Every single morning, I fully intend to pack myself a lunch for my office in Lake Placid. And ALMOST every morning, I at least manage to grab a piece of fruit or a bagel and a yogurt for the road.

Last week, I wasn't successful in my lunch planning efforts. Not at all. The good news? My inability to plan resulted in my sampling a whole bunch of Lake Placid dining options - some favorites, some new to me.

Puppy shopping Main St
Puppy shopping on Main Street Lake Placid

Monday, I was in a hurry to leave the house because my day was going to be bisected with a mid-day meeting. As it happened, the meeting turned into lunch at the Big Mountain Deli and Creperie, which is an AWESOME sandwich (among other things) shop. When you walk into their Main Street Lake Placid location, there's a huge menu on the wall with 46 sandwich options, all named after one of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks. I usually opt for #1, the Marcy (it's the tallest, after all). The Marcy is roast turkey, cranberry horseradish sauce, cheddar, apple and cracked pepper mayo. My second choice is #10: Gothics, which is roast beef, caramelized onion, blue cheese and horseradish mayo on your choice of bread. Always good! We sat at one of the sidewalk tables, allowing us to catch sight of a puppy on a shopping outing.

Tuesday, my coworker and I decided to try the Arena Bar and Grill - a new one for me (editor's note: Arena Bar and Grill is now closed). It's right across the street from the Visitors Bureau office, so you'd think I'd have tried it before. We sat outside on a perfectly sunny day, watching the Main Street traffic and pedestrians go by. A light lunch, I ordered a club sandwich with sweet potato fries, and my colleague ordered a salad. Both dishes were great - the fries were just the right amount of crispy! I look forward to going back to sample some of the other fare on the menu

.

Arena Grill
Arena Grill

Wednesday was another day when at about 1:30 p.m., my growling stomach forced me away from my desk and out into the Adirondack summer sun to search for lunch. I wandered down the street once again when the tempting aroma of pizza drew me inside Bazzi's door. They serve a number of pasta and other dishes including delectable slices of New York Style pizza. I had two slices of sausage and pepperoni. SO good, that pizza positively affected my spirits and creativity for the rest of the day.

Thursday, I headed to one of our office favorites: the Adirondack Corner Store. I like to fill out my order form for my sandwich - meat, veggies, condiment, bread. It's a test I know I can pass. It's a store, so I usually grab some chips (for my coworkers, of course) an iced tea and bring it all back to the office.

Friday, my coworker asked me if I had brought lunch with me, and although I had a yogurt in the fridge, I was easily persuaded to accompany her to the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery for a workday beer-free lunch. Chicken wings and chicken tenders were the choice of the day - (though I also love their mushroom and swiss burger). I asked for medium chicken wing sauce on the tenders, and they willingly complied. They are in the midst of some huge improvements to the building, and its exciting to see the expansion (and the need for it!).

Lake Placid Pub
Lake Placid Pub and Brewery fare

OK, it's Monday again, and I had a lunch meeting at Lisa G's. Chicken wings all around, outside on the deck overlooking the Chubb River.

Tomorrow, for sure, I'll pack a sandwich.
 

-Kim Rielly is the director of communications for the Lake Placid CVB, and maintains a healthy weight despite her food allergies.