I've been having a number of strange dining experiences lately. Perhaps it is because I am myself strange and thus attract such a thing. In deciding to go to the View, I didn't need to look at reviews beforehand. My family has been coming to Lake Placid for over two decades at this point and we've probably stayed at Mirror Lake Inn a dozen or so times--yet for whatever reason, we were never intent on exploration what had been under our noses for so long. But we knew it was the only true "fine dining" experience in Lake Placid, so we figured 2018 would be the year. After making the reservation, the curiosity bug hit me and I decided to skim the reviews. A tale of two restaurants, my goodness! This should be interesting, I thought. And it was. Despite a waitress who had clearly taken a bath in pure grade, full-spectrum Attitude, our overall experience here was positive. Delicious food, well placed service and by the far the best wine selection you'll find in Lake Placid. It will cost you a pretty penny, but it's an upscale restaurant in a destination town, so it's not surprising.
We made a reservation here for 8pm on a Tuesday night. This is the type of venue that requires a credit card upon booking, so don't be that person who cancels last minute. The dining space here is much more expansive than I expected. Not that my expectations were based on anything substantial, but I was impressed with the space.
Sitting down, we met our waitress. A curious lady, and the one unsettling aspect of our dining experience here. She started off okay, but when presented with a challenge of portion knowledge and unconventional dining preferences, she did not address it with grace. The bf and I wanted to share a few different-sized plates, and we asked if the quantity of food would be too much. She seemed unsure, vacillating a bit, and eventually said we'd be fine, though did not seem at all convinced. I asked her if she was sure it wasn't too much, if she thought perhaps we needed to change anything and she responded curtly: "I just said it wasn't,", then darted away out of sight. Not long after the fact, she returned with some bad news: they were out of one of the appetizers we ordered. We then decided we'd try the fish of the day, which she proceeded to fight be on for five minutes, continuing to assert that we were going to be subbing and entree for an appetizer, a fact that we were well aware of. It appeared to break her brain that we were suggesting what we were suggesting. The rest of the evening was thankfully went more smoothly, but it was indeed strange.
There was a bit of redemption at least, as we had a lovely experience with the View's sommelier. Charming and knowledgable, he came over to shower us with lovely, pretentious facts about our wine. Three of us ordered the rosé flight (a fantastic deal, by the way), which consists of three distinct and very yummy wines. Two that felt pretty familiar, one that was incredibly unique--the closest a pink wine could possibly get to a red. Went beautifully with our mains. An intelligent grouping paired with pleasant interaction.
As I mentioned, the food here is not cheap. But again, remember the View is rated by This Magazine and That Prestigious Regional List and That Wine Publication so you're paying for that as well. Even so, the food is great. See below:
House-smoked Trout, sea salt cured and apple wood smoked w/ petite greens and herbs, Dijon vinaigrette, pickled onions, horseradish-dill crème fraiche, trout caviar: A+
Great choice for a starter. Flavorful and nearly decadent, pairing this with the creme fraiche was just delightful. A well-thought out, well-executed dish.
Field Greens and Vegetables w/ tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled onions, fresh lemon and Saratoga olive oil, candied pine nuts, creamy local Asgaard feta dressing: B+
Pass. We wanted some greens so opted for the menu's lone veggie dish, but it was underwhelming. Perfectly fine for a dinner salad, but it won't wow you.
Braised Lamb Cheeks w/ red Verjus, garlic and rosemary, saffron scented couscous, spinach and mint purée, petite turnips and baby summer squash, grilled green onion, mâche, braised jus lié: A+
Our lovely waitress felt the need to show us--on her face, in case we were confused about what type of cheeks the menu referred to--where the lamb meat would be coming from. I'm perfectly alright eating meat, but I don't want to think of a little lamb and its little, underdeveloped lamb cheeks as I'm eating. We did, however, forget quickly, because this dish was straight fire. Unbelievably juicy and tender, melt-in-your-mouth good. All accompaniments were tasty as well and I loved the use of the spinach puree.
Market Fish (Striped Bass) w/ beets, braised leeks, jasmine rice: A
Straightforward but not boring. Cooked well, super fresh. I love beets all year round but these were particularly good. Didn't overpower the fish, just added some more variety to the flavor profile. read more