Yet another Restaurant Week has been announced – this time it’s one in honor of the Capital Region’s preeminent cultural and sporting institutions: The Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

Nearly 40 area restaurants and eateries – and not a one in Saratoga Springs, strangely –  will offer special pricing and menus in celebration of the Travers Stakes in the first-ever “Travers 1864 Restaurant Week,” taking place August 22-26.

During the five-day event, diners have the opportunity to enjoy a three-course meal at participating Capital Region restaurants for the prix-fixe cost of $18.64, the year of the inaugural running of the Travers, the oldest major stakes race in the country for 3-year-olds.

The current list of confirmed, participating restaurants from throughout the Capital Region includes:

  • Albany Pump Station/C. H. Evans Brewing Company, Albany
  • Angelo’s Tavolo, Schenectady
  • Aperitivo Bistro, Schenectady
  • Arizona Pizza Company, Clifton Park
  • Athos Restaurant, Albany
  • Bangkok Bistro, Schenectady
  • Brown Derby, Albany
  • Buca Di Beppo, Colonie
  • Café NOLA, Schenectady
  • Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Latham
  • Cornell’s Restaurant, Schenectady
  • Faldoni’s Delicatessen and Catering Company, Mechanicville
  • Giffy’s BBQ, Clifton Park
  • Indulge Restaurant, Watervliet
  • Katie O’Byrne’s, Schenectady
  • Katrinella’s, Albany
  • Londonderry Café, Albany
  • Mallozzi Family Italian Club Restaurant, Albany
  • Manhattan Exchange, Schenectady
  • Milano, Latham
  • Paolo Lombardi’s Ristorante, Troy
  • Pinhead Susan’s, Schenectady
  • Provence, Albany
  • Salty’s Pub and Grill, Halfmoon
  • Samuel’s at the Holiday Inn, Schenectady
  • Tesoro, Guilderland
  • The Alto Grille at The Parker Inn, Schenectady
  • The Stockade Inn, Schenectady
  • The Van Dyck Restaurant, Schenectady
  • The Vista at Van Patten Golf Course, Clifton Park
  • The Waters Edge Lighthouse, Schenectady
  • Two Brothers Italian American Restaurant, Troy
  • V & R, Albany
  • Village Pizzeria & Ristorante, Middle Grove
  • Wolf’s 1-11 Restaurant and Games, Colonie
  • Yoshi Sushi, Latham
  • Zaika, Clifton Park

$18.64 price may not include tax, gratuity and beverage.  For more information on Travers 1864 Restaurant Week, a complete list of participating restaurants, and to view the prix-fixe menus, please visit http://www.nyra.com/Saratoga/RestaurantWeek.shtml.

I’d be interested to hear how diners taking advantage of this deal enjoyed their meals – I was previously involved in planning a few restaurant weeks in Schenectady, and some restaurants were criticized for poor service, sub-par food, and one restaurant even had servers trying to convince diners to NOT order from the prix-fixe menu (probably because they lose tons of tips during restaurant weeks).  So, if you go, share your experience with me!

Some track trivia: The Travers Stakes was first run in 1864 in Saratoga. Its inaugural winner, Kentucky, was owned by one of Saratoga Race Course’s founders and its first president, William R. Travers, for whom the race was named.