Red Dog Tavern, Inlet

The Red Dog Tavern is a restaurant with a bar. The tavern area is rather small, but the various photos on the walls of parties past attest to a different level of grandeur. Its demure stature doesn't preclude it from being a fun place to go.

Pam was immediately drawn to their Martini Specials menu. From the list of Nutti, white, dark, appletini, orange and Purple Haze, she chose the Orange Martini. Consisting of orange rum, triple sec, cranberry juice and fresh lime, she claimed to have made the perfect choice, but was yearning to try the Purple Haze too.

Located 8 miles from the hamlet of Old Forge and 3 miles from Inlet, the Red Dog Tavern is a popular destination for people in and in between Old Forge. As we sat at the bar during mid-afternoon on a Saturday, many people filled the restaurant. The bar remained constant, however, with about ten patrons. The bartender, Kathy, was pleasant and obviously had many years of experience in her line of work. She could be found in many of the past party pictures displayed here and there on the walls, and she later advised that she has worked there for more than 8 years.

The Red Dog Tavern has been in business since 1982. The current owner, Diane Doyle, has owned it for the past 3 years. She brings an air of olde Ireland to the tavern. They are notorious for their Armageddon wings and their nachos. The wings, we've been told, are not edible by the average consumer, and may be a challenge for Adam Richman of Man vs. Food on the Food Channel fame? Surprised, though, that Pam didn't get into their nachos, since she has developed such an appetite for them this year. They do close for a few weeks in April and again in November, but promise to be there for you in summer and winter but not before 4pm. They don't have live entertainment, but we found the background music pleasant and unobtrusive.

Seating 12 to 14 at the bar, the view is all windows along the front wall of the bar. A few tables are available in the bar area and the restaurant seating is mostly separated from the bar. A fireplace lines one wall in the tavern. The delicious smell of food permeates every corner. St. Patrick's decorations decorate the walls behind the bar, ready for the next celebration. Pictures and stickers of Red Dogs are scattered throughout, as are Red Dog shirts and hats, adding to the local pub atmosphere.

Whether you're looking for drinks or food, this would be a place not to pass by on your way to or from Old Forge.

HHHP Old Forge Summer Tour Prelude

We arrived in Old Forge on Friday night and decided we were not ready to hit the town. We had our own private wine and cheese party outside our cottage and turned in not as early as we expected. Saturday morning we took an early walk, "casing" the town, went to a few shops, including the must see Old Forge Hardware Store. That included a look in their bookstore, where we hope to see our book properly displayed next year. We then went back to Village Cottages to plan our assault.

We recently discovered that we were on different wavelengths regarding the design of our book, so we took some time to sit in the sun and revisit our differences of opinion. This is what we refer to as our "board meetings". It was too cool for the pool, so we sat in Adirondack chairs and just worked it out. We spent some time with our host, Janet, as she gave us the scoop on the local establishments. By 1 pm, we were ready to hit the bars, knowing we had a lot of ground to cover. On our way to Big Moose Lake, in Inlet I believe, we encountered a bicyclist in our path.

Spandex deteriorates. Ever have a bathing suit that you put on one day and realize you can see through it? OK for your backyard, but you don't wear it to the beach. Bicycle shorts are made out of Spandex, too. As we approached the cyclist, standing to pedal harder, sun at his back, we realized that his Spandex had deteriorated, AND he was cycling "commando" - the crack of his butt visible to all!

Question is, did he know it and do it on purpose? How do you put on your riding shorts and not notice? We pondered that question on and off throughout our Old Forge (and vicinity) tour.

With a new appreciation of "Bottoms Up"!

High Peaks Pammie

Lake George Arts Project's Bands 'n Beans

A fiesta of fun, a frenzy of food, mucho music, Bands 'n Beans rocks for great cause, the Lake George Arts Project. There was no way I could sample all of the 40+ chili entries (I do live with other people), but I did try some that were fabulous. Unfortunately their names escape me now, but I voted for my favorite by remembering where it was located.

Roaring Brook Ranch in Lake George was crowded. Packed, actually. You have to be in the mood for something like this. With a predicted attendance of about 1000, it was probably more like a little under 800 people at any given moment. Maneuvering among the tables is an exercise in maze meandering that changes its configurations every few minutes. Every possible table and chair was crammed into the usually spacious dining room and people still had to take turns sitting down. Two rooms with a variety music and an opportunity to run into friends you never see, it is a social event not to be missed, though socializing can be a little difficult, depending on the volume and one's proximity to the music.

I had networking intentions that didn't pan out as I had hoped, but Pam and I managed to get a few cards out there promoting the blog and Facebook page. We really want some reader suggestions for bars to visit. One couple at our table, Ralph and Allyssa (sorry if I misspelled) seemed interested and I'm looking forward to their recommendations for our trip to Inlet and Old Forge. Not sure when yet, but Pat, a former co-worker, seems to know the North Country events calendar by heart and I'm hoping he sends his suggestions along too.

Comments to Pam or myself may be left in the Happy Hour in the High Peaks blog comment area, or on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/happyhourinthehighpeaks

We're also holding a contest for the best recipe for a new drink, "Cabin Fever". See Pam's Feeling Inspired? entry a few blogs below this one.


Cheers,
Kim