or Richard Rowlands at 250-4264.

--Jennie

 

For those looking for a unique last-minute Christmas gift, Saratoga 150 is offering memorabilia that commemorates the 150th year of thoroughbred racing in Saratoga Springs. The race course is the oldest continuously operating sports venue in the United States. This Christmas marks the only opportunity for enthusiasts to buy this milestone anniversary merchandise as a holiday gift item. The gifts are available at Impressions on Broadway or online at www.Saratoga150.com. 

--Jennie 

 

Area custom home builder and remodeler Teakwood Builders was awarded two National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) design awards at the local Tri-State Chapter NKBA Designer Awards in Saratoga Springs. The awards included Best New Kitchen up to 300 Square Feet and Best Remodeled Bathroom up to 300 Square Feet.  

Founded in 1996, Teakwood Builders provides the Capital Region with custom luxury building and remodeling, and historic renovations for both residential and commercial clients. 

This was the chapter’s first Designer Awards Extravaganza and Ceremony. The event was held at the Holiday Inn in downtown Saratoga. Area members entered their projects in the categories of Best New Kitchen, Best Remodel Kitchen, Best New Bathroom and Best Remodel Bathroom, for spaces ranging from less than 150 square feet, 151 to 300 square feet and more than 300 square feet. 

Present at the ceremony was Teakwood’s newest team member, interior design consultant Eva Anderson.

“These two awards are really significant to us right now, and do a lot to introduce our new kitchen and bathroom design services,” said Jim Sasko, founder and president of Teakwood Builders. “We’re thrilled to have Eva on board, and winning these two awards is proof that Eva’s work is amazing and right in line with the standards of custom home building/remodeling our clients have come to expect.”

The NKBA is the only trade association dedicated exclusively to the kitchen and bath industry, and is the leading source of information and education for professionals in the industry. Learn more about the New York Tri-State chapter at http://www.nytristatenkba.org/.

For information on Teakwood Builders, visit http://www.teakwoodbuilders.com/.

--Jennie

 

New pastries and confections will soon be available downtown when chocolatier Frank Vollkommer opens his second Chocolate Mill at 382 Broadway. The bakery and confectionery will be located next-door to Boca Bistro, where Johnny’s Italian Ice Cream used to be. 

The pastry shop will sell a variety of handmade artisan foods, including cakes, cookies, pastries, confections, savory, and more. The Chocolate Mill will also offer special-occasion cakes to order, including wedding cakes. A full line of chocolates will be made on the premises. Barista coffee drinks will be available, but the Saratoga store will not offer breakfast and lunch like the original Glens Falls Chocolate Mill.

All the Chocolate Mill’s products are made from scratch, according to Vollkommer. For those who would like to take a bit of the shop experience home with them, merchandise is available: boxed chocolates, coffees, teas, mugs, towels, aprons, and assorted gift baskets. Products can be shipped as gifts.

The shop is a balanced blend of old-world charm and new-world sophistication, he said.

Vollkommer, a Saratoga native, is an exclusive certified master pastry chef and has been an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America. He originally studied at the New England Culinary Institute.

“After school, I worked my way up from dish-washer to chef,” he said. “Now I am certified by the American Culinary Federation. Only four people in the country have recently taken that 10-day exam.”

Vollkommer’s first Chocolate Mill has been at 164 Glen Street, Glens Falls, for three years. It offers all the edibles of the Saratoga store, as well as a full-service coffee bar and café. Customers can dine in or order out. 

The master pastry chef decided to venture into Spa City because a notable percentage of his Glens Falls customers live in or around Saratoga, and had requested he open a southern location. 

“I am looking forward to the culture of Saratoga Springs; being immersed in that,” he said. “My store and my brand belong there. It feels great to be home.”

Vollkommer hopes to open in time for Saratoga’s First Night celebration on New Year’s Eve. His projected hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday to cater to the post-restaurant crowd.

--Jennie

Meghan Del Prete, owner of Reform: A True Pilates Studio in Saratoga Springs, recently returned from the annual international Romana’s Pilates Convention in Nice, France. True Pilates Studio owners and instructors gathered to learn from master-level instructors trained by Romana Kryzanowska, former colleague and successor to Joseph Pilates.

Presentations included the history of Joseph Pilates, work with dancers and acrobats, and the science of why Pilates is successful from a physical therapy perspective. The convention was an invaluable opportunity to network and plan for master-level instructors to come to the Saratoga Springs Reform Pilates Studio to offer private lessons and specialized workshops for clients in 2013. For further details about the trip, check out the studio’s Facebook page or go to Del Prete's blog at www.reformyourbody.com. For questions about the studio and special opportunities offered to clients, including private and group lessons and mat classes, call 871-1315 or e-mail info@reformyourbody.com. The studio is located at 18 Division St., Ste. 203.

 Reform: A True Pilates Studio offers private and semiprivate instruction, as well as small group classes in a beautiful, light-filled studio fully equipped with Gratz Apparatus, state-of-the-art training equipment. All the highly trained instructors have been certified by Romana’s Pilates at True Pilates NY. This gives the studio the advantage of keeping the integrity of the Pilates method pure, as it was taught by Joseph Pilates and handed down to Romana Kryzanowska. The studio boutique offers beautiful Pilates and yoga workout apparel, including Lucy and other high-quality name brands, and has a selection of Pilates books, DVDs and workout accessories.

--Jennie

 

 

Meme’s Florist, previously located at 116 Maple St., Corinth, is now at 118 Main St. there. The 118 Main St. address was the longtime home of the store until previous owners Scott and Kay Moberg bought the building at 116 Maple St., and moved the business to that location. 

Bobbie Tompkins, Meme’s Florist manager and lead designer, bought the business from the Mobergs in June 2011, and has just purchased 118 Main St. in order to move the shop back to its original Main Street home, sharing a parking lot with Grand Union in the center of town. That move was completed Dec. 2. 

A popular destination for wedding flowers, the larger space will let Meme’s Florist expand its product line, including recent additions Yankee Candles and Harry London Chocolates. The new location also offers more gift selections and a bigger wedding planning space.

As the florist is a longtime member of the Corinth and Saratoga County business community, Meme’s moving back to Main Street will be a small part in helping revitalize downtown Corinth. See memesflorist.com and memesfloristandgifts.com.

--Jennie

 

Limited space is available for exhibitors at the Saratoga Home & Lifestyle Show, to be held Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 3 at the Saratoga Springs City Center. The show will feature more than 120 exhibitors throughout the center’s first floor, with a wide range of home improvement, outdoor living, family recreation, and lifestyle products and services, as well as great prizes. By securing a booth, businesses can exhibit their goods and services to the 5,000 people expected to attend the show.

The show is managed by the Saratoga Springs Rotary Club to raise funds for the club’s donations to community organizations, youth scholarships, and humanitarian aid. Formerly called a Home & Garden Show, the event will mark its 40th anniversary in 2013.

The Home Show hours at the City Center will be Friday, March 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $1 for kids ages 5 through 12, and free for under 5.

The remaining booth space is available for prices starting at $715. Further information about the show and exhibitor opportunities is at www.rotaryhomeshow.com. Any business interested in a booth should call Heather Kisselback at 932-1367 or e-mail boothsales@rotaryhomeshow.com.

--Jennie