Jennifer Savino – TV Host of Bite Me

First of all, I have been a complete and total blogging slacker. Between the holidays and starting a new job, blogging has taken a back seat recently. Over the holidays, I had the opportunity to go to Lake Placid and what a wonderful trip is was. Being at the Mirror Lake Inn during the holidays is like something out of a greeting card. The Christmas decorations both inside and out are amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everywhere you look, something beautiful and festive just pops up. I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for a couple of months for many reasons, but the two things I really had my eye on were the Abby Ale from the Adirondack Steak and Seafood Company and the house-made granola from Mirror Lake Inn. More on those wonderful treats in a bit. We arrived to freshly baked chocolate chip cookies upon checking in which is always the best way to be welcomed in my opinion. Although they weren’t the best chocolate chippers I have had, I managed to have a couple just to be sure ☺. We arrived around lunchtime and knew that having a little nosh at The Cottage is the only way to go for lunch. It’s a great spot that’s part of MLI and sits right on the lake. We were able to get a cozy table right next to the window where we enjoyed the spectacular views and a Harpoon Winter Warmer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We decided to get the cheese board which came with a loaf of fresh bread, wheat crackers, grapes, apples, Boursin cheese, strawberry chardonnay cheese and maple cheddar. Boursin is a favorite or ours so we knew that wouldn’t go to waste but the maple cheddar was something new to us. I’ve had a lot of cheese and many varieties but my first instinct wouldn’t be to reach for a maple cheddar. Well I’ve been converted my friends. This combo was excellent!!! I can’t wait for my next get together so that I have an excuse to get it. The maple added just a hint of sweetness but it wasn’t overpowering at all. It was a great way to have a different variation on cheddar. It was time to check out the holiday stroll going on in the village so we walked around and got to eat free Christmas cookies and gumbo samples. This place is truly heaven on earth! As we reached the end of the strip, there was a cute little bakery called the Sugar Shack Dessert Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to pop my head in to see what they had and the cupcakes looked really good. In the dessert hierarchy, cake and cupcakes don’t usually come in at the top of my list but these looked delectable, so I went with the Sno-Cap cupcake which was chocolate cake with chocolate frosting topped with nonpareils. I don’t want to say that this cupcake was topped with frosting because it was reminiscent of chocolate mousse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Needless to say, it was excellent and I could have eaten the frosting by the gallon. The light airiness of the chocolate mousse frosting combined with the crunchiness of the nonpareils was so good. The only thing I regret is getting a mini, but seeing as though our next stop was the Lake Placid Brewery, it was probably a good idea. Now that I’ve had my sugar fix, it was time for my beer fix so LPB here we come!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cozy ambiance of Christmas lights inside and out made it the perfect backdrop for my Moose Island Ale. Now I definitely enjoy the beers at LPB but one of THE BEST beers I have ever had can be found at the Great Adirondack Steak & Seafood which also has a brewery (Great Adirondack Brewing Co.) located on the main strip in Lake Placid. All of their beers are excellent but the Abby Ale is unbelievable!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I practically have dreams about this beer it is SO good. It’s worth stopping in for a sampler so that you can try all the beers they have on tap but I say just skip to the good stuff and get a pint of the Abby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that we’ve had a few beers to keep up warm, it was time for dinner. I’ve always been a fan of Milano’s in Latham, so we thought we would check out Milano’s North right here in Lake Placid. We got a great spot in the window (again) overlooking the main strip so we could watch holiday shoppers and strollers wonder about. I’ve been completely obsessed with figs lately so we started with the Fico pizza which had Adriatic figs, roasted shallots, prosciutto, gorgonzola and fontina with a balsamic glaze. (the Latham locations’ version comes with fig jam, not Adriatic figs).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was so good I almost ordered it again as my meal. I loved the sweetness of the figs and balsamic glaze against the saltiness of the prosciutto and cheeses. I would almost drive back up to Lake Placid just to have this pizza and an Abby Ale. Unfortunately, that was the best part of the meal. For dinner I got a pasta dish which had chicken, roasted squash, eggplant, red peppers, tomatoes, spinach, toasted almonds and extra virgin olive oil. Sounds good right!?!?! Not so much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was practically a puddle of water on the bottom of my plate and everything was soggy and flavorless. Such a huge disappointment after such a great start. My husband’s pasta dish was not much better so we decided that it’s probably best to stick to the pizza. After a fun night playing games at the Inn next to some of the most amazingly decorated Christmas tress, we headed to bed as visions of sugar plums and Mirror Lake Inn granola danced in our heads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The breakfast buffet at the hotel has a decent selection of your typical morning fare but there is one item that is head and shoulders above the rest, and it’s the house made granola. It has huge chunks of oats, brown sugar, cashews, cinnamon and some other heavenly type ingredients along with a TON of butter. I’m going to try and convince myself that it’s healthy because it’s “granola,” but nothing that good could actually be good for you (at least in the quantity I eat it in:). Okay, I would add this granola to my list of items worth making the trip to Lake Placid for. I noticed that the granola is on the room service menu so you might be able to just pop in and pick some up. If not, it’s worth getting the breakfast buffet just for this-it is that good. All in all, it was a wonderfully festive and delicious weekend at the lake. My picks are obvious so enjoy some Abby Ale from Adirondack brewing, grab a Fico pizza from Milano’s and start your day off with the Mirror Lake Inn house-made granola. You won’t be disappointed!

