By WILLIAM M. DOWD, Associate editor
First published: Sunday, October 28, 2001

ROUND LAKE -- Bob McKenna and Scott Ringwood went through more than six months of zoning wrangling to realize their goal of renovating an old commercial building in this Saratoga County village to create an upscale dining space.

For them, it was a lot of nail-biting and angst. For the dining public, it was worth the wait.

Open barely a month, Lake Ridge is offering just what McKenna's and Ringwood's business card promises: good food, good drink and good company.

A quartet of us visited on a recent weeknight and were pleased from the moment we entered the former Sweet Nothings building.

In this little community, perhaps best known for such things as its annual summer antique pipe organ concert series and its annual antiques festival -- 29 years and counting, a new restaurant is an event.

``We already have had to turn people away or ask them to wait quite a while on Friday and Saturday nights,'' McKenna said. ``The word of mouth has been great. And, of course, Scott has quite a following.''

Ringwood, the chef as well as co-owner, had been head chef at the Olde Dater Tavern in nearby Malta for nearly a dozen years.

When it was temporarily closed before reopening under new ownership, Ringwood and McKenna began their quest for a new place.

Ringwood was fortunate enough to keep assistant chefs Jim Cafaro and Jackie Murray from his old staff. Thus, what comes out of their kitchen is a bit more sophisticated that what a brand-new team might be producing.

The renovation of 35 Burlington Ave., just off Northway Exit 11, has left no trace of the former business.

Three dining rooms in a bold green and burgundy color scheme and seasonal floral displays create a cozy atmosphere in a white-linen place.

Ringwood's menu is small -- a half-dozen appetizers, eight entrees plus several specials -- but varied; he plans to virtually double it before long.

The wine list, while also small, is nicely varied in selections and price ($17 to $26), each of the dozen offerings available by the glass ($4.50 to $6.75).

We opened with a round of different wines -- Shiraz, Riesling, pinot noir and pinot grigio -- and found this a great way to create our own sampling flight.

Over the wine and a basket of warm rolls with garlic-spiked butter, we made our selections.

Since the four of us have a habit of creating impromptu smorgasbords by sharing all our dishes, we wound up with a delectable array.

Tender artichoke hearts with a heady four-cheese herbed stuffing competed for attention with the Bostonian shrimp -- large crustaceans stuffed with a bit of horseradish, wrapped in bacon then grilled till crisp.

Then there was a flaky Napolean with portobello mushroom, roasted red peppers, leeks and feta cheese layered within a flaky puff pastry. And a dish of tender escargot in a savory black bean/sundried tomato ragout couldn't be ignored. Thumbs-up all the way around.

A nice house salad of field greens with a bleu cheese/dill dressing provided a good intermission. Then, it was on to the main course.

Mr. Brown's pan-roasted duck breast special was above average, flavorful and still moist. Likewise with Mrs. Brown's generous swordfish fillet, prepared in an herbed crust topped with a lemon/caper beurre blanc (and, she reported, the leftovers were excellent warmed over for lunch the next day). Constant Companion deemed her sauteed shrimp dish excellent: a half-dozen large shrimp sauteed with roasted tomatoes, pine nuts and fresh basil in a balsamic vinegar/butter sauce. All three were served with a wild rice mixture and sauteed squashes.

My filet mignon was grilled perfectly medium-rare, butter-soft and served with a zesty garlic/merlot demi glace, roast potatoes and sauteed squashes.

Desserts were balls of strawberry ice cream and pecans covered in a chocolate shell, much like the tartuffo served in many American-Italian restaurants.

Our bill -- before tip and wine -- was $113.50, or $28.38 each.

All in all, it's good to keep Ringwood's culinary skills in the Capital Region, and Lake Ridge is a pleasing venue to showcase them.