Found in the tiny space that used to be Sangwych and before that was 8 tables, the atmosphere is quaint and romantic.

With just seven tables in the restaurant, I highly suggest reservations, especially during track season. Fortunately for me while it was a busy Friday night, we managed to get a two person table with just a five minute wait!

Once we were seated, we received a basket of warm and delicious Italian crusty bread, you know the doughy on the inside, crunchy on the outside kind that you always finish and ask for seconds for before your meal even comes? Yupp, that kind. It was accompanied with a white bean mixture
marinated in a garlic herb/olive oil dressing.

The strong hint of garlic in the olive oil put a smile on my face and the beans were tender and satisfying as well.

Looking at the menu, I faced some really tough choices. After a long 10 minute deliberation, I went with the grilled red
snapper, drizzled with a roasted tomato vinaigrette and on a bed of corn
risotto.

I’d like to pick this dish apart into different components for this review, to highlight the best of each part. Let’s separate the following: snapper, risotto and vinaigrette. For starters, the snapper was
seasoned very well, with a variety of fresh herbs and a hint of citrus. The texture
of the fish was perfect, not overly flaky and not too rare. The corn
risotto was fantastic. I understand how difficult it is to create the perfect risotto without it turning to mush. This risotto was cooked al dente to keep the firm bite and the
texture was so creamy and delicate. Finally, the roasted tomato
vinaigrette. The vinaigrette definitely tied the other components
together and allowed for a superb flavor combination when all three made it onto my fork at once. It was fresh, seasoned nicely and a great binder.

Tim
knew exactly what he was going to get before we even entered the restaurant. Seared
scallops with a blood orange burro on a bed of lobster risotto.

Sorry the picture is sideways, apparently I’m not the best photographer in the world.

Anyway, I bet some of you are thinking… did she just say lobster risotto? Yes, I did indeed. Yeah sure, my risotto had corn
and was delicious, so just imagine replacing the corn with lobster. Additionally, the seared scallops tasted like
heaven and the little samples I could get from Tim’s plate could have
put me in a food coma. That good.

And to end the meal from another
world, Tim ordered the risotto cheesecake for us. Tim’s not a big sweets kinda guy, so you know when he orders dessert he means business.

At this point, do you even need to know what I thought about the cheesecake?

In case you’re hanging on my very last word, it was decadent
and divine. The ricotta made the cake lighter than your average
cheesecake and made it possible to eat the entire thing, without barely taking a breather. With a nice hint of lemon, the cake was light, refreshing and just so good.

To end, I really
can’t say much more. This restaurant left me speechless, and that is
hard to do. Please go there, please eat there. Your standards will be
brought up to a whole new level.

Follow me on twitter @togafoodfanatic and let me know what you think!

The post Speechless from Mio Posto appeared first on Eat Your Heart Out: A Saratoga Restaurant & Dining Blog By Ashley Dingeman.

Don’t fret my friends, once I get the chance to try something from each of these food trucks, I’ll report back to you all. In the mean time, feel free to follow me on Twitter at @togafoodfanatic for up to date pictures and to be the first to know where I am and what I’m trying!

The post Food Trucks Driving Into Saratoga appeared first on Eat Your Heart Out: A Saratoga Restaurant & Dining Blog By Ashley Dingeman.

As a lucky writer, I was asked to attend a tasting at the new restaurant and
happily accepted. When I walked in, the ambiance was relaxed and intimate,
which was nice because outside it was ugly and raining.

How pretty is that? The food samples to the left I will discuss in a moment,
but I wanted to first talk about the wines. The red is a pinot noir and the
white is a sauvignon blanc. Normally, I’d go with white, but for this occasion
I went with the pinot noir. Alright moving on to the food…

This selection from the menu item “Meatball Trio” is one of the
three Cyprus-style meatballs. This beef and pork meatball is served here with a
spread consisting of roasted peppers, walnuts and feta. The outside of the
meatball is a tougher texture and as you bite down the juices run wild. The
spread adds a great addition of fresh flavors to compliment the meatiness of the
meatball.

Next was the sample of the Summer Harvest Salad, prepared with bites of
juicy watermelon and vine-ripened tomato with goat cheese and a balsamic
reduction. For sample sake, they graciously put the salad on skewers which
allowed for easy tasting, even though I ended up eating three of them in total.
I cannot stress enough how watermelon adds such a huge flavor to a salad like
this. The hearty taste of tomatoes and milky goat cheese allow the watermelon
to really shine, providing a sweet and juicy bite. This salad is as refreshing
and tasty as a salad can get.

