History of Food Tasting Experience

Taste your way through History with fun trivia, cooking demos, tales and stories as you savor the days of the Native Americans and pioneers to the Cure Cottage and Great Camp era. Explore this in our 1886 Stagecoach Dining Room, 1920's Speakeasy and incredible sunset beach.

Savor a Culinary Journey of Cuisine!

The Great Camp dining experience has always been about the expansive spaces of the Adirondacks. Located not on main street, but set apart on idyllic woods and water, it was to be immersive dining where you could soak in magnificent nature and explore spaces from hidden Speakeasy’s to Stagecoach dining rooms. In this iconic tradition, a special Adirondack History of Food Tasting Journey awaits you with tasting stations spread out over 25 acres of wooded trails and beach.

  • Begin in one of the last original Adirondack Lodges by entering through the “hidden door” to the 1920’s Speakeasy. Explore the USA TODAY featured Beer & Wine Cellar with the Adirondacks largest selection of craft import beers and sustainable wines.
  • Start off with an appetizer sampler from the five eras of Adirondack Food while Ernest Hohmeyer gives an overview of the History of Adirondack Food.
  • Then, meander to the 1886 Stagecoach dining room for four courses developed from the eras of Adirondack Food, from the Native Americans to the Cure Cottage Days and Farm-to-Fork.
  • Let Executive Chef Cathy Hohmeyer guide your journey as she gives demos, trivia, and insight into each course and the history behind it. All in spacious seating that for over 50 years the hand-crafted nature of our Old World food preparation has necessitated limiting our dining to 50 guests.
  • A five-course tasting dinner experience through the History of Adirondack Food.

The Five Eras of Adirondack Food

Native American Era

The first peoples in the Adirondack region eventually formed the 6 Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. Today in the Adirondacks this includes the Akwesasne, founded by the Mohawks. The Mohawks, or Kanien'kehá:ka (“People of the Flint”), were the easternmost people of the Confederacy. Their reverence of nature and the land established ancient sustainable food practices such as the cultivation of the "3 Sisters.”

NA
Approx. 1800s

Pioneer Era

They came for outdoor recreation, to lumber and mine the Mountains, and to get away from it all. Working the Great Camps, guiding, and developing the nascent tourism industry were a few of the many diverse faces of the pioneer period. They lived off the land, they were builders and had one thing they all shared: their love of the Adirondacks. They were proud to be its first "European settlers.” This diversity set the stage for what is the unique and eclectic Adirondack Cuisine today. Yet they all shared 3 Common Roots to today's palette. Can you name them?

PN
Approx. 1800 - 1900

Cure Cottage Era

The story of the Adirondacks can be told in 50 years, from 1850 to 1900. From the remote, arduous journey of the rugged Slyvan Mountains, where it would take you days to travel here, to the trains that linked Lake Clear to New York City, our area blossomed in a unique way. Wellness is one of the Adirondacks oldest and often forgotten economies. Tuberculosis (TB) affected all walks of life and they journeyed here for the clean air and the therapeutic qualities of its trees.

CC
Approx. 1870 - 1950

Grand Hotel Era

The era of extravagance and simplicity evidenced in the complexity of what was the Roaring 20s. From elegant Great Camps and Grand Hotels to rustic lodges and camping. From 5-course dining and black tie dancing to game foods and small farms. This all led to an era that represents the Adirondacks most diverse cuisine. None other typified by the many European immigrants who called this their Adirondack Alps, hence the name of our restaurant, and were instrumental in assisting Lake Placid to be able to host the 3rd Winter Olympic games in 1932.

GH
Approx. 1850 - 1970

Farm to Fork Era

The buy local movement is often perceived as a recent culinary trend. In the Adirondacks, it is in our roots. The remoteness of our area, the harsh conditions, the expense of delivering products necessitated living off the land, artisan farming, and gardening. Fermenting, bone broths and vegetable stocks were all a necessity where the growing season is short - and temperamental. Today, the Adirondacks have experienced a renaissance in local products which range from maple syrup to grass-fed meats and from local wines and beers to exotic vegetables.

FF
Approx. 2000s +

Sample Menu Only; Menu Varies Nightly & With Fresh Deliveries

History of Food Tasting Menu

Five course tasting following the month's theme and the five eras of Adirondack Food: 
Appetizer sampler, soup, salad, entrée sampler, and dessert sampler.

