It's gone downhill, that's what happened. Steeply. All these new restaurants backed by (apparently) big money, and Compton's is still the best we've got for that first meal of the day.
UPDATE: Read Best Breakast in Saratoga here.
Back in 2009 I posted an entry listing some great breakfast places in Saratoga Springs. Trouble is, today there are no great breakfast places in Saratoga Springs, at least if you want something a little unique and higher end.
I will copy still-relevant excerpts from what I wrote in 2009 to give an idea of where you can still get a decent (but not great) restaurant in Saratoga Springs.
2009 excerpts follow:
If you read some of the books on Saratoga history, breakfasts in Saratoga during its heyday in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were gluttonous feasts. These weren't simply large breakfasts using today's standards, but huge buffets with steaks, fried chicken, ham and every other kind of meat you can imagine, plus of course all of the other accompaniments including "Saratoga melons", creamed potatoes, and corn bread. I love food, but when I read what they had for breakfast back then I reach for the Tums.
The trouble with Saratoga breakfasts today is that they tend to be overlooked, and all the restaurant buzz seems to be about the dinners. Well I say breakfast should regain its status as a great event in the Spa City! Let's return to the gluttonous feasts as a cure for the hangover!
Until that happens, here are my top picks for breakfast (by today's standards) in Saratoga Springs:
- Compton's on Broadway near Church is an institution in town. Both the menu and the, shall we say, ambience and comfort level, are very basic, but Compton's does basic right. Compton's has trucker special type breakfasts that are hearty, cheap (around 6 bucks), and very good. A typical breakfast at Compton's offers eggs, breakfast meat, spuds and toast - nothing fancy going on there.
2. Country Corner Cafe is on Church Street behind the post office. They have some inspired choices and I usually have good breakfasts there.
Some honorable mentions include the Bread Basket Bakery on Spring Street, which does not have full breakfasts but does have great baked goods and egg sandwiches, the Spring Street Deli which has the best egg sandwich in town, Ravenous, which has excellent crepes and the best pommes frites (french fries) in town, The Horseshoe Inn on Nelson, and of course you can have breakfast at the track.
Well there are my thoughts on breakast in Saratoga, both in the past and the present. Let me know what you think. I hope you are winning at the track. Lord knows I'm not.
Hilarious Dan. I actually just e-mailed some friends of mine to see where they would recommend for breakfast after Silks & Satins this Saturday. I was thinking Hattie's, but they recommended Horseshoe, Bread Basket, and Country Corner. I suppose Mrs. London's is always the fall back option if you want pastries.
Posted by: Rob | July 16, 2013 at 09:32 AM
Yea all those work, and Mrs. London's is great but like you said you can't get anything other than pastries - great pastries that is. Thanks for writing in Rob.
Posted by: Dan | July 16, 2013 at 10:38 PM
Dan,
You are clearly missing the best place wich is the triangle diner. Ballston Spa is making a run as the breakfast destination with Iron Roost Good Morning Cafe and Beverly re-incarnated
Posted by: Michael T | September 10, 2013 at 01:45 PM