Standard Fare’s Resident Artist Blows Up

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Standard Fare, the newest restaurant on Phila Street in downtown Saratoga, serves as an unofficial art gallery for Daniel Fairley, and patrons are starting to take notice of his unique work. One of Standard Fare’s signature pieces has already been purchased, and more sales have transpired since the restaurant opened on Aug. 15.

“Thad’s Pick” (2025, acrylic and ink on canvas) used to hang near the eatery’s front door and quickly became recognizable to diners until it was sold for $1,200 to a Brooklyn resident. It has been replaced with a second piece in the series, “Thad’s Pick (Again).” The original work was a fun, cartoonish depiction of a racehorse wearing the number 5.

“It is a slight jab at the seriousness and professionalism of the equestrian artwork you can see everywhere in Saratoga Springs, while still itself being equestrian art for Saratoga Springs,” Fairley said in a news release. “And based on the reception I’ve gotten so far, that’s just another example of how great it is here that people are open to a different take on something that’s so central to the Saratoga Springs identity.”

Another of the restaurant’s signature pieces, “Space Pickle,” caught the attention of a patron who purchased a 24” x 24” print from Fairley. 

“After moving to the area, I asked [Standard Fare co-owners Zac Denham and Clark Gale] if I could do a single piece for the restaurant,” Fairley said. “They counter-offered to do all the artwork in the entire restaurant. What started as one piece turned into four large paintings and 13 watercolor pieces. Most of the work was actually done in the restaurant office since the canvases were so large, they were not going to fit in my car after framing. It took about two and a half months to finish everything starting from soon after moving up here. And now Standard Fare has become my unofficial art gallery.”

“I always want my work to stand out and be a conversation starter,” Fairley added. “The paintings definitely give Standard Fare a pop of color and go exceptionally well with the atmosphere that Zac and Clark have so carefully curated in the space.”