Brasserie Benelux • Saratoga Springs, New York

Pre-Dinner Cocktails at the Bar… And, That’s Tatiana (Top Right), Preparing Our Table!

From the New York State Farm Bounty Menu Section—The Benelux House Salad…

Another Sophisticated European Signature Entrée…

Brasserie Benelux Dinner for Nine…We All Look Pretty Good!

Viennese Apple Strudel—There is no better, perhaps somewhere Austria…

Brasserie Benelux, is conveniently located on Broadway in the heart of historic downtown Saratoga. Chef Armand Vanderstigchel, has a unique menu—blending traditional European-influenced cuisine with a contemporary flair brings perfection to each dish. Chef Armand’s precise and elegant selections promise a truly remarkable dining experience.  Every dish served has been well thought out—a sophisticated European signature with subtle local twists, but certainly his flavor composition spans the globe.

On this night, there were nine of us—we had over twenty different dishes—from sharable plates to soups, entrées and premium sides, we had it all, and it was all exquisite! Our recommendation is to start with the French Onion Soup Gratinée, then ask the chef why this is the best you’ve ever had. And, from the New York State Farm Bounty section, the Benelux House Salad was fresh and crisp, the best “house salad” I’ve ever had—ask for the buttermilk blue cheese dressing—unbelievable. I almost forgot to mention the Belgian Mussel Pot—no need to travel to Belgium for these mussels! Rounding out the evening; the Viennese Veal Wiener Schnitzel, Pappardelle Wild Mushroom, and Leek Confit Crusted Faroe Salmon were clearly standouts, but each entrée deserves thoughtful consideration.

Save room for dessert, wife, Tatiana prepared an extraordinary traditional Viennese Apple Strudel—we were all awestruck after the first bite. There is no better, perhaps somewhere Austria. You can also expect a cozy atmosphere, well-appointed interior, a nicely accented wine list and attentive, friendly service with the chef making regular appearances throughout the evening—make sure to ask for Jackie, she and Tatiana made our evening not just special, but extraordinary.

This future Michelin-star restaurant could easily be found in Paris, London or Barcelona—thankfully, Brasserie Benelux is here in Saratoga.

See Our Pond Mountain Inn Saratoga Springs, New York Day Trip Itinerary: 

https://www.pondmountaininn.com/vermont-day-trip-saratoga-springs

 

Taverna Novo • Saratoga Springs, New York

Pizza Americano

Off the beaten path… this neighborhood award-winning boutique restaurant offers authentic Italian specialties and arguably the Best Pizza in Saratoga! We had a delicious inexpensive bottle of white Sangiovese with outstanding house meatballs and two pizzas – the Americano & Vegetarian. We’re going back for the Saltimbocca!

See Our Complete Saratoga Springs, New York Day Trip Itinerary

 

Stunning Beauty of Historic Crown Point

Soldiers’ Barracks, Officers’ Quarters and Lake Champlain

We hadn’t planned on visiting Crown Point on this beautiful spring-like day in Vermont; we were just out for a drive with our guests. Then, the Lake Champlain Bridge appeared in the distance—a modest, yet impressive bridge traversing Lake Champlain between Crown Point, New York and Chimney Point, Vermont that we had to cross. On the other side we discovered the Crown Point Historic Site located on stunning grounds that strategically overlook Lake Champlain—perfect for an afternoon picnic! The ruins of two standing barracks uniquely illustrate the differences between the officers and the soldiers they commanded. Equally as impressive are the remains of earthworks—earthworks are artificial changes in land level, typically made from piles of artificially placed or rocks and soil. The mounded walls encircle the fort reaching heights of fifty feet or more!

In season, visitors can explore the preserved ruins of the fort, tour the museum, the historic Crown Point Pier, the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse and the walking paths on either side of the Lake Champlain Bridge offer incredible views of Lake Champlain. The photograph was taken at the at the highest elevation of the fort.

Crown Point is just over an hour from Pond Mountain Inn. Within a very short drive from Crown Point is Fort Ticonderoga / Mount Defiance and Mount Independence on the Vermont side of the lake. This is an incredible day trip – for more, see our Fort Ticonderoga / Middlebury Day Trip Itinerary.

The Mettawee River Known For Fly Fishing Rapids and Kayaking

Just down the road from Pond Mountain Inn is a tributary of Lake Champlain, the Mettawee River… the water is the most amazing color green that the camera barely captures.  The river begins in the Green Mountains near Wells, Vermont and flows for sixteen miles into eastern New York and passes the town of Granville, NY. It is known for great fly fishing, rapids and kayaking.

