NEWSLETTER
Everyone invited for food, music, festive games, drink features
Lake Placid, N.Y. – One of Lake Placid’s longest running businesses will celebrate its 50th birthday on Friday, May 22, when The Cottage Café on Mirror Lake Drive opens its doors for the much-anticipated celebration.
The Cottage, part of the AAA Four Diamond Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa, will welcome guests at its usual 11AM opening, but the true celebration of the weekend, the birthday party, officially begins at 4:00. Everyone is welcome to participate. Expect to see long-time patrons as well as recent additions to The Cottage’s list of regulars. Some bartenders, servers and employees from back in the day will find their way back, adding to the merriment.
The complimentary barbecue will consist of burgers, dogs, slow cooked pulled pork and various sides with games scattered throughout the deck and patio. Enjoy Cornhole, Connect Four, Battleship, Operation and more.
Saranac Brewery will be on site and participating with a tasting and featured products on draught.
A local DJ will spin tunes dating back to the 1970s when The Cottage Café came into existence.
“We’ve spent a lot of time creating this birthday event,” said Lisa Randall, manager of The Cottage Café. “We’ve spoken with employees from the past and present, from The Cottage and the Inn, and want to make this a memorable occasion for all. It’ll be a time to relive the past, to enjoy the company of people that we haven’t seen in a while and send us off into the next 50 years.”
Over the half century, this Upstate New York establishment became known as the quintessential spot for happy hours and après ski. The Cottage has been consistently recognized by Ski Magazine as the place where Whiteface Mountain skiers and riders, usually by the first refill, exaggerate about their prowess on the slopes.
On the other side of the coin, this lakeside pub in the Adirondacks was the scene of many memorable parties, with two involving Andrew Weibrecht. The son of Mirror Lake Inn owners Ed and Lisa Weibrecht captured Olympic silver (2014) and bronze (2010) medals in alpine skiing; The Cottage was the place where Lake Placid celebrated one of its own.
How The Cottage Café came into being, however, is a noteworthy story. When Ed Weibrecht purchased the Mirror Lake Inn from Dean Wikoff in 1976, that footprint actually housed four lodging units. Weibrecht, though, envisioned something else – a pub where friends, skiers, locals, visitors and hotel guests could gather for great drinks, outstanding food and lively banter.
Wasting no time, Weibrecht, a ski instructor himself, rallied his fell instructors and ski patrol partners when they were laid off at the end of the ski season and put them to work on the remodel. Weibrecht quickly identified an old barn in the Long Lake area that featured the timbers he had envisioned for the new space, secured it at auction, and tasked his team with tearing it down and moving the lumber back to The Cottage site.
Fifty years later, well, here we are. Those large timbers and barn board still adorn the inside of The Cottage today.
Over that time, The Cottage’s evolution has been significant. The addition of both an outdoor deck and patio area offers patrons the option of indoor or outdoor settings from spring to fall. During the winter, the deck is wrapped in plexiglass to offer guests protection from the elements. With a stove included, visitors can enjoy a beverage outside for as long as the weather allows.
More recently, when Whiteface Mountain upgraded its fleet of gondola cabins, hotel ownership purchased two outgoing cabins, placed them on the deck and heated them. Now in fall and winter, diners can comfortably enjoy lunch or dinner inside them.
Among the most interesting aspects of The Cottage Café experience is the fact that it’s easily accessible. Walking, driving, boating, ice skating, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing – these are all viable means of transport, depending on the season, and brings you to the front door.
As soon as Mirror Lake freezes safely, ice skaters and hockey players gravitate to The Cottage’s outdoor rinks that include official-sized nets. The world is welcome to skate and play the game here and then step inside for a meal or your favorite beverage.
These first 50 years have given The Cottage Café top-of-mind status with residents and visitors. It seems that inevitably, everyone finds their way here. The Cottage hopes the same will occur on May 22.
Guests are encouraged to dig out their old wardrobe, be it from the disco era, your punk phase, neon colors, crop tops, grunge, velour, or bell bottoms. It’s all in play for The Cottage Café’s 50th.
You bring you – The Cottage will supply the rest.
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About the Mirror Lake Inn
The AAA Four Diamond Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa is a luxury lakefront resort offering an authentic Adirondack experience. The Inn, rated Four Diamond for 41 consecutive years, presents both Four Diamond world-class cuisine and casual dining options, with impeccable service amid awe-inspiring views. Only one other property in New York State (located in Manhattan), has maintained the Four Diamond designation longer than Mirror Lake Inn. It is the only property in Lake Placid that combines Four Diamond lodging and dining. The Inn's renowned Lake Placid spa pampers the body and refreshes the mind with a comprehensive menu of services. The Inn is conveniently located one block from the restaurants and shops on Main Street in Lake Placid.