Photograph by Victoria Sedefian
In The Lord of the Rings, Hobbits generally eat seven meals a day: breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper. Saratogians, it turns out, aren’t so different. While we don’t have particularly hairy feet, we do love to eat, drink, and be merry. And so, in this, our fourth annual Food & Drink Issue, we’re breaking down Saratogians’ diets into seven distinct meals: breakfast, brunch, lunch, happy hour, dinner, dessert, and late night. First up: breakfast and brunch.
The Best Breakfast You’ve Never Heard of
Bakery Suzanne
4284 NY-50, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs
A sourdough bakery serving up award-deserving pastries (and specialty doughnuts) somehow makes sense next to an X-Files museum.
Eggs on the Run
450 E High Street, Malta
This breakfast trailer is parked outside of a home décor store…that also serves coffee and ice cream.
Canopy of Saratoga
697 Saratoga Road, Wilton
Wilton’s new plant store is gaining traction for its elaborate signature coffees/teas/matchas.
Compadres Diner
666 Saratoga Road, Gansevoort
This Mexican diner has flown under the radar despite having 4.8 stars on Google from more than 300 reviews.
Chef Richie’s
1107 Ellsworth Boulevard, Malta
A Hudson chef has brought its absurdly cheap comfort food (and many plant-based options) to Malta.
The Tea House Flower Café
152 County Road 71, Stillwater
Old Tavern Farm’s latest venture serves up coffee, tea, and PDT Catering pastries in a shed made entirely of windows.
Early Risers, Assemble!
Saratoga loves a weekend brunch—but what is there for those of us who simply can’t wait until 10am to put food in our stomachs? Here are 12 breakfast spots in town that open early on Saturdays and Sundays.
OPEN AT 6am:
• Compton’s Restaurant*
OPEN AT 6:30am:
• Uncommon Grounds
OPEN AT 7am:
• Triangle Diner
• Bread Basket Bakery
• Fat Paulie’s Deli and Bagels
• The Counter at 5 Points
• Spring Street Deli
• Kru Coffee
• Morrissey’s
• Mrs. London’s
• Regent
• Spot Coffee
• Thorn + Roots
*At press time, Compton’s was in an ongoing legal battle with its landlord; for updates see the diner’s Facebook page.
The BEC VIP
This past winter, Dan Chessare—aka the owner of Saratoga’s Broadway Deli, aka the Deli Lama—posted a comprehensive guide to how much a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich costs around town. “Doin’ god’s work over here,” one commenter wrote on the post, which featured prices ranging from $4.49 at Stewart’s to $15 at The Merc. But on this list, not all BECs are created equal: The Merc’s comes with your choice of side, PDT Maison’s comes topped with hollandaise sauce, and Walt Café’s comes with house-made jalapeño jam.
matzo fast In February, we broke the news that Dan Chessare was putting Saratoga’s Broadway Deli on the market. So far, a buyer hasn’t materialized, and it’s been business as usual at Downtown’s favorite Jewish-style sandwich shop.
quiz
What’s for Breakfast?
1. What are you in the mood for?
A. Something sweet
B. Something greasy
C. Something simple
D. Something elegant
2. What about to drink?
A. Hot chocolate (extra whipped cream)
B. Coffee. Black.
C. Celsius
D. Hot tea
3. How long are you willing to wait?
A. An hour, just for a table
B. Half an hour’s OK
C. No time at all
D. If I’m seated quickly, I can wait for food
4. What do you value most in a restaurant?
A. It feels like home
B. The nostalgic feel
C. Efficiency
D. Hospitality
5. Who are you dining with?
A. My grandmother
B. My husband of 40 years
C. Me, myself, and I.
D. My three daughters
ANSWER KEY
Mostly A: Sweet Mimi’s Café & Bakery
Mostly B: Triangle Diner
Mostly C: Stewart’s Shops
Mostly D: Three Daughters Kitchen & Cocktails
BRUNCH
Mimosas in the Morning
Best Bang for Your Buck:
Bailey’s: (above) bottomless from 10am–1pm for $25
Booziest:
The Hideaway*: prosecco is mixed with alcoholic fruit juice
*The Hideaway sure knows how to make a brunch boozy. Kickstart your Saturday or Sunday with a 42oz Bloody Mary with all the fixings.
Most Customizable:
Kindred: DIY with a bottle of prosecco & your choice of juice
Most Instagrammable:
Saratoga Winery: flight towers boasting regularly changing flavors
Most Accessible:
Max London’s: served 10am–3pm every dang day
Only At…
Kindred: Cereal Milk Pancakes
A fluffy stack of pancakes served with “milk” syrup, cereal, bananas, and berries (Kindred brunch returning soon!)
Hattie’s: Savory Shrimp & Grits
Wild-caught gulf shrimp on creamy grits with rich piquant Creole sauce and chimichurri
PDT Maison: Croque Monsieur
Toasted white bread, ham, gruyere, and bechamel served with frites, lemon aioli, and mixed greens salad
Sunday Funday
There’s a new brunch in town, and at this one, you don’t have to choose between sweet and savory or breakfast and lunch. This August, Franklin Square’s Market Bar and Restaurant launched a Sunday brunch buffet, available from 10am–1pm for $54.99 per adult and $28 for kids ages 4–9. On the menu? Breakfast favorites (bagels, crepes, corned beef hash, vanilla custard cinnamon French toast bake), assorted salads (beet and goat cheese, burrata tomato, Mediterranean seafood), chef-prepared omelets (with all the fixin’s), savory mains (Faroe Island salmon, eggplant involtini, chicken milanese), steak (served with garlic potatoes, rainbow carrots, and charred asparagus), and all sorts of sweet endings (strawberry rhubarb crisp, coconut macarons, chocolate mousse cups).
