Fun in Saratoga

Saratoga: Do you have tastebuds?

I can only assume that yes indeed, you do have tastebuds.  Well that's good because I have become a fan of Gatherer's Granola and want to tell you a little bit about it.  If you aren't familiar with that locally produced delicious food, then fork over the 6 bucks for a bag and become addicted like I did.  Gatherer's tagline is "granola for people with tastebuds" and it's a fitting one.  It's way above standard granolas - in a league of its own - and you will really enjoy it. You can get Gatherer's Granola at numerous stores both in and out of the Capital Region, and in Saratoga you can get it at Five Points, Four Seasons, Healthy Living Market, For Earth's Sake on West Avenue, as well as Price Chopper. 

 

I not only like the product, but I've become a fan of the company and Gatherer's Granola founder Sandro Gerbini.  He's simply a young and energetic capital region entrepeneur that didn't get the memo that you're not supposed to earn a degree from RPI and then go out on your own and make granola.  We need more of his type in this region. 

Gerbini has initiated a fundraising drive via Kickstarter.com so his company can launch its new gluten-free granolas.  If you look at this entertaining video above, which is just three minutes long, you can learn about this endeavor and perhaps donate a dollar to his campaign.  Just a dollar is good.   If you contribute at certain levels, he will give you Gatherer's Granola items ranging from articles of clothing to making your own custom granola using the ingredients you desire.  Cool stuff. So check the video out, and then link here to find out more.

Times Union Reviews Brook Tavern

The Times Union's Cheryl Clark reviewed the Brook Tavern, in the building that formerly housed The Turf Club and The Springwater Inn on Union and Nelson Avenues.  The review could be described as not bad but less than stellar, and the subheading noted "The Brook Tavern has potential to become Saratoga Springs hot spot if it can iron out the wrinkles". 

You can read the review here and the blog entry (with comments) here.

Jim Dandy and Diana Stakes will be on NBC Sports Group Saturday

The Jim Dandy and Diana stakes races at Saratoga Race Course will be shown on the NBC Sports Network -  Channels 44 or 1873 on Capital Region Time Warner Cable.  NBC does a terrific job showcasing horse racing in general and especially so at Saratoga.  Even though I will be attending the races live, I will still record the hour-long program on my DVR just to enjoy the presentation. 

Great Dinner at Boca Bistro

I felt in the past that DZ Restaurants were just so-so.  To me, Forno Bistro was good, and Chianti was overrated.  Well I have been to Boca Bistro twice this month, and Margarita and I have become  big fans of that Spanish Tapas restaurant on Broadway.  

We were there earlier tonight with my Mother-in-law, and the service, flavor and presentation of the food was just fantastic.  Everything about the experience was so enjoyable. 

Top: Dates stuffed with valdeon and marcona almonds, wrapped in bacon, cider mustard glaze  Bottom: pork croquettes - Pulled pork, smoked tomato aioli, pickled shallot 

Unlike some Saratoga restaurants, DZ Restaurants obviously puts a lot of effort into hiring and training their staff.  In the words of a certain feline cereal spokesman...

 

OK, using Tony was a tad hokey, but you get the point.  The prices are reasonable as well, especially if you are part of the DZ Restaurants Rewards program.  We don't dine at DZ Restaurants often at all, but I nonetheless had $18.50 in rewards discounts from our few visits in the past year.  That works.

So if you haven't been to Boca Bistro, then check it out.  The food is different without being off the wall, and the service is top-knotch.  If you do get there, let me know what you think. 

Thank you to all Silks & Satins organizers, volunteers, and sponsors!

I just ran the Silks & Satins 5k and as usual it was an enjoyable race.  If it wasn't for the 3,000 people that came in ahead of me, I would have been first.  I just want to thank the volunteers who kept the race safe for the runners, the organizers of course, and the sponsors, of which Price Chopper was the main one.  Also an shout out to the neighbors along the route who set up their sprinklers for our cooling needs!  Just another reason why Saratoga Springs is so wonderful! 

If anyone finds a link for results, could you post it in the comments?  Thanks!

A'Hearn painting and photography exhibit July 25 at Universal Preservation Hall

The exhibit will be shown on July 25th at UPH, as well as on Friday evenings August 2-September 6

Is Siro's ready for track season?

If you perused the Siro's web site and its related social media pages, it looks like they haven't planned well for this upcoming track season, at least for a web presence.   Siro's web site still lists the defunct NYC location as a link; the menu link, which is purportedly for the Saratoga location, appears to be the one from the shuttered Manhattan location.  I have to assume the Saratoga location will have a different menu than one from the failed NYC location.  The Facebook, Youtube, and Pinterest links on the bottom of the web page are dead, and the Twitter account has its last tweet from May.  Finally, as of this writing, the events page is completely empty.  I have to assume they have some bands booked, in fact I saw Garland Nelson posted on Facebook a day or two ago that he will be playing there in August.  Oh yea, as of Sunday they were posting on Craigs list looking for kitchen help. 

I'm sure they'll scramble and get it together, but this just seems like poor planning for what is supposed to be a top restaurant.  Siro's Trattoria at the Lodge opened yesterday (Tuesday 7/16), and while its web site is a bit rudimentary, it at least is not out of date with dead links. 

The Brook Tavern now serving lunch and dinner 7 days a week through Labor Day

The Brook Tavern, in the Springwater Inn Building at Union and Nelson Avenues, will be open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week through track season.  I was there on opening night, but despite the fact that I live a 3 minute walk from there, I have yet to try it out for dinner.  I am hoping to soon.

Good Lord! What has happened to Breakfast in Saratoga???

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:

1. 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.

 

Times Union article negative on the future of horse racing

Newsflash from the T-U: Fewer people are going to the tracks.  These articles on the predicted continued demise of the sport of kings continued with this past Sunday's Times Union article containing more bad news.  Ironically, on the front page of the Sunday Sports section was an article entitled "This Season's meet looking like a winner".  I guess those aren't entirely inconsistent; Saratoga is always listed as an anomaly in the declining attendance figures at horse tracks around the country.