Long Island
There's a lot of restaurant news from Long Island. Most significantly, the owners of Almond in Bridgehampton and Almondito in Wainscott closed down their Wainscott outlet in late November; in January 2008 they opened a new Italian-inspired restaurant in the same space, called Almoncello (tel. 631/329-6700; www.almoncello.com). A trip to Italy reportedly inspired the switch. There are also a couple new modern sushi spots worth mentioning: Aji 53 (53 E. Main St., Bay Shore; tel. 631/591-3107; www.aji53.com) and a new branch of Nisen Sushi (7967 Jericho Tpke., Woodbury; tel. 516/496-7000; www.nisensushi.com).
Central New York
In Verona, there was much back and forth at Turning Stone Resort & Casino (tel. 800/771-7711; www.turningstone.com) in 2007 over a liquor license. The policy was BYOB until the resort began the license application process in July, during which time they asked guests to not bring their own. But the application was rejected in October, so the resort is again allowing guests to BYOB. There is still some discussion as to whether outside caterers can serve alcohol here, but that's only a concern if you're throwing an event. Otherwise, be sure to bring your own wine to dinner or your overnight.
In Cooperstown, the ball that Barry Bonds hit for his record-breaking 756th home run is on its way to the Baseball Hall of Fame (www.baseballhalloffame.org); expect plenty of controversy, since its owner will mark it with an asterisk (implying that Bonds used steroids) before sending it.
The North Country
Construction continues on the main building of the exclusive Lake Placid Lodge, after a fire destroyed it in 2005. There's a cool video of the new structure's rendering on their site: www.lakeplacidlodge.com.
Western New York
The Buffalo waterfront is seeing life after the October opening of the $5.5 million Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse (www.wrightsboathouse.org). Wright has a storied history in the area, and this project was designed more than 100 years ago for the University of Wisconsin. It's not just a piece of architecture to look at; it's also being used as a home for one of the country's oldest and largest rowing clubs, the West Side Rowing Club.
In Niagara Falls, the Niagara Parks Commission has started a $35 million project at Table Rock to enhance the facility, and in summer 2008 there will be a new restaurant. Meanwhile, the race to construct the area's tallest building continues on the Canadian side. Right now, the Embassy Suites hotel is the tallest building, until the Hilton is completed in 2008. However, the city council has approved the building of the Rainbow Tower Hotel, which will be 48 stories tall, with an observation tower adding another 11 stories. Overall, the new building will be 751 feet tall, a full 186 feet taller than the Hilton, and will be visible from Toronto and Buffalo.
Also note: When you're border hopping in Niagara Falls by foot or car, be aware of the rules. As of January 31, 2008, you'll need a government-issued photo ID plus proof of citizenship (travel by air already requires a passport). But sometime in 2008 (probably summer), you'll need a passport for any form of transportation across the border. Stay on top of the news at https://travel.state.gov.
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