Finally, the chef brought out the traditional Italian arancini, served with
a marinara sauce. The dish itself isn’t even on the menu and I began to devour
them before I could get a picture, so for that, I apologize. Well, I actually
don’t feel bad for eating it immediately, because the freshly fried ball of
rice was rich in the center with fresh mozzarella and Italian spices, and it
was to say the least, a wonderful addition to my day.

After speaking with Elena at length and learning about each dish on the menu
and what goes into making them, it’s a toss-up as to what I’m actually going to
order when I go there for dinner. If I had to bet, I could see myself ordering
the Cedar Plank Jail Island Salmon – served over a corn, avocado and roasted
poblano salad dressed in a sherry vinaigrette but there’s also a few others
that pique my interest. I’m telling you, you need to check this place out this
summer!

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After about an hour of deliberation, I chose to go to The Publik House. Why might you ask? Well, for starters, I’ve never been able to get in there because it’s always PACKED and on this occasion it was not. Also, I really wanted pizza, but not traditional pizza, something a little different.

Looking at the menu, they are jam packed with probably 20 or more different “specialty pizzas”, all unique in their own way.

Here’s the pepperoni and mushroom pizza, definitely the most plain combination of pizzas we ordered. This pizza was the epitome of a greasy, hot pizza. It was almost too cheesy where the cheese would slide off as you tried to grab a slice. Nonetheless, the pizza was good.

Next up, the white broccoli special. This white pizza was drizzled in olive oil, rich in cheese and full of flavor between the garlic and the broccoli. Sometimes I forget how awesome broccoli is on a pizza, and this certainly made me remember.

Finally, we tried the Shel’s Choice, as recommended by the waitress. This white pizza is topped with fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, artichoke hearts and garlic. Definitely the most creative pizza out of the bunch and it was a great combination of flavors.

The post Happy Birthday to… ME! appeared first on Eat Your Heart Out: A Saratoga Restaurant & Dining Blog By Ashley Dingeman.

Yeah yeah yeah, I’ll cut to the chase. Well… pre-sales just went on sale TODAY and I want to offer all my fans the chance to get your spots for the show before general public sales begin. Pre-sale tickets are available now through Thursday, general public tickets go on sale Friday.

How do you get tickets right now? Just visit http://www.proctors.org/events/buddy-valastro and enter the presale password CAKE to buy.

Don’t miss this awesome opportunity my friends! Oh and you’re welcome 🙂

The post Cake Boss Comes to Proctors appeared first on Eat Your Heart Out: A Saratoga Restaurant & Dining Blog By Ashley Dingeman.

First off – menu:

As you can see, the format of the menu is pretty unique in that they split it up by small plates, medium plates, large plates and so on. At first glance, prices are pretty decent, but I quickly learned it totally depended on the meal you ordered. The purpose of the menu is to get diners to share meals, like a tapas menu but also offering single portions if you’re not so hungry (small plate) or you could eat a cow…(large plate).

Since I was with a group of 7, we all split things up and got a variety of items. Starting off, we ordered the Charcuterie Plate, with house cured duck breast, port rillette, rabbit sausage, onion jam, baguette crostinis and a local cheese ($16).

It’s obvious that a stellar presentation is the goal with this dish, and I’d have to say I think they knocked it out of the park. With that being said, each item on the plate definitely had something interesting going on, depending on what your palate likes and dislikes. I did try everything, even though when I eat duck it makes me think about all the ducks splashing around in Congress Park and well, I think you get the picture. This is definitely a go-to plate if you’re with 4 or less, otherwise you have to cut each piece into a tiny morsel.

Next up, the Green Apple and Chevre Pizza, topped with arugula and onion jam ($11).

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I’ll begin by saying that I’m pretty stoked about the hot dog stand. As one of the younger social butterflies in Saratoga, it’s safe to say I enjoy a night out on the town every so often (or more) and I certainly like to end my evenings with some nom noms before I stumble on home. While the doughboy is generally my go-to drunk food, I’m always up for new and exciting opportunities and hot dogs definitely fit that criterion.

The current Spa City Hotdogs menu is short and sweet, literally. With items like “peanut butter madness” the hotdog with peanut butter, maple bacon and jalapenos or the more traditional “all the way NYC” with sabrett onion sauce, kraut and spicy brown mustard, it’s a toss up whether people will embrace these different options or be turned away.

For those who love a fresh hotdog on a hot summer night, I think Spa City Hotdogs will be booming this summer. Be sure to look out for them in front of Putnam Den each Thursday – Saturday this summer.

The post The Start of Food Trucks in Saratoga? appeared first on Eat Your Heart Out: A Saratoga Restaurant & Dining Blog By Ashley Dingeman.

