Places to eat in saratoga

Originally Posted by NoCarolinaTony

I travel around the USA and World, and grew up as a NEW YAWKER.

Ahhh ... but Tony ... it isn't New Yawker ...

... it's N'Yawkuh.

You should've remembered that.

And as you can tell ... I'm not from N'Yawk ... I'm from Brooklyn.

[NoCarolinaTony]

Better yet...I "used to" be from Brooklyn once too.... Myrtle & Knickerbocker Ave's.

NC Tony

[NoCarolinaTony]

My Pleasure....

NC Tony

I would have to agree with the statement that there isn't really any GREAT food in Saratoga. One Caroline is close though. But my best in many catagories are elsewhere:

Chinese: Cafe 407, Highland Park, Texas
Italian: Lombardo's, Albany, NY
BBQ: Sonny Bryan's, Dallas, Texas
Mexican: Ana Mia's, Southlake, Texas
Americana: Main Street Cafe, Grapevine, TX
Just a good sandwich: Putnam's, Saratoga
Breakfast: Bizbees, Wilton, NY

Not that this means anything to anybody, Point being, that I can't identify anything as the best in Saratoga(changed my mind, see above). It seems to me that most of the eateries live for the year off of the coming 6 weeks.

With that in mind, anybody interested in a partnership into buying the old Saratoga Brew Pub?

[Gander]

Ahhh, the Old Saratoga Brew Pub. Where I use to spend every Thursday night downing $1 pints like water, before I was married. Unfortunately I am too poor to go into any endeavors like that at the moment. Hey Teddy, were you still in Saratoga when it became O' Callahans? Must have been for only 6 months or so but man they had very good food, at least the chicken parmesan and the steak. I live about a full 8 iron away from there.

I would agree about Lombardos, wow what italian food. Easily worth the 35-40 minute drive.

So you live in good old Texas now? You like it? My wife lived in Austin, TX for 2 years (right before I met her) and her brother still does.

There is a chance I too may soon be exiled out of Saratoga to take a job in New Jersey. I'll find out in the next coming weeks. Part of me wants to get the job, but the part of me that loves horse racing hopes I get rejected. Which part will come out in the interview?

[Independent George]

Originally Posted by Gander

Ahhh, the Old Saratoga Brew Pub. Where I use to spend every Thursday night downing $1 pints like water, before I was married. Unfortunately I am too poor to go into any endeavors like that at the moment. Hey Teddy, were you still in Saratoga when it became O' Callahans? Must have been for only 6 months or so but man they had very good food, at least the chicken parmesan and the steak. I live about a full 8 iron away from there.

I would agree about Lombardos, wow what italian food. Easily worth the 35-40 minute drive.

So you live in good old Texas now? You like it? My wife lived in Austin, TX for 2 years (right before I met her) and her brother still does.

There is a chance I too may soon be exiled out of Saratoga to take a job in New Jersey. I'll find out in the next coming weeks. Part of me wants to get the job, but the part of me that loves horse racing hopes I get rejected. Which part will come out in the interview?

If you walk in with the Racing Form under your arm, they're gonna know.

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by Independent George

If you walk in with the Racing Form under your arm, they're gonna know.

Yeah, and then you could start off the interview like this...

"say, before we get going, do you happen to have the scratches for Monmouth"

Originally Posted by NoCarolinaTony

Better yet...I "used to" be from Brooklyn once too.... Myrtle & Knickerbocker Ave's.

Woooo ... tough neighborhood ... you must be Tough Tony ...

... the daily special in the restaurants in that neighborhood ... is Broken Leg Of Lamb.

I moved in September of '04, came back into town to check on my house (realtor, Cathy Allen sucked) and was SHOCKED that the Brew Pub was gone. Went in and tried to talk the owner out of the "Surrender at Saratoga" lithogram that used to be on the second floor. Tried to buy it from him, but he would only say he would think about it.

