Well,
save the drive. You only have to go up the Northway to Exit 11 and
go east for about a mile to find that type of dining experience.
The
recently opened Lake Ridge Restaurant, is a terrific hideaway
located in the middle of Round Lake, which is itself a unique
community that has kept its small-town integrity, while others
surrounding it have been seduced by commercial development.
The
meal Long Term and I had on a recent weekday evening was one of
the better dining experiences we've had in the area.
The
food, prepared by chef Scott Ringwood and the mood created by host
Bob McKenna is one of casual sophistication that is inviting and
genuine.
Their
names might have a sense of the familiar about them, as the two
were part of the team that made the Olde Dater Tavern a Clifton
Park landmark for so many years.
After
selling Olde Dater, McKenna purchased the building that housed the
Sweet Nothings Restaurant. He's done extensive remodeling and has
created a restaurant that has little in common with his past at
Olde Dater, except a commitment to making the customer happy.
It's
easy to be happy at Lake Ridge. Indeed, this would be a nice place
to eat if the food were just average. But average is not a word
you'll find again in this review. This is an upscale restaurant at
which everything is first rate.
To
begin with, the space is charming. The high-ceiling main dining
area has been made intimate by a comfortable and relaxing paint
scheme and reducing the seating capacity from 36 to 22 people by
increasing the distance between tables.
They've
converted the former retail space to two smaller dining areas,
with a roaring fireplace in one. Both offer a comfortable sense of
privacy.
This
same sense of individuality carries over to the menu, which is
small enough to seem almost personalized. It is obvious a document
that changes frequently to take advantage of available fresh
products.
Indeed,
at our visit, there were only eight entrees listed along with
three specials. Most of which hovered between $16-$20.
Appetizers
are equally narrow in choice, with only six offered. We opted to
share the Bostonian Shrimp at $9. The dish consists of four shrimp
stuffed with horseradish and wrapped in bacon, accompanied by a
dipping sauce that was primarily soy sauce.
Not
only was it a fantastic beginning, as all the distinctive flavors
combined for a superior whole, it foretold the quality of what was
to follow.
Despite
the short list of entrees, the fact that everything sounds
enticing makes it harder to make a selection than at one of those
chains with 14 pages of unexciting choices. At Lake Ridge, you
know the food is prepared for the individual and that personal
care goes into each offering.
I
picked the Pork Rack Chop at $17.50, while Long Term was turned on
by the Sea Scallops special served over linguine for $18. They
were both winners.
My
chop was huge, about two inches thick, covered with a sensational
pecan coating. The cherry demi glaze brought tartness to the dish
that had my mouth quivering with delight. The lean chop was cooked
to perfection, while the delicate richness of the pecan crust was
an ideal complement to the cherry sauce.
Usually
a good glass of wine is pleasure in itself. This time my $4.50
glass of B.V. Coastal Chardonnay was a needed beverage with which
to neutralize the richness of the meal. The combination was as
satisfying as it was delicious.
Just
as our excellent salads were made better by quality dressings
(Creamy Blue Cheese for Long Term, Herb Raspberry Vinaigrette for
me), my meal was improved by perfectly prepared roasted potatoes
and a large yam that was sweet and luscious.
Long
Term's Sea Scallops with linguine was more than advertised. It
included black pepper linguine as well as the traditional linguine
and came with a number of bonus ingredients, such as mushrooms,
scallions and small cherry tomatoes, all capped by a
flavor-enhancing teriyaki butter. The scallops were delicate,
large and abundant.
Even
though we each finished only about half our individual portions,
we still felt deserving of dessert.
We
split a piece of J&S Watkins triple chocolate cake that was as
fantastic as everything else we sampled. The various chocolates
blended to form a perfect whole that was neither too sweet nor too
rich to be enjoyed. It was another $4.50 well spent, as we
devoured it while sipping a very good cup of coffee.
There
might be better bargains available, but for a complete dining
experience, it is hard to do better than Lake Ridge Restaurant.
The atmosphere, the warm, friendly and professional service, and
the high standards of the kitchen make it one of the area's finer
restaurants.
And
the prices are not unreasonable. The entire meal, with an
appetizer, a glass of wine and a dessert, complete with tax and a
20 percent tip, totaled a very fair $72.45.
Call
ahead for reservations. Lake Ridge is already a very popular
restaurant; it does a good business during the week and is usually
full on weekends - deservedly so.