When in Rome, you know, do as the Romans do

When I visit new places and travel, part of the time I like to play tourist, while part of me is interested with what the locals do and where they go. Writing on where the locals go when they eat out in Lake Placid, I realized I could write from several different angles. Why do we choose the places that we do? Some places are known for a signature night of the week where the locals meet; some folks choose based on ambience; other reasons that rank high include the range of specialty drinks and beer selection, to perhaps great appetizers, favorite dishes or best deals. To begin writing this blog I decided to poll a range of locals, friends and coworkers to see where they go and it was fun seeing the results.

I got responses like:

I love Lisa G's because:

• she has FIVE different varieties of wings - love the Greek dipped in Feta cheese dressing!
• she comes up with clever cocktails according to the season
• she has a wonderful atmosphere which is very hospitable
• I love to go in the early afternoon and have a long, late lunch with a girlfriend

 

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I love Simply Gourmet because:

• they have 46 wonderful sandwiches - which I can have because they make gluten-free bread!
• an eclectic dining room that's so homey
• my favorite sandwich is: I'm torn! It's either Seward (salami, fresh mozzorella, and basil with olive oil & vinegar) or Gothics (roast beef, caramelized onion, blue cheese & horseradish mayo)

And responses like these:

Despos - lunch in the middle of the week, buffalo chicken chimichanga is AMAZING but only available as a special. The Good Bite Kitchen is my fave everyday, house salad being my go-to because of the maple chipotle vinaigrette (how do you spell that?), also her chili is WONDERFUL (she's open tues-sat, 11-5). Also eat at Wyatt's a lot. And the Corner Store for a quick sandwich.

And

Downtown Diner for breakfast, lunch and brunch. I always get breakfast foods there, so I'm not sure how their other stuff is. The Corner Store for sandwiches. Wyatt's like once a week, the second they open. I usually get the pork burrito there. Yummmm. My boyfriend and I have started to really like going to the Black Bear. We love their steaks, and their chicken a la vodka dish is one of the best I've ever had (we usually get one of each and go halfsies). Despos. Everything. Anytime. I love the sandwiches and the salads at Simply Gourmet a lot too. The drunken noodle and spicy Thai basil tofu dishes at the Thai restaurant are awesome. I used to go to L&S (Liquids & Solids) all the time and I loooved it, but I haven't been there in a while so I can't really remember their menu too well. The cilantro daiquiri is hands down my favorite mixed drink ever, though. And now I'm hungry.

Follow up email a few minutes later read:

"I also forgot Rustica! Everything there is awesome!" 

And

food allergies. but I like these:

• despos. no beans
• mikanos spanikopita
• lisa g’s wing night (tho I never go)
• lp pub
• big mtn deli sandwich place. #5
• corner store. lunch

And

Interlaken on Thursdays for Tapas Night
•    delicious meal, great atmosphere

Pub & Brewery on Tuesdays
•    twofers, casual, good food and lots of people to chat with

And this

Lisa G's - Wing Night (Monday's) & Mango Margaritas. Wyatt's BBQ - All American Burrito - Mac & Cheese, Brisket, BBQ Sauce, Toppings. Coffee E Bean Internet Cafe - Maple Latte, Aki Sushi. Lake Placid Pub & Brewery - Salmon Sandwich. Smoke Signals - Mac & Cheese. Big Mountain Deli & Creperie.

And that

"Hi Kelly, when we go out to eat it is usually for dinner at Despo’s, complete with margarita’s, Lisa G’s - wings, or LP Pub & Brewery. These are places that we feel we can depend on for the food to be consistent and of course the social aspect of catching up with friends."

And more, but you get the idea!

Similar Minds

While I don't want to rank these places, because we have so many that I love, there were definitely a lot of repeats that I got multiple responses for. Such as, the above mentioned, Lisa G’s & Simply Gourmet / Big Mountain Deli, along with Desperados, and the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery. And continued on with the Downtown Diner, Mykonos, Corner Store, Interlaken, Cafe Rustica, Smoke Signals, Wyatt’s, Black Bear, Thai restaurant, Liquid’s and Solid’s (LnS), and the Good Bite…And there are many more, check them all out here on the dining page. But before this overwhelms you, let me try to break the list down for you a bit.

Days of the Week

Here are some examples of where to find the locals on a specific night:

• Monday - Wing night at Lisa G’s
• Tuesday - Twofers at the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery (Buy one, get one free on their own craft beers) or Beer & Burger night at the Kanu Lounge
• Thursdays - Tapas night at the Interlaken
• Sundays - Breakfast/Brunch at the Downtown Diner or BC, and Sunday night Sushi at the bar in Nicola’s

Morning, Noon & Night

Breakfast:

• The Breakfast Club (BC) - Amazing Bloody Mary’s & not just breakfast, serves lunch and dinner too
• The Downtown Diner - Your typical, friendly, popular, local diner
• Big Mountain Deli - Great breakfast sandwiches on their homemade rolls, crepes, and great coffee drinks

