Having Thanksgiving Early With Lunch At Maestro’s

I like Maestro’s for a few reasons. First off, they have the best outdoor seating in Saratoga Springs. Second, the lunch prices are very reasonable. Finally, the chef at Maestro’s kicks butt at EVERY event I go to. His food is always the best, so that’s an accomplishment in my book.

The last time I had lunch at Maestro’s was last summer (2011) when I ordered the turkey club:

I’d talk about that sandwich, but in all honesty, it’s old news. And who wants to hear about old news? So let’s move on to what’s current – which is Maestro’s for lunch round two, 2012 edition.

This chilly afternoon my co-workers and I had a nice team lunch at Maestro’s. Even though the outdoor patio is lined with heaters, since I was hovering over my desk with a blanket wrapped around me all morning, my boss made a very nice gesture and had us seated indoors so I could defrost. I’ve gotta be honest, this is the first time I’ve ever eaten inside at Maestro’s, and I actually really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was comfortable, the waitstaff was stellar and the food… well I’m getting there.

As I mentioned previously, the menu is great for lunch. It’s affordable and has so many great options. Since I can never choose between two things, I decided to get the mix and match with the bowl of Five Onion Bisque and the Pilgrim Panini.

The five onion bisque was outstanding. The texture was creamy and had just the right balance of cream and onions. What topped it off was the goat cheese crouton, which mixed so well with the bisque. If you have an affinity for onions like I do, I highly suggest ordering the five onion bisque from Maestro’s.

Next up is the pilgrim panini. In case you didn’t figure it out, the name pilgrim comes from it’s similarity to Thanksgiving dinner, in a panini. The sandwich came with pullman bread, roasted turkey breast, cranberry aioli, and a traditional stuffing. I’ve been craving this kind of sandwich lately, maybe because it’s getting close to Thanksgiving or maybe I just love me some stuffing, but I was excited to see it on the menu. Overall, I thought the sandwich was pretty good. I think the turkey was great and the stuffing was as traditional as you can get, but I definitely would’ve liked a stronger cranberry taste. It didn’t really come through for me on this sandwich. With that being said, if I had to order all over again, I’d probably do it the same.

The combination of the soup and sandwich was great, it warmed me up and kept me full the rest of the day and it was all only $13 dollars. Not too shabby, right? Give it a go and find your favorite – maybe you already have one!