Farmhouse

People are talking and they're talking about the Farmhouse Restaurant and Crowing Cock Saloon.

The Farmhouse is located behind Saranac Sourdough where Caribbean Cowboy used to be.  Don't worry fellow Cowboy lovers, you can still eat Rob and Vicky's food down the street at the Cowboy.  I'm not talking about that right now, however I find that the food at the Farmhouse has me drooling for other reasons.  They source as much food as possible from local farmers and businesses and the menu lists all that info.

We both ordered different flavored home-made sodas, maple and rhubarb.  They were both tasty, but I'd have to say that the maple was better because it was a unique flavor and not too sweet.  I should mention that the menu didn't tell us about the tree where the sap came from to make the maple syrup that flavored our soda, but we didn't want to be obnoxious and ask.  I couldn't help thinking about the hilarious Portlandia skit about this.

Next we had crab stuffed deviled eggs.  We don't know what chicken the eggs came from and we can only suspect that the crab did not come locally. It didn't matter to me, I love deviled eggs of all kinds, traditional with the yolk, mayo and a little bit of mustard or hummus filled, I'm not picky.  Yes, I am that person at a potluck that takes two halves.  I can't help it, I love them!  These were lovely to look at and tasted that way too.

Next time I want to try the Clover Mead Fromage Fort, garlic and wine infused cheese with crostini.  I know there is enough on the tapas menu that I could have made a meal out of it, but we ended up ordering individual entrees instead.  For dinner, Drew ordered the non-local Caribbean Seafood Salad.  Greens, sea scallops, shrimp, salmon, fresh fruit mojo, cruda, rice and a champagne dressing.

Maybe the greens were local from Fledging Crow?  He thought it was good and managed to clean his plate.  I had the Classic Farmhouse Meatloaf Sandwich made with Atlas Beef and Harmony Pork.  

I thought the portion size was generous, it hung over the bread.  

Just in case I didn't have enough to eat, the sandwich came with fries.  

I really liked my dinner and I would definitely like to go back and try out some other items on the menu.  Locally grown or not, the food is good and the prices are friendly for locals too.

Vietnam's Turn At The Table

I have some sad news to report. Mexico City is no longer available at Hunan Oshaka/Kento Japanese Steakhouse.

Have no fear, it is being replaced by Saigon Pasteur Vietnamese Cuisine and you will still be able to try another culture's food.

There you have it folks, say hello to Japanese/Chinese/Vietnamese cuisine and good bye to authentic Mexican food. Tear.

M & M Diner

The other night my friend and I went to the M & M Diner for a bite to eat. I was looking forward to eating at the diner because at this time of year it is decked out for the holidays and it feels like you've stepped back in time with all the vintage decorations.

They always run a special of the day, I personally love Chicken and Biscuit night, but we veered away from the meal du jour. Even before we arrived Susanna knew what she wanted to eat, a turkey club sandwich on rye sans tomato. She would have liked french fries, but they only had homemade available and she prefers the frozen ones, so she went with the onion rings.

She thought her sandwich was, "Delicious, really good... their turkey clubs are my favorite and I've eaten a lot of turkey clubs in my day."

I ordered an egg salad sandwich and thought it was good with a faint taste of mustard. We also shared a piece of marble cake with chocolate frosting.

The only problem with sharing a piece of cake at the M&M Diner is that the frosting is so good, you'll want your partner to want more cake than frosting and you might secretly angle the slice in your favor. However, 'tis the season to give so I let her have the side with the frosting. We shall see how well we share next time.

The Breakfast Club

Last week we had friends come to visit. Since they used to live here and are familiar with all the restaurant choices, we decided to try a place that none of us had been to before and dined at the Breakfast Club in Lake Placid.

All I knew about this place was that they served more than just breakfast despite the name and they had a large selection of Bloody Mary's to choose from. We went for lunch after going for a hike so we were hungry.

Amy and I ordered a couple of drinks, while the boys decided to rehydrate with water.

