Lisa G's Lake Placid

Sweet, naive, kinda dumb. Pam is none of these things, though somehow the Rose Nylund appealed to her. Opposite attraction? A pretty pink drink of Citron vodka, cranberry juice, rose water and lemon, its distinct rose petal flavor can be a bit unusual.

The final Happy Hour in the High Peaks Lake Placid Summit Tour venue, we went straight to the bar at Lisa G's, soliciting drink suggestions from Jecinda, our young and energetic bartender. She proved to be knowledgeable, sociable, professional, and seemed to enjoy her work. Simultaneously filling orders and answering our questions or elaborating on a particular cocktail, Jecinda stated, "It's all about the accessories, like the shoes or the purse," as she whipped up a Lychee Margarita, rimmed with lime zest, sugar and salt while Daniel, self-proclaimed "server extraordinaire", waited for his order.

Variety and creativity sprinkled with intelligence and a sense of humor pervade the entire experience, from Lisa G's fun and quirky website to the tongue-in-cheek menu descriptions. Tastefully furnished with craftsman style tables and stools and plenty of seating at the long cherry bar, the pub at Lisa G's has an upscale but relaxed and eclectic feel enhanced by several original paintings whose bold and sometimes garish colors seem influenced by both Matisse and Toulouse-Lautrec. A sitting area of plump stuffed furniture and a patterned carpet soften some of the edginess within the burgundy painted pine walls and hardwood floor. A pool table in the back lay dormant as we dined, supervised by two of the paintings.

Several specialty drinks, most priced at $7, tempt the adventurous while a plentiful selection of wines, drafts and bottled beers beckon the more conventional. Utica Club and PBR in cans are available for those with even simpler palates. Margarita variations include the previously noted Lychee margarita and the mango margarita (more mango than 'rita) with a cinnamon rim which we got to try.

The lunch and dinner menus offer a mouth-watering variety without having to take out a second mortgage. Kim's dinner choice of lemon Caesar salad - fresh, crisp and tangy - was a perfect light ending to an arduous day of "work", though did little to absorb the libations of a nine-hour day. We had been to The Cottage, Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, Straight Shot and PJ O'Neill's that day and were ready to bring the Lake Placid Tour to a close. No performance is complete without an encore, so we returned to our room to let loose the growler of porter for which we had bartered two Happy Hour in the High Peaks hats at Great Adirondack Steak and Seafood the night before. Feeling like we had barely scratched the surface, we're hoping to return to Lake Placid to see what we missed (or can't remember), perhaps during the winter. Meanwhile, we forge ahead and soon begin the Old Forge pub crawl reviews.

Cheers and Bottoms Up!
Kim & Pam

HHHP does Lake Placid

Brett, bartender at Zigzags. He's bringin' sexy back.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words (or at least a few) we feature a photo gallery of today's adventures.

We started in the Zigzag Pub and did not want to leave. We've never been welcomed with such enthusiasm or made so many friends.

Our new best buds, Tony and Wayne

No kidding, hugs were exchanged as we left. Great customers and bartenders. Everyone was eager to talk to us, we gave out HHHP cards like candy and just felt really at home. Without even visiting other bars we knew it would be tough to top this place. In retrospect, our predictions were correct.

Off we went to the Great Adirondack Steak and Seafood Pub and Brewery, followed closely by pub owner Rob Kane whom we spotted about a block behind us. We were warmly welcomed by Tom, general manager and bartender of the pub and enjoyed some of the best beers we've ever had. The Abbey Ale was mellow, warmly flavored and slightly sweet with a fuzzy head of dense foam. The porter was smoky and decadent. Pam had something grape rum based (who knew there was grape rum??!!) with a splash of grape rum and Chambord. It was something like a Grape Crush.

Next stop: Dancing Bears. It was an absolutely gorgeous place. Upscale in appearance with clean architectural lines and a reasonably priced and delectable menu. I have to say, though food is somewhat off limits in the reviewing realm, the nachos were the BEST we'd ever had, both in presentation and flavor. The calamari, not so much. Anybody who orders calamari in Lake Placid gets what they get.



Finally, on our first night in Lake Placid, it's back to the hotel already. We had to return to the Great Adirondack Brewing Company because a growler to go sounds like a great idea. Plus, the bottle's gorgeous. Interesting, but we cut a deal with some patrons who traded a full growler for two Happy Hour in the High Peaks hats. Sounded good so we went for it.

Good Trade:
 2 Happy Hour in the High Peaks Hats (limited edition) for a growler of Porter.

More adventures tomorrow...