The bluish-white words “The Wine Bar” are illuminated on the sidewalk in front of the picturesque Broadway restaurant that sits lofted above the sidewalk. The Wine Bar’s 14-year tenure at this ideal location is getting a refreshing update under new Restaurant Manager Matt Campion and Executive Chef Cameron Nealey.
On the outside and even the inside, The Wine Bar is still that cornerstone Saratoga restaurant. If you weren’t a regular, you probably wouldn’t notice the changes. But inside, the always high-end mood is enlivened with a new-found bustle of energy that almost vibrates from the kitchen to the bar, and even into the separate smoking lounge.
Restaurant Manager Matt Campion greeted us at the door and took my coat. He’s only been there for three months after working for both 677 Prime and Prime at Saratoga National, but it was like he was welcoming us to his own home. With a new menu and signature cocktails, almost every table in the restaurant was full and the bar was packed with spirited customers.
The Wine Bar was always a popular restaurant in downtown Saratoga, so I asked Campion why they’ve made some changes. He reminded me that Saratoga has an incredible number of great restaurants, and that each one needs to offer a distinct, different experience. It’s true, many restaurants and their patrons get stuck in their ways – we all fall into that self-made trap of ordering the exact same dish at one restaurant, rarely trying anything new. So, with their rare cigar lounge, a new menu, and the introduction of live entertainment and events, Campion is making sure that fresh eyes (and mouths) come into The Wine Bar, and keep coming in.
Executive Chef Cameron Nealey’s new menu promises to rejuvenate the restaurant, but it also awakens the diners. Chef Nealey has studied under renowned chefs like Thomas Keller of the world-famous Napa Valley restaurant, French Laundry, and continued on at Keller’s Manhattan-based, Per Se Restaurant. He got his Saratoga start at Siro’s, and is bringing this educated, refined sense of flavor and freshness to The Wine Bar.
Aside from his formal training, it’s clear that Nealey also has the gift of pure talent. Our energetic server, Nick, told us that Nealey’s food is “an artful thing and a passionate thing, and it’s something you can’t teach.” The new menu is described as “elevated comfort food” using flavors that “everyone can relate to,” and it’s true. But this isn’t your grandmother’s steak and potatoes. There’s something truly enchanting about Nealey’s presentation, along with his simple approach to flavor that seems to merely enhance, not bury, the fresh ingredients on each plate.
We started with the Beet & Watermelon Salad and the Roasted Wild Mushrooms. The beet salad looked like a piece of art, each ingredient standing alone yet somehow it was coherent. We asked Nick how most people eat the beet salad and he replied that “most people don’t see an artful approach like that, so everybody attacks it in their own way. There’s no right way or wrong way.” It’s clear that to Nealey, food is about the visual experience just as much as it is about the taste, but there’s also a whimsical playfulness, as though it’s totally okay to play with your food.
Simply prepared with herbs, rosemary, and a salty flatbread, the mushroom dish was complex, but not overwhelming. It was the perfect bridge to my entree, the Roasted Quail. The simplicity of this dish was mind-blowing. Salty, sweet, crispy, and tender, Nealey hit every comfort food criteria on the nose, but kept the dish light and sophisticated with impeccable presentation and preparation.
The Pan Seared Black Cod was the same story – fresh food that was showcased, not hidden, with an artistic, colorful presentation. A bed of buttery-smooth chorizo mascarpone polenta and beautifully blistered tomatoes boosted the cod’s naturally mild flavor while letting the flaky, tender texture of the fish reign supreme.
The Wine Bar offers three desserts, and I can’t recommend one over the others. An old-school classic like Pineapple Upside Down Cake is taken up a level with a refreshingly refined blood orange sorbet. Thick and gooey Bananas Foster Bread Pudding is enriched by salted caramel ice cream and a topping of fresh bananas. Horchata ice cream and Jameson toffee sauce give character to the otherwise reliable safeguard, pressed Chocolate Cake.
Each dessert really proved that the experience at The Wine Bar is meant to be fun, lively, and delicious. There’s no haughty wine expert laughing at you for asking the difference between a Cab Sav and a Merlot. In fact, I ordered a non-wine cocktail at The Wine Bar, and it was delicious. Instead of the typical free-form jazz or musak you might hear at similar restaurants, they were playing a hip, modern collection of indie pop and rock songs that kept the playful energy flowing throughout the bar.
In the end, The Wine Bar’s new menu and atmosphere aren’t just refreshing changes to the restaurant itself, they create a new, unique experience for diners all over Saratoga. Plus, there’s always this friendly reminder to come back:
The restaurant is located at 417 Broadway and is open Monday through Saturday from 4:00 pm until last call with dinner being served until 10:00 pm. Reservations are recommended for parties of four or more by calling 518-584-8777. See the new menu on their website »