Amy described her Raspberry Blush Mimosa as "a tangy, bubbly fruit drink." I had the BC Bloody Mary and was impressed with the pickle, olive and celery stick it was served with. I liked it, but thought it had too much worcestershire and spiciness in it for my tastes. Amy liked the Bloody Mary a lot and said, "I love salt and I love pickle juice, why wouldn't I like this drink?" I found this surprising because she usually doesn't like spicy, but this had a kick to it that she thought was delicious.

Drew ordered the Maple Balsamic Chicken salad and Chris had the Crab Cake sandwich.

Either they were too busy cleaning their plates or they just don't think they could get a word in with Amy and I, because when I asked them how they liked their meals, they simply said, "It's good."

I ordered the Turkey, Apple and Brie French Toast Sandwich. I thought the sandwich had a nice, mellow taste and probably should have paired it with a mimosa rather than a spicy Bloody Mary.

Amy had the Smoked Salmon Bene and thought that it was "easy to eat and the flavors blended well."

We were all members of the Clean Plate Club at the Breakfast Club and we all said we would come back, so I think that's the best way to sum it up.

I know I'd like to go back some time this fall for one of their Wednesday 80's movie nights. Tasty drinks and an old flick like Goonies or Weird Science, yes please! Now, if I can just get Amy to fly back to join me. I'm pretty sure my sister, a total 80's fan, would like this place too!

Up A Creek

Just out of curiosity, if you were opening a restaurant in a building known for a recent wave of temporary businesses, would you dare name it Up A Creek?

Me? Not so much. According to the Urban Dictionary, "up a creek" an adjective "is the same as up shit creek, which means to be in trouble with no solution." For example, I was up a creek when the bill collector came.

I hope the owner's didn't jinx themselves when they named their restaurant. Best of luck to Up a Creek, may there be nothing behind the name and your business will last longer than the ones that came before you.

Bday at the Adk Cafe

My husband treated me to a birthday dinner at The ADK Cafe in Keene last night. It being mud season, there weren't many other people dining out, but three of the four tables that were there also shared the same birthday. Weird.

The ADK Cafe is located where Cedar Run used to be and we were curious to try it out. The first thing we noticed was how great the napkins were. Yes, for real. Drew piped up, "for paper napkins, I have to say they are really nice paper napkins." They come wrapped in a little paper sleeve with the ADK Cafe stamp and they are heavy duty napkins, cloth like. Okay, enough about what we wiped our mouths with and onto the food.

Drew started off with a salad. I don't remember the name of it, but from what I got to taste, it was delicious. Field greens, shredded carrot and cucumber, red onion and sunflower seeds with a really tasty vinaigrette.

I didn't order an entree, but pieced together my meal with the Caribbean Black Bean Soup and White Bean Bruschetta. Drew ordered the Earth Plate that came with roasted root veggies, savory beans, grains and greens. Wow, I just realized we ordered completely vegetarian.

We took bites from each other's plates and liked everything. It all tasted fresh and our selections were hearty, we definitely didn't leave feeling hungry. We actually had leftovers and to top it off because it was my birthday they gave us complimentary cupcakes to take home!

Next time we go we'll have to go as carnivores and order the meatloaf we've heard such good things about. That bacon, cheddar burger with homemade cafe chips sounded pretty awesome too. Or maybe we should try them out for breakfast and lunch. Ugh, I'm making myself hungry. We'll definitely be back!

Sugar Shack Dessert Co.

Drew's birthday gave me the perfect reason to check out the Sugar Shack on Main Street.

They make lots of sugary treats, but they are best known for their cupcakes and have an assortment of flavors and sizes to choose from. Since it was my sweetie's birthday (pun intended), I wasn't going to skimp on size and get a couple miniature cupcakes, although that would have been a nice afternoon pick me up. I restrained myself from the snack and bought two big cupcakes, one Peppermint Patty and one Peanut Butter Chocolate.

They survived the trip across the street and barely made it through the rest of my work day because they smelled so good and coworkers would come by for a look and I would have to close the bag before they drooled all over my husband's cupcake. The cupcakes did take a dent in the frosting on the car ride home and I had wished I had asked if they had a box, but I guess it doesn't really matter because the cupcakes still looked impressive hours later to the birthday boy.

