So my wife and I were looking at menus in a local guide to Lake Placid restaurants, and we came across the Alpine Cellar, located downstairs at the Alpine Inn, a motel near downtown. The menu advertised German fare from wursts to schnitzels, sauerbraten to smoked pork chops with applesauce. My wife really enjoys that kind of food, especially roasted meats with red cabbage - plus it's 40 degrees and damp here. The stars seemed aligned for an enjoyable, rewarding meal.
We were wrong! Not because the place isn't cool (it is) or because their food is not "authentic" or good (it is). It took 20 minutes just to have our drink orders taken, and another 20 for our food order to be taken! Then it took 15 more before I got my salad. After another 15 we asked for rolls but were brought pretzels (soft ones with brown mustard, very good too) instead. Finally, after about an hour and 15 mintues, our food arrived. The potato pancakes that my wife and daughter ordered were cooler than room temperature. Everything else was pretty good, but at that point we were so hungry and po'd that we just at as fast as we could and left.
The reason I mention all of this on Maltblog is that their beer selection was admirable, but I only got the chance to order one beer because nobody ever came back to ask if I wanted more - and from the way things were going I didn't want to chance not getting that next beer anyway!
I ended up having a St. Sebastiaan - a medium-bodied flavorful Belgian Ale that seemed like a slightly richer, heavier version of a German dark lager. Other selections included Spaten Oktoberfest and Franziskaner Weissbier on draft as well as several well-distributed German lagers in bottles. They also had Saranac and Ommegang beers (Duvel, Three Philosophers, Ommegang) and many other domestic and import bottles. If you're looking for a place with a wide selection of good bottled beer and rib-sticking heavy food, Alpine Cellar is a good bet. Just make sure you allot a whole lot of time for waiting!
Posted by jimj at October 8, 2005 10:54 PM | TrackBack