Appetizer Sampler

Start off in the 1920s Speakeasy Rathskeller

Smoked Trout w/ Horseradish Mayo

Freshly-smoked trout with Chef Cathy's horseradish sauce.

Local Artisan Cheese

A sampler of local artisan cheese flavors.

Bone Broth Soup

In the 1886 Stagecoach Dining Room

Garden Tomato Basil

Fresh garden tomatoes, basil, onions, and
zucchini in a creamy bone-broth stock.

Farm-Fresh Salad

Old World Cucumber Salad

Farmer-delivered cucumbers marinated in a live apple cider
vinegar dressing with fresh greens from Tucker Farms.

Entrée Sampler

Salmon Schnitzel

Salmon is hand-cut, hand-pounded and sautéed in real butter with herbs,
spices and fresh bread-crumbs from an Old World medieval family recipe.

Adirondack Beef Rouladen

A top round of beef is thinly sliced, rolled with bacon, onion and pickle, then
slow-roasted with vegetables. From the juices, a red wine sauce is made.

Vegetable Rösti

Tucker Farms potatoes and hand-shredded with herbs and spices and sautéed until crisp
in a cast iron skillet. Topped with fresh vegetables and Meier's (local) cheese.

Dessert Sampler

Mountain Berry Pie

Seasonal fruits, berries, and rhubarb baked in a fresh pie.

German Chocolate Brownie

Gooey chocolate brownies layered and topped with a coconut frosting and graham crackers.

Three Generations of the Hohmeyer Family Invite You

We fuse an 100-mile culinary focus with Old World imagination. Chef Cathy’s family built the Lake Clear Lodge in 1886, sold it and eventually Ernest’s European family purchased it nearly 80 years later. This history unknown until after Cathy & Ernest were married. This fate stirs our cuisine of Adirondack pioneering roots and Old World essences. This is blended with Cathy’s signature “nutritional energetics," redefining food and cooking through a greater holistic recipe to encompass the fusion of our body, mind and spirit. We honor the timeless practices of slow cooking, vegetable stocks, bone broths, essential oils, and natural herbs and spices. It is all a part of natural essences that are drawn from the hands of four-generations that continue to hand-cut the stocks, stir the slow roasts and bake artisan desserts with imaginative recipes from a fusion of Old World and Adirondack essences as the Adirondack Park’s longest operating Great Camp.

Reserve Your Seat

Use the form to the right (below on mobile) to get started with your reservation! Please keep in mind that the History of Adirondack Food Experience is only available on Thursdays from the end of June through August and, as with all of our experiences, is limited. If you are interested, we recommend reserving your seat today!

Schedule of Themes

This is our tentative schedule of themes for the summer and fall. Please keep in mind that this is for sample purposes only, and the nightly theme is subject to change without notice.

  • Thursday, September 7th: Adirondack Fall Fest History Dinner
  • Thursday September 14th: History & Myths of German Foods
  • Thursday, September 21st: History of Octoberfest Foods - It May Not Be What You Think!
  • Thursday, September 28th: Medieval Times: Feasts, Spirits & Knightly Foods 
  • Thursday, October 5th: History & Myths of German Foods
  • Thursday, October 12th: History, Myths & Legends of Haunted & Ghoulish Food Rituals
Policies, Terms, & Conditions
  • Incidentals and extras such as, but not limited to drinks, appetizers, desserts, and workshops are not included.
  • We are a restaurant and have a liquor license from the State of New York. This license and our insurance require that you do not bring any alcoholic beverage that has NOT been purchased from the Lake Clear Lodge/Adirondack Alps Restaurant to the property. Please do not bring your own beverages to our property or restaurant; they will be confiscated. Thank you for your understanding.
  • Our limited experiences require a full, non-refundable deposit. Your credit card will be charged upon booking. If you are concerned about a having to cancel, we recommend purchasing travel insurance.
  • The Lake Clear Lodge & Retreat is a limited seating/participation facility and the Lodge Staff is preparing activities for you. If you need to cancel your experience, please let us know as soon as possible.
  • Info, policies, prices, advertisements, menus, etc. are subject to change without notice.