It’s good to know the nooks and crannies of local towns, because there are hidden diamonds in the rough of reality.  Ballston Spa is a great spot to start our Rainy Day Tour.

Whistling Tea Kettle

This town is very local business centered and has streets lined with small shops and eateries. One of these small shops is the Whistling Tea Kettle. Situated across the street from the town’s park, the cafe’s outside dining view is fantastic and has coverage for those sudden downpours. The atmosphere inside is very cozy and one of my favorite spots to stop and grab a meal. The walls are brick and have unique paintings hung every few booths. A fireplace stands against the right wall from where you walk in and creates a mood perfect for a first date, a reunion with friends, or dinner with family.

The shop is centered on fair trade teas, so when you open their menu, the first couple of pages are filled with different teas, green, black, decaf, iced–you name it. I recommend the Russian Earl Grey for a strong, citrus, black tea, or Blood Orange for a lighter, iced, decision. For a main course, try their three tier option–it comes with a soup or salad, main entree, and a desert of tea bread, a scone, or a sweet crepe. The Kettle Salad is quite delicious with oil and vinegar; however, ask for their daily specials in soups. They are usually a thicker, savory soup that goes good with any panini. Speaking of paninis, I suggest having the Horseradish Panini, Eggplant Panini, or the Buffalo Panini minus the blue cheese. Also try out any of their quiches–they are probably the best I have had. For dessert, I recommend any of their scones, which you can find on the specials, and their berry crepe if you enjoy a very sweet, fruity flavor.

Augie’s

Augie’s is an Italian restaurant, that has a lot of background. When you see the small building, you wouldn’t think culinary wonders lie just inside, but the book’s cover wasn’t always like this. The restaurant had burned down recently and they couldn’t salvage the building, so they moved down the street from Ballston Spa’s park. Another fun fact is that Augie’s sign has an elephant on it. You might question the authenticity of the restaurant being Italian, when you get the chance to see it, but in the high mountains of Italy they consider elephants to be good luck. Just ask any waiter.

I sure hope you like red sauce, because Augie’s serves up some mean Chicken Parmesan. I once tried to cut their chicken with a fork, to see how tender it was and the fork tines slid to the plate like butter. However if you don’t like red sauce, try the Kitchen Sink option. It has shrimp, chicken, ziti, sausage… well everything, but the kitchen sink! They also have healthy salads as another choice, some with goat cheese.

I should warn you however that it is a family meal so all choices are multiple portion meals. They are great to order out from if you don’t feel like cooking for your family tonight, or throwing a party and need large meals.