I haven't checked into the price, but I would LOVE to buy the place and turn it into a drinking bar. I think it would do great. I used to drink the "Mile and a Quarter Porter" in there. Tasted suspiciously like Guiness.

If you love where you live why move? Texas sucks. It's too freaking hot. Austin is pretty cool though. But the people in Dallas-Fort Worth are too materialistic. AND the horses at Lone Star are absolutely awful.

[johnny pinwheel]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

How many times can you listen to Mustang Sally? It is nice to see that someone here has heard, or heard of, Black Throated Wind. Now if Siro's had a band that played that.....

oh i know the music isn't the best. of course i know what black throated wind is. but a place near the track in saratoga won't go for that music even though its great! its not just about the music , i like to unwind have a beer and take in the atmosphere after studying the form all day. as for the six dollar beers there , why do you think the horseshoe is doing so well? the same beer is 3 or 4 and the food is about a third of the price of siros.

[Gander]

If you love where you live why move? Texas sucks.

I was lucky enough to find a decent job in Saratoga but my wife is struggling to find something. She is also quite a bit younger than me and while she likes Saratoga for the beauty, I think she may want someplace that offers more excitement and a better opportunity for a career. Saratoga doesnt have much in the way of business.

I wouldnt live in Texas for twice my salary now. Just not my scene, but thats why they make chocolate & vanilla.

Not crazy about New Jersey either but my wife does have lots of relatives there and its relatively close to NYC and the Northeast in general.

hmmmmmm, don't know what to say to that. Personally, find a compromise. NJ sounds like a compromise. At least you can still make it to SRC on the important days. I missed the entire meet last year after having a streak of 90 straight racing days!!!! I guess I should be happy to have experienced something that many racing fans will never get or have. I have accumulated many memories there. And I will have to tell you that setting a goal of all 36 racing days is a herculean task. There were days that I didn't feel like going, that I went any way to keep the streak alive. I didn't ever regret being there after I got there (with the exception of spinner days).

As far as the city goes, I will always consider Saratoga home, and now that I have found a respectable teaching job down here I can visit whenever I wish.

[Gander]

Well it all depends on what kind of offer is made to me. The cost of living in NJ is quite a bit more than it is here, so I will need that and a bit more to take whatever is offered to me (if I get that lucky).

All 36 days? Wow, I think I went 6 times last year and I live 1/2 mile away. That does not include mornings, where I probably went 15. I like the feeling in town during the meet, I dont necessarily have to be at the track to take in track season.

I have a lot of good memories at the track too, but most of them involve my Dad who is no longer alive so the place just isnt the same anymore to me, never will be.

[TheSpyder]

OK, gotta go. Looks like August 16-17 midweek so hopefully not too crowded. Been there many times but wondering names of small motels off the exit where I'd have the best chance to get room at a decent price. You guys that live there can you help me?? I think it's off exit 7 if I'm not mistaken.

Thanks,
Spyder from SC

Originally Posted by TheSpyder

OK, gotta go. Looks like August 16-17 midweek so hopefully not too crowded. Been there many times but wondering names of small motels off the exit where I'd have the best chance to get room at a decent price. You guys that live there can you help me?? I think it's off exit 7 if I'm not mistaken.

Thanks,
Spyder from SC

Spyder baby! Its called the Microtel and its off exit 7. Very cheap with few amenities but its very clean. All Microtel's are. Its a nice chain for guys who are traveling alone and are going to be out most of the day and don't need a pool, exercise room, etc. Just a good clean cheap room at a lower price.
When you are going to Saratoga you are going to be out of the room excpet for sleeping so why the hell would you need the Taj Mahal? Total waste to get an expensive fancy room that you won't be in except to sleep.
I send many out of town friends there. Its RIGHT off the exit and there is a restaurant across the street that you can eat and have a few beers at after you make your way back down. Its about 25 mins TOPS from room to track.
The phone number is (518) 782-9162 and I highly recommend it for people coming in from out of town who dont want to pay 1000 bucks for four nights.

