Dining Out near White Pine Camp

When we take our "big vacation" each year, we don't want to be compelled to eat out for the duration of our journey. That is another thing that we particularly like about White Pine Camp: a fully equipped kitchen which makes it possible for us to cook our own meals. To paraphrase one staffer: all you need to bring is your own food, and you are ready to go.

The typical White Pine Camp kitchen has everything you will need.

Accordingly, we are no experts on the finer points of the culinary establishments in the Adirondacks, as we only go out to dine in a few exceptional circumstances. These are typically one of three cases: on arrival or departure day, when we have expended all of our energy in the wilderness and want someone else to feed us, or if I am on a Holy-Grail-Pilgrimage to experience a part of American dining culture that I have been missing in Germany. My first recommended dining establishment falls into this third category.

Red Fox Restaurant, Photo from Red Fox Restaurant Facebook page

Red Fox Restaurant

5034 State Route 3
Saranac Lake, New York
Telephone 518-891-2127

on Facebook

Menu in PDF format

Over the years, I have found evolving options to find steak entrées and even dedicated steakhouse restaurants in Germany, but I continue to lament the fact that you can't get prime rib here the way it is classically done in the USA, oven roasted and served sliced, like this:

The American Classic: Prime Rib. Photo Credit: tasty days.com

So, invariably, when traveling in the States, I am on a mission to find my next prime rib dinner. On our last visit to White Pine Camp, we paged through their collection of restaurant information and stumbled on to the Red Fox Restaurant, just outside the village of Saranac Lake. When we asked the management at White Pine Camp about this restaurant, they gave it a lackluster endorsement. They did however mention that it had been a long time since they had been there. The restaurant was destroyed by fire in 2003, and it appears that they really took the opportunity to start out fresh. We were quite pleased by our experience.

Particularly those coming from Europe will want to experience this restaurant as a classic example of old-school American family-style dining. The restaurant includes a full bar and several different dining areas. American-style service includes someone "bussing tables," making sure your (ice)water glass is kept full, and tempting you to fill up on freshly baked bread before your appetizer is served. These may all seem like mundane details, but it is a different style of service than what is common in Europe. Also, these individually owned and operated restaurants, where "family-style" reflects both on the clientele and the management, have become somewhat of a relic in the American dining experience as well. Chain restaurants have taken an increasingly large portion of the market share. It was refreshing to dine in this one-of-a-kind establishment that has a pleasant atmosphere, professional and friendly service, and attention to detail. Oh, and the prime rib was to die for. My wife rated her lobster dinner as "very delicious." The only caveat I would put on this restaurant is that it might be a tiny bit too "adult-like" to be appealing to the youngest in our 2015 group. I believe that my next recommendation is ideal for that group.

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Tail O' The Pup BBQ, Photo from J.M. Greizis flickr stream

Tail O' The Pup BBQ
1152 New York 86

Ray Brook

Telephone +1 518-891-0777

www.tailofthepupbbq.com

In contrast to my recommendation above, this establishment merits mention not as a culinary highlight, but much more as a piece of Americana. As you drive through Ray Brook on Route 86, you can't miss this place, decked out in Red, White and Blue with large signs advertising the location's attractions and a huge statue of a lobster with its claws reaching out as if to flag you into the next empty parking space. In addition to traditional barbecue entries and pulled pork with barbecue sauce, you can also get lobster, clams, Fish N' Chips and everything you would expect to find on the menu of a "greasy spoon" diner. There is an indoor dining area which doesn't come highly recommended, but those who eat here typically sit outside at one of the many red picnic tables, many of which are covered by a tent-like canopy, vaguely reminiscent of Oktoberfest. Live music is regularly featured. The reviews posted online run the gauntlet ranging from heartfelt endorsements to dire warnings.

I have passed this place countless times during and since my childhood as it lies between the Paul Smiths area where ASTC and White Pine Camp are located, and the hiking trails in the high peaks. Ray Brook is almost exactly half way between the villages of Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. With its bright colors and carnival like atmosphere, it is a sight that you remember, particularly because immediately before and after, you were enjoying the serenity of the wilderness. I have never actually stopped to eat here until our 2013 trip to the Adirondacks.

