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CLIFTON PARK
— While riding the Blue Line to downtown
Chicago a few weeks ago, husband Eric
and I used the OpenTable Web site on my
phone to view all of the Italian
restaurants within walking distance of
our hotel, and made a reservation at
Frankie’s. More recently, I used it to make a
reservation at Wheatfields Bistro & Wine
Bar in Clifton Park for me and Mom. Not
too many restaurants in the Capital
Region use it, but then not so many pay
as much attention to details either. Every step in the evolution of
Wheatfields Bistro at The Crossings in
Clifton Park is carefully thought out,
and owners Tim and Colleen Holmes are
always improving and tweaking things.
“The opening was exciting,” said Tim
Holmes. “But the challenge now is to
settle in and build the business.” The Bistro version is a little more
adventuresome than the original
Wheatfields restaurant, a fixture in
Saratoga since 1988. I expected some
Italian food and a variety of pasta
dishes, which I found, along with some
livelier menu items, supplemented by a
little creative spark in the kitchen. The restaurant has been busy, so I
made an early reservation for Mom and
me. We sat at a comfortable table in the
front window that overlooks the
expansive Crossings parking lot and
thankfully, a tastefully landscaped
outdoor seating area that will open when
the weather warms up a bit. Our server greeted us right away and
brought menus and news of specials. We
enjoyed slices of warm, just-cooked
baguette, and butter with fresh basil.
We started with a plate of bruschetta
and arugula drizzled with reduced
balsamic vinaigrette ($6.95). “These
tomatoes are marinated,” said Mom,
examining hers closely. The bread was
cracker-crisp, and the bright bite of
black pepper in the topping caught my
attention. We’re coming into arugula
season, and that bitter green is best
tempered with something a little sweet —
like the balsamic reduction here. Nicely
done. Wheatfields Bistro & Wine Bar is good
for people-watching, too. Patrons were
elbow to elbow at the bar, and the tall
tables in that area were occupied as
well. You can eat in either place, as
well as at the low leather couches in
front of the fireplace. I wish I’d worn
something dressier than jeans. The farmers’ market green salad
($3.95) is a mix of baby greens and
daintily chopped tomato, cucumber and
red onion. It was tossed with just the
right amount of tasty house vinaigrette,
and I liked the thick slivers of fresh
carrot on top. It’s hard to choose what to order for
a review, and this menu varies widely,
but I settled on shrimp scampi ($21.95).
There are six hefty shrimp here atop a
tangle of tender house-made angel hair
pasta. The pan sauce is made to order,
and I thought the garlic and lemon were
overwhelmed by the liberal use of butter
in mine. This sauce was much better the
next day when the garlic and lemon
flavors really flowered, but the heat
from the red pepper came through nicely
that night, and their fresh pasta is
pleasantly soft and lovely. I think the
serving size is appropriate: The well of
the large white bowl is just filled with
a generous portion for one. This food is
not about volume. We didn’t expect to find barbecued
pork ($12.95) at Wheatfields Bistro, but
it was a special that night, and it
sounded so good that Mom ordered it. The
dish actually created a small stir at
our table. It’s an impressive
presentation, and it’s also something
different. The meat has a subtle smoky
flavor, falls apart when you pick it up
and is only just slightly sweet. Think
barbecued pork plus trained chef, and
this is what you get. The manager
stopped by our table and so did the
chef, who wanted to know just what Mom
thought. She loved it. The sides deserve some space: The
pile of crisp pomme frites with sea salt
that are made only for this dish were
fantastic, and the apple slaw was out of
this world. Apple slaw? Yes, and made
from local red and yellow apples, with
red pepper, carrot and cucumber, all
uniformly shredded, lightly dressed with
something tangy and seasoned with a hint
of cilantro. Mom said the spice was just
right for the slaw and really brought
the flavors together. So there was tender smoky pork, crisp
salty potatoes, and tangy crunchy fresh
slaw, all different textures and flavors
together on the same plate. This dish
made a good dinner a great one and it
shows just what Wheatfields Bistro is
capable of. There are six desserts, all
house-made and attractively priced. For
$5.50, I had scoop of excellent milk
chocolate mousse, and for the same price
Mom had a tidy square of tiramisu. The
mousse was not overly sweet — and they
get points for using chocolate sauce
with more flavor than sugar. It was
dense, rich, and the chocolate flavor
was definitely milk — not dark. At this
point I was getting full, so I finished
the heavenly whipped cream and left most
of the mousse for husband Eric to enjoy
later. Tiramisu is made of layers, and in
this serving they were distinct and
picture-perfect. It’s a classic
preparation, very well done, delicious,
and a nice size for sharing. Our capable and friendly server
cleared the tables, wrapped the
leftovers and brought the check. We had
a dinner of thoughtfully prepared, very
good food, with some very pleasant
surprises in an attractive venue, for
$75.50, with tax and tip. So when you go
to Wheatfields Bistro & Wine Bar, you’ll
enjoy good service and delicious food.
Listen carefully when they read the
specials; you’re likely to find
something really special.
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www.Wheatfields.com
– 518.383-4444 |
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