I was invited up to Lake George a couple weekends ago by a very good friend of mine to spend two nights with her and her family. The last time I went up to the lake with her was probably eight years ago, but going up there always brings back memories of my childhood summers as our families used to spend a lot of time together up there. I was particularly excited about this trip because since my last visit, the family had opened a restaurant called The Uptown in the small town of Hague. Over the past couple years I had heard how the restaurant was developing and how chefs from prestigious New York City kitchens (Ex. Mas Farmhouse, Mas Grillade, Esca, etc.) were spending their summers up north to cook at the Uptown.

I was anxious to finally experience the restaurant for myself and excited to see what my friend’s family had built from the ground up. Just in case this was not clear and so you all are given full disclosure. … I am personally tied to the owner, Lauren Parlin, and have known her and her family for the past 23 years. That being said, this will be my objective view of their restaurant. … It’s a charming place with good food, however, so there will be number of positive things said.

The Uptown embodies the farm-to-table concept that has become ever more popular in the world of fine dining. Menu ingredients come from local farms both in New York and Vermont. There is even a wonderful blossoming garden out in front of the restaurant growing dill, tomatoes, squash, basil, etc. … with brightly colored Adirondack chairs on its perimeter inviting you to take a load off and stay for a while. The restaurant’s atmosphere is warm, charming and one of those places where upon walking in you feel like everyone is connected in some familial way. The dining room is intimate with no more than ten tables and a five-seater bar where you can enjoy a glass of wine or take dinner. On the topic of wine. … Lauren selects all the wines for the wine list herself, and has created a diverse sampling of grape from all regions. We even drank a bottle of white from Hungary which was new for me and quite delicious paired with the meal.

The rest of the restaurant’s decor is quirky in a very deliberate way. There is a large antique sign above the restrooms from an old Uptown Store, which I am fairly certain inspired the restaurant’s name in the first place. No two tables match, all appear to be antique and one of the tables is even being held up by four tea cups as its base. Lovely fresh cut flowers are at each table in silver tea pots of different shapes and sizes, and you receive brightly colored bandanas as napkins. Nothing is fabricated, overdone or misplaced and, overall, the ambiance complements the simple beauty of the surrounding Adirondack environment.

Moving on to the main event. … the meal itself. The Uptown’s menu is limited and changes daily based upon ingredients locally available. Lauren takes great pride in the freshly made salad preparations, so there is always a small or large salad bowl selection that’s a fresh, solid way to start your meal off on the right foot. Many of the entrees are served family style as “platters” and that seemed to be the route many diners took while there (myself included). The evening I was there the shared menu offerings were a roasted half-chicken served with English peas and glazed carrots as well as a whole roasted rabbit with grilled spring onions and pickled currants. Additionally, you can order single-person entrees of which there are three-to-four other offerings. One that I believe is offered pretty regularly and quite popular is a marinated skirt steak served with garlic mashed potatoes and summer squash. As previously mentioned, the chefs in the kitchen are highly trained from top restaurants in New York City. The quality you receive at the Uptown holds to those standards without all the over-the-top bells and whistles you receive in the New York City fine dining circle. The preparations are simple, but the flavors are  really what brings people coming back for more.

I was eating with a group of five – most of which was the Parlin family – so we ordered both the chicken and rabbit platters to share. The chicken was tender and the vegetables really did taste as though they had just been picked from the garden. It was my first time trying rabbit – an offering I found intriguing for a restaurant with such a small menu – and my initial skepticism of it being too gamey or tough for me to enjoy were quickly proven wrong. The meat was succulent and the pickled currant garnish gave the dish a subtly sweet finish. I will say, however, it was hard to get a hearty amount of meat off those bones, so be prepared to exert a little extra effort to get your full portion of rabbit. There are also a few side dishes offered each evening and the cous cous on the menu that particular night was probably the most impressive thing I ate – save for the dessert which I will get to shortly. I do not know how the kitchen made such a simple side dish taste so delicious, but if you head to the Uptown and the cous cous is still on the menu I think it’s a must-try. There was not much to it either – Israeli-style cous cous seasoned with lemon and small pieces of chopped carrot sprinkled in between. It does not sound like much, but you just have to try it to believe me.

Oh, and I almost missed the appetizer course! So, obviously, we got a large salad bowl. It consisted of mixed fresh greens with string beans, cucumbers and blueberries mixed in between. We also ordered the cheese puffs and a mix of the crostini. The cheese puffs are a quick pop ’em in your mouth indulgence. Not much to them, but you get a quick Gruyere delight. There were three types of crostini offered the evening I was there – chicken salad, ricotta-lemon and a squash toast with tomato. They are really bite-sized so do not order just one or two and think they will be easy to share. If you are a table of two, I suggest trying one of each, and if you are art of a larger table you will definitely want to double up. The squash toast on paper did not really catch my eye, but luckily Lauren’s daughter Anna added it to our order because it ended up being my favorite one. I would highly suggest ordering starters and asking for them to be brought out as separate courses even – start with the crostini and cheese puffs, and follow it up with a salad course. The reason being that all of the entrees are cooked to order and take a decent amount of time to prepare. So, if you do not order any appetizers your stomach may begin to grumble and you may feel like the service is slow as the kitchen works to prepare the meal. Spacing it out can alleviate this wait time and ease angst about not having any food on the table.

Finally, there was dessert. Lauren’s eldest daughter, Liz (maybe she would like to be more formally addressed as Elizabeth, but I’ll keep it colloquial) is at the pastry helm this summer and her desserts are really something. I have had the privilege of tasting her baked goods since I was approximately five years old, but her confections at the Uptown are no simple chocolate chip cookie. The chocolate ganache cake appeared to be the weekend’s most popular as it sold out both nights I was there. I also overheard a couple other patrons raving about it. This is no dainty piece of cake and I recommend sharing unless you have an outrageous sweet tooth and appetite. Just look at the picture. … I do not think more needs to be said there. The other two desserts offered that evening were a berry rhubarb crumble and blueberry lemon cake with cream cheese frosting. Yes, I tried them all. The cakes were my favorites, but that’s also just my general restaurant bias. The warm crumble was no less delicious so if you’re partial to fruit-based desserts it’s worth giving it a whirl.

In an area where high quality food can be hard to come by you can find solace in the fact that the Uptown has made Hague its home. It is a fit for any occasion and when you come in you will be treated like family. Most of the Parlin family can even be found dining there every weekend. … it has to be a good sign that they are willing to eat their own product week in and week out. Keep in mind the dining room is small and you should plan to make a reservation in advance. The restaurant also serves Sunday brunch and the BLT with an add-on fried egg is a must. If any of my readers make the trip up there I would love to hear any feedback!

The Uptown, 9819 Graphite Mountain Road, Hague, New York, 12836. Phone: (518) 543-6202.

When To Book: Since space is limited I would recommend booking a table a couple days in advance. If you know you will be on Lake George during a weekend it is probably prudent to book sometime during that week prior. Also, keep in mind The Uptown is not open for dinner on Sunday and closed on Monday. It is also a seasonal restaurant and open during summer months.