By Charlene Giannetti

There’s no better place to be in August than Saratoga Springs. The city boasts the nation’s oldest continuously operating thoroughbred racetrack, an architectural masterpiece that serves as a backdrop for exciting racing and entertaining people-watching. In the clubhouse, women wear flowing summer dresses and lavishly decorated straw hats. Downstairs you will see everything from the racing diehards right out of a Damon Runyon novel, to tourists placing conservative bets while taking in the sights, to families with children picnicking and watching the horses make their way out of the paddock to the track.

Saratoga comes alive during August with colorful arrangements of flowers blooming on every street corner and in the parks. The racing season peaks on August 29 with the $1 million Shadwell Travers Stakes. But if you can’t make it upstate this month, take a trip this fall. Even though the thoroughbred racetrack closes after Labor Day, the Saratoga Gaming and Raceway combines a harness race track with 1,700 video gaming machines.

While racing is a major theme in Saratoga, the city has so much more to offer. Also known as the Spa City, Saratoga is famous for its mineral baths believed to have healing properties. You can experience spa treatments in the Lincoln or Roosevelt Baths or the Crystal Spa. There are many springs around the city where you can taste the water and take some home. If the mineral-tasting water isn’t to your liking, then order a distinctive blue bottle of Saratoga water, bottled locally.

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) hosts the New York City Ballet during July and the Philadelphia Orchestra during August. This amphitheater with both indoor and outdoor seating attracts A-list performers. Bruce Springsteen will appear on August 25 followed by the Moody Blues on August 26. SPAC’s season closes the first week of September with Blink 182, Crue Fest 2, Journey, and country singer Toby Keith scheduled to appear.

There are several museums in Saratoga worth your time: the Racing Museum, a must-see for anyone who admires thoroughbreds; the National Museum of Dance, celebrating all forms of dance; and, the Saratoga Automobile Museum, whose current exhibit, Mid-Century Marvels, extols the Mustang, GTO, the 1942 Lincoln (left), and the Oldsmobile Skylark, among others.

You will never go hungry in Saratoga. Broadway, the major street running through the downtown, boasts numerous restaurants serving a variety of foods. Because August is the city’s busiest time, reservations are a must at the restaurants that take them. Several places, like the popular Lillian’s, don’t take reservations. So check beforehand and make the call to reserve if you need to.

Max London’s (below) opened in December 2007 and in that short time has developed a loyal following. Max’s mother, Mrs. London, has long operated a beloved patisserie in Saratoga and her son wisely opened his restaurant in an adjacent space. (Needless to say, the desserts at Max London’s are top notch). The best compliment we can offer for Max London’s is to say that this restaurant would also find a loyal clientele in New York.

There are so many delicious choices at Max London’s and the good news is that the menu provides options for trying and sharing a variety of small, medium, big plates and pizzas. We began with four small plates: the beef Carpaccio crostini with taleggio cheese and truffle oil; chick pea polenta fries with black olive aioli; garlic shrimp with olive oil garlic and smoked paprika; and, bocadillos, marinated Spanish white anchovies with grilled bread and piquillo piperale. All were wonderfully prepared, flavorful, and distinct enough that we felt we had sampled well.

For our second course, we enjoyed a pizza margherita and two pasta dishes: orecchiette with olive oil, lemon garlic, chili, parmigiano, and bottarga; and ragu, garganelli pasta with house ragu and parmigiano. All excellent.

Siro’s Restaurant, directly behind the racetrack, is a favorite hangout for track workers following the last race. Outdoors, the young people mingle and enjoy drinks and bar food. Inside, however, is a first class restaurant with an impressive menu, impeccable service, and upscale diners to match the upscale prices. Our foursome enjoyed several appetizers -local beefsteak tomatoes with mozzarella, endive and arugula salad, Saratoga’s famous melon with Galloni Parma ham, and colossal crab gazpacho. Three main courses were: crusty baked fluke with caramelized banana and mango melon salsa; Chesapeake Bay jumbo lump crab cake with ginger slaw and Creole remoulade; and broiled aged prime sirloin. Our fourth guest was excited that her steamed Maine lobster came disassembled, eliminating the need for napkins and that pesky bib.

Saratoga has Bar-B-Q covered with PJ’s on Route 9. PJ himself, a Fifties aficionado, is a hands-on manager, supervising the cooking and serving of his amazing food. A proud Baby Boomer, PJ awards a free ice cream cone to those whose birth year is featured. (His ice cream, by the way, is the real thing, the rich custard that can be had with hot fudge or butterscotch sauce). He also offers primo parking spaces for Yankee fans. Yes!

Bar-B-Q, however, is the big attraction at PJs. Standouts are the chicken, ribs, hamburgers, and hot dogs, all offered with PJ’s special sauce. Curly fries are a popular accompaniment.

Beekman Street in Saratoga is fast becoming an artistic mecca with galleries, shops, and restaurants springing up regularly. The Beekman Street Bistro is a good reason to venture to this bohemian area. The restaurant takes advantage of its location, using fresh local produce and meats from a dozen local farmers. The freshness of the ingredients makes each dish special, with sweet, tender greens placed in salads alongside flavorful tomatoes. The bistro makes its own sausage, which turns up with Wellfleet littleneck clams with chick peas, and tomatoes. Other standouts are the pan seared Muscovy duck breast served over French lentils and golden beets, and red wine marinated grilled Wolfe’s Neck Farm hanger steak over mashed potatoes.

Before or after dining, stop in at the Mimosa Gallery on Beekman Street that displays for sale beautifully designed jewelry, handbags, and art for the home, including lamps, and tablewear. Many of the objects have been crafted by local artisans, so you can take a bit of Saratoga home with you. There are many shops on Broadway selling all nature of souvenirs. The horse motif is popular and can be found on clothing, fashioned into jewelry, and glazed into dishes.

Saratoga holds attraction no matter the season. In the autumn, there’s an explosion of fall colors as soon-to-be college students tour the Skidmore campus. In the winter, the city’s proximity to area ski resorts makes it a perfect place to stay. In spring the city reawakens with many events and the summer once again brings the racing season. If you plan to go in the summer, making hotel reservations well in advance is advisable. After August, hotel rooms are easier to come by. Good choices are the Hilton Garden Inn, the Marriott Courtyard, and the Inn at Saratoga.

For more information, go to www.saratoga.com