The Tale of a Long Hot Summer and 1,000 Wine Slushies

Mike and Merle and the 1,000th Wibne Slushie

On those scorching days of summer, Schroon Lakers had many options to quench their thirsts, And one of the most popular ways turned out to be the unique and bright colored offerings from Vine and Barley, Patti Mehm’s cool tavern on Main Street.

We are talking about her now famous wine slushies, an adult version of what you might get at a 7-11, but so much more decadent – and alcoholic.

They come in flavors ranging Strawberry Lemonade, fresh Berry, the Tropical Rita (white wine base, V&B’s version of a tropical margarita without tequila) and Senorita and Strawberry Mango. At $7 a pop, V&B did a mighty business.

So much so that they sold their 1,000th yesterday to Merle, a visitor from New Jersey, who also ordered the 1, 0001. Bar tender Mike Dobbel treated Merle on the milestone purchase, according to Patti Mehm.

“It’s been a very good year for us,” Patti told Schroon Laker today.

“We didn’t sell 1,000 slushies last year, and there are still many more weeks in the season ahead. Beer and wine have also been big sellers for us, but we can keep an actual count of the slushies.”

“People love them. They have really taken off. Friends keep referring their friends to try them”.

V&B, above the Towne Store overlooking Main Street, is open till 6 pm on Sunday and 2 pm - 8 pm Monday to Thursday and 2 pm - 9 pm Friday and Saturday. They specialize in light fare, including soups, salads, vine ripe Caprese, locally smoked salmon and their meat and cheese platters.

So congrats to Merle, Patti, Mike and all of the gang at V&B on your next 1,000 and many more in the years ahead!

Got Wine? Got Books? Got Hors D'oeuvres?

Mt. Severance Store To Reopen!

You could almost hear the collective cheer when news broke last week that the long shuttered Mt. Severance Store is to re-open.

A shout out to reader Andrew Silver,  who sent us the above picture. He's one of many who is delighted at the return of this gem. 

The store will be under the new management of a entrepreneur from Crown Point.  New gas pumps have been installed and the interior is getting a make over.

The store’s reopening will have a big impact on folks living north of downtown Schroon, particularly residents of Severance, North Hudson and Paradox Lake.

Second home own Cliff Kulwin, sums up what there-opening means to folks from Paradox Lake, who lost their own favorite store, three years ago.

"The reopening of the Severance Store is great news for the Paradox community.  Beyond just restoring local shopping options to what they used to be,  it would bring back a local shop that in a sense acted as a community center. 

"Its long-time presence gave a sense of history and rootedness to an area which has already seen so many closings; having it open again will be a real treat.”

More from Tammy Whitty-Brown, Executive Director of the Schroon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce:

The Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce would like to WELCOME! our newest member: Mt Severance Store. Mt. Severance Store, as many of you know, unexpectedly closed last December which was a huge blow to many as it has been a long-standing icon in our community.

This week we are excited and happy to announce that Mr. Ken Ladeau and his family have announced they will be reopening the store and managing it. The Ladeau family are a local family from the Crown Point region. Mrs. Ladeau is a schoolteacher, and Mr. Ladeau is a entrepreneur owning several other regional businesses.

The Ladeaus' goal is to have the store open in the next two weeks. They will be providing the community with gas, groceries, and a deli. The deli will carry a full line of Boars Head meats where they will offer subs and much more. We look forward to having the Ladeus join our business community and we are all very excited to have the Mt. Severance Store open again. We also want to put a big shout out to our chamber member, Glebus Realty, for working hard to find a new owner/manager for a great historical icon in our community!

What are you most looking forward to seeing/experiencing or eating at the store? Tell us in comments!

What’s The Future Of Pitkin’s?

Pitkin’s restaurant, run for decades by Marie Rice and her family, is up for sale. This amazing part of the fabric of Schroon daily life, serving generations of locals and holiday makers, will be sadly missed.

Schroon Laker has learned Marie wants to spend more time with her husband Randy and their family.

The restaurant has a rich history on Main Street, tracing its roots back to 1907. That’s when twins Art and Archie Pitkin opened its doors.

In 1955 Pitkin’s changed hands when Archie Pitkin’s wife sold to John and Gisele Wilson. The Wilsons are Marie’s parents.

Pitkin’s could be a metaphor for Schroon Lake: laid back,  super friendly and unpretentious. As regulars know, Pitkin’s reputation is earned from its down-home,  good eating. The menu is tasty and  affordable, featuring  American favorites:  from heavenly pancakes, soups, sandwiches, burgers, fries and Texas barbecue.

The Texas flavor was added in 1980, a hat tip to Randy, who is from the lone stare state. And that’s when Randy’s made from scratch barbecue sauce became an instant hit.

There’s so much we will miss about Pitkin’s, from its to die for peanut butter pie, strawberry shortcake, blue berry pancakes and club sandwiches. But above and beyond the menu, it’s the smiling face of Marie and her staff, and their friendly service  that is Pitkin’s trademark.

We wish Marie and Randy all the best and look forward to hearing about the plans of the new owners.

The property features the restaurant: dining area, fully equipped kitchen, freezers, coolers, storage and an office.

The sale also includes a second small retail area with Main Street frontage and a large two-bedroom apartment upstairs and  two separate apartments on the lower level. There’s also frontage to Mill Brook at the rear of the property.

Friedman’s Realty has the listing. For more information about the sale, click here.