Things have been busy on the Saratoga Restaurant scene:
- Chances are you have already heard because it received widespread attention (which is why they did it) but the new Chipotle Restaurant in Wilton will be having a fundraiser there on April 23rd to benefit Wilton Youth Soccer Club, and on April 24th they will be giving away free burritos all day. Helping kids and giving away burritos - give these guys an A-plus for knowing how to establish good will and get free publicity. They've got a strong following amongst avid customers and a cool web site too. It's not all rosy, some commenters on a few local blogs couldn't get past the chain concept and called it "sprawl cuisine". Oh well, I'm OK with it - I think Saratoga and Wilton have a sort of symbiotic relationship.
- Speaking of Mexican Fare - The Post Star's Saratoga Snippets blog first reported early last month that the owners of El Mexicano Restaurant in Hudson Falls bought the old Chianti building on South Broadway and would open a second location there. An article in Tuesday's Saratogian expanded on that story and reported that they hoped to open in late spring or early summer. Here's a question: In a down economy (or any economy for that matter) can this city support four mexican restaurants? El Mexicano, Leon's, Cantina, and Mexican Connection are all within the city limits and all are just a few minutes from each other. I wish them all the best of luck but something tells me Mr. Darwin's theory will apply to the local restaurant scene and that number will be lower than four soon after track season.
- That same Saratogian article (which was quite good incidentally) also reported that (1) Lanci's will be closing (again) for good on April 26th, (2) New owners have bought the former It's Confidential on Caroline and renamed it The Backstretch, and (3) the former owner and chef of Maestro's will be opening Sabina's Wood Fired Restaurant in the former Bruno's on Union across from the track. I believe this will be the fourth proprietor in three years at that location. I actually liked the restaurant when it was Bruno's and it's near my house so I hope the new restaurant, which opens May 1st, does well.
- This information was reported a while back on the Times Union's Table Hopping blog: Hatties has a $19.38 three course dinner special (Hattie's was opened in 1938) which includes a special selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts.
The economy may be down but the action in the Saratoga restaurant scene is sure lively. I wish all of these proprietors the best and I hope to patronize all of these new locations at least once and if they're good, I'll be back.
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