| Mike Taub |
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| | "I was fortunate enough to grow up in Saratoga Springs NY where there is a great coffeehouse called the Caffè Lena. I worked there washing dishes through high school, 1968-1972 and more, and saw the Rev. (Gary Davis) there in 1969.
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| Joe Simone |
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| | As a Saratogian, I was thrilled visiting your site. Boy, did reading your site over bring back some strong memories of Lena and that Caffè. I met Lena in 1961 and was one of the most obvious and frequent guests there. I brought everyone. As a matter of fact, I used to sit down with Dave Van Ronk, God rest his soul, at Mother Goldsmith's and have Bushmill's Irish Whiskey. Got me drinking it too.
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| Chuck Winans |
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| | My name is Chuck Winans. I live in Chicago (and have since 1982). But in the mid-and-late 1970s, I lived intermittently in Saratoga and upstate New York, and spent a good deal of time at Caffè Lena—working in the kitchen alongside future luminaries such as Christine Lavin.
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| Neil Linden |
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| | I found these photos from the Caffe (they're not great) and then found your website, so I had to send them. The pictures are from 1965 or 1966 of John Herald, Frank Wakefield and me.
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| Hanna Meyer (formerly Debbie Peterson) |
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| | On my second night at the Caffè Lena they were short waitresses and Frank Studenroth asked me to help out. I remember Brio in the kitchen. I served many Saturday nights from 1966 until 1969 when I graduated from Ballston Spa High School.
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| Mike Taub Again |
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| | It was about 1969 and Dave Van Ronk was up for the weekend. It always was a huge deal when he played, and rightly so of course. A really busy weekend and good for the Caffè. We (the kitchen crew) didn't see much of him as he went right to Mother's [Mother Goldsmith's] while we hung out at the old Executive, the only remains of which are the black and white tile floor at a sports bar.
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| Daniel Stetkar |
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For me, the Caffè was not just a business or a job, it was a major factor in molding me into the kind of 60-year-old person I am. I was a senior in high school when I first went to the Caffè with some friends one afternoon in the spring of 1960. Bill or Lena (I can't remember which one) offered me a job as waiter. The rest is...whatever.
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| Chris and Sonja Hart |
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| | It is amusing to look back. My first time at the Caffè was very early. I went with my Mom and a friend of hers when she was in college (returning for a year to finish what was to be one of the longest attempt on a BS degree ever, 11 years). It was in the 60s.
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| Christopher Shaw |
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| | The snow was coming down sideways that night, the kind of snow that stuck to your clothes even after you came inside. Lena was at the top of the stairs asleep, as usual. I was there early to meet a friend of mine by the name of Bill Staines, from New Hampshire, so we could go get some dinner before his show.
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| Scott McKenzie Papas w/o Mamas |
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| | I hope some folks recall performances that John Phillips, Denny Doherty and I gave at Lena's around 1985. The occasion was a series of benefits to raise money for Lena so she could get some new teeth. Some time later that year I returned to say hello, and when Lena saw me she grinned as wide a toothy smile as I've ever seen
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Arlo Guthrie |
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| | I came stompin' up to the place, got took care of, got a place to sleep, got fed and got a place to work. Lena's one of my oldest friends. It wasn't just that she let me play there. She took care of me. I felt she loved me. I hope I can hold onto my ideals as long as she has. Like Cesar Chavez and Pete Seeger. |
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| Fred Fontaine |
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| | I remember being often broke, and bringing dates to the Caffè, and each nursing a tamarindo all night while enjoying the best performers in the country. Lena never complained about my getting a night's entertainment for 5 bucks - she was genuinely happy just to see people enjoying her place.
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| Andrew Siegal |
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| | Howie...the great Bluesman, Skip James appeared at Caffè Lena in about 1965-6 not long before his death. Skip had just been rediscovered by John Fahey who found Skip in a hospital in Mississipi, got him a guitar and brought him back up North where Skip wowed the Newport Folk Festival. Lena had the prescience to bring him to Saratoga.
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| Many thanks to Howie Eskin for collecting these! |
