Hohmeyer's Lake Clear Lodge & Resort — Hotel in Town of Harrietstown

My wife and I went to "The Lodge" for dinner on 6/9/23 to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary while visiting the Adirondacks from out home in North Carolina. I/We have a 47 year connection with "The Lodge" as I had dinner there for the first time in 1976 while attending nearby Paul Smith's College. I have dined there 6-8 times since then whenever visiting the Adirondacks. Back in the early 60s to the early 2000s, "The Lodge" was operated by Ernest (Sr.)and Elsbeth Hohmeyer, a charming, warm and welcoming "old world" German couple who always treated diners like guests in their home (which it literally was). Elsbeth in the kitchen cooking up the delicious German dishes, and Ernest acting as host extraordinaire and bartender down in the Rathskellar before dinner was ready and it was time to go up to the dining room. Sadly, both since passed (Ernest & Elsbeth), the family tradition of fine cuisine and hospitality lives on with Ernest (Jr.) and his wife Cathy assuming and expanding on the roles previously played by Ernest's parents. Ernest Jr. and Cathy have not only maintained the experience established by his parents but have added a host of new "experience theme nights" as well as special menus and loding options in a cluster of newly restored chalets on prisine Lake Clear. On this ocassion, we opted to go on a "traditional" Prix Fixe menu evening. As always, when we arived, we were led to the cozy downstairs Rathskellar where Ernest had a nice fire going in the wood stove while serving appetizers and cocktails and chatting with the guests (Just like Dad!). They have a very eclectic "Speakeasy" menu of home invented cocktails ("Giggle-Water"). I enjoyed my favorite, a Manhattan with an added twist of local honey mixed in with the bourbon, vermouth, bitters and of course a cherry. My wife had some exotic concoction involving Elderflower, lemon (?) and gin... Absolutely delicious along with our appetizer, equally creative and delicious. When it was time to go upstairs for dinner, we were served our meal by Chef Cathy, beginning with a delicious Potato/Duck Fat soup, followed by a beautiful and fresh Spring mix salad, and then our entrees - Beef Stroganoff for me and Wiener Schnitzel for Christine. Both served with wonderfully seasoned homemade Spaetzle and perfectly cooked Asparagus. Unfortunately after all that, we were too full to try one of the delicious sounding dessert offerings. Fun, reminiscing conversation with Ernest... A perfect evening and meal followed by a beautiful sunset walk down to the lake. Lake Clear Lodge is a must if you are traveling in the High Peaks region and are a fan of old world cuisine, not to mention charming and welcoming hosts, in the beautiful 1880s Carriage House. A long wonderful tradition lives on; hopefully for MANY years to come! Thank you Ernest & Cathy. Looking forward to next time!

Terry &...

Extremely overpriced and one of the the weirdest experiences of my life. It felt like a fever dream. ||My fiancée and I booked the sleigh ride and the dinner, which ended up being $280 for just the two of us. ||||We felt uneasy as soon as we got there. The staff was nowhere to be seen upon our entrance into the lodge, which was where they told us to go in the instructions via email after booking the sleigh ride. Once we figured out where we actually had to go, the sleigh ride itself was fine- maybe could have been lit up better with more lights to see our surroundings, but the dinner and “speakeasy” experience was confusing, awkward, and just strange. ||||First of all, we did not eat dinner right after the sleigh ride. First you must tell the staff member the password to the “speakeasy” downstairs, and this staff member was unnecessarily rude to a family who did not understand what was going on (no one really knew what was going on, it was very confusing).|| ||Staff: “do you know the password?”||Customer: “giggle water”||Staff: “it’s a yes or no question!”||Customer: “…yes”||Staff: “what’s the password?”||Customer: “giggle water”||Staff: “ok go whisper that to the bookshelf over there..”||||Just terribly unnecessary, uncomfortable and weird.||||Once we were ushered downstairs, we were told to sit at very specific seats and read a packet of information that they gave to us. The staff here haphazardly performs a fake “police raid” (it was just a member of the kitchen staff with half of a police Halloween costume on) but in the process of doing so, it just came off as trying too hard and not letting people just enjoy the moment. The host ran around yelling at everyone to help him hide cups, distilling equipment, etc. and began shouting at a group of young kids trying to take pictures of the moment. “No photos!! You’ll ruin it for everyone!” When ironically he was the one ruining it for everyone… if you’re going to include something like this, maybe go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to make it more accessible and easy to enjoy. It was a nerve wracking chore to be a part of. Cool concept, poor execution. |||| They also did not provide the prices of the cocktails that they offered at the speakeasy, and it turns out each drink was nearly $20 after an added (undeserved) gratuity. ||||By the time we were told to go upstairs to be seated for dinner, we were completely ready to just leave, and chalk it up as a loss of $280 for a pretzel and a weird story. But we stuck it out and had the included so-so dinner. It wasn’t terrible, but again, just a bit odd. It included a “salad” of some sort which consisted of three spoonfuls of fermented veggies and a couple string beans. ||||Again, I’d really just skip this place entirely until the owners give up the reigns on this otherwise beautiful and historically rich establishment....

I could not recommend this experience more highly to any couple visiting Lake Placid in the winter. My girlfriend and I booked the lantern-lit sleigh ride and speakeasy dinner experience. We were greeted warmly by staff upon arrival, which was a short drive from the main area in Lake Placid. After being given the opportunity to meet the horses, we were taken on a beautiful and informative ride through the woods. There were kerosene lanterns set up at regular intervals and we were provided with blankets. The sleigh operator provided some preliminary information about the prohibition era history surrounding the property, which was fascinating. This included the chance to see a reconstructed distillery hut. ||Upon arrival at the speakeasy, we were greeted by one of the owners of Lake Clear Lodge (Cathy) and directed to the speakeasy door, where we recited a password to get in. Downstairs, we were given an authentic speakeasy experience and enjoyed some of the honey bourbon made in-house. The other owner of the premises gave us a particularly informative presentation on the prohibition era history of the Adirondacks and some unique historical facts about the speakeasy itself, which has been the gathering place of many well-known historical figures (I won't spoil here) seeking the curative properties of the surrounding forest. Overall, the speakeasy was fun, charming, instructive, and one of a kind.||Finally, following the speakeasy experience, we were sent upstairs to a beautiful dining room. The room had romantic lighting and beautiful music. The food itself was absolutely delicious and the waitstaff were extremely polite. ||If you are in the area for a winter getaway and want to enjoy a unique couple's experience, look no further than the sleigh ride and speakeasy dinner. I can honestly say that it was the crown jewel of our otherwise...