Coffee:

• Coffee E Bean Internet Cafe - Try the Maple Latte, great coffee, and inexpensive food for breakfast / lunch
• Big Mountain Deli - Try the Berry Picker (my favorite) & if you have a sweet tooth have a crepe or one of their homemade cookies

Lunch:

• The Good Bite - Organic, homemade vegetarian cuisine, new menu everyday, and Lake Placid's smallest eatery. I highly recommend checking it out! They post their menu daily on their facebook page.
• Simply Gourmet / Big Mountain Deli - same owners, 2 locations, similar but different menus.
• The Corner Store - Exactly like it sounds, order your sandwich and take it with you, they have a great selection of Green Mountain coffee always brewed up and ready, beer for sale in the fridge, along with other great drinks and snacks. Very convenient. 
• Wyatt’s Mexican - Quick, yet not fast food, really yummy Mexican fare.
• Lake Placid Pub & Brewery - Wood oven pizzas, great salads - which I love with a side of salmon.
• Lisa G’s - Great salads, burgers, daily specials and don't miss their fries, especially with the garlic or horseradish mayo - and expect to see Lisa herself running around.

Dinner

• Liquids and Solids - Eclectic menu, great small plates, amazing burger, poutine of the day (they change up the sauce), amazing drinks.
• Smoke Signals - Beef brisket, bbq fare, great beer selection, love the apps, and lots of live music.
• Interlaken - Bistro style, high-end fare in a cozy, elegant B&B - have dinner and stay the night.
• Cafe Rustica - Love, love, love the steak, wood fired pizzas, salads and specials. Another bistro style establishment.

Ambiance:

• The Cottage - located on Mirror Lake, great outdoor patio, woodstove indoors for the winter, and cozy bar atmosphere.
• Maggie’s Pub at the Lake Placid Lodge - one of Placid's luxury resorts, this Pub has a view of Lake Placid, couches, specialty drinks, and Adirondack great camp atmosphere.
• Kanu at the Whiteface Lodge - leather couches, signature drinks, great holiday decorations and a high-end Adirondack great camp atmosphere.

Drinks & Beer:

• Liquids & Solids - classic drinks along with those of their own design, these drinks are strong, and an extensive beer menu
• Maggie’s Pub at the Lake Placid Lodge - they even offer mixology classes
• Smoke Signals
• The Lake Placid Pub & Brewery - local brewery
• Great Adirondack Steak & Seafood - local brewery (Great Adirondack Brewery), read our Sampling Lake Placid blog

A little more detail on a few

So that should be more than enough information to get you going! I encourage you to explore and find your local Lake Placid niche, but in case you're wanting more information I picked just few to elaborate on... and I'll save the rest for another blog.

Desperados

Lake Placid's unique Irish owned Mexican restaurant… yes, you read that right. Just look at the logo on the menu above. My mother-in-law designed it a long time ago for the owner, Andrew - it's a leprechaun with a sombrero. I can say that this Mexican is unique and is a true local's favorite. If you like hot, try the Mexican Roulette, shrimp and cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers, some nights are mellow, some nights they are HOT, that's the fun of roulette! The Mexican Flag dinner is a favorite. I love the spinach burrito - with the green enchilada sauce, the casarola (a delicious casserole layered Mexican concoction), the chile relleno, and the Cadillac margarita (of course). 

Lisa G’s

Local hangout and visitors love it too. Lisa, Lisa, Lisa - you will always she her running around, donning a smile and a witty comment. This building has a long history as a local favorite, Casey's Bar before Lisa bought it and the Opera House before that. Lisa closes in spring for a couple of weeks, to renovate, she picks a new project every year and always keeps the place looking good and the menu fresh. 

Lake Placid Pub & Brewery

A 3 story converted church, 3 levels with 3 different vibes to choose from. There’s the lower level, with a lot of stone, a long bar, pool table and cellar-like bar feel, pick your own music - jukebox style - accessible from a cell phone app; you will find a lot of locals there, anytime of day. Upstairs on the second floor you’ll find more of a pub/restaurant feel: open wrap-around bar in the middle, seating around the outside, this level has an outdoor deck with a view of Mirror Lake (great place to sit in the summer). The third level is there newest edition: intimate bar, cozy seating and a children’s play room, a great place to bring the kids and let them stretch their legs while you enjoy some R & R with friends and family. They brew their own beer here, locals have their own mugs hung along the bar on the second level. The owners keep things fresh and interesting with a fun menu and seasonal beers; event-themed parties for beer releases and holiday occasions. The 5th Annual Ugly Sweater Party is coming up December 16th.

So don't just take our word for it

Check these places out on your Lake Placid vacation and let us know your favorite. I know my list is just a small sampling of the many great places to eat in Lake Placid, I could go on and add a bunch more, maybe another blog another day. Trust me, I know these aren't the only restaurants in town that belong on this list. Next steps: check out the lodging page for great places to stay, browse stay packages and sign up to win a free Lake Placid getaway.