Hi, all! This is Kelly’s husband, Andrew. We just got back from a week-long visit with my parents, who live in the Adirondack Mountains. I thought I’d tell you about our favorite restaurants around Lake George, New York. I’ve been vacationing there my whole life, but my parents never took me and my sisters out to eat. So, it was fun to now explore “new” places with my wife. Our restaurant search was refined by the necessity of finding gluten-free food (Kelly is celiac), but these places will appeal to any diner with a discerning palate and an eye for ambience (i.e. hipsters like me! 😂).
We’ll start with Bolton Landing. This is a charming lake-side town full of quality gift shops, well-curated antique stores, and restaurants:
Bolton Beans
Bolton Beans, Bolton Landing
Bolton Beans is a delightfully retro diner that has been in Bolton Landing since 1989. The structure is a 1940s railroad dining car that features charming wood booths, a tile floor, a counter with spiny-seated stools, with chrome accents all around. There isn’t a dedicated gluten-free menu, but the staff is knowledgeable and will make sure to prepare your omelets and scrambles away from gluten ingredients. Kelly has never had a problem in the years we’ve eaten there. We always order the Super Potatoes Carnivore or the Adirondack Hungry Person.
Cate’s
Cate’s Italian Garden, Bolton Landing
Cate’s Italian Garden in Bolton Landing lists gluten-free options on their menu, including an excellent pizza and gluten-free pasta. Their indoor and outdoor seating are both very charming with walls of vintage posters, old photos of Bolton Landing, and lots of string lights. Last year our waiter made a comment that gluten-free pasta isn’t real pasta, but forget that guy. Their idea of real pasta is just dry pasta from a box anyway. 😂
The Sagamore, Bolton Landing
Many Lake George hotel signs make the claim that they are “resorts,” simply because they have lake access, but The Sagamore Resort is the real deal (I mean, check out their website for all their activities and amenities). If you have a more moderate dining budget it’s wise to go to a nice restaurant at lunch—and that’s what we did! The Sagamore has half a dozen places to get food. We ate at the Pavilion, which is a two-level restaurant right on the water’s edge. The architectural details reminds me of the tour boats that cruise up and down the lake, and the server’s uniforms make them resemble a ship crew. They have gluten-free bread, so you can order any of their burgers or sandwiches. And several of the other menu items are naturally gluten-free.
Blue Water Manor
Blue Water Manor, Bolton Landing
Blue Water Manor has been on the lake for almost a hundred years! Five years ago it came under new management and their updates included a menu that is very accommodating to gluten-free guests. We wish we had known sooner! Every year my aunt takes us on a boat ride, and she points out the lake-side bar as we motor by. Kelly and I didn’t expect to find food that we can eat, but we thought we’d at least go for cocktails. The rustic style hotel bungalows and the stone restaurant are just what you’d want from a place in the Adirondacks, and the bay view from their bar was fantastic! I got their Mohican Mojito with blueberries—I love it when a place applies a theme to their menu items (Last of the Mohicans takes place around Lake George, and blueberries grow wild there). We were so pleased to see all the gluten-free food (for whatever reason their website menu doesn’t list their gluten-free options, but their paper menus do). When we were there it was a little too early for a fun dinner, but their buffalo wings were especially good.
Lake George Village is at the south end of the lake. It’s more touristy. Here you can enjoy the finest in kitchy miniature golfing (my wife and kids prefer Goony Golf for its variety and scale), board a steam ship for a cruise on the lake, tour the Fort William Henry Museum, or visit the many restaurants and bars. We spent time at two places:
Biscotti Brothers, Lake George Village
We loved Biscotti Brothers at 1 Canada St, Lake George, NY 12845 (they don’t have a website!) Early in the week I was hunting for a coffee shop. The first place I called told me “Uhhhh, noooo” when I asked if they had gluten-free items. However, the guy who answered the phone at Biscotti Brothers immediately said, “Yes, of course!” We came here twice, but actually had three meals. Their lattes (with almond milk!) are the best around. I got an egg and sausage breakfast sandwich (on a very good gluten-free bun), and Kelly got gluten-free pancakes with bacon. After eating we ordered a lunch for our hike to Shelving Rock Falls. I felt silly carrying a takeout bag while walking on the forested path, but the meal was worth the incongruity. I ate my turkey club and fries while dangling my feet in a cool pool at the base of the falls. Kelly had a salad of some kind (we don’t remember what). Later in the week we came back to Biscotti Brothers for breakfast with the kids and my mom, and of course, more of their fantastic lattes.
The Tiki Resort, Lake George
Tiki Resort, Lake George Village
Kelly and I have been going to tiki bars lately. There are plenty in southern California, but it’s funny to encounter one in the pine forest of the Adirondack Mountains. There are palm trees decorating the outside of The Tiki Resort, but they’re made of plastic! Although the website doesn’t say how long the resort has been there, I’m sure it goes back to the 1960s. When I was a kid siting in the back seat of my parents car I always thought this resort looked cool. After almost 4 decades, this was my first visit inside. There is a bland-looking hotel cafe by the checkin area, and a standard patio out back, but the decor of the tiki bar and stage area is excellent.
We looked at their framed menu. Not only is nothing gluten-free… none of the items have anything to do with Polynesian/Hawaiian food. But, we weren’t there to eat. I got a mai tai, and Kelly got some kind of a coconut cocktail. They weren’t great: The cups were plastic, the garnishes were meager, and the drinks themselves were weak. But that’s OK. The space was just delightful! It felt like a Pacific island lodge: bamboo beams, walls of woven matting, and tiki sculptures of course. We will definitely go back again for more drinks!
Cheers! Andrew
