©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Liz Witbeck
A local restaurant has undergone some changes. Beekman Bar + Eatery, previously known as 62 Beekman, had a grand opening in February at that location.
62 Beekman closed for two weeks for some refurbishing work before it emerged as Beekman Bar + Eatery.
Darren DeVietro is managing owner of the establishment.
DeVietro, originally from Connecticut, moved to Saratoga Springs in 2013 to help his father, Dominick DeVietro, run the family restaurant at that address. The eatery is known for serving up American cuisine prepared with fresh farm-to-table flair.
In March 2016, the DeVietros expanded their business and opened up Beekman Street Café, located just a few doors down from 62 Beekman, on the corner of Beekman and Ash streets.
After spending time with both restaurants, the DeVietros decided to rethink the business.
“It was a little difficult running both,” said DeVietro.
With some careful planning and reorganization, the family-and-son team decided that Darren would be in charge of operating the restaurant, while the elder DeVietro would run Beekman Street Café. Both co-own each establishment.
DeVietro took the opportunity to design a new vision for how the restaurant would operate. He decided to brand the restaurant Beekman Bar + Eatery to showcase his new ideas.
“I spent a lot of time down in New York City” researching ideas, said DeVietro. “I grew up in Western Connecticut, so I know a lot about New York City. I spent time visiting restaurants and getting an idea for what I wanted to do.”
Beekman Bar + Eatery is a “gastropub,” said DeVietro – a pub that specializes in serving high-quality food. Gastropubs have become a trend in recent years. He said while many pubs traditionally focus on serving drinks, the food quality is not always necessarily the best.
“I really want to have this be a place where people can come and get great, high-quality food at a reasonable price” he said.
“All of the dishes on the menu are under $20. Most are between $12 and $14. Many people will look at a menu and think if the price is lower, you are losing out on quality. I want to show people that you can get amazing dishes still at a reasonable price point.”
DeVietro made sure to keep longtime customer favorites on the menu, such as the crab cakes. New dishes are on the menu as well, such as teriyaki chicken, lobster ravioli and pulled pork sandwiches.
“There’s something for everybody” he said.
Beekman Bar + Eatery offers brunch, including dishes like crab cake eggs benedict and chicken and waffles.
“I always thought chicken and waffles was a Southern thing and I didn’t think it would be popular. I started asking people if we should put it on our menu. I did. And it’s our best seller,” he said.
Beekman Bar + Eatery seats approximately 30. The size allows the food to be made to order.
DeVietro fine tunes all of the ingredients in his kitchen. Syrups are homemade. Juices are freshly pressed. Desserts are made in house, including his famous sea salt caramel bars.
The establishment has a modern, urban, gray and black theme. Some of the aspects of the new establishment include new furniture and slick black tablecloths. Artwork by local artists lines the walls, a nod to their location in the Beekman Street Arts District.
“I wanted it to be clean, hip. I put a lot of thought into everything, even down to the music choice. It’s fun. The vibe is exciting. It has a great ambiance here,” he said. “This is my passion, this is what I’ve always wanted to do and it is turning out great.”
The restaurant is open 3-10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday for dinner. On Saturdays and Sundays, the restaurant opens at 10 a.m. for brunch. It is closed Mondays. For more information, call 584-1022 or visit www.beekmanbareatery.com.