6 new hotspots in the Capital Region to explore this fall 🍜

October 13, 2026

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Hey, 518 readers! Today, we’re putting some cool hotspots on your radar—our personal fall bucket list.

👻 Low ticket alert: We only have a few spots left for The 518 Haunted Mansion Tour & Afterparty on Sat, Oct. 24. Now that’s scary!

🎟️ Nearly 60 folks have signed up for The 518 Dinner Club on Oct. 28 on Albany’s Lark Street (sponsored by The Loft @ 205). And tix are going fast for our very first dinner in Saratoga (sponsored by Gaffney’s & The Parlor).

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Oh, Honey Café & Bakery in Rotterdam; and the Grotto tiki bar in Saratoga 📷️ via Instagram

6 new hotspots in the Capital Region to explore this fall

Here are the six places on our personal fall bucket list…

From the coffee powerhouse of Jacob Alejandro comes JAJA Natural Wine Bar, a charming new destination at 466 Madison Avenue, next door to its JA Pequeño outpost across from Washington Park. This intimate spot specializes in natural wines, particularly from Spain, alongside Spanish- and Latin-inspired small plates like jamón Ibérico, chorizo and roasted beets with romesco. This feels like the perfect date night spot!

Rotterdam just got a little sweeter with Oh, Honey, a charming new café and bakery at 2976 Hamburg Street. The cozy spot serves scratch-made pastries, breakfast sammies, decadent cookies, savory baked goods and specialty lattes with house-made syrups and matcha. Everything here looks sooo dang good! The creative mind behind the operation is Brianna Wells, who got her business and culinary degrees from SUNY Schenectady.

Hamlet | Rensselaerville

Historic charm meets farm-to-table dining at Hamlet, a stunning new restaurant in the former Palmer House Café at 1462 Main Street in Rensselaerville. Led by executive chef Matthew Hamilton, whose résumé includes Prune and Chez Panisse, the restaurant emphasizes seasonal ingredients from nearby farms and thoughtfully prepared dishes. Set inside a beautifully restored historic building, Hamlet is a delicious excuse for a scenic drive. This is our top pick for your new special occasion restaurant.

Noodle lovers have a new destination at Mizu Noodle Bar & Drinks, now open at 175 Columbia Turnpike in the former Mi Ecuador Juice Bar space. The casual eatery serves an array of pan-Asian favorites, including steamed buns, ramen, hot and cold noodle dishes, fried rice and appetizers. Bubble teas and refreshing fruit drinks round out the menu.

King Kielbasa | Saratoga

Polish comfort food reigns supreme at King Kielbasa, a family-run eatery at 588 Lake Avenue in Saratoga Springs. The menu features traditional favorites like smoky kielbasa on rye, potato-and-cheese pierogi, stuffed cabbage rolls and crispy potato pancakes. With hearty portions and old-world recipes, this casual spot is your go-to next time you’re hankering for some authentic Polish fare.

The Grotto | Saratoga

A tropical escape awaits at The Grotto, a new tiki bar tucked beneath The Night Owl at 17 Maple Avenue in downtown Saratoga. Accessible through a discreet entrance off Straus Place, the immersive hideaway serves classic and creative rum-forward cocktails alongside South Pacific-inspired bites like crab rangoon, barbecue pork bao buns, shrimp wontons and cold sesame noodles.

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🥣 Last week, we told you our favorites for Troy Chowderfest would be La Capital Tacos, Bootleggers and The Ruck. Guess what? These exact restaurants ended up as this year’s Top 3 winners 🙌 Did we influence the voting or was it luck?

🥾 The 5th annual Veteran’s Day Ruck March returns Saturday, Nov. 7. Benefiting Capital Region vets and first responders, the charity fundraiser invites participants to carry a “rucksack” or backpack loaded with nonperishables/toiletries for donation to local food pantries. But you don’t need to carry a pack to participate! Registration is now open.

📜 The 518 is the proud media sponsor for Ten Broeck Mansion’s annual Raise the Roof Gala for Education, taking place on Nov. 5. Thanks to a generous donor, your donation is now matched up to $60,000!

This charming starter home in the highly regarded Niskayuna School District is likely to sell 100% faster than its neighbors. It’s easy to see why: hardwood floors, a wood-burning fireplace, and extra space tucked under the eaves make it the perfect place to put down roots. Outside is an enclosed porch, fenced backyard with mature trees, and detached garage on an alley with off-street parking. The sidewalks out front seal the deal, with safe walking routes to schools, shopping, dining, and downtown Schenectady.

The deets: 3 bd, 1 ba, 1523 sq ft. Days on the market: 7. Asking: $289,000. See the full listing here.