We had a long, wet day on the trail and were covered beyond our knees in mud. We knew that our grime factor vastly exceeded the limits for admittance into any respectable dining establishment, even among the less fussy locations that abound in this region. Too spent to cook a decent meal, we pondered what our alternatives might be. As we began to near the village of Saranac Lake, The Tail O' The Pup beckoned out to us to stop for dinner, and we complied. Dinner consisted of a burger each, one order of fries and one of onion rings. The service was friendly and everything was passable in quality, with one unpleasant surprise. Apparently this place is very proud of their BBQ sauce, not only is it omnipresent, with a bottle of the stuff on every table, but is a standard ingredient on pretty much all of their grilled foods ... including to our surprise, even the cheeseburgers. Still, it is possible to make a judicious selection from the many offerings to find something tasty for most, even if it is not one of the most healthful dining options (grease is a central attraction).

In spite of my limited endorsement of the menu items, I recommend this place for a certain entertainment factor that it has, for the fact that you will never be too grimy to eat here, and I believe that it is a good place to bring kids. Tail O' The Pup gives you the feeling that you have just walked into a cartoon, you won't have to worry about children being on their best behavior or if something gets spilled, and the service is relatively prompt.

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Paul Smith's Campus, Photo from paulsmiths.edu

My last two recommendations are for two dining establishments that I have never actually been to. They are both on the campus and part of the curriculum of Paul Smith's College, just across Osgood Pond from White Pine Camp. So, why I am I recommending TWO dining establishments that I have never actually been to? Well, for one thing, they are very enthusiastically recommended by the staff of White Pine Camp. Also, it is very much an expression of the tradition that Paul Smith himself started on this very site back in 1858, when he built a hotel here. The hotel burned down in 1930, but his son Phelps provided for the creation of this college which was established through the funds left in his will. I discuss the history of Paul Smiths in detail in an earlier blog entry. I believe that eating at a teaching facility such as this is a good way to support future chefs and get good value for money. Finally, there is no place closer to White Pine Camp to go out for a fine dinner.

Dining at Paul Smith's College, Photo from paulsmiths.edu

Since I don't have any personal experience with either of the two restaurants, I'll just insert the basic data here, and I encourage you to visit the website of each, which does an excellent job of presenting their offerings, and includes the current menus.

St. Regis Cafe at Paul Smith's College, Photo from paulsmiths.edu

St. Regis Cafe

Paul Smith's College
7833 New York 30

Paul Smiths, NY 12970

http://www.paulsmiths.edu/stregis

Lunch: Monday-Friday. Seatings at 11:30 a.m., noon and 12:30 p.m.
Dinner: Wednesday. Seatings at 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m.

Reservations are required.
(518) 327-6355
Reservations taken Monday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

The Palm at Paul Smith's College, Photo from paulsmiths.edu

The Palm at Paul Smith's College

Cantwell Hall
7833 New York 30
Paul Smiths, NY 12970

http://www.paulsmiths.edu/thepalm

Friday and Saturday evenings
Seatings available at 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00 and 8:30 p.m.

Reservations are required.

For reservations: (518) 327-6443

EMAIL: THE PALM

Food preparation at Paul Smith's College, Photo from paulsmiths.edu

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Curiously Adirondack - Catch Our Drift: Why Adirondackers Love Winter, Sort Of

Here is the final new addition to the "Curiously Adirondack" youtube video series by Ed Kanze and Josh Clement.

In this episode, local residents hunker down for a snowy winter.

The entire series consists of eight episodes, which can be found online:

- Catch Our Drift: Why Adirondackers Love Winter, Sort Of
- Fifty Beds, Two Lakes, And An Otter: Bartlett's Hotel In Its Heyday, 1854-1884
- Intervale Lowlands: Biologist Larry Master Re-Wilds 135 Acres Near Lake Placid
- What Does The Moose Say?
- Adirondack Exercise Club
- Dirt, Food, and Friends: Fledging Crow Farm Celebrates The Harvest
- Asleep Beneath The Sod: Saranac Lake's Historic Pine Ridge Cemetery
- Slimed! Adirondack Kids Love Amphibians!

Ed Kanze, photo credit http://www.edwardkanze.com

You can also find a link to a longer interview of Ed Kanze in my previous blog post here.

And, one of Ed Kanze's books is among my recommended books about the Adirondacks, which I list in this blog post.

Those joining us at White Pine Camp will have the opportunity to go on a nature walk with Ed.

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Adirondacks Reading List

There are lots of great books about the Adirondacks. The ones I have singled out here are those I think will me most interesting and useful in connection with our get together at White Pine Camp.

The Adirondacks: A History of America's First Wilderness

by Paul Schneider

This book is the most comprehensive history of the park that I have read, going back to early colonial times. This book is has been a great resource for me, and I have drawn from it a number of times in various blog entries. It is also a great read.

available

- at amazon.com

- at amazon.de

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Adirondack Life and Wildlife in the Wild Wild East

by Edward Kanze

This book is on my current reading list, and I can't wait to get a copy!

