New home of The Paper Dragon. (Provided photo.)
Aug. 11 update: A soft opening on Thursday (8/13) is projected, according to a Facebook post from the restaurant.
Original post (8/5): The Paper Dragon in Albany, open less than three months when the government-ordered COVID-19 shutdown occurred in mid-March, tried to do takeout at first but closed to reassess after about a month.
It is moving from its original location, at 5 Clinton Square, next to McGeary’s pub, five blocks south to 33 Maiden Lane, home from 2006 until the end of last year to The Deli Mill/Fox Creek Catering.
An opening date for the new Paper Dragon is unclear. The last update on Facebook, from July 15, says, in part, “we are working hard and will be announcing our opening date at our NEW location, soon.” It is unclear what the menu will be. The original concept, Asian-inspired variations on deli and diner staples, turned toward family-style meals and pizza during the March-to-April takeout period. In June, The Paper’s Dragon’s owners, Melissa Salamone and Jeffrey Via, were soliciting menu requests in June.
The cafe-style space at 5 Clinton Square has had fitful success. Since 2007 it has been home to Melville’s Mug, CoffeeTime@HellasBakery, The French Press and The Paper Dragon. The first two closed; The French Press, after an extended saga about moving from Clinton Square to a space on lower Washington Avenue, across from the Albany Institute of History & Art, closed downtown and seems to have been open only briefly in the new building, with the exact status unclear. Here’s hoping The Paper Dragon has better luck.
Eat, drink and be candid, with Times Union Senior Writer Steve Barnes.