Mary and I enjoy eating out and we do it frequently. When I did a little research for this issue of Strictly Business I was surprised at a statistic from the digital news media Quartz, which reported that in 2016, for the first time in history, Americans spent more money at bars and restaurants ($54.857 billion) than they did on groceries ($52.503 billion). It looks like we are not the only people who enjoy having someone else cook dinner.

We kick off this issue of SB with a look at Smoke Signals in Lake Placid which offers great views of Mirror Lake and world-class barbecue. You don’t need to go to Texas or the Carolinas to satisfy your love of ’cue. Jason and Layla Stoltz invite you to try their special barbecue varieties.

Closer to Plattsburgh, SB visited the Pizza Palace on the Tom Miller Road which is owned and operated by three friends whose specialty is their homemade Italian offerings.

Traveling north, just across the border to Hemmingford, SB writer Justine Parkinson visited