It is a very personal account by Ed Kanze about establishing his homestead in the park, where his ancestors settled generations ago. As a lifelong naturalist, he weaves his own personal family story with that of the history of the area and also has lots of keen obesrvations about the wildlife in the park. In my recent blog entry, I have more information about Ed Kanze, including a video of Ed discussing this book, among other things.

I very much look forward to meeting Ed next summer while at White Pine Camp. We will do our best to make sure that a nature walk is coordinated with our time in camp.

Other books written by Ed Kanze are described on his website. It is also possible to order books, also autographed copies, directly from the Author by filling in your information and the name of the book you want here. (Those joining us at White Pine Camp can save shipping by asking him to bring a copy with him when he gives his Tuesday nature walk at camp.)

available
- at amazon.com
- at amazon.de
- at The Bookstore Plus (East Main St. in Lake Placid, NY)

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Adirondack Trails High Peaks Region (Forest Preserve, Vol. 1)

by Tony Goodwin

This is the quintessential guide to have with you on the trail in the Adirondack High Peaks. It is part of a series with eight seven volumes, the others being Northern, Central, Northville-Placid Trail, West-Central, Eastern, Southern, Catskills. With the exception of the volume on the Catskills, all of the remaining volumes are for other geographical areas in the Adirondacks. The book also includes a topographic map of the hiking trails covered in the book. The series is published by ADK, the Adirondack Mountain Club, which is dedicated to protecting the New York State forest preserve and promoting its responsible use. We have wanted to get a copy of the Northern Region guide as well, since this one covers the Paul Smiths area - but it appears to be out of print. Checking amazon.com, which is currently offering a new copy of the book for $106 and a used copy for $25, seems to confirm that suspicion. Luckily, the guide to the High Peaks region is a classic that will likely be available forever.

One critique that I have read about the 13th and 14th editions is that they are not as "trail friendly" as previous editions. The older guides had a quality stitched binding, a water resistant semi-stiff cover, rounded corners and a size that fits in a hiker's pocket. Starting with the 13th edition, which we also have, they have changed over to a basic glued binding, flimsy laminated cover, square corners and larger format which you can no longer conveniently stuff into your back pocket.

available
- at amazon.com (Caution: appears to be a marketplace offer for the previous edition only!)
- at amazon.de (I won't include the link because the price listed is prohibitive!)
- at adk.org

Note: Amazon.com only appears to be showing the 13th Edition, which is no longer in print. I still included the link to the amazon.com site as it has the handy "Look Inside" feature, giving you a good impression about what to expect from this book. I was only able to find the 14th edition directly at the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) website. ADK is also the publisher of the book.

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Discover the Northern Adirondacks: Four-Season Excursions from Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Points North

by Barbara McMartin & Bill Ingersoll

This book is complimentary to the High Peaks guide mentioned above, but centered around the White Pine Camp area. This one fills the void left by the ADK series mentioned above. It also gives interesting historical information and a reproduction of a topographical map in black and white, in a 15 page section of the book. It is a particularly good resource if you are considering the camping option I mentioned in my recent blog entry.

available
- at amazon.com
- at amazon.de (I won't include the link because it only references an old 1988 edition, which is currently not available)

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Kids on the Trail: Hiking With Children in the Adirondacks
by Rose Rivezzi and David Trithart

Great book to find hiking trails in the Adirondacks that are fun for kids and as well as parents and other adults joining them. The book also has ideas to help children learn to love hiking and get the most out of the experience, with special considerations for infants and toddlers (0-2), young children (2-5) and older children (6-12).

I first discovered this book as reference guide on hand at Adirondack Swim and Trip Camp (ASTC). I mention this in particular because the folks at ASTC really know the high peaks region, and took me into the high peaks on overnight hiking trips many times. I discuss my experience with ASTC in detail here, have listed the trails I have climbed with ASTC (and since) here, and discuss my first ASTC climb here.

This book is also published by the Adirondack Mountain Club.

available
- at amazon.com
- at.amazon.de

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Essex On Lake Champlain, NY
by David C. Hislop Jr.

Of particular interest for anyone approaching from the east, perhaps crossing Lake Champlain on the ferry. Read my blog entry about Essex on Lake Champlain for more information and links to additional resources.

available
- at amazon.com
- at amazon.de

Other Adirondacks Reading Suggestions

Also, check out the fall reading list listed on adirondack.net for more great book suggestions.

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