Saratoga Business Journal
By Rod Bacon
A pair of entrepreneurs well versed in the hospitality industry have launched Saratoga Springs’ newest dining venue.
Clark Gale and Zac Denham, who created Bocage Champagne Bar on Phila Street in 2022, have opened Standard Fare directly opposite it.
Touted as “A Fresh Take on Comfort Food in Saratoga Springs,” the owners say they are taking popular menu items and elevating their presentation.
“Our focus is on creating dishes that we all have familiarity and warm memories of, and present them in a really great way,” Gale said. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel on dishes like meatloaf or pork chops or roast chicken but we’re delivering them in a way different from the traditional presentation.”
The executive chef creating this delightful fare is Connor DeMarco, who also oversees the kitchen at Bocage Champagne Bar. A Saratoga Springs native, he has created unique cuisine at Lillian’s, Merry Monk, Fish at 30 Lake, Rascals Steakhouse at Crossgates, The Merc, Prime, and Cantina. He also spent some time working on the southwest coast of Florida.
“Standard Fare isn’t just about food, it’s about energy,” said Gale. “You can feel it in the dining room, see it in the kitchen, and taste it in every bite. We’ve been blown away by the creativity of the kitchen team.”
Gale, a native of Massena, N.Y., began his executive career as general manager of New York City’s iconic Cafeteria, a $12 million a year operation. Subsequently, he contributed his leadership and operational skills to Brooklyn Winery, Butter Group, 1 Oak, Burger & Lobster, and Chow Down Hospitality Group.
In 2016, he became director of operations for Barcade, a $36 million per year powerhouse in the hospitality industry, where he managed locations in seven states.
Currently, in addition to his other endeavors, he owns CCG Hospitality, a consulting firm specializing in system implementation and pre-opening projects for small businesses in New York and New Jersey.
Denham, a native of Gonzales, Louisiana, started his professional career in musical theater. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Louisiana State University and a graduate degree from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. He has performed across New York state, regionally, and in national tours.
In 2015, he transitioned to the hospitality industry, where he was instrumental in opening four acclaimed restaurants in New York City and one in London.
In 2019, he founded da Toscano, an Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village, and in 2024 he spearheaded the launch of Midnight by Navarros’s, a $15 million Manhattan West project that merged a wine bar, restaurant, and live music venue.
“I’ve always been in the orbit of hospitality,” he said. “I grew up in the world of theater and dance, but when I needed play money or to put gas in my car I would work at a restaurant. Even in college and between gigs when I was performing I would go back to a restaurant job as a server, host or bartender. After working consistently as an actor for four years I decided to pivot and go full time into the hospitality business.”
Gale and Denham chose the Phila Street location for a variety of reasons.
“We liked the quieter, more European feel of the area,” said Denham. “And it’s right across the street from Bocage, which we’ve owned for three-and-a-half years, so the two complement each other.”
The space, which had previously housed Ravenous and Trattoria Fortunata, required extensive renovations, which were done by Saratoga Springs-based Moreau Associates.
The ambiance of Standard Fare is enhanced by the work of local artist Daniel Fairley, who describes his style as “broadly accessible absurdity.”
“A Saratoga restaurant has to have some sort of horse-themed art so we asked him to have fun with that idea and he came up with sort of a goofy take on Saratoga horse racing called Thad’s Pick,” Gale said. “We also have a piece called Duck, Duck, Goose, which is kind of a tribute to the Congress Park ducks.”
In the short time the restaurant has been open several of Fairley’s pieces have sold.
In keeping with the laid back focus of the restaurant the owners contracted with Whitman Brewing Company of Saratoga Spring to create a signature beer. Dubbed Phila Street Low Life, it is a humorous nod to the famous Miller High Life that is the only beer they sell at Bocage.
“Miller High Life is known as The Champagne of Beers and since Bocage is a champagne bar we felt it was appropriate to offer it as a choice for our guests,” Denham said.
According to him, Bocage stocks, between sparkling and stills, about 110 different wine options by the glass and bottle.
Standard Fare sources its food supplies locally as much as possible. The pork chops come from Oscar’s Smokehouse in Warrensburg, greens come from Foothills Farm in Greenfield Center, seafood is from Earth & Sea in Manchester Center, Vt., and ground beef is from Reliable Brothers of Green Island.
Between the two venues 32 area residents are employed in the kitchens and fronts of the houses.
The entrepreneurs have no intention of stopping with their Saratoga locations. Denham said they’re in no rush but are talking about expanding both the Bocage and Standard Fare concepts within a reasonable distance from the Spa City.;
To learn more about Standard Fare go to standardfaresaratoga.com. More information about Bocage Champagne Bar is available at bocagechampagnebar.com.