History of Adirondack Food Dinner Experience
Our staple dinner experience for over 50 years with a twist! A forgotten Adirondack culinary tradition where your table is our 25 acres.
Savor a Culinary Journey of Adirondack 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.
Create Your Own Experience
- When you make a dinner reservation, via “Stagecoach (e)mail” you get an arrival time only for your party. Enter the 1800’s Post-office lobby to register your (e)mail for your History of Adirondack Food Tasting Journey.
- Begin at one of the last original Adirondack Lodges by being the only ones to enter through the “hidden door” to the 1920’s Speakeasy where you can view a selection of the 15, 7' informational panels of the five eras including "What did they use?", "What was it like?" and the "Common Roots."
- Delight in the USA TODAY featured Beer & Wine Cellar with the Adirondacks largest selection of craft import beers and sustainable wines. Sample from the monthly themes of the five eras of Adirondack food from the Native Americans and pioneers to the Cure Cottages and Grand Hotels.
- Then, meander with glass in hand to our private beach and a simply awe-inspiring sunset that will recharge your spirit.
- Journey to our Lake View Great Camp to continue the exploration. Here, exhibits, a nightly cooking demo and trivia delight the palate! 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.
- The History of Adirondack Food Dinner Experiences change monthly and follow the eight Adirondack seasons as illustrated in our Common Roots Cookbook.
- Available every Thursday & Saturday. A 3-Course Experience: $49 Per Person. Gratuity will be added.
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 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.”
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dinners include vegetable stock & bone broth soups, Chef Accompaniments (choices vary each evening) such as fresh Lodge garden and farm vegetables, red cabbage, ancient grains such as quinoa, spaetzle or hand-grated potato pancakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Lake Clear Lodge open to the public?
Yes, on a limited basis and everyone must reserve.
Are groups welcome?
Groups to us mean 15 people or more including children. We would be happy to work with you for special timing or meals. Contact us directly.
Are you open other nights?
For special occasions and a minimum number of participants it may be possible, please contact us directly.