2 weeks Ago
O.P. Frederick’s, in the Adirondack mountains on state Route 8 in Chestertown, never disappoints us.
While the food is usually good, all the other considerations are, too. I’m always in a good mood when we go to O.P.
’s. We’re usually with husband Eric’s brother, Richard, and his nice wife Helene. We start by having a drink on the deck, looking out toward the lake.
Eric and Richard lived in Chestertown for a few years when they were kids. Then, back to Chicago. Rich and Helene love the Adirondacks and make a yearly trip in June.
We join them, have dinner and stay overnight. This year they took a bonus trip. They were here for a week in August.
We were delighted. We almost always go to O.P.
’s for dinner. There aren’t a lot of restaurants in that section of the Adirondacks, and O.P.
’s menu has something for everybody. You can get an entree with bread and sides, or a burger. The kids have their own menu.
They’re open for dinner Wednesday to Sunday all year. In our experience the food is usually very good. “They get a lot of locals,” said Rich, who’s been there with old school friends.
“Everyone feels fine here,” added Helene. Start with more than a dozen appetizers, including French onion soup and the day’s soup ($7 bowl). From house-made mozzarella sticks ($12.
50) to a duck burrito ($15), they’re all big enough to share, or to stand in for an entree. Meal-sized salads include Caesar ($13) and Buffalo chicken ($18.50).
There's also the Meade Mountain salad with strawberries, orange segments, and candied pecan pieces and shallots. Upgrade your salad with protein. Broiled salmon is $8.
50 extra, grilled shrimp is $6. Try a steak. There’s New York strip ($32), filet mignon (market price) and strip steak done au poive ($34).
A basic burger with pickle, pineapple coleslaw or house-made chips is $14. You can get a gluten-free bun. You can get a Cajun jalapeño provolone burger ($16) or get a veggie burger ($15), among others.
Have barbecued pulled pork ($13), a crab cake po’boy ($17.50) or meatball sub ($15). See? Something for everyone.
We usually skip the first course and go right to the entrees, which come with bread and a respectable house salad. There’s chicken parm ($23), served with spaghetti; or pan-seared Cajun catfish fillet, with black bean and pineapple corn salsa and rice pilaf ($27). And lots more choices.
Wines are mostly the popular mass-market varieties at $7 or $8 a glass, including a few local selections such as New York’s Salmon Run Riesling. O.P.
’s, like pretty much everywhere else now, has a bazillion beers. On tap there’s Lake Placid UBU and Adirondack Bear Naked. Helene and I took seats at a fire-pit table out on the deck overlooking Loon Lake.
Pots overflowing with annuals are cheerful. The bartender insisted on carrying out the drinks to our table. Rich alerted the guy at the door that we’d like to sit outside for a bit before dinner, and when we finished the drinks our table was waiting.
The pine paneling in the dining room feels just right, as does the massive buck head mounted over the fireplace and the wood-burning stove in the bar, the wooden skis and old-school snowshoe decor. You know where you are. Our server was young but, like the others we’ve had, bright and lively and competent.
She took orders for drinks and brought bread and butter. The dining room was full. “It’s loud but I can still hear,” observed Helene.
I could, too. Three of us got salads on chilled glass plates, each with a different dressing — and we each got the right ones. The greens were fresh, there was sliced red onion, julienne carrot and small red tomatoes.
As usual, Rich got the steak au poivre ($34). “It’s really good,” he said, “Just as I remember.” The sauce was delicious, he added.
Green beans were the vegetable of the day. They were unevenly green but tasted good. Rich and I had perfect baked potatoes, his with sour cream and butter.
“I’m not big on green beans," said Eric. “Me too,” added Rich. I didn’t pay them much attention until I reheated my food the next day; I thought they were pretty good.
Helene enjoyed her cheese quesadilla ($11), and said it was delicious. It looked toasty and appealing, served with salsa and sour cream. Bonus: A timbale of rice pilaf came with it.
Eric had a timbale of rice pilaf, too, with his broiled scallops ($34) and green beans. There were at least a dozen good-sized scallops in a lemon, butter and white wine sauce. He ate them all.
I went into a steak coma with the perfectly cooked New York strip. It’s my usual order, and usually swoon-worthy. It had perfect perpendicular grill marks and a taste of char.
This steak was a bit gristly, but was an outlier in my experience. The flavor was all there. I learned later that if it happens again, tell the server and they will replace the steak.
My baked potato needed only salt. I could eat the whole thing, skin included, if I had room. Plates were delivered and removed efficiently.
Someone made sure the table was cleared before the next course was delivered. For dessert we had lemon berry mascarpone cheesecake ($6), chocolate mud pie and four spoons. Helene’s coffee smelled good and was hot.
The desserts disappeared quickly. All was right with the world. “Everyone is having a good time,” said Rich, looking around the busy dining room.
The tab for our meal for four, including all the drinks and tax, came to $193.62 before tip. There were fireworks that night over Lake George.
Eric and I watched them from the balcony of our room in our pajamas. It was a very good day. It’s the perfect time of year to take a drive in New York’s beautiful Adirondack mountains.
I know where you can go for dinner. WHERE: 5064 Route 8, Chestertown; 518-494-4141; hudsonhollowhops.com WHEN: 4 to 9 p.
m. Wednesday to Sunday, year round HOW MUCH: $193.62, with drinks, for four people before tip MORE INFO: Credit cards Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover.
Apple Pay. Children’s menu. There are some stairs.
Parking lot. Reservations not accepted. Exterior of O.
P. Frederick's on Route 8 in Chestertown. Looking out toward Loon Lake from the deck at O.
P. Frederick's. A round of drinks on the deck at O.
P.'s One of the dining rooms at O.P.
's Side salad with entree. New York strip steak with baked potato and green beans. Cheese quesadilla with salsa, sour cream and rice.
Cheese quesadilla with salsa, sour cream and rice. Cheese quesadilla with salsa, sour cream and rice. Broiled scallops with rice pilaf and green beans.
Broiled scallops with rice pilaf and green beans. Steak au poivre with baked potato and green beans. Lemon berry mascarpone cheesecake.
Chocolate mud pie. -.
