Lakeview House, Newburgh, NY

One of the fun things about  travelling to visit the grandchildren is that we  discover some interesting places and have some great food. Sometimes we don't have to travel far to find a treasure,  like the Lakeview House on Orange Lake in Newburgh, just a few miles from our back door.

We've been meaning to stop for quite a while and I've heard rave reviews of the duck, but we just never got around to it. That all changed when were there with a few friends to celebrate the retirement of one of them and the meal was the gift of her financial consultant. A free meal with old friends (we've known them for over thirty years) at a nice restaurant that I've wanted to try? Perfect.

The inside has a warm sort of 1940's feel to it with plenty of wood, tin ceilings, and windows overlooking the lake. There is a patio as well for warm weather dining. I recommend the Lake Room if you are there at sunset. They do have a large beer and wine selection, but most of the beers are lagers or German beers (sadly no IPA, stouts other than Guinness or porters). The waitress kept bringing me samples of a few beers to get me to find one I liked, but I stuck with water. I do like the fact that she tried though. In fact the whole restaurant was accommodating as one of our party has food allergies and they prepared his dish exactly as he asked. Another asked for her dish done a bit different for dietary reasons and they did so.

I started with the escargot au Provence. Sorry, no picture since I forgot I had the camera with me. The snails were cooked in butter, garlic, parsley, parmesan and some type of wine or vermouth that added a delightful flavor note. That was followed by a small salad with gorgonzola and balsamic vinaigrette. For the entree I had the Long Island duck shown above. It was a half duck with a crispy crust and juicy meat. The sauce changes daily and that day they had an apple sauce which was quite good. I must say that the duck lived up to its reputation. I also ordered desert, something I rarely do but since most of the table got something I followed suit by ordering the chocolate creme brûlée. Quite delicious, but very rich. 

Everyone else had a great meal. Teresa had the red snapper, a few people had stuffed flounder and one had a pasta dish. The overall consensus was very positive. Nice atmosphere, good view, excellent service, very good food at moderate prices (average entree $20 to $25). We will be back again soon, and probably often. They have a website for more information.

Escargots avec le lard, le beurre, l'ail et le vin

A little different recipe this time as I used bacon to add a new dimension to the flavor. I used less butter than usual since the bacon added fat with more flavor. The next time I may substitute a  hoppy IPA like Hop Devil for the wine to see what that does. The beer might just elevate the flavor.

1 can snails
1/2 half small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs parsley
1 cup red wine
2 strips cooked bacon, chopped up
1/4 stick butter cut into pats

Marinate the snails in the wine for an hour in the fridge, covered. Place snails in oven safe dish and add a little of the wine from the marinade. Spread onions, garlic, parsley, and bacon on top. Add pats of butter to top. Bake at 450 for about fifteen minutes. 

The bacon adds fat, and a flavor note, making less need for butter. Quite tasty with a more delicate taste than the traditional escargot de bourgogne.