FUN AT FLAVORFEAST
International Flavorfeast brings downtown Spa City to life
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> Any good restaurant knows how busy things get during the lunch rush. On Saturday, a large portion of downtown Saratoga Springs was turned into a lunch rush, as crowds turned out for the annual International Flavorfeast.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., attendees could pick up a passport at the corner of Broadway and Division Street, which had a map of participating restaurant locations. Many had stands in The Downtowner Parking Lot, and many operated out of their storefronts. $1 samples of food and beverages were for sale, though a few locations had free giveaways.
Throughout the day, there was live entertainment to watch and listen to. As crowded as The Downtowner Parking Lot lot was all day, there was always a corner clear for the singers, musicians, and dancers to perform.
“I like all the different people that come to town for this,” said Kyle Lewis, executive chef at Saratoga Stadium. “After track season the town’s kind of quiet, so this brings everyone back together.”
Saratoga Stadium served up barbecue pulled pork mac ‘n’ cheese, which is going to be a new item on their fall menu. They are regular participants at the Flavorfeast.
“I’m glad to see more
events happening here,” commented street artist Andrea Bacchus, as she worked on a chalk picture near Saratoga Stadium. “It’s good to raise the vibe of the city.”
Bacchus can often be seen creating chalk art in the neighborhood. She is also a henna artist, on Instagram as @bacchus_art.
In The Downtowner Parking Lot, lines for food grew so long that they started to intersect one another. But the lines moved along, and people did not have to wait too long for their choice of delicious samples. The mood was generally good, with people accommodating each other as best they could in the crowded lot.
“It’s something!” commented Warren Falk, from Mexican Connection. He was at the Flavorfeast for the first time with coworker Katie Burt, though the restaurant itself is a regular participant. Falk and Burt served up beef soft tacos, along with a variety of sauces.
The Lata family, from Weathersfield, CT, was in Saratoga Springs for the first time to experience the Flavorfeast. They were having a good time.
“You can’t beat the weather,” said Derek Lata, as his wife, Emily, fed their 1-year-old daughter, Mckinley. “We drove up from Connecticut for the weekend. We saw the event was happening and figured it would be a great way to spend the day.”
“We came here for the Children’s Museum, and we saw the festival,” said Phoebe Hageman, of Delmar. “So we stopped to hang out for a little bit. It’s cool; we liked to walk up and down the main street and try a lot of different foods.”
Some restaurants, like Sushi Thai Kitchen and Dizzy Chicken, served up items that were staples of their restaurant’s menus. Sushi Thai Kitchen had maki rolls, vegetable pad thai, and Gai Gra Prow (seasoned beef and vegetables with rice) to offer. Pig ‘n’ Whistle was serving Irish stew and apple cider.
Other restaurants, like The Wesley Community and Kaffee House, had items that were previews of upcoming menu additions or reflections of current special events. The Wesley Community served bananas fosters parfaits that will be appearing on their winter menu. Kaffee House had two kinds of streusel available to celebrate their current Oktoberfest menu.
The Flavorfeast was spread out over five streets and featured 28 restaurants this year. No two foods were alike, even in the rare instances when two restaurants had the same item on their menu. The grape leaves served by Alaturco, for example, had a very different flavor profile than the ones offered at Falafel Den.
Everything was good, and every location had customers. It was a tribute to the rich diversity of Saratoga Springs, and how events like Flavorfeast can bring the community together for a day of fun.