A lot of people have been crowing about the Iron Roost in Ballston Spa so I knew I had to check it out as soon as possible.  A menu that focuses on waffles is something that would pique just about anyone’s interest.  It was a Sunday afternoon and the place was packed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My first thought was how much I loved the simple yet elegant décor.  My second thought was how long am I going to have to wait to get my hands on one of these waffles?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After about a 30-minute wait, we were seated and started checking out the menu.  There were plenty of sweet and savory waffle options along with a salad option.  One menu item that really caught my attention was the French toast waffles which consists of homemade Brioche French toast (done in the iron), powdered sugar, creamy butter, & whipped cream!  That pretty much combines all of my favorite breakfast items into one dish.  Add a little bacon on the side and it’s a dream come true!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They also had a waffle on special which was a pumpkin spice waffle topped with cranberry-orange butter, homemade whipped cream, and a drizzle of spiced cider syrup.  Decisions, decisions!  Since it was little bit later in the day, I decided to go with the savory side of the menu and opted for the chicken salad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately they had sold out of it so I went with the grilled chicken with cheddar, LTO and a delicious garlic herb mayo on a savory waffle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My husband had the BLT as did our other 2 friends and their little ones got the PB&J waffle sticks.  While we were deciding on what to get, I ordered the Liege waffle since I have heard so much about it.  This type of waffle is native to Belgium and let me just say that it was incredible!  It had a nice little crunch from the sugar and just a hint of cinnamon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are planning on eating here, you must order this!  It makes a great little app while you are deciding on what to get.  We were all very happy with our meals as well. I loved having a waffle in place of bread on my grilled chicken sandwich and the BLT was also delicious.  The bacon was crisp and the veggies were fresh.  It’s obvious that they get a lot of their ingredients locally.  The PB&J waffle sticks were great too!  They had a subtle peanut butter flavor to them and they’re served with a side of strawberry jelly for dipping.

The Iron Roost opened in April of this year and is the brain child of Linnaea DiNallo.  After a successful career with the content marketing firm McMurry, she decided to change gears and open the Iron Roost on Front Street in Ballston Spa.  She knew she wanted to do something café related and over the course of two years, came up with a concept and a menu.  The Iron Roost allows her to design and decorate which are two things she loves to do.  Because she was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and followed her passion, we now have a wonderful waffle place in the Capital District. I am still dreaming about those French toast waffles and next time I go back (aka this weekend), I am sticking to the sweet side of the menu because these sound to good to pass up.   The Iron Roost is located at 36 Front St in Ballston Spa.

