European Cuisine is Alive and Well in Saratoga Springs

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Why contend with jet lag, weak air conditioning, and airplane seats lacking legroom when you can feast on European fare here at home?

Husband-wife duo Armand and Tatiana Vanderstigchel opened Brasserie Benelux in the Spa City in 2021 and have been working in tandem to celebrate traditional European beer cultures ever since. 

Chef Armand is the author of three cookbooks and a noted Buffalo wing connoisseur (more on that later) while Tatiana is the eatery’s pastry chef, specializing in crepes and apple strudel (which Armand said “sells like crazy”). Together, they’ve crafted a menu that takes tastebuds across Europe, from Dutch Bitterballen and Scandinavian salmon to Swedish meatballs and Bavarian pretzels.

Unsurprisingly, Oktoberfest is kind of a big deal at Brasserie Benelux. This time of year, expect special menu items like Oktoberfest roast chicken, smoked pork chops Kasseler, goulash, German potato salads, and Black Forest veal schnitzel (the offerings change weekly). And, of course, there are European brews on tap to cleanse the palate.

As the diverse menu might suggest, it took some globe trotting to discover and cook such a diverse array of dishes. Chef Armand was born in the USA but spent 17 years in the Netherlands. His areas of focus include Belgian, Dutch, German, Austrian, Polish, Belarusian, Alsatian, Czech, and Scandinavian food culture.

Being an Upstater since the early 90s, Armand is also fond of the North Country, which inspired one of his tomes, the “Adirondack Cookbook.” He first ventured into the area at the invitation of some Long Island friends who worked at the Saratoga Race Course.

“Immediately, I felt a comfort and attraction to the town,” Armand said. “In my opinion, Saratoga is a gateway to the Adirondacks.”

Armand celebrated the release of his first cookbook with a party at the Inn at Saratoga and then bounced around town selling copies. It soon became his long-term ambition to save up enough money to open up a restaurant in the Spa City.

“One of the interesting things in life can be foresight and I can remember standing on Broadway; I was looking at the location where I am now, and I said, ‘There should really be a European restaurant here.’ So, look what happened,” Armand said chuckling. “You never know, right?”

Another of Armand’s books, “Chicken Wings Across America,” helped solidify him as a wing expert as well. He’s been a judge at the Buffalo Wing festival in Buffalo, New York and was inducted into the national Chicken Wing Hall of Fame. 

In the interest of thorough investigative journalism, we at Saratoga TODAY had to uncover the truth from Chef Armand: Who in Saratoga makes the best wings? (In the interest of fairness, we won’t include his own Wing Fest Buffalo Wings, currently on the menu at Brasserie Benelux).

“[I’m] always very intrigued and enjoying the Buffalo wings at the Parting Glass,” Armand said. “That’s been around for a long time and it’s a fun place with a lot of history… Another place I like for the wings is Harvey’s, a lot of my staff goes there late at night.”

Take it from someone who has made a career of studying the great cuisines of the world: There’s plenty of excellent food just around the corner.