For many people that live in the North Country, michigans are synonymous with summer. Though some local establishments serve these craveable, specialty hot dogs year round, the crowds still gather every year when Plattsburgh’s seasonal michigan stands temporarily open their doors for another season in the sun. To those that have never tried them, they may resemble the common chilidog. But to those that love michigans, they are a tradition and a must have of the summer (if not all year round).
Coffee makes the world go ‘round. So many of us line up on edge and overtired at Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts. We’re often willing to pay as much as $5 a cup for that liquid energy, often through a drive-thru window, and then jetting off without taking the time to savor the flavor. If you’re looking for a place where you can kick back and relax with a cup of coffee, try these establishments:
“Oktoberfest is not what you think it is,” my 85 year old German mother noted as we were preparing for the Lake Clear Lodge and Retreat’s fall Adirondack Harvest Oktoberfest celebration.
Thinking she had experienced a few in her time, I queried her about it reminding her that today, Oktoberfest is the biggest festival in Germany and the United States. She reminded me that it started as a Bavarian Celebration, with Munich as the focal point of the history of Oktoberfest.
Oktoberfest originated as a horse race honoring the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese in 1810. By 1819, the race had been called off but in the large meadow (the Theresienwiese) that the marriage took place, Bavarian farmers continued the celebration of the harvest and the camaraderie of a community event. Each year, millions visit the “Theresienwiese” with its huge tents and carnival atmosphere. To insure the community camaraderie, the leaders of Munich decided that Oktoberfest would be held each year, no exceptions although there have been a few!. And though Oktoberfest originated as a one-day commemoration, it was thereby extended to 16 days of revelry and drinking.
If the smell of exotic Eastern spices titillates your palate, and the sight of twirling spatulas pleases your eyes, you might enjoy a brief culinary tour of Southern Asia--without ever leaving Plattsburgh.
The North Country and its Quebec border have a personal menu filled with regional dishes, treats and items known only to the natives born and raised there.
These food delicacies range from spicy and messy to the sweet and sugary. The origins may be vague, but the dishes and their local popularity have definitely made an impact upon the watering mouths of northern New York folks and savory Québécois.
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“Oktoberfest is not what you think it is,” my 85 year old German mother noted as we were preparing for the Lake Clear Lodge and Retreat’s fall Adirondack Harvest Oktoberfest celebration. 
If the smell of exotic Eastern spices titillates your palate, and the sight of twirling spatulas pleases your eyes, you might enjoy a brief culinary tour of Southern Asia--without ever leaving Plattsburgh.
The North Country and its Quebec border have a personal menu filled with regional dishes, treats and items known only to the natives born and raised there.