Getaway Guide: Saratoga Springs
Get with me here: I don't want to drive eight hours to reach a getaway destination. That's a lost day. So, after four (tops five!) hours on the road, it's time to make an overnight stop. Take in a new town, have some lunch, enjoy a beer, get a rest. Then it's dinner and exploring. A recent getaway to northern Vermont landed Mary and I in Saratoga Springs, right off the New York Throughway for an overnighter. What's there? Plenty! – Jay Lloyd
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK
Saratoga Springs has long been known as the town where the top-hat crowd goes for "Horse Racing Season." But the season only lasts from late July through the first week in September, and prices rise with the arrival of the gentry. During the rest of the year, this is a lively college town (Skidmore) with an abundance of highly competitive hotels and inns, an amazing number of restaurants, art galleries, unique boutiques, music venues, a winery, brewery and enough pubs to make a Dubliner envious. And that's just in the downtown area, within walking distance of our hotel. So, that's where we spent our day and night -- downtown.
Now, I'm not going to lay out a long list of eateries, bars and hotels -- only those we parked in and a couple recommended by locals we met along the way.
HOTEL
HAMPTON INN
25 Lake Avenue
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/new-york/hampton-inn-and-suites-saratoga-springs-downtown-ALBSPHX/index.html
We picked the Hampton Inn for its location -- two blocks from the main street, Broadway. It nests in the heart of the restaurant, nightlife and shopping district. Garage and convenient outdoor parking was free and Hampton Inns have reached a level of service, consistency and price that makes it an easy choice. A Sunday overnight stay was $145 including tax. The room was modern with a large desk and comfortable chairs for working or TV gazing. It had a handy mini refrigerator for leftovers that were too good to leave behind and free Wi-Fi. The bathroom was bright and up-to-date with a textured tub floor and a grab rail. Would we stay here again? In a heartbeat.
RESTAURANTS
BOCA BISTRO
384 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
www.bocabistro.com
Lunch time and the livin's easy. The weather was good and outdoor cafes were filling up. A stroll down the street and a glance at menus made the choice a bit tougher. We narrowed it down to two: One for lunch, the other for dinner. To find a Spanish tapas restaurant outside of a major city is an event, but Saratoga Springs isn't like any other small town, and Boca Bistro was a rare treasure. I focused on the olives, garlic shrimp and croquettes. Mary was up for the garlic tomato bread, patatas bravas and sauteed mussels. Our server had spent student time in Spain and had a working knowledge of tapas. Boca taps Estrella beer and pours robust Spanish wines. By night, this indoor-outdoor bistro transforms into a lively bar with local music.
WHEATFIELDS
440 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
www.wheatfields.com
Doesn't sound very Italian, but Wheatfields is just that. Handmade pastas and rich sauces are the base, and we go from there. All the familiar Italian favorites are on board, and there's a nod to American tastes, too. At an outdoor table with an energetic server who seemed to love food, we managed to polish off a well made Manhattan and martini, then dug into well-filled plates of clams and linguini along with a bundle of eggplant parm. Remember the fridge? Half of the heaping plates went there.
JACOB AND ANTHONY'S
38 High Rock Rd.
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
www.marrellorc.com
We certainly couldn't eat another meal, but Jacob and Anthony's was right next to the hotel and offered a large outdoor veranda and a comfortable indoor bar. It's a perfect fit for a nightcap and dessert. The restaurant, operated by Bellini's, a local fixture, is a high-end steak house. But for dessert, it offers sharing plates and custom coffees. A comfortable way to end a Saratoga Springs stopover.
Other restaurants that were suggested by locals included Forno, also on Broadway, also Italian. We looked in to a well-patronized room and outdoor veranda, indicating this eatery is worth a stop on our next visit. Fifteen Church was a recommended high-end eatery with a popular outdoor café, a gleaming contemporary bar and reasonable happy hour prices.
Tip: In strolling downtown, stop at the some of the galleries, which feature local and Adirondack area artists, then gaze at the 19th century architecture and the colorful horse sculptures found along the streets that define the racing and jazz heritage of this upstate New York experience.
Enjoy!
