SARATOGA SPRINGS — With dishes made from scratch, including handmade pastas, Wheatfields' two locations in Saratoga County have become popular spots for people from all over.
“All of our pastas are handmade and homemade, and 95% of what we serve is made from scratch,” said Tim Holmes, who has owned and operated Wheatfields with his wife Colleen since 2004. “We’ve been very fortunate to have a great community and great people with us.”
Wheatfields Restaurant & Bar at 440 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs was known as The Wheat Fields when the Loiancono family opened the restaurant in 1988.
In the 20 years since the Holmes have been at the helm, the couple has expanded the original location, including investing more than $1 million to double its size, upgrade the kitchen, diversify the menu and create a new bar and lounge area.
The success of the Saratoga Springs location prompted the couple to add a second location — Wheatfields Bistro & Wine Bar at 54 Crossing Boulevard — in Clifton Park in 2009.
The Daily Gazette recently spoke with Tim Holmes. Here is what he had to say.
Eggplant Stack made at Wheatfields with fresh Mozzarella, tomato, pesto and balsamic)
Question: What are some of the most popular items you serve?
Answer: We do a one-pound serving of handmade lasagna, which is very famous. Our chicken sausage scarpetta — a ziti-based chicken-pasta dish with Marsala wine, Italian sausage, chicken breast and peppers. We also do wood-stove, hand-tossed pizzas in both of the locations. We’re very well known for Neapolitan pizza.
Q: What are some of your favorite things about your business?
A: We’ve always been brought up in the hospitality industry, so serving the community and serving the people — entertaining them in an environment with great food, excellent service and great environment — is what we’re known for. And I think we thrive on pleasing people in the hospitality environment, and challenging ourselves with new foods and new trends.
Q: What makes Wheatfields stand apart from the number of other restaurants in both Saratoga Springs and in Clifton Park?
A: Our fresh pasta made from scratch commitment, and our local ownership.
Q: What are your customers typically spending when they come to your restaurants?
A: For lunch, we are between $15 to $25 a person; at dinner, we’re between $25 and $35. We’ve always had a commitment in the community to serve a high-quality product in food and beverage, and to make sure we’re understanding the value of people dining with us.
Hand tossed woodfired pizza and wines available at Wheatfields Restaurant & Bar in Saratoga Springs and at Wheatfields Bistro and Wine Bar in Clifton Park.
Q: How would you describe the atmosphere at Wheatfields?
A: We’re classic, but lively.
Q: Why should someone who isn’t familiar with your restaurant consider trying it?
A: It’s dining out with local ownerships for fresh handmade pasta and handcrafted food from a scratch kitchen.
Q: Should readers know anything else about your restaurants?
A: We’re open for lunch and dinner six days a week. We run events quite a bit. We have a happy hour that we do Tuesday through Friday. We offer Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. with bottomless made-to-order mimosas. Upcoming in Saratoga on April 1, we will be launching patio season. It will be our 20th year hosting the city’s annual Patio Party, to launch the opening of patio season in Saratoga Springs. We also have a strong family meal-to-go program at both locations. We do a lot of Italian meals to go.