Posted by Erin Dillon
On a snowy Saratoga night, sometimes the best thing to do is eat a good sandwich, especially one made by the lovely folks at Legends Café.
Michael McQuatters and Christine Lloyd own Legends and have definitely succeeded in creating a hospitable restaurant where the customer is appreciated. The anything-but-basic menu items are named after Hollywood and sports legends. Top sellers include The Tiger, The Bradshaw and The Friends Salad.
Located at 102 Congress Street, the restaurant is a walk from the bus stop, but the food is well worth the journey. Legends is more than an average deli. The menu offers a variety of subs, wraps, sandwiches, soups and salads. Legends has recently introduced burgers and paninis to the menu, which have been a big hit.
Additionally, there are ever-changing soup and sub specials; special are listed on Legends' Facebook page.
McQuatters' emphasized Legends' use of fresh, local ingredients.
"What separates us from [most] places is that we make everything [ourselves]," McQuatters said. He explained that "We [Legends] don't deal with national food chains. You won't be eating chicken from Nebraska." That is, Legends uses fresh, never frozen, ingredients.
I certainly detected the freshness in my dinner. The Angelina Panini, made with mozzarella, spinach, roasted red peppers, tomatoes and a balsamic vinaigrette was very tasty and perfectly portioned. As a vegetarian, I appreciated Legends' extensive menu. Sure, they have sandwiches with heaping piles of three types of meat, but they also maintain an exciting selection for the vegetarians out there.
One great component of the menu is the Create Your Own Salad option, which completely allows customers to be in charge of their meal. You can choose from an array of lettuces, veggies, meats, dressings and other toppings. Legends is all about you.
Though the café itself appears plain, the service is genuine and the food delicious. Legends is all about convenience, and offer take-out and delivery options. In fact, delivery is 40 percent of sales.
The owners also pay special attention to the goings-on at Skidmore and anticipate events like Fun Day when delivery is usually in high demand. A sweet touch to your meal: Legends accepts your Skid Card.
Last Friday McQuatters brightened my day with this compliment to Skidmore: "Our best interactions are with Skidmore." Legends openly relies on the business that Skidmore brings. Unlike other restaurants on Broadway, Legends is busiest in the off-season, while school is in session.