[Seattleallstar]

just point me to the Golden Corral plz

Originally Posted by Seattleallstar

just point me to the Golden Corral plz

The Golden Corral is actually not a bad place at all, especially if you are on a no carb/low carb diet. The sirloin is very good as is the rotisserie chicken and the salad bar is fantastic. Plenty of fresh vegetables as well. Very cheap for the quality of food you get if you are obviously not looking to go fancy and want to get a quick bite to eat.
In your case though Jerry I don't think its a good idea for you to dine there.

[Seattleallstar]

ive been really good about staying away from those types of places for a long while, but sometimes i feel like taking the 2 hour bus ride

[TheSpyder]

Oracle,

Your the man! Thanks a bunch...owe you a beer when I'm there.

Spyder from SC

Originally Posted by TheSpyder

Oracle,

Your the man! Thanks a bunch...owe you a beer when I'm there.

Spyder from SC

Ah shoot spyder its no big deal. I hate to see people pay tourist rates to visit here. Saratoga can be done very effectively on a low budget, its just that you need to ask someone who lives here how to go about it.
Blackthroat already mentioned the parking situation on White Street, etc.
But I am going to give you and all a little tip sheet on how to cut down costs of attending the track if you are a tourist right here and now. Happy savings!

1) NEVER pay to park!! Unbeknownst to most tourists, all those side streets that surround the racetrack have absolutely free parking with no time limits. Just get there a tad early, and drive around until you see a free spot. Often I see tourists pulling into a parking lot and paying ten bucks to park when free spots are actually available CLOSER than the parking lot is.
2)If you don't care about going out at night to carouse in town, stay at a place like the Microtel down in Latham at exit 7(see above post for phone number and info) and save a TON of money.
3) Breakfast in town is best and cheapest as well at two places. Uncommon Grounds on Broadway has simply incedible coffee and good bagels and pastries. Air conditioned and has every daily newspaper in the area as well as NYC papers for FREE to read on a rack inside the place. Also has wifi for laptops. 2 dollars and change will get you a refillable cup of coffee and a bagel with all the papers you can read for free. Comptons across the street is a luncheonette with typical breakfast fare. You order a meal its there in less than 2 minutes hot in front of you. Not fancy, but good hot breakfast food at a very low price.
4) At the track try Steve's Carolina BBQ stand for lunch instead of those ridiculously priced full meals on the patio or terrace. 5.75 at Steves stand will get you a delicious smoked meat sandwich or BBq sandwich with choice of two side dishes that you can eat at shaded pinice tables right behind his stand. Only suckers sit at those tables(where you have to pay 20 bucks just to get a seat and then buy a 15 dollar burger) on the patio. There isnt a track view there anyway! Whats the point?
5)Saratoga is best taken in without a formal reserved seat. There are picnic tables all over the grounds or you can bring a cheap dollar store folding chair and plunk down in the shade of a tree. Enables you to roam the grounds and check things out instead of sitting in an uncomfortable hardback chair packed in like a sardine.
6) Instead of being fleeced for dinner afterwards like a sheep. Try a couple of places one exit down the road in malta. The Ripe Tomato on route 9 is not fancy or gourmet but they do a variety of everything and do it well. Soups, salads, italian, steaks, ribs, chicken are all very good and prices are one half of Saratoga rip off joints. I strongly advise it to non gourmets. Right down the road from the Ripe Tomato(take a left when you see the Ripe Tomato) is the legendary Cliff's Country Inn about a half mile. Gargantuan strip steaks and prime rib as well as gargantuan everything else, chicken parm, shrimp scampi, etc. Everything is HUGE in portions and VERY cheap. Not a fancy place, a comfortable atmosphere with sports memorablia on the walls, friendly bartenders, and guranteed to have you walking out so full you may burst with a doggie bag as well. 20 oz strip steak and 20 oz(actually much larger) prime rib are 28.95 but everything else is less than 15 bucks. You won't be able to finish your meal and will be surrounded by laughter and a good atmosphere, and OH the drinks are less than half the price of the ripoff joints in town.