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How Saratoga's Phila Street got its groove back

How Saratoga's Phila Street got its groove back

May 12, 2025

Happy Monday, Capital Region! Today, we’re taking you to Phila Street, the epicenter of Saratoga’s restaurant and nightlife resurgence. Eat and be merry, friends. Plus, Sing in the Streets this weekend is just another reason why Phila is the killa hotspot of the moment.

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Today in The 518:

Phila Street is the place to see & be seen 🍸️
Sing in the Streets takes over Phila Street on Sunday 🎙️
Local arts organizations losing grant funding ☹️
What’s happening and music shows for the whole week 🎸

Approachable wines & incredible chicken at Familiar Creature; drinks and desserts at Bibulous 📷️ via Instagram

The Saratoga scene is sizzling right now.

In particular, we’re talking about the restaurant renaissance that’s happening down on historic Phila Street. Let’s take a stroll, shall we?

Familiar Creature (42 Phila St): This Montreal-inspired wine bar is attracting loads of fans for its casual vibe (walk-ins only, no rez needed), approachable wine list, and charcuterie boards piled with house-made sausage and pâté. The menu also features incredible roast chicken and interesting small plates like bison tartare. Now open—and it’s getting rave reviews.

Fillies on Phila (39 Phil St): From the co-owner of Milton Tavern comes this casual wood-fired pizza restaurant in the former Nashville of Saratoga space. Customers can watch their pizza getting fired while sitting at the bar. And every day between 4-5 pm is oyster happy hour! Open now.

Mittler’s Restaurant & Market:(33 Phila St): Mittler’s features grab-and-go items in its “classic corner store” and a full menu of sliders, sandwiches, salads and soups in the restaurant. One customer left this review: “A little market in the heart of the city with everything you want, and nothing you don’t! From breakfast sandwiches the way they should be, to a candy wall reminiscent of my childhood...” Open now.

Noah’s Italian Chop House (43 Phila St): Noah Frese, the former chef of Albany’s Roosevelt Room and The Delaware, and most recently, Siro’s, is bringing his magic touch to a new spot that will bear his name. It’s really two concepts in one: A restaurant on the ground floor and a supper club above, featuring live music and a chef’s table. Aiming for an early June opening.

Standard Fare (21 Phila St): The owners of Bocage (the Champagne bar that’s also on Phila St) are opening a full-service restaurant across the street in the former home of Trattoria Fortunata. Don’t let the name fool you. Expect anything but standard fare here: A superb meatloaf with a homemade tomato relish and haricots verts; double-cut Berkshire pork chop with applesauce and hot peppers; cauliflower steak piccata, homemade mozzarella sticks with truffle sauce, etc. Coming soon—follow their Insta for updates.

Bibulous (35 Henry St at Phila): Bibulous is a concept we can all love: A restaurant that specializes in restaurant-quality desserts. There are no entrees—just small bites and desserts. Because do you really need more than a few bites, drinks and dessert? Open now.

Phila Street is back, baby.

“It's a really exciting time for Saratoga's restaurant scene, especially on this street,” Standard Fare co-owner Clark Gale tells our intrepid Saratoga correspondent, Natalie Moore of Saratoga Living After Hours. “Saratoga’s restaurant and nightlife industry is kind of hitting a heyday.”

"It always feels like there's some exciting new restaurant or bar opening soon in Saratoga, but this past year, restaurant development in the city has been on another level,” Natalie tells us. “Phila Street is the epicenter of the action, but new spots are popping up all around the city. If you're a foodie who likes to check out new places as soon as they open, it's honestly hard to keep up."

More notable Saratoga stops on Natalie’s hot list:

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”

—Luciano Pavarotti

Gather your sense of awe—the sunny days that you hoped for have arrived. Spring’s lush offerings glow brightly through mid-week, with clouds gathering towards the weekend and the possibility of our first flower-shaking thunderstorms of the year.

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🎸 Speaking of Phila Street, Caffè Lena’s beloved Saratoga block party, Sing in the Streets, returns on Sunday. This free, family-friendly event will host 15 acts across 7 stages, featuring folk, blues, jazz, Americana, soul, and kids’ music. Expect performances tucked into alleyways, storefronts, patios, and parks surrounding Caffè Lena’s historic home on Phila.

🚧 In case you missed it, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy now says the Central Warehouse "will not be taken down well into 2026.” A lawsuit over the demolition contract has thrown a wrench into the process. Meanwhile, the price tag has jumped to $13 million from the original estimate of $11 million. 🤦‍♂️ [News10]

💰️ The Trump administration’s cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts is having a big impact in the Capital Region. Here’s a partial list of the local organizations that will be losing grant funding as a result: Albany Symphony, Empire State Youth Orchestra, Historic Cherry Hill, Art Omi, MASS MoCA, New York Folklore, and Hudson Valley Shakespeare, just to name a few. [Times Union]

103 Eileen Street, Albany, NY 12203

Positioned gracefully on a generous corner lot above a lush perennial garden in the sought-after Melrose neighborhood, this delightful home is ready for its next chapter. Featuring charming custom arches, solid hardwood floors, and a sunroom with more windows than you can count. Modern comforts include air conditioning, a gas fireplace, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops. The spacious driveway and two-car garage have easy access from the quiet side-street. Did we mention the terraced gardens? Convenient access to UAlbany’s main campus, Russell Sage, nearby shops, and major highways.

The deets: 3 bd, 1 ba, 1319 sf. Asking: $269,900. Days on market: 3. See the full listing here.

Our full weekend roundup publishes on Thursday! Keep an eye on your inbox.

🥫 On view at Crossgates Mall, CANstruction is an annual exhibit and design competition that inspires architects, engineers, and students to create colossal structures built completely out of canned food—all to help end food insecurity in the Capital Region.

📚️ On Tuesday, Frank S. Robinson, a former NYS administrative law judge and local author, reviews Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, by Daron Acemoglu & James Robinson, at the Albany Public Library (Washington). Details here.

🎸 Ryan’s Wake in Troy invites you to Wake Up Wednesdays, a free concert series happening every Wednesday until June 19.

🚣‍♂️ Starting Friday, the 3-day Waterford Canal Festival marks the start of the canal season in NYS.

🎮️ Also Friday, the Arkell Museum and Canajoharie Library invites kids and teens for a Mario Kart Competition.

💃 On Saturday, Hilltown Commons in Rensselaerville presents Adult Prom Night. It’s prom like you remember—only with worse knees and better wine! Featuring live music by 30 Rack. Stay the night on the beautiful Hilltown grounds with sweeping views of the Catskills for just $20 extra.

🎪 Also Saturday, Niska-Day returns to Schenectady with its free, family-friendly festival.

🛼 On Saturday evening, the All-Star Roller Derby is back at Albany’s Washington Armory.

👨‍🎨 Albany Barn puts on its inaugural House of Joy Project on Saturday. Take a joyful stroll around downtown Albany, discover art installations, and chat with the artists.

🚘️ Starting this weekend, Electric City GTOs presents the Hoods & Hooch Cruise, featuring cars, food trucks and live music at Murray’s Fools Distillery. May 17, June 21 and July 12.

🪴On Saturday, pick up native seedlings at the Thacher Native Plant Sale.

🎸 On Sunday, come out to Troy River Fest for a celebration of art, music, crafts & culture—featuring more than 100 vendors.

🎸 Sing in the Streets, Caffè Lena’s music-filled block party, takes over Phila Street in Saratoga this Sunday.

🦎 Also Sunday, the Capital District Reptile Expo returns to Albany.