To call the Eat ‘n Meet Grill, located on the main street in Saranac Lake, NY, unassuming, would be generous. It’s a combination eat-in restaurant/take-out restaurant/shop/hodge-podge. There are a couple small tables with an assortment of mismatched chairs, an upstairs deck, complete with Elvis (though it was closed for construction when we were there), a freezer with some local meats/cheeses for sale, and a bunch of shelves stacked with boxes of hot sauce and other condiments (which also were for sale, I think). Not your typical… well, I’m not sure what to compare it to. It was so strange that we gave each other a look when we walked in, each of us probably questioning our choice, and whether or not it was too late to turn around. Quirky is a good word.
BUT. Don’t judge a book by its cover, as they say. Eat ‘n Meet is a staunch supporter of the local food movement, so much of their menu is sourced from Adirondack-area farms (their menu also changes daily). This is one of the reasons we stopped in – we love to eat regionally. To me, it’s much more fun to enjoy something that was grown/raised right around the corner, rather than the standard mass-produced stuff you can get in any Applebee’s or Bob Evan’s. And while we’re on the topic of food, it was excellent, and cheap to boot.
We had a couple sides, single portions of hush puppies and plantain dumplings (obviously not local :)). Most of their sides come in single and family portions. We got three each of the hush puppies and dumplings, at $1 per side (not per dumpling). For dinner, S ordered an Adirondack blue potato and leek hash, topped with a wild mushroom cream gravy. I tried the chevre empanadas (locally sourced from Asgaard Farm), which came with a fresh salad and a really good dressing. Both dishes were served simply, in disposable containers (it is primarily a take-out place), but what they lacked in flair they made up for in flavor. The hash had a nice earthy richness to it, and the tanginess of the chevre was not overbearing. The aforementioned salad dressing had a subtle sweetness that balanced the chevre well. Each selection was $12, so our total bill was under $30. Not bad.
Eat ‘n Meet Grill gets five stars out of seven. It’s a different dining experience, but the food is very good and the price is right.
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