Getting back to the Mother’s Day festivities, the menu provided two options, the brunch buffet for $20 per person which is pretty reasonable, especially for Mother’s Day, or anything off of the regular menu. While everyone in my family opted for the buffet, I of course had to be difficult and order off of the menu. I chose the western omelet, with ham, diced onion, green peppers and cheddar cheese.

I’ve gotta admit, for $8 dollars it doesn’t get much better than this. The omelet was HUGE, I would say at least 3-4+ eggs made up that bad boy. Not to mention the egg was super fluffy and the perfect texture for an omelet. The inside was abundant with sharp and tangy cheddar cheese and the veggies and ham were flavorful but not overpowering. I also would like to point out the homemade salsa on the side which was great on it’s own. I’m not one to dip my omelet’s in things, but I found myself eating the salsa just with a fork. Nom.

In addition to my meal, my family was quite pleased with their buffet selections, including KK’s famous french toast, smoked salmon, fresh fruit, bacon, sausage and so much more. It’s no secret that my mom had an AWESOME mother’s day and I’d like to give partial credit to 50 South and partial credit to her favorite child, me!

Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all you mom’s out there!

The post Local Love at 50 South appeared first on Eat Your Heart Out: A Saratoga Restaurant & Dining Blog By Ashley Dingeman.

When I entered the Saratoga City Center, I was pleasantly surprised by
the many relevant booths scattered throughout the floor room and the
thousands of chairs set up around the main stage. It was really
interesting to see the crowd roam around as the event got started and
you could feel the excitement build up before the show.

As a VIP member, I received a goody bag full of awesomeness, including these two magazines and a pretty hefty cook book.

The main event began once Chef Michael Barna came onto the stage. With a
camera attached to the top of the kitchen area and two large screens on
both sides of the stage, everyone in the audience could see what he was
doing and how he was doing it. Chef Michael also shared his greatest
tips and secrets which I saw several people writing down in their
magazines in between the ooh’s and aww’s that were abundant throughout
the show.

After 10 recipes, the event closed with over 50 giveaways. It certainly
kept the end of the show exciting but alas, it ended in disappointment
when I came home with no door prize. But you know what, I’m okay with
that because I got to spend the entire night with my mom, learning about
food. For me, it doesn’t get much better than that!

It’s pretty obvious that I had a great time and you can count on me
being there next year. Just a piece of advice, leave your boyfriend or
husband at home, this event is best as a girls night.

The post The Aftermath of the Taste of Home Cooking Show appeared first on Eat Your Heart Out: A Saratoga Restaurant & Dining Blog By Ashley Dingeman.

Walking into the event, I was unsure how it would be set up, what the competition would be like, how close we’d be to the action, etc. I’ve been to events in the past where you watch a competition from afar and can’t really see what’s going on in the actual kitchen. To my surprise, this was much different. The kitchen was centrally located, right in the middle of the room so attendees could stand around and watch, literally on the other side of the hot plate and grill pans.

Before I get into the big competition, let’s talk about the food tastings that were offered that night. The event included samplings of food from four different local
restaurants, including Augie’s (Ballston Spa), Cardona’s Market (Albany), The Illium
Cafe (Troy) and 2Shea Catering at Shaker Ridge Country Club (Loudonville). The attendees of
the event were asked to sample and vote for their favorite dishes and whoever won over the crowds palate would be crowned next years competitor against this years winner. Pretty cool idea, right?

Anyway, here are some of the shots from the visiting restaurants.

Illium Cafe served mini nachos

Cardona’s Market served this traditional Italian dish, pork osso bucco which literally fell off the bone

Augie’s dishing out some of their famous cheese tortellini in vodka sauce

2Shea Catering offered three samples: Pan-Asian Chicken, mini fillets and coconut fried lobster

My favorite taste? Well that was found at 2Shea’s station, with their coconut lobster. It was succulent and absolutely delicious. I’m not gonna lie though, all of these restaurants were rocking that night, with very different tastes at each station but all extremely good. The crowd seemed to agree with me however, and 2Shea Catering won the people’s choice award and will be attending as a competing chef next year.

Onto the big event, the duel between Albany Chef A.J. Jayapal from The Brown Derby Restaurant and Saratoga Chef John Ireland, previous executive chef at The Wine Bar and current head chef at Panza’s.

I snagged this shot before the competition began of the two chefs chatting

The post Chef Challenge Follow Up – Winner’s Announced! appeared first on Eat Your Heart Out: A Saratoga Restaurant & Dining Blog By Ashley Dingeman.