Those that know me, know that I LOVE chocolate and mint and was super excited that for St. Patrick's Day (I mean, Drew's birthday), they had made a cupcake combining those flavors. I was nice though and split them in half so we could try both cupcakes, after all it was his birthday. I was surprised to find out that we both agreed hands down that the Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcake was out of this world and blew the Peppermint Patty away!

I couldn't believe that my favorite flavor duo got beat. I think I'll have to go get some miniature cupcakes this week and see how they do against other flavors in round two.

Carbo Loading at the Village Bakery

With my next marathon less than two weeks away, it's time to start thinking about carbo loading to avoid bonking and the Village Bakery in Lake Placid has plenty of carbohydrates to choose from.

The Village Bakery bakes fresh Italian loaves, French baguettes, boules and petit pans daily.

There is a weekly bread schedule with specialty loaves on certain days. My favorite day would be Saturday because of the tasty focaccia and olive bread that comes out of the oven.

♥ Olive You! ♥

It's not just bread, there is an assortment of muffins, turnovers, and chocolate croissants available too. I cannot tell a lie, even if I wasn't about to run 26.2 miles, I'd still find myself at the bottom of Mill Hill at the Village Bakery. Who can resist fresh baked goods?

Liquids & Solids

If you haven't been to Liquids & Solids at the Handlebar, you need to drop everything and go because this gastro pub is to die for. They've only been open for a month, but it seems like T & K are already in their groove. Their Liquids Menu offers a great selection of beer that you normally can't get in our neck of the woods along with wine, and interesting cocktails.

Looking at the Solids Menu and talking to friends at the table next to us, we knew there was no way we could go wrong with our picks. We decided on sharing three smalls and because it was all so amazing, Drew and I rotated the plates every few bites. My usual descriptions are missing because he's a fast eater, I had to keep up. There was no way I was going to miss out on my fair share of all the foodie goodness.

warmed panzanella, arugula, pesto, and honey horseradish vinaigrette

sweet and spicy rice noodle salad, pea shoots, bean sprouts, peanuts, dried mango, cilantro with crispy tofu.

grilled Boston blue fish, lemon pudding, cornbread french toast, crispy onions.

It was really hard to eat this food.

Um, NOT!

Oh, and how could I forget the Sweet?

lavender creme brulee and preserved lemon

It was such a treat for us to go out for dinner and we were more than satisfied when we left. However, last night I dreamt about going back for the burger I saw come out with cheese curds, eating poutine and washing it all down with mint chocolate pie. Swoon.

Are you salivating yet? Give them a try, you won't be sorry.

Liquids and Solids is open Tuesday - Sunday from 4 - 11 pm. They are located just down the street from the train station across from Lamb Lumber.

Signs at Stein O' Hoff's

Thinking about all the signs outside of Steinhoff's has taken up a tremendous amount of my mental energy driving to and from work recently.

The main sign for Steinhoff's stands proudly on Rt. 86 just as you enter Wilmington. The sign screams, "Stop, you're done with work, come on in for a stein of German beer!"

The sign for Stein's Wines & Spirits is a little more discreet for those of you that just want to paper bag it.

You know, "Stein's" for short because it's only a short visit when buying alcohol as opposed to nursing a beer all night long. Oh, but wait...maybe it is Steinhoffs Liquor Store.

Are you confused? Do you need a shot of the infamous German, Jagermeister? Yes? Well, make your way to Hoff's Irish Pub. Wait. Irish?

My friend Jenny was visiting from Montana and she was the lucky gal that participated in my questioning of Steinhoff's employees. I mean, Hoff's. Whatever.

Ben proved to be the World's best bartender last night and didn't even get annoyed with my chatter. I don't think he looks German or Irish.

The new co-owner Jason, calls himself Irish, but we were in a bar and he might have been pulling my leg. Jason did talk with an Irish accent though. When asking him about Steinhoff's German-Irish partnership, he said, "Germany and Ireland are the combined forces of the alcoholic world." And with just that sentence, I understood.

Jason also informed me that he recently ordered an "O" to go in front of the Hoff's Irish Pub sign and also two leprechauns holding beers that will also be placed on the sign out front.

So, if you find yourself sitting on a rustic creation in wood (chair) on the new deck, wondering about all those signs, you might just want to go on in and ask. You are guaranteed a good time, no matter what nation you prefer.