I discovered Cake last year when I was looking for businesses to feature on Bite Me. Alissa started Cake after leaving a career in executive recruiting.  She wanted to follow her passion for food and baking so after 7 years in Boston, she packed up her bags and moved to Lake Placid with her husband to pursue a career as a pasty chef at Paul Smith’s College.  After graduation, she became the pasty chef at Putnam Market in Saratoga where she satisfied everyone’s sweet tooth for 8 years.  Combining her education and experience, Alissa launched Cake in 2011 and let me just say it’s to our benefit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When it comes to desserts, cake usually isn’t my first choice.  If it were up to me, I would much rather have a cookie, brownie or ice cream.  That’s not to say I don’t like it and if it’s exceptional cake, then I’m all for it.  When it comes to sugar, I’m not turning too much down anyway (I’m two bites away from a 12-step program for sugar addiction. I kid I kid but I do love sugar☺) .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After filming the episode with Alissa, she sent me home with a strawberry chocolate ganache cake and chocolate peppermint cupcakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First of all, the chocolate peppermint cupcake (it was December) was one of the BEST cupcakes I have ever had.  It was a chocolate cupcake with peppermint butter cream sprinkled with crushed up candy canes.  I honestly only planned on eating one, but ended up having two and a half!  I couldn’t stop myself!  Thankfully my husband was there to take down the other cupcakes otherwise it could have gotten messy.  We both thought that the cake and the frosting were wonderful.  I also tried the strawberry chocolate ganache cake (I had to share this with my neighbors otherwise I would be writing this post from fat camp), which was also phenomenal.  Rich chocolate cake layered with strawberry mouse then topped with chocolate ganache!!! Drooling yet??? I am just thinking about it!! The cake was so rich and had a deep chocolate flavor.  The ganache was a wonderful addition (when is it not?) and the strawberry moose was light and tasted like a fresh picked strawberry.  Last week I ordered her Pumpkin Pie cupcakes which consisted of a pumpkin cake with buttercream frosting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could hardly wait to try them since my last experience was so good.  The pumpkin cake was so moist and wonderfully spicy which went beautifully with the buttercream frosting.  It’s the perfect fall cupcake!  Alissa makes exceptional desserts so if you are looking for cupcakes, wedding cakes, grooms cakes, cake pops, or any other cake, I highly recommend CAKE by Alissa.  You will want to have your cake and eat it too! The only problem is that you might not want to share. www.cakebyalissa.com

 

 

 

 

Henry St is turning into quite the little hot spot in downtown Saratoga and the Henry St Taproom is heating things up even more. Located in the old Virgil’s House location, the Taproom offers a cozy and inviting atmosphere including a wood burning fireplace and comfy leather chairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a cool fall day so landing a spot in front of the fire was perfect.  After checking out the 16 beers they had on tap, I decided on a sampler of 4.  The taproom had a really nice selection that would appeal to lots of different beer drinkers.  It was a good combination of familiar beers along with some more rare varieties that we haven’t heard of before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not that I need to discover even more beer varieties that I love, but it’s always fun to try something new.  Lucky for me I did find a great new beer (actually a couple) and it was the Ayinger Oktoberfest.  The only problem is that I could drink a bunch of them and at $9 a glass, things could get pricy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We checked out the dinner menu which looked great with dishes like duck confit quesadillas and mini mahi-mahi tacos.   They also offer a nice cheese menu with about 12 different varieties to choose from.  It comes with toasted bread, balsamic and olive oil dip, fruit and a peach chutney.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went with the black truffle cheese which was delicious but left us wanting more.  Maybe next time I would get my own vs. sharing since the portions are small.  What’s nice is that each cheese selection is only $5 so it allows you try a couple of different varieties if you want.  All of us thoroughly enjoyed this new bar and the fireplace really added to the ambiance.  The Henry St Taproom will definitely make those cold snowy days much more tolerable.  Just don’t take my spot in front of the fire

They are located at 86 Henry St in Saratoga Springs, NY.

