When a friend asked me to design a menu for a new restaurant in Ballston Spa, I spent some time exploring menus from the late 19th century. Upstate New York blossomed during this era (the golden age of mineral-water spas) and Victorian nostalgia continues to define the region. Here are a few menus I admired for their simplicity and timeless charm, followed by the menu I designed for Henry's Tavern.