Restaurant/Business Name:
Fifty South
(restaurant); The Lily and the Rose (catering)
Rating: ***** (5 Stars)
Address: 2128 Doubleday Ave. (Rte. 50),
Ballston Spa, NY 12020
Year Established: 2008
Contact(s) Name: Kim Klopstock
Restaurant Phone: 518-884-2926 (restaurant);
518-885-8588 (catering)
Website address: www.fiftysouth.com; www.lilyandtherose.com
Contact email address: kim@lilyandtherose.com
Hours: Wednesday & Thursday Dinner Service 4:30-9 p.m.; Friday & Saturday
Dinner Service 4:30-10 p.m.; Sunday Breakfast & Lunch 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday
Dinner Service 2-8 p.m.; Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Last night, I had the pleasure of a wonderful evening out
with my husband at Fifty South. The restaurant is located on Route 50 in
Ballston Spa, just south of Saratoga Springs, NY. This restaurant is certified
gluten-free, and is wonderful for so many reasons. If you are living gluten-free
and haven’t been here yet, I strongly suggest you give it a try. I have
listed five reasons why you should try this restaurant, followed by an interview I
had with Kim Klopstock, owner of Fifty South.
1. Warm,
Welcoming Atmosphere. (*****)
The restaurant is simple on the
outside, yet inviting with its simple decor and lighting near the front
entrance. Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted and welcomed with
smiles from the hostess. The restaurant has three main areas: a bar area with a
few booths; a large dining area that can handle large parties such as birthdays
and showers; and a smaller dining area with about ten tables. The decor on the
inside of the restaurant is very warm and welcoming. It has a rustic feel that
brings the outside in with the addition of some tree limbs, and is softened by
the white twinkling lights throughout. It has a fine dining sophistication with
the coziness of being at home. It also brings in some Saratoga charm with items
such as the classic track hats displayed throughout the space.
Fifty South is a farm-to-table
restaurant that uses the finest and freshest ingredients from local and
regional farmers and vendors whenever possible. Fifty South strives to use fair trade, organic, and
bio-dynamically farmed sustainable products, while leaving as small an
environmental footprint as they can.
3. Remarkable
Recipes and Preparation. (*****)
As you already know, it can be
very challenging going out to eat being gluten-free, but at Fifty South you can
be rest assured that you’ll leave feeling not only happy and healthy, but that
you’ve had an outstanding meal. I have gone three times in the last six months,
and each time I have been more than pleased with my meal. And because I usually
don’t get to have more than a salad when I go out to eat, when I’m at Fifty
South, I always indulge.
To
start, I ordered a glass of Angry Orchard Hard Cider, which is gluten-free and
usually on draft at Fifty South. They also have a few bottled gluten-free beers
available, along with an extensive wine list. With your drink order, they give
you complimentary homemade chips and tapenade.
From their daily
specials menu, I ordered a cup of cream of broccoli, chicken, potato, and bacon
soup for an appetizer. It was delicious. It was super creamy and thick, and was
loaded with everything the title described. The chicken was so tender it
practically melted in my mouth, the potatoes were cooked perfectly—soft, but
not too mushy—and the bacon lightly infused the creamy broth without
overpowering the rest of the soup. At the moment I finished my cup of soup, I
had some regrets that I hadn’t ordered the bowl.
My husband
ordered the chicken wings as an appetizer, as he always does. This time he
ordered the Spicy Thai wings. I tried a few and they were superb. They were
sweet with a mild heat, and had undertones of soy sauce. My husband, the
chicken wing connoisseur, says that the wings at Fifty South are the best he’s
ever had. The wings, no matter what flavor, are always cooked to perfection,
crispy on the outside and super juicy on the inside. I believe this is due to
the freshness of the chicken, never being frozen. They also make their own blue
cheese dressing that comes with the wings that is to die for. It’s creamy, and
is loaded with blue cheese chunks.
For my entrée, I
had the Fish and Chips, which is another one of those menu items I usually can
never order out, so I went for it! The portion size was huge, which I certainly
didn’t mind. I was happy to have my leftovers wrapped up for me, so that I could treat
myself again the next day. The fish had a crispy battered crust and was fried
in Fifty South’s gluten-free dedicated fryer. The filet itself was light,
flaky, and moist. However, it was a little under seasoned for my taste, but nothing a little salt didn't fix. It came with a house-made remoulade sauce
that complemented the fish wonderfully, and with a small side of homemade cole
slaw. The slaw itself was chopped extremely fine and was wet, but not drowning
in dressing. My entrée choice was the perfect item to follow my soup,
which was a bit heavier. The fries, or “chips,” were cooked with the skins on,
crispy on the outside and cooked perfectly on the inside. And, again, they were
cooked in the gluten-free dedicated fryer, so I had no worries of being
contaminated.
For dessert I had the Omi Meringue
Cup with fresh berries and vanilla ice cream, topped with fresh whipped cream.
It was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal. I usually go for anything
chocolate for desert, but since I have already tried all the chocolate desserts
on their menu (all divine), I decided to go with something a bit lighter.
This was the first meringue cup I’ve ever
tried, and I was delightfully surprised with it. It was not only beautiful to
look at, but it was also playful and reminded me of my childhood. The meringue
was crispy and light, and melted in my mouth like cotton candy does. It was
sweet, but not too sweet. The vanilla ice cream, and fresh berries balanced out
the sweetness nicely. I ended up eating the entire dessert.
4. Oustanding
Service. (*****)
The staff at Fifty South have
treated me with the upmost respect and care every time I’ve visited. This is
what really takes the restaurant to the fine dining side. All of the wait staff
are extremely attentive and knowledgeable when it comes to being gluten-free.
I’ve asked many questions about the food and about their gluten-free items.
Each time, the wait staff answered me with clear and definitive answers. If
they didn’t know a specific answer to one of my questions, they would go check
for me without hesitation.
Kim
and her staff treat you like family. Our server on this visit, Lindsay, was
extremely polite and went out of her way when asked about certain menu items to
describe them as well as possible. Sam, the server on my previous visit,
stopped by our table to see how we were, what we were having for dinner, and
how we were enjoying it. This was unexpected and made us feel special and at
home.
Kim was at the
restaurant cooking on our visit, and when she wasn’t in the kitchen, she was
out on the floor visiting with guests. She stopped by and chatted with my
husband and me. Kim is a wonderful person who cares about what she is doing for
her community, and it certainly shows. She takes the time to get to know her
guests, and I think this is what sets her apart from so many other restaurant
owners, not only locally, but across the nation. I like going in a place of
business knowing that the person who runs that particular business cares about
their patrons and their community. Once you meet Kim, it won’t take you long to
know that she does care on so many different levels.
5. Price. (*****)
Prices range for appetizers $9-14,
burgers and sandwiches $10 and up, and entrees $15-$31. This is a family
oriented restaurant with food that feels like fine dining in many aspects. And,
for all the things I have just mentioned, you actually are getting so much more
for your money. You know your food came from a good source that supports your
local community, your meats were treated humanely, the love and dedication put
into the food you are eating and the restaurant itself, and the sense of being
part of the Fifty South Family. All of these things make Fifty South stand out
above the rest. So, if you haven’t tried Fifty South yet, I encourage you to
give it a try and comment on your experiences below. I would love to hear what
you think.
No comments:
Post a Comment