We Tried 4 New Saratoga Restaurants So You Don't Have to (But You Definitely Should)
Refresh Kitchen, Familiar Creature, the new Nanola, and Putnam Market Cafe.
As I’ve said over and over and over, it’s a pretty exciting time to be someone who eats food in Saratoga. While we’re still waiting on plenty of restaurants to open their doors, in the last couple of weeks alone, Saratogians have gotten four new places to dine and drink. So I went to them all this week.
Refresh Kitchen: Wednesday, for Lunch
For the last few months, I’ve been somewhat of a Refresh Kitchen groupie. While owner Matt Richardson was waiting to open his counter-service restaurant inside the Saratoga Senior Center, he hosted several pop-ups at local restaurants, including ones at Kindred and Caroline Street Pub, which I attended. I had a pretty rockin’ version of Matt’s vegan chicken sandwich at the Kindred pop-up, but the sandwich that’s on the menu at Refresh’s actual restaurant (it comes topped with chili crisp, chipotle mayo, and pickles) is on a whole other level. Just make sure to grab extra napkins and a drink—it’s spicy.
If you’re wondering how exactly a restaurant in a senior center in a YMCA works, I was too. If you’re a member of the Saratoga Y, you can go through the Y entrance to the new wing, which has a door into the back of the Senior Center. If not, you can go right in the Senior Center entrance—there’s a computer screen with a button you tap if you’re just there to get food.
On Wednesday around 12:30pm, the Senior Center was abuzz with the excitement of the new on-site restaurant; Executive Director Lois Celeste told me that the Center’s Canasta group decided to meet early that day to have lunch before their card game. Though one older woman was wondering about the prices (they’re not listed on the menu board) and one woman had a hard time reading the fine print on the paper menu, I heard mainly rave reviews of the food itself. Fan-favorite dishes include the Harvest Bowl (perfectly seasoned), Carne Asada Bowl (the steak was very tender), the Chopped Italian Mix sandwich (which comes with your choice of side), and the tuna mac (one of said sides). You can get your food to go, or eat it in the Senior Center or at the tables back in the Y.
“The mission of this place is to combat social isolation,” Lois said of the Senior Center. “There’s something for everyone. This is just the newest thing on site.”
Current Hours: Monday-Friday, 8-4pm
Celebrity Customer: DZ Restaurants VP/COO Nancy Bambara, who designed the kitchen
Good to Know: There’s a Taco Tuesday special on Tuesdays.
Coming Soon: Saratoga High Schoolers (“They’re starting to figure it out,” Lois said of the few students who’ve walked over for food after school.)
Familiar Creature: Thursday, for Happy Hour
As a Hamlet & Ghost super fan, I was incredibly disappointed to be sidelined with the flu the weekend Brendan Dillon and Dennis Kiingati’s new wine bar opened for biz. Apparently, Familiar Creature’s opening weekend was crazy busy (per Chef Michele Hunter), so it was actually better I waited two weeks to check it out.
The space itself, designed by Brooklyn-based firm Post Company, was exactly the vibe I want from a wine bar; understated is the best word I can think of to describe it. There’s a big bar, a long high-top table, and several low-top tables for those looking for a more intimate evening. On Thursday, my boyfriend, Pete, and I were looking to yap with the bartenders, so we grabbed a pair of seats at the end of the bar near the open-concept kitchen. Casey, a bartender hailing from Troy, took care of us, and Gerry, the former Hamlet bar manager, popped in to treat Pete (a non-vegan who didn’t have to stay sober enough to play in a volleyball league later) to his personal favorite dish, the Skate Wing Schnitzel, and an after-dinner shot of amaro. “I’ll do a little one with you,” Gerry said, pouring himself some amaro. “I have a reputation to uphold.”
In addition to Pete’s Schnitzel, which he described as the best fried fish he’s ever had, we ordered the house focaccia (large portion, so fluffy) and DIY-ed a charcuterie board. The front of the food menu, which comes with a pencil for you to check off what you want to order, is dedicated to the art of charcuterie, with several options for cheeses, meats, and accoutrements, plenty of which were vegan-friendly.
Oh, and the wine. You can order it by the bottle, or choose from a smaller list of wines available by the glass; the latter are displayed on a blackboard in the dining area as well as on the mirror behind the bar. The by-the-glass selection will be ever-rotating, Casey told us. Even in the first two weeks, the Orange Chenin made the jump from the by-the-bottle list to the by-the-glass list, because management wanted more people to try it (I did). I also had the Gamay, per Casey’s recommendation, and Pete had the Syrah followed by one of the two Amaro Spritzes on the cocktail menu.
Current Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 4-11pm
Celebrity Customers: Stylist/Old Stone Trade owner Melissa Ventosa Martin and her husband, musician Walter Martin
Good to Know: The bartenders and waitstaff won’t judge you for not knowing how to pronounce a type of wine. “If you can’t pronounce it, no problem,” says a note on the drink menu. “Charades or pointing dramatically are totally acceptable, and we’ll take it from there!”
