Nanola celebrates five-year anniversary
Local bar, restaurant has events planned
MALTA, N.Y. >> Local bar and restaurant Nanola is celebrating five years in business with a week’s worth of festivities.
Owner Shane Spillenger started the Cajun-themed establishment, located at 2639 Rt. 9 in Malta, in October of 2013.
“It was certainly a learning curve going from working in a restaurant to owning a restaurant,” he said. “I made a lot of mistakes in the first few years it was definitely a growing process, but now I get to look back at five years and see the relationships I’ve made and the people that continue to come in and it has truly made it all worthwhile.”
In addition to offering daily lunch, dinner, and drinks, Nanola also often hosts live music, weekly trivia nights and other special events.
To celebrate the five-year milestone, Nanola has a lineup of events in the week ahead.
Following a “Raise the Woof
Wednesdays” pet costume contest on Halloween night, Nanola is tapping 20 kegs of hard to find craft beers on Thursday, from area breweries like Bloodville, Crossroads, and also Grimm and Equilibrium.
Local party band favorite The Refrigerators will rock the house on Friday night, and on Saturday international dueling pianos team Shake Rattle and Roll Pianos are set to perform. Reservations are very strongly encouraged.
The party will continue on Sunday when all are welcome to enjoy Nanola’s $4 dozen wing special while watching some football. A few more specialty kegs will be tapped on Sunday as well.
On Monday, Nanola will celebrate five years of Margarita Mondays by giving away three free tacos with any purchase. Every Monday, Nanola offers $1 tacos (beef, pork, chicken, and veggie), $5 burritos, and $5 margaritas.
Rounding out the week, WEQX DJ Jeff Morad will host weekly trivia on Tuesday night, with a prize of tickets to see Dave Matthews Band at the Times Union Center. The DJ will also buy every team a pitcher of beer in honor of the celebration.
Well-known area chef John Leonard is tweaking the menu for the occasion, too.
Leonard is the Chef at seasonal restaurant Catherine’s on the Park, and he opened Spa City restaurant 15 Church as sous chef under Jason Baker.
“His experience has been very helpful in redesigning a menu to be consistent good food inspired by southern comfort themes,” Spillenger said in a press release.
Last but not least, the whole week Nanola features a special $5 menu. Items like jambalaya, award-winning mac and cheese, and oysters will be featured on it.
“We hope you all can come for at least one day if not all to celebrate,” the release said. “Nanola is extremely grateful to be here after five years and we know it would not be possible if it was not for our customers and supporters.”
Looking ahead, Spillenger is hoping to keep Nanola growing. “As far as the future goes I just want to continue growing my business and becoming a pivotal member of the community we are part of,” he said. “We hope to continue to build relationships with all the customers and families like we have been for the last five years.”
More information about Nanola and its upcoming anniversary festivities is available online at nanolamalta. com and www.facebook. com/NanolaMalta. Nanola can be contacted by phone at 518-5871300.