Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free
Many people follow a vegetarian, vegan or gluten free diet for a variety of reasons. Although I personally don’t follow a strict diet, I love heathy food that tastes great. My all-time favorite granola is gluten free, and I’m more than satisfied with a good vegetarian meal on a regular basis. Luckily, there are plenty of dining options around Lake Placid to meet every desire.
Dining out:
The Lake Placid Pub & Brewery has several options on their current food menu including hearty salads like Beet & Quinoa, a Vegan BLT, a Vegetarian Spicy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza (both the BLT and pizza are made with tempah), and gluten free pizza crusts. Just be aware that their menu changes, so check for current selections.
For farm-to-table dining at Big Slide Brewery, consider their Vegetable Dal or Vegan Korean BBQ Chicken Pizza with an optional gluten free crust. Like the Lake Placid Pub, check their website for the current menu.
Our favorite burger joint, Players, has a great Garden Burger. And, our favorite bagel shop, Soulshine Bagels, offers a gluten free bagel, a Very Veggie sandwich and Vegetarian Wrap.
It can be harder to find suitable options at some Italian restaurants, but Jimmy’s 21 will substitute the pasta in any dish for their gluten free pasta, and work with dinner guests on dietary requests.
The menu at Fiddlehead Bistro in Saranac Lake changes monthly, but they always have delicious options. For example, their current menu includes two vegan entrees: Masaman Curry with tofu and Mushroom Dumplings, as well as a number of appetitizers. Reservations recommended.
I always enjoy a visit to the Campfire Grill at Hotel Saranac for their good food and fun decor. Like others mentioned, they go out of their way to clearly label their menu and offer options. Current entrees include Cauliflower Steak and Garden Risotto. And they’re able to prepare any of their burgers vegan, vegetarian or gluten free upon request. They even offer a Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake with a chocolate oak crust that’s GF. Sold!
Sandwiches, snacks and to-go meals:
Green Goddess and Nori’s both have little cafes with freshly made vegetarian and vegan sandwiches and wraps, as well as many other options. Consider the Righteous Reuben, Sweet Potato Burrito, or Roasted Vegetable Delight from Green Goddess. And Nori’s creates to-go dinners (which change daily) that can be made vegetarian, vegan or gluten free. Cedar Run has sandwiches as well as to-go cabin dinners like Veggie Pot Pie, Vegetarian Chili and Vegan Paella.
I first found Small Town Cultures at the farmers’ markets, but they’ve really taken off in recent years. They make raw fermented probiotics treats like kimchi, sauerkraut, spicy radishes, preserved lemon zest and much more.