Coming Soon: Gerry told us that there may be happy hour specials on the horizon.
Slidin’ Dirty at Nanola: Thursday, for Dinner
I’m not sure anyone has ever pregamed dinner at Nanola with orange wine at a French-inspired wine bar, but I had to check out the newest development going on at my favorite summertime hangout.
This week, Nanola announced a new partnership with Slidin’ Dirty, the Troy-based food truck that used to have a brick-and-mortar location in the Collar City. Nanola’s Shane Spillenger will carry on doing what his bar does best—drinks and booking live music—and Slidin’ Dirty’s Tim Taney will do what he does best—serving elevated casual sliders, sandwiches, and more. The partnership has been in the works for a while, as Slidin’ Dirty already manages the kitchen at Shane’s Albany restaurant, Ophelia’s.
“Nanola has been here for 11 years,” Tim told me on Thursday. “We’re not taking over—we’re working together. We wanted to embrace 11 years of success by keeping some of the favorites as well as some of Slidin’ Dirty’s New Orleans-inspired dishes.”
To that end, the new menu isn’t all new. You’ll still be able to get Nanola’s award-winning mac and cheese, for instance. Also on the menu: classic starters like wings and nachos, sandwiches (chopped cheese, buffalo chicken, shrimp po’ boy et. al.), four types of salads, entrees (like Shane’s favorite short rib stir fry, which he calls “the sleeper”), and, of course, Slidin’ Dirty’s signature sliders (choose three for $17). I had the vegan wings—both Nanola and Slidin’ Dirty are committed to having options for everyone—and my friends Erica and Ben got sliders, agreeing that the Couch Potato (braised short rib, blue cheese, caramelized onion, potato chip, and garlic aioli) was their favorite.
“We’re two people that have been in this industry for years complementing each other,” Shane said. “We’re trying to make both brands better instead of cutting each other down.”
Current Hours: Every day, 11:30am to close
Celebrity Customer: Cookie the Black Lab
Good to Know: For the time being, you’ll get two checks—one for your food (Slidin’ Dirty) and one for your drinks (Nanola).
Coming Soon: Another Shane/Tim collaboration in Troy
Putnam Market Cafe: Friday, for Coffee
Rounding out my restaurant tour is another place you know and love that recently unveiled an exciting twist: Last week, Putnam Market opened a cafe in the former home of The Wine Room.
Attached to Putnam Market proper, the Cafe serves up a selection of baked goods (muffins, scones, biscotti, and more) and grab-and-go items, but the main attraction seems to be the robust drink menu. What types of drinks, you ask? Pretty much anything you can dream up (sans hard liquor).
I started my morning off with a decaf vanilla almond milk latte in a ceramic mug that was as good or better than any decaf vanilla almond milk latte I’d previously had around town. (The barista let me know a little too late that he loves the smoked vanilla latte, which I will be ordering next time.) In addition to coffee and espresso-based drinks, the Cafe also serves hot cocoa, iced tea, and lemonade, all of which come in four different flavors. (I know!)
For those looking for something a little stronger, there’s a beer, wine, and cider menu, as well as beer, wine, and cider cocktails. Think: Vanilla Chai Apple Fizz (hard cider, chai, and vanilla), Shandy (beer and lemon), and Lavender Wine Spritzer (red wine, lavender, and sprite). “I don’t even like lavender,” the barista told me after admitting the spritzer was his favorite drink on the menu. I was there at 9am, but I think a return trip (happy hour, anyone?) is certainly in order.
Current Hours: 8am-6pm
Celebrity Customers: My parents
Good to Know: You can bring food into the Cafe from the regular market, but it doesn’t open until 10am.
Coming Soon: An employee was taking pictures of the Cafe’s offerings for DoorDash.
—Natalie
Live From New York, it’s The Belmont!
This past Thursday, tickets went on sale for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, returning to Saratoga Race Course June 4-8 (yes, that’s one more day than last year!). You can go all in with a five-day pass for $120, or purchase your tickets a la carte: GA tickets are $10 for Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday; $30 for Friday, and $75 for Saturday, Belmont Stakes Day. “They’re pricey,” Saratoga Living’s Annette Quarrier told me after she nabbed tickets for Saturday. “General admission for two people was $176.10—$26 of which was bogus service fees.” Get your tickets here.
Save the Date
One of my personal favorite events of the year is returning to Kings Tavern on March 1. See if you’re smarter than a fifth grader at Sip and Spell, an adult spelling bee that raises money for the CARE Committee (Corinth Aims to Reach Everyone), an organization that supports the needs of Corinth students and their families through a backpack program, food pantry, clothes zone, and more. Nervous to compete? Don’t worry—you can’t do worse than I did a couple of years ago.
Camera Ready
Have a camera, but don’t know how to use it to its full potential? Don’t have a camera, but considering getting in the photography game? Saratoga Living photographer Zach Skowronek, who’s back in New York after a one-year Florida stint, is hosting an intimate photography class on February 22 at the Saratoga Automobile Museum. Reserve your spot now.
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