Truth be told, I had remembered Wheatfield’s Restaurant on the main drag in Saratoga Springs New York from summer ventures many years ago. It’s a fun place to sit outside in the warmer months and people watch, especially in August when there’s an international vibe from the race track.
I had an opportunity to catch up with a cousin in the area at Wheatfield’s during our February trip for a leisurely lunch that stretched on for at least three hours. Their menu is fabulous if you’re a salad and sauce lover — from eggplant parmesan with provolone and marinara sauce, shrimp scampi with white wine, garlic butter, spinach & kale, handmade linguine and pan seared sea scallops to risotta, bruschetta, haddock, gulf of Maine salmon and chicken marsala.
If there’s a goat cheese salad on the menu, it’s hard for me to resist, especially with fresh beets. Other salad options included a healthy romaine, tomato, cucumber, chick peas, and pancetta salad with a bleu cheese crouton, a classic Caesar salad with chicken, shrimp or salmon and a grilled steak greens salad with red onion, bleu cheese crumbles, and balsamic vinaigrette. They also offer a to die for spinach & kale salad with dried cranberry, apple, walnut, and cheddar, tossed in a cider vinaigrette.
There are great choices for meat lovers as well, which is a better open for an evening meal than lunch depending on your appetite. If you want something even heftier, try their crab macaroni and cheese.
David and I grew up with Italian food in upstate New York, mostly influenced by southern Italian and Greek immigrants and so, we had to try their meatballs which they top with shaved parmesan — oh so delish! I’d also recommend the mussels which is a great accompaniment to any of their salads.
It’s casual but trendy and what we’d call, a classic “hard to go wrong” eatery for a fun-filled ‘social’ meal along Broadway.
Details
Wheatfield’s Restaurant
The meatballs were scrumptious (pictured above), which are wrapped in bacon and covered with Romesco sauce and Manchego cheese. Another to die for albeit rich dish is their Foie and Scallops, which is a seared Hudson Valley foie gras, with spice seared scallops, pain perdu, pear preserves, sliced pecans and a maple syrup gastrique — most definitely decadent.
For seafood lovers, they have scrumptious Paellas which is cooked with clams, calamari, mussels, shrimp, saffron, bell peppers, peas, cauliflower and paprika.
On the lighter side, you can opt for one of their mixed salads or if you want to get adventurous, try the foie gras and scallop, with pain perdu, pear preserves, spiced pecans and a maple syrup gastrique, or the pork belly with cider bacon jam, savory apple, compote, butternut squash puree and parsnip chips.
Their goat cheese salad with Bibb lettuce was out of this world — they serve it with toasted pine nuts, shallots, Black Mission fig and bruleed goat cheese with a quince vinaigrette.
A great dessert option especially if you’re traveling with kids is their sweetest dessert – fried dough with sugar and dipping sauce.
Details
Boca Bistro
384 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518.682.2800
The Crown Grill and Circus Cafe has a bit more of a “going out on the town” ambiance for adults whereas its sister sidekick the Circus Cafe is all about kids, from the ambiance and cotton candy to trivia nights. That said, we dined at the Crown Grill first before making our way over to Circus Cafe and there were plenty of options kids would love as well, especially since you could order off either menu.
Flowers are a big part of the presentation here, whether you order the oh so out of this world Lamb Lollipops in a Demi Glace or the Pan Seared Ahi Tuna with soy, ginger, lime and a sesame crust. (both below) Had we had a chance to return on another night, I would have tried the Roast Pork Loin with Apple and Caramelized Onions. (oh so delish).
Also worth ordering is their Chicken Marsala, which is a chicken breast with Marsala wine and sauteed mushrooms. Anthony said the sauce was “perfect.”
If you’re not shy on the carbs, go for the Cuban Pork Empanadas with ground pork in a flaky pastry in a sweet Jalapeno vinaigrette, their Maryland crab cake with lemon pepper aioli or the Asparagus Fries (below), which they serve with Parmesan Panko Crust and lemon aioli. (can you say dangerous?)
For kids, chicken wings is always a good choice (below) and they had a classic burger on the menu topped with cheddar cheese that they serve with french fries or a mixed green salad. There’s also a Fettuccine Ragu where they braise a combo of beef and pork in red wine and serve with tomatoes.
Details
The Crown Grill at Circus Cafe
390 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
(518) 583-1105
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
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Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
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