SARATOGA SPRINGS – We tend to sometimes forget about the big boys in the culinary neighborhood. We focus on the new, the trendy – and certainly in Saratoga Springs we have been once again blessed with fabulous, diverse restaurant debuts in 2017, with more to come. So the industry leaders, with their automatic excellence, and yet quiet attention to every detail; excellence in preparation, excellence in presentation; sometimes will fall off one’s radar.
But then, they do something new and exciting, and everyone’s mind snaps back to attention, and we remember why certain restaurants command attention by its mere presence, while others are forced to demand it in a crowded field.
Such was the case on Monday evening, September 25, as Chianti Ristorante (18 Division Street – ChiantiRistorante.com ) indeed, commanded the attention of a full bar of regulars, friends, and long-time devotees (including those with cameras!) merely by saying the Magic Word:
Presto!
And that’s all they really needed to say.
And so launched a vibrant new Happy Hour menu, a blend of favorites like Burrata Cremosa and Olive Arrosto, combined with new presentations (Filet Skewers and the warm bread pillows in the Prosciutto e Gnocco Fritto were visual standouts), into a surprisingly moderately-priced menu – all combined into a statement that Chianti knows their Happy Hour! You can get in on the fun beginning today from 4:30-6:30 pm, or extend your enjoyment of Sunday’s from 4:30 – close (listed at 9:30).
Which is why the people were rejoicing…
And, let us flesh out this ‘moderately-priced’ phrase: What’s stunning to me is that the Presto Happy Hour Menu for fall has exactly 30 items… not one is priced in double digits.
Not one.
None of the dozen apps (“Stuzzichini”) which range from $5-9.
Not one of the seven beers, with origins stretching from Saratoga Springs to The Netherlands – they are all $3.
None of the four wines, each hand-selected from what I can see (and you know they are not going to fool around here) – a point of pride. A chard, a grigio, a cab and of course, a Chianti – all $5/glass.
Nor, none of the seven blended cocktails (“Aperitivi”) – they are all $4-6.
Think of this as Restaurant Week, or what it should be, except it lasts for a season. And think about your plans for your next Happy Hour Meal.
For the quiet, yet always excellent, Chianti Ristorante is commanding your attention, please.
Arthur Gonick
September 26, 2017