Ms. Jenny, Montana is treating you well,

but never forget your wing lady.

Wake Up Call Cafe

I've written before of my love of chocolate and mint. This time, I fell head over heels for my favorite duet in the form of tea and it can be found at the Wake Up Call Cafe in Keene. If tea is not your thing, you can get your "wake up" with their espresso drinks and coffee.

For months, Drew had been stopping in before work for the Chocolate Mint Truffle tea made by Mighty Leaf and I had been dying to try it. I'm not much of a coffee drinker and there are times when I can't decide between hot chocolate and tea. I found this tea to be the perfect solution to my beverage dilemma. The mint wasn't too powerful and the chocolate flavor was just mellow enough that it didn't take over. Once again, a perfect marriage of two flavors.

The owner allowed me to take a tea bag home so I cold inspect it further outside of a mug. The packaging describes the tea as, "handcrafted silken pouches are packed with artisan blends of whole tea leaves, fruits, herbs, spices and flavors too big for ordinary tea bags."

My husband thought that the tea bag resembled "ladies underpants, silky and ruffly." Say what?! On a more serious note he mentioned that you can usually get two drinks out of one tea bag.

So, for a nice treat head on down to Keene and grab yourself a tasty beverage at Wake Up Call Cafe.

Breakfast at Chair 6

My pre-school playmate and prom date came for a brief overnight visit. He arrived late at night and would be leaving first thing in the morning, but not until we had a proper breakfast and shared some laughs. So, I brought him to Chair 6 in Lake Placid.

When we arrived, the cook was also working as the server. We contemplated ordering the same thing because it would make his morning a little easier, but when we saw that the other tables food was coming out quick and everything looked so good, we changed our minds.

The server/chef arrived without a pen and paper and when Phil ordered the "BIG 6" the server said, "I'm good, but not that good." So, he returned with a pen and jotted down the complicated BIG 6 order which included choice of pancake (sweet potato), soft taco (sausage and cheddar), one egg (over easy), home fries, choice of bread (everything bagel), and breakfast meat (bacon). I had to write it down also because that's a whole lot of food for one breakfast meal.

I found Phil to be savvy about his meal. He took the egg and bacon and made a bagel sandwich out of it, ate his pancake, and took the soft taco to go.

I had the "Bunny Hill" and ordered it as a sweet potato pancake, over easy egg, and sourdough toast. I love their sweet potato pancakes, especially when they are a little crispy around the edges and the real Adirondack Maple syrup soaks right in. Delicious!

When we finished I asked Phil how he would describe his meal and he simply replied, "Good, home cooking." Honestly, I wouldn't have cared how breakfast turned out, it was the company that mattered.

Seeing Phil is a rare occasion, but when I do, I realize just how lucky I am to have a friend that can still make me laugh after all these years.

My Pal Phil

Trusty China City

In case you ever wanted to know, China City on Main Street, Lake Placid never seems to let me down.

I can always count on them for making my stomach satisfied with their Bean Curd in Hot Garlic Sauce along with an order of Cold Sesame Noodles.

I am also pleased that the order comes in heavy duty plastic containers that can be re-used for future leftovers besides Chinese take-out. Way better than the old styrofoam that would leak. Even though everything is placed in a plastic bag, it won't be thrown away either because how could I throw away a bag that has a smiley face and tells me to "Have a Nice Day"?

New Year, New Pizza

Nearing the end of 2009, Travy G's shut down and Mad River Pizza opened in the same location in Ausable Forks.

I started off the new year by phoning in a cheese pizza for pick up. When I arrived, Mad River was packed with people dining inside and it took quite awhile for the worker behind the counter to ask me what I needed. I hope they didn't name their pizza joint after the "Mad House" I experienced. I realize they haven't been open for more than a week and it was New Year's day, but every worker in there seemed totally overwhelmed, so I probably shouldn't be judging them based on this one experience. But, I guess it all really boils down to the pizza.

I think a cheese pizza is the best way to determine if it's a good pizza. It looked promising, since there were actual herbs sprinkled on top of the cheese. The pizza was okay, but the dough and crust had absolutely no flavor.

