The Cahoots Memorial Restaurant/Bar “Dead Pool”

Remember Cahoots? The bar / dance club in the basement of the Albany Hilton, the place that was touted as the Capital District’s premier nightclub and entertainment center, where “the party never stops”?

Yeah, that wasn’t the name I remembered it by.  I think the term “meat market” was more used.  And no, Cahoots didn’t earn the nickname “meat market” because it had the best cold cuts or a side of brisket.

The thing was, at one time Cahoots was pretty popular in this area.  And then, one day, it just went poof.  Disappeared.  The vaunted nightclub was repurposed as ballroom space for the hotel.  Then it was re-repurposed into a glass-enclosed piece of nothing.  It just disappeared, like a magician’s assistant behind a curtain.

I’m not mentioning Cahoots because of its legendary reputation.  No, this blog post is using Cahoots as a fun little “example.”

I mention Cahoots because of the recent development of Albany businesses and attractions that have shut down with alarming alacrity and severity. Jillian’s. The Miss Albany Diner. Central Steak. R Bar.  The Brown Derby. All of them are gone, gone, gone and more gone.

So who’s next? What’s the next restaurant destined to receive a Table Hopping eulogy and a bunch of people planning one last meal or one last night of partying, before they head over to opening night at Joe’s Crab Shack?

You got me… but I have an idea. And this is going to be fun. Play along, if you want.

Today I hereby set up the Cahoots Memorial Restaurant/Bar “Dead Pool.” Of all the restaurants or businesses in the Albany area, who do you think are the next three places to close down? Would you base your answers on customer service, urban blight, neighborhood deterioration, bad experiences, a “too good to be true” atmosphere, health code violations, what?

Who do you think will be the next place to say, “We tried it, it was great for a while, but it didn’t work, sorry.”

You think maybe Savannah’s will fold? How about Pearl Street Pub? Maybe the next one out the door is Simply Fish & Jazz? How about the restaurant attached to the Steuben Club?

So let’s play along. Comment on the three Albany eateries or nightclubs or bars or businesses that you think will be hanging a “closed for good” sign on their doors.

As long as none of the ones you list include Eggy’s Place – probably the best place in downtown Albany to get a decent breakfast egg sandwich on the go – I’m fine.

So who’s on your list?  Which ones do you think are the next ones to go the way of Cahoots and every other “I never thought it would ever close” restaurant or nightclub or bar?

I’ll start with Savannah’s, the Pearl Street Pub and Simply Fish & Jazz.  What are your picks?