HER LIFE Magazine

herlife | cravingsAlegriaGardenCaféWe ordered the VanillaAlmond Cake which hada consistency similarto macaroons. It wassnuggled into the mostincredible homemadevanilla ice cream.by joanne dimarco | photography by todd bissonetteIn the past few months, I've been spending more than half of mytime in the Lake Placid area getting ready to launch a big realestate project there. I do my share of contributing to the localeconomy by dining in the region several nights a week. So when anew restaurant, Alegria Garden Café, entered the scene, I was eagerto give it a try.My companion and I were seated by the window overlookingMirror Lake. The décor is basic, soothing and comfortable, and allowedthe spectacular view to be the center of attention. We couldn'tdecide on a bottle of wine so we each chose a glass. I chose the NeitoSenetiner Reserva Malbec from Argentina, while my companionchose the DeLoach Pinot Noir. I enjoyed the delightful wine withflavors of fig jam, plum and blackberries with a hint of vanilla as Ipondered the menu. Chef Richard Brosseau (formerly of Interlaken)has created an interesting offering divided into four sections. Mycompanion and I committed to trying something from each section,and we agreed to share.From “One,” we chose Cayenne Onion Rings and ArtichokeGratin. The Cayenne Onion Rings were light and crispy, with justthe right amount of heat. As a chronic "dipper," I wish there was acreative fun sauce to dip them in. The Artichoke Gratin was lightand creamy, flavored with lemon and garlic, and served with madeto-ordercrostini. The Sous Chef, Tom Morris, accommodated my16 HERLIFEnewyork.com