See other Experiences & Discoveries in our surrounding area!

American Cup Short Track Speedskating • Lake Placid, New York

Photo by Melissa Majchrzak

Friday, February 14 – Sunday, February 16, 2020 │ Lake Placid Olympic Center

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International Short Track Speedskating is back in Lake Placid for the first time in many years! Short track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters (groups typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track. The American Cup will consist of 500m, 1000m, 2000m, and 3000m distances with men and women competing. The drive time to Lake Placid is about two hours. Join Us – We’re Definitely  Going!!

Check Out More Exciting Places to Visit With Our Unique Vermont Day Trips

 

Vermont Day Trips From Pond Mountain Inn – Lake George New York

Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains. The lake extends about 32.2 miles on a north-south axis, has depths over 250’. Take the Sightseeing Cruise aboard the Lac du Saint Sacrement, Minne Ha Ha, or the Mohican. Their first steamship started plying the waters in 1817 and travelled to the other end of the lake in about 8 hours, today in less than 3 hours.

Lake George Scenic Drive: Thirty mile drive offering beautiful lake views and a cultural throwback to the great family motels of the 40s, 50s! Follow Route 9 north from the southernmost point of the lake to about Hague, New York.

Get the complete list of the places you can visit on this day trip visit Here.

We have all seven day trip itineraries to choose from Here

Vermont Day Trips From Pond Mountain Inn – Fort Ticonderoga and Middlebury

We’re excited to share our newest adventures! You can travel the beautiful sights that surround Pond Mountain Inn with many places to visit in just one day.

This day trip itinerary is for the areas in and around Fort Ticonderoga and the town of Middlebury, each with exciting and informational places to visit in Vermont.

Fort Ticonderoga weapons demonstrations and reenactments are fascinating, but don’t miss the King’s Garden, Fort Tours, Mount Defiance (provides one of the most spectacular views in the northeast) and the Battlefield hiking trail. The Town of Ticonderoga is located in New York at the confluence of Lake George and Lake Champlain and only an hour drive from the inn. A destination that’s rich in 18th century history, Ticonderoga’s significant military role in our nation’s early history.

Middlebury, Vermont settled just after the Revolutionary War, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to Middlebury College. A can’t miss is Danforth Pewter, established in 1755 in colonial Connecticut and offers magnificent hand-crafted pewter that has been placed in the Smithsonian, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and many other American museums. Just 15 minutes down the road from Middlebury stop by a national historic landmark, The Robert Frost Farm. Robert Frost lived and wrote from his 150 acre farm in the Green Mountains in the summer and fall for 24 years until his death in 1963.

 

Complete list of places to visit for this day trip itinerary Here

We have all seven day trip itineraries to choose from Here

An Exciting Day Trip to Saratoga Race Track

If you ask someone who’s spent a lifetime in the northeast they’ll tell you one of the top ten places to visit in the summertime is Saratoga Springs, or simply – Saratoga. Best known for the “mineral springs” and Baths, the water offered remedies for both internal and external illnesses as far back as the late 1700s – however, this was only of tertiary interest. We were there for the races! After a late start last Saturday – Jim and Karen picked us up from Pond Mountain Inn and we arrived shortly before noon, well ahead of the first race. Great seats out of the sun offered some great racing perspective. Properly known as Saratoga Race Course, “the track” is stunningly beautiful, a through-back to an earlier time was comfortably filled with polite and gracious people all out for a nice day at the races.

Not terribly late in the day we took our modest winnings and headed to The Wine Bar (417 Broadway), has an extensive list of wines from around the world, and a selection of 50 wines by the glass. A modern setting one level above the street, we could still easily see each passerby. We wouldn’t have seen Hemingway there or Fellini, but the four of us enjoyed the happy hour wine special, a five-dollar-a-glass Malbec. The Wine Bar was a delightful respite – architecturally neat, interesting and encouraged conversation.

Dinner was a short walk to Ravenous – a small side-street creperie with delicious and creative crepes. The appetizer fries, or pommes frites are a Ravenous specialty. In keeping with the European tradition, their Belgian-style French fries are twice cooked twice for twice the flavor and had a variety of dipping sauces. The night’s special was a short rib crepe that was out of this world!

Heading back to Main Street after dinner, Saratoga was bustling – all the shops open and the Lyrical Ballad Bookstore is a must see. I picked up a vintage 7up bottle and a large Bachman Pretzel tin that must date back to the early 60s. So many interesting shops! We plan to return this fall to this alluring upstate village!

See more exciting places to visit with our Saratoga Springs, New York • Day Trip: Itinerary