November 11, 2024 by Elias Prodger (’26), Kazuki Borchardt (’26), and Max Greenblatt (‘26)
Downtown Saratoga’s very own Boca Bistro was one of many restaurants that participated in the region’s annual Restaurant Week. Every year, many of Saratoga’s biggest restaurants produce a menu at a fixed price in order to generate more customers’ dining to support the local food scene. The menus are divided into three price sections: $15, $25, and $35. Some restaurants offered $15 lunches while others offered $25 or $35 dinners with multiple courses.
Boca Bistro’s menu was priced at $35, aligning it with the higher end of restaurants available. The menu aligned three courses with 3-4 options available for each course. Out to dine- The Lightning Rod’s very own Elias Prodger, Kazuki Borchardt, and Max Greenblatt.
The atmosphere right at the beginning of our meal was very welcoming and comforting. The lighting and ambiance in the dining room was warm and inviting with every seat available completely full. The service was also very accommodating and set at a good pace throughout the meal.
In the appetizer course, our writers selected the Patatas Bravas, a fried potato dish with a smoky tomato sauce and a house made garlic aioli. The dish, a classic tapas dish from Spain, delivered in its flavor but lacked in its execution with under fried potatoes and a slightly misguided ratio of tomato to aioli. The other dish ordered by the staff was a white bean and bacon stew with chorizo and smoked paprika. The dish had a nice textural contrast between the larger pieces of pork belly and creamy white beans, while it was a good dish, the flavor felt very one note and flat with a distinct lack of seasoning.
For our main course, the staff opted for two different options. First, we had a fried piece of breaded chicken, with roasted apples and carrots, candied bacon, and a maple Dijon aioli. A common motif with this meal felt like a great concept that fails to reach its full potential. Despite the great quality cook on both the chicken and fruits, the dish had a lack of coherence for the writers’ liking. The much more positively received dish was the penne pasta with mushrooms, squash, and a pumpkin sage cream sauce. The cook on each of its components was well done and we finally felt a real sense of cohesion between the dishes’ parts.
The Bistro hit its highest point in its dessert course. The staff ordered plates of churros, a classic Spanish dessert that is widely beloved and hard to mess up. Boca did not disappoint and executed a very solid plate of churros with a great chocolate sauce.
Overall, Boca Bistro is spot on in its vision, but a bit flawed in its execution. On paper, each dish should be a homerun, but a lack of unity and seasoning between the dishes’ components fail to help the food reach its full potential. With a warm ambiance, solid portion sizes, and full tables throughout the night, Boca Bistro delivered a fun experience but left the writers with a bit more to desire.