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Maestro’s is one of our favorite places to grab a drink and sit outside while watching tourists and Saratogians stroll up and down Broadway.  They offer a great cheese, cracker and charcuterie spread in the bar area that hits the spot if you need something to nosh on, and their location on Broadway makes for great outdoor seating.  Recently we ordered the lamb lollipops (My previous write up can be read here) as an app before heading out to dinner with friends on Saratoga Lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lamb lollipops were excellent which led us to believe that their dinners would be just as good if not better.  After a summer packed with weekends away and prior obligations, we were finally able to find a free Saturday to dine at Maestro’s.  I have to say that I was pretty excited since our first experience was so good.  Not only was the lamb exceptional, the bread, white bean dip and dark chocolate bark we had was also fantastic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were thinking that this was the tip of the ice-berg and that our dining experience would be even better.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.  We arrived to a packed dining room but were offered seating outside amongst many gas patio heaters and fleece blankets on the back of the chairs.  It was actually pretty cozy and if I could squeeze in one more al fresco dining experience, I’m in!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The house Sauvignon Blanc (The Crossings from New Zealand) is not only delicious, but serves as a good way to stay warm as well.  After enjoying some of the white bean dip and warm bread, we were ready to order.  I thought I was going to go with the Prix Fixe since the options that were online looked great. I had my eye on the duck and white bean sausage as an app along with a great looking salmon dish that came with kale and a potato pancake but both were no longer an option.  I opted for the Salmon burger as an alternative and the pumpkin raviolis as an appetizer.  My husband ordered the five-onion bisque and butternut chicken risotto as his entree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My mother went with the Prix Fixe and also went with the bisque along with the hanger steak and blondie for dessert (She didn’t have a choice when it came to choosing her dessert.  Once I saw that it came with salted caramel, pretzels and peanuts, it was a no brainer.)  First of all, the ordering system is cumbersome and I felt like I was in the Soup Nazi episode from Seinfeld.  Each person had to order their soup, salad or app first, then their entrée.  If you order then change your mind, the waiter has to delete your original choices out of his handheld PDA and start from the beginning.  After we ordered, I realized I wanted to add an appetizer and felt as though it was an inconvenience to change things once they were entered into this seemingly regimented system.  It definitely took away from the dining experience and I’m sure it results in lower food bills since guests probably feel as though once they order, they are locked in. “No soup for you” wouldn’t be too much of an understatement with the way things are done here.  After our ordering debacle, the bisque came out relatively fast and was extremely rich and hearty which hit the spot on a cool fall evening.  The flavor was wonderful and not too overpowering and the extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top was really delicious.  Next came the pumpkin raviolis topped with walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chevre and brown sage butter.   They weren’t too sweet which was enjoyable and the crunch of the nuts and seeds was a nice contrast amongst the soft pasta.  They were good but nothing special in terms of a pumpkin ravioli.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was time for the main course and I was looking forward to finally having a chance at trying some of their entrées.  My salmon burger came on a griddled flatbread with shredded lettuce and a bacon tomato relish. The dish was served with “tater-tot sticks” and a pickle.  I was disappointed with this since the salmon was “fishy” and the burger was difficult to eat.  The tater-tot sticks were awesome but it’s not something I would expect at a nicer restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My mother’s steak was tough and not cooked to her liking. The dish came with haricot verts and mashed potatoes that were both good but again, nothing out of the ordinary.  My husband’s butternut chicken risotto pretty much left us feeling the same way.  I had no problem eating the blondie because it’s filed with sugar and I’m a sucker for anything with sugar in it, but I wouldn’t classify it as a gourmet dessert.  I loved the crunchy peanuts and chewy consistency of the blondie but I’ve gotten just as good if not better high-end baked goods at local coffee shops.  I wasn’t thrilled with the presentation either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all I would give them a 6.5 out of 10.  My impression of Maestro’s was that it’s more of a fine dining restaurant and their prices certainly reflect that.  I have had much better meals at Brown’s Brewing at less then half the price.  I don’t want to say that the food was bad because it wasn’t; it was just way under par for what we had anticipated.  I will absolutely go back but it will be for a couple of drinks on the patio and lamb lollipops. Think I will head to Capriccio afterwards or maybe just Esperanto’s for a dough-boy.  I’ll be conducting my dinners elsewhere going forward.