TOP 5 PICKS

⭐️ 💀 Nightmare Market | Last week, we told you the story behind Schenectady’s Nightmare Market. This Saturday, experience it yourself as thousands of fans of the wicked and weird converge on Jay Street. Bonus points for showing up in full costume—the more outrageous the better! Sat, 5-9p, free.

⭐️ 🖼️ Openbaar Market | From the gals behind the popular Vintage Roundup is this art-focused market, featuring handcrafted jewelry, small-batch ceramics, original art and other thoughtfully created goods. Meet the makers, shop unique treasures, and support local artists. Sat, 11a-5p, free.

⭐️ 🍗 Saratoga’s 9th Annual Wing Off | If you weren’t able to get tickets for the Schenectady Wing Walk, here’s your chance to sample some delish wings for just $2 a pop. No advance tickets needed, but be prepared for crowds and long lines at participating Saratoga restaurants. Sat, 11a-4p, free.

⭐️ 🥣 Mac-N-Cheese Bowl | The 16th Annual Regional Food Bank Mac-N-Cheese Bowl is brought to you by the TU’s Tablehopping columnist Steve Barnes. Get to downtown Cohoes to sample some of the best mac 'n’ cheese from local eateries like Daisy’s Cafe, Nighthawks and Anthony’s Italian. Sat, 11a-3p. Tix: $15-45.

⭐️ 🎃 Sleepy Hollow Block Party | This one is farther afield, but definitely worth the drive. Sleepy Hollow is getting into the Halloween spirit with a two-night block party Fri-Sat, featuring live music, local vendors, food and family-friendly activities along Beekman Avenue. The free festivities kick off at 5p, followed by the legendary Haunted Hayride at 7p, which takes thrill-seekers along Ichabod Crane’s fateful escape route from the Headless Horseman. The hayride is sold out, but the block party is open to everyone. Fri-Sat, 5p, free.

This week’s events roundup is brought to you by

What happens when you combine comedy with bingo? You get Stand-up for Bingo Night at the Lark Street Tavern, of course! Get tix now for a hilarious night of laughs and luck, on Sat, Oct. 24.

On Halloween night, dress up in your best Dolly Parton outfit to win the $100 costume contest at the Dollyween Party 2026! It’s big hair, drink specials, and country karaoke all night long!

Don’t forget—Sunday Music Matinee features the best local bands. Always a good time, always free.

MORE NOTABLE EVENTS

👻 Check out the best ghost tours in the Capital Region—if you dare.

🖼️ Call For Art: Join the Capital Region art crew with Albany Center Gallery's 22nd Annual Members' Show.

❄️ The 2026 Shaker Holiday Market is now open for shoppers! Through Dec. 18.

WEDNESDAY

🤠 Goold Hill Orchards offers free open line dancing, kicking off at 6p.

🇪🇸 RPI School of Architecture Fall Lecture focuses on The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia with Mauricio Cortés Sierra.

THURSDAY

🎬️ Get to the Albany Institute of History & Art for a screening of “Ain't No Back to a Merry-Go-Round,” followed by a Q&A with the director. The film tells the untold story of the first organized interracial civil rights protest in U.S. history.

FRIDAY

👄 Audacity’s Cabaret is back at Mount Ida Preservation Hall for its 3rd annual Rocky Horror Picture Show live shadow cast, this year presented as a tribute to Tim Curry. Fri & Sat.

💄 Get to Troy’s Bard & Baker for Haunted Drag Bingo!

SATURDAY

🖼️ The inaugural Future Ruins event at Collar Works features synth-pop stars architraveband and syncretist.

🛼 It’s Albany All Stars Roller Derby versus the Jersey Shore Roller Derby at the Albany Armory.

🍁 Join Nine Pin for a Fall Foliage Train Ride through the Southern Adirondacks at the peak of leaf peeping season!

🐕️ Dress up your pup and bring them to Quackenbush Square for Hounds of Halloween.

🧙‍♀️ The Witch Walk & Dance 2026 in Saratoga brings together 500+ participants, raising thousands for animal charities while supporting local businesses.

🥟 Run for pierogis? Yes, please. The Pierogi 5K celebrates the traditional Polish treat with a race and tastings, of course!

🐖 Los Hermosos and The Meat Wagon team up for a popup featuring cochinita pibil—achiote-marinated pork wrapped in banana leaves and slow-roasted until tender and flavorful. Yum!

🍁 Get to charming Glens Falls for its annual Fall Festival.

🥾 Artisanal Brew Works in Saratoga invites you to a free, guided hike through the trails just beyond Nature’s Edge Terrace.

SUNDAY

🫔 Learn how to make tamales at the Refugee Welcome Center.

🥘 On the third Sunday of every month, Mt. Ida hosts a pay-what-you-can Community Brunch, open to all neighbors!

🎬️ Catch a free screening of “Young Frankenstein” at Albany’s Palace Theatre.

UPCOMING

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website.
Click here.

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