Saratoga Business Journal
By Susan Elise Campbell
Elody Restaurant has opened at 54 Phila Street just off Broadway in Saratoga Springs. The owners, Patti and Larry Weaver, closed their Malta restaurant, 13 North, and brought with them their chefs, their staff, and their reputation for “all-American fare and every kind of steak you can imagine.”
“Saratoga is the spot to be,” said Patti Weaver. “A great corner unit with a lot of windows came up for lease in the building and I’m surprised there wasn’t a lot of activity on it.”
The Weavers have been in the restaurant business since retirement. Larry was in the military and Patti was a civilian in the military. They first opened a small pub in Ballston Spa and then their restaurant, 13 North.
The building they leased on Route 9 was in need of repairs that were “getting too costly” to continue there, Weaver said. The logistics of moving the restaurant was challenging because they had to deplete their food and liquor supplies and start from scratch with new ingredients. But she said that Elody is “the final leg” in their restaurant career.
The official re-opening was on December 31, 2025, the day the Weavers’ granddaughter Elody was born.
The atmosphere at Elody is “elegant yet comfortable,” whereas the prior restaurant was “rustic.” The unit had housed another restaurant and the only renovations the couple had to do were cosmetic, she said.
“We have new chairs, new lighting, new countertops, and fresh paint,” said Weaver.
In honor of the opening, there is a new dish on the menu: Seafood Piccata with lemon caper sauce.
The traditional menu was carried over because it was a successful one that customers enjoyed, Weaver said. It is extensive, varied, and always homemade. The Chicken Stack is the most popular choice: two panko-coated fried chicken pieces with tomato, spinach and mozzarella in between, vodka cream sauce on top, and served with angel hair pasta.
Many of the entrées are inspired by Italian family recipes, such as her grandmother’s meatballs and marinara sauce, as well as American comfort food classics like turkey dinner and sharable appetizers like pork belly fried rice, calamari, and much more.
Every week the chefs transform fresh cod into a special seafood entrée. But the steak menu may be what the restaurant will continue to be best known for.
“All steaks are hand-cut and mildly seasoned, and customers can choose from six different homemade steak sauces with bold flavors,” said Weaver.
All recipes are crafted by hand with local ingredients, Weaver said.
Entrées include a choice of two side dishes and Parker House-style rolls that she bakes daily. Weaver also prepares up to seven different homemade desserts and one will be a cheesecake. She has cheesecake recipes for 100 different flavor profiles, she said.
Weaver said their restaurant has a “family atmosphere” because, like the clientele, staff feels at home there. One cook, Riley Hall, joined as a dishwasher 11 years go at age 16 and was trained by Weaver to “work every station.”
Brandon Stevenson had some prior restaurant experience, she said. He and Hall lead the kitchen as a team “and don’t even want titles like head chef,” she said.
“Once they come in, they’re my kids,” she said.
A feature that makes Elody stand out is its two bars. One is for cocktails and the other for desserts, where customers can see their sweet courses plated.
“This is a bigger restaurant than before, so even though our entire staff has come with us, we are looking to hire one more for the kitchen and one for the bar,” she said. “Then we will need another round of part-timers for track season.”
The Weavers expect more of a seasonal spike than ever before, thanks to the new downtown location.
The restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday and hosts happy hour Tuesday through Friday from 4:00 til 5:30.
Learn more at elodyonphila.com and on Facebook.