Bluepoint Oysters with Cocktail and Mignonette Dips.
LAKE George is a town in New York’s vast protected Adirondack region of mountains and old-growth forest. It sits along the shores of the lake considered to be the “Queen of American Lakes.” Lake George is a popular tourist destination, resort center and a summer colony.
Our 4th of July weekend brought my daughter Patricia’s family and I to this exciting upscale summer destination, the second time around for me. A few years ago, we broke our ten-hour road trip halfway from the state of Maine by spending a few nights at Lake George. For a first-timer then, I was given a lake cruise to enjoy the mountainous beauty of the lake in a stern wheel steamboat, Mine-Ha-Ha. For the adventurous, there are more challenging activities like roller coasters, rodeos, electrifying water slides, rafting the rapids to experience the Hudson River Gorge Wilderness and leisurely ones too, like simply walking around the village exploring the quaint shops and restaurants.
Our leisure walks ended in the marina where small boats were moored. Since it was almost lunchtime, Patricia checked out the menu of Lake George Boardwalk Restaurant, the only place that offers lakeside and over the lake seating with a spectacular view of blue waters and mountains.
Boardwalk Garden Salad with Shrimps
We shared a lakeside table where we enjoyed just being near the blue expanse of the lake. For openers, the Rhode Island Little Neck Clams dipped in lemon butter sauce amused our palates. Little neck clam is the smallest of the bivalves and is a New England favorite. Silvian and Sabrina enjoyed the Calamari Marinara while waiting for their orders. The Blue Point Oysters harvest that day, the food attendant apologized, was not as plump but still had a robust wild flavor. Blue Point Oyster originated from the town of Blue Point town in Long Island. In the early 1800’s, they were known for their excellent flavor and were the favorite of Queen Victoria. Patricia ordered a big bowl of Boardwalk Garden Salad with medium-sized shrimps — fresh mixed greens with onions, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, chopped bacon, cheddar cheese and her choice of Balsamic dressing while her husband, George had Caesar’s Salad. Since I am a small eater, I end up sharing the entrees.
Homemade Crabcake-Maryland Style
While the kids had their Sunnyside Burgers, Patricia and I feasted on Maryland Style Homemade Crab Cakes served with zesty Remoulade (seafood dressing made of hard-boiled egg yolks, oil and vinegar with mustard, capers and herbs) and Breaded Shrimps Stuffed with Crabmeat. Maryland Crab Cakes have been the signature seafood dish of the state of Maryland, and the distinct flavor of the sweetness of the Maryland Blue Crabs from Chesapeake Bay spells the big difference from other crab cakes. We all had tall glasses of cold freshly squeezed lemonade to wash the good food down and beat the summer heat. After the scrumptious lunch, we took a stroll along the boardwalk and took in the marvelous view.
I decided to spend the afternoon taking life easy while George, Patricia and the kids went wild water rafting in the rapids of Hudson River, an exciting activity that needed brawn, muscle and a daring nature!