Blogging about food…does anyone have a better job than me? This week, our blogging team went looking for the perfect Adirondack meal, and I got the honor of checking out the various eateries in Schroon Lake to put the perfect meal together. Judging by the two places I visited one recent beautiful fall day, Schroon Lake is definitely the place to go when you’re hungry!

Sticks & Stones Wood Fire Bistro & Bar

The first place I visited was Sticks & Stones Wood Fire Bistro & Bar. With a name like that, I had high expectations for the food – and it lived up to those expectations! On the day of my visit, I met with one of the owners, Gary. He explained about the wood fire oven they have, which was brought here by boat from Naples, Italy. It is really cool because it is behind the bar, visible from the dining room, so you can see them using it. It makes the restaurant warm, and smells so good! Many of their dishes are either cooked or finished off in the oven, for that wood fire taste and crispness.

I have a weakness for unusual salads, and I’m kind of a salad snob, so when I saw the Fig & Goat Cheese Salad, I had to order it. It did not disappoint – it had the perfect amount of dressing, with a little bit of balsamic drizzle on top that gave it a nice, sweet taste. The marinated roasted peppers were packed with flavor, and I had to control myself not to lick my plate!

Having a salad for lunch means I have room for dessert, so I ordered the homemade apple crisp on the advice of one of the very friendly staff members. It came to my table steaming and smelling divine! The filling was delicious, the crisp – made from corn flakes, brown sugar and oatmeal and finished off in the wood fire oven – was crispy and sweet, and the vanilla ice cream and caramel on top was definitely the icing on the cake! My mouth is watering just writing about it…I will definitely go back again for that!

Sticks & Stones has a very diverse menu, so you can visit multiple times during a long weekend stay and have something completely different each time! There is also a daily special menu, including an appetizer, soup, entrée and dessert, which I will try for dinner the next time I am in town.

Fig & Goat Cheese Salad

• Spring lettuce mix
• Wood fire roasted almonds
• Marinated pickled peppers
• Figs
• Goat Cheese
• Dressing: balsamic vinaigrette
• Topped with a balsamic drizzle

DeCesare’s Pizzeria

When I think Pizzeria, I think Brooklyn pizza, the kind I used to get where I grew up on Long Island. But I’m learning that Adirondack pizza has its own character, and some of it is awesome! One of the places you’ll find awesome Adirondack pizza is DeCesare’s Pizzeria in Schroon Lake. A family-owned business, DeCesare’s Pizzeria was first opened in 1972 by Val and Lorraine DeCesare. Now, their son Alan and his wife Debbie carry on the family tradition, keeping Schroon Lake locals and visitors happy.

At DeCesare’s, the dough, pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce are all made fresh daily, along with their homemade sub rolls. Their most popular pizza is The Mountaineer, which consists of 100% real mozzarella cheese, sweet Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers and pepperoni. They also have a pizza named after the Schroon Lake Wildcats. Debbie and Kiersten, the manager, are both Schroon Lake alum, and The Wildcat has a special combination of wing sauce and BBQ sauce, topped with red onions and grilled BBQ chicken... yum!

You can either dine in or take out at DeCesare’s Pizzeria, but the day I was there I decided to follow up my salad from Sticks & Stones with some delicious chicken corn chowder soup in the dining room.

Just like I love salads, I absolutely love homemade soup. This soup is made by Kiersten, and it was outstanding! I’m not one for spicy foods, but this had just the right amount of kick to perk up my taste buds and warm me on a chilly fall afternoon. Kirsten was kind enough to share the recipe, so you can all try it at home:

DeCesare’s Pizzeria Chicken Corn Chowder

• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 cups potatoes
• 1 cup onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 2 TBSP butter
• 10 tbs flour
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp. Creole salt
• 1 ½ cups chicken
• 1 ½ cups corn
• ½ cup crumbled bacon
• 3 cups half & half
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes

Directions: Add celery, potatoes, onions and carrots to a stock pot with about 2 TBSP butter. Simmer for a bit, until tender. Stir in the flour. Slowly add chicken broth and seasoning, stirring constantly until thick. Cover and let simmer for 12 minutes. Add chicken, corn, and bacon; let simmer 7 minutes. Just before serving, add the half & half and tomatoes, heating through again until hot.

I love finding new restaurants to try. On your next stay, make sure to sample the local eateries and find your new favorite in Schroon Lake!