Vanderbilt Lakeside Ushers A Historic Building Into The Future
A recently relocated Brooklyn couple has reimagined a circa-1860 boarding house and eatery.
Faroe Island salmon
The Old English rhyme “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, a sixpence in your shoe” is meant as a list of items brides should carry on their wedding day. But, minus the sixpence in your shoe (that sounds uncomfortable), it could serve as a tagline for the new venture in what was The Vanderbilt House Hotel in Philmont, New York. The historic building has been reimagined as Vanderbilt Lakeside Bar Room & Guesthouse by a recently relocated Brooklyn couple, Henrietta Paris and Matthew Bray.
Something old is the building. The structure, says Paris, was built in the 1860s by the Vanderbilts to house railroad employees and their families, and has been in use as some sort of business — boarding house, hotel, package store, restaurant — ever since. “The previous owners ran it as a restaurant and inn. Their last night of service was on New Year’s Eve, and we moved in at the end of February. So, it’s been functioning as a business pretty seamlessly for decades.”
Something borrowed is the name “Vanderbilt.” Something new is the structure’s interior redesign and menu revamp.
The couple has kept the best parts of the original 8-room guesthouse, such as its tin ceilings, made good use of the renovations completed during its last go-round, such as each room’s ensuite bathroom, and added their own modern take in paint, wallpaper and furnishings. The result is a less cluttered, more modern feel, and the decor will inspire envy even in the hippest customer. On a recent visit, I found myself wondering, “Should our wallpaper have shiny gold specs in it?” Yes, it probably should. “Do we need a lamp which is basically a shade around the middle of a metal bird?” Obviously. Upstairs, metal chandeliers add a sleek contemporary touch, and throw a fun starburst pattern onto the ceilings. “Is it rude to copy this room’s entire layout?”
Vanderbilt Lakeside is at the tail end of its soft opening, having thrown its doors open a little more than 6 weeks ago. Because of its midsummer start, rooms are still available when many places throughout the region are already booked out through the fall.
The restaurant below has a Modern American menu created by Culinary Institute of America graduate Chef Ferdinand Ramilo (formerly of local restaurants Bocuse and Pangea). “He’s incredibly well-traveled,” says Paris. “He made it a goal of his to visit the best restaurants on the planet, and he’s been to every continent except Antarctica.”
To their own credit, Vanderbilt’s new owners both have been in the restaurant and bar industry for close to 20 years. Paris most recently owned NYC bar The Dove Parlour and Brooklyn’s Night of Joy. Before it closed, Dove Parlour was named “Best First Date Bar” by New York magazine, and, with its lakeside firepit, cozy bar and lowlit lounge/game room with relaxed seating, board games and a shuffleboard table, the Vanderbilt Lakeside has some of that same magic.
Paris and Bray serve as the restaurant’s mixologists. “We both really enjoy doing that and take lots of pride in it — we make a lot of our own syrups, and infuse our own spirits.” Some of their concoctions currently on the menu include housemade chili salt, infused serrano pepper bourbon, Campari-soaked pineapple, and green tea syrup.
The full bar focuses on the couple’s signature craft cocktails, as well as boutique wines, and local and craft beers. I tasted The Moonlit Day cocktail (Titos vodka, fresh lemon, housemade chamomile-honey syrup, yellow Chartreuse and butterfly-pea tea extract) and found it tart and refreshing with just a hint of sweetness.
The restaurant features indoor dining, as well as a two-tier outdoor deck with views of Summit Lake (something blue). My date and I chose the latter, as did most of the other guests. From the “Bites” menu, we settled on the roasted shishito peppers with aged balsamic honey-ginger glaze, tomato salt and roasted sunflower seeds ($8), although the smoked trout salad also was in the running.
It turned out to be a refreshing, healthy choice. To combat that, I followed it up with chicken wings from the “Small Plates” menu. I intended to order the hummus trio, or perhaps the simple mixed greens salad, but I just couldn’t resist the siren song of “sweet and sticky” wings with housemade hot sauce, roasted peanuts, chives and fried leeks ($11 for 7 wings). I was not disappointed; the ingredients created a heady mix for both my nose and tastebuds.
The main “Supper” menu offers five solid choices: bone-in pork chop schnitzel, roasted chicken, a bar room burger than looks amazing from the Instagram photos I’ve seen, and General Tso tofu and veggies. Perhaps because of the muggy weather, we were both feeling a fish dish was in order. The organic miso, panko and peanut crusted Faroe Island salmon ($24) turned out to be a wise, delicious and not too heavy choice. A generous portion comes atop sautéed spinach, a few roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, and a yuzu cream sauce. That evening’s veggie was roasted radish, an inspired choice.
The food and cocktail menus will be updated seasonally, and Paris is looking forward to offering hot cocktails when the weather changes. “We have a very picturesque backyard, so I’m imagining delicious spiked hot drinks guests can enjoy around the firepit.” Other additions may include lawn games and outdoor movie nights.
Vanderbilt Lakeside Bar Room & Guesthouse
161 Main St., Philmont, NY
(518) 672-7070
Open for dinner Tuesday–Saturday from 6-10 p.m., Sundays 6-9 p.m. (closed Mondays).
Dinner reservations are accepted for parties of 6 or more.