I feel like I'm being a little mean, but I'm finding it hard to find a good pizza along the Ausable? There are a few restaurants in Lake Placid that make great pizzas, but they're more of a brick oven, gourmet style.

The search continues for a good, New York style, take out pizza in 2010...

Main Street Pizza

When Aniello's Pizza in Lake Placid opened a handful of years ago, we tried it and never went back. From that one bad pizza, I had little desire to try out the pizza that came from the newly named and owned, Main Street Pizza because I didn't think I could shake the memory of the awful pie we had years prior from the same location.

I had been hearing great things about the "Grandma Pizza" from this little restaurant located across from the Speed Skating Oval for some time now and my friend Amy said it was finally time for Grandma's. We brought her 5 year old daughter and best friend to Main Street Pizza to try it out.

We ordered some breadsticks for all of us to share. Everyone thought they were really good and I think one of the girls even gave them a "totally awesome."

The girls each ordered a slice of cheese pizza and I was surprised to see that they ate most of it. Emma thought, "This pizza is the best pizza in the history of pizzas!" Ruby, on the other hand, likes Pizza Hut better.

Amy and I finally had the Grandma Pizza which is plum tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and mozzarella. I'm not sure why they call this a Grandma Pizza, I guess I should have asked.

I was a little turned off by the paper plates and lack of silverware because I usually like to cut my pizza until half way and then pick it up with my hands. Amy told me, "It's a real pizzeria." So, I had to make do without and I shouldn't complain because I thought the Grandma Pizza might be one of the best in Lake Placid! The only thing that I thought could make it better was if the crust was a little more doughy. Amy liked the crispiness.

I brought the leftovers home to my husband and he had a slice right away. The next morning I was looking forward to each of us bringing a slice to work for lunch, but he managed to eat the rest of it when I went to bed. I guess he liked it too.

So, there you go folks...the Grandma Pizza at Main Street Pizza might be one of the best in Lake Placid! Only suggestion, phone your order in and take it home because one of Amy's first comments was, "I wish it was warmer. I like to walk into a restaurant and be able to take my jacket off." I have to agree, after only one slice the pizza went cold, but it was still good.

Noon Mark Diner

Our good friends Amy and Chris were in town from Nevada and although they had little time to spend with us, we were still able to get together a couple times. Amy desperately wanted to go on a blogging adventure, so we planned to have dinner with them at the Noon Mark Diner in Keene Valley. I usually go to the Noon Mark for breakfast or pie, but they gave us a dinner time slot, so I told them we could go as long as we ate some of their famous pie after our meal.

The Noon Mark is also known to have a "Mountain of Home Cooking." We all checked over the menu and the nutritionist in the group, Amy, was excited to see they have partnered with Keene Fitness across the road and highlights some healthful options and gives you tips on how to maintain good health. Of course, she opted out of ordering one of those and went for the French Onion Soup and a Hot Turkey Sandwich with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.

Chris tried to order the Asian Salad, but they were out of mandarin oranges so he went with the Spinach Salad with Chicken. His selection was one of the Keene Fitness choices, however he ordered a side of onion rings to create a harmony between nutritional eating habits and fried goodness.

Like Chris, I was not able to have my first choice, Banana Pancakes. Apparently, there was no more banana batter left and so I ordered Blueberry Pancakes. I found this strange because there were a couple bananas sitting on the shelf across from us.

I thought maybe they could take plain pancake batter and cut in the bananas, but maybe they were saving them for topping a banana cream pie. I was a little sad that they were so low on produce, but Chris (always positive) thought, "maybe our choices are so successful here, that is why they are out of it." Even without the mandarin oranges and lack of bananas we were still satisfied with our second choice.

My blueberry pancakes came and they were delicious, I also really like that they use real maple syrup and the fact that you can order breakfast here all day!

Drew, not worried about fruit or vegetables, ordered up some typical diner food, a bacon cheeseburger and a thick vanilla milkshake. He got his first choice and gobbled it right up.

After waiting a bit for our check and being full from our meal, we didn't even order any pie. Turns out, Amy doesn't even like pie, and they didn't even take one for the drive down to Albany. Shocking! Looks like I'll just have to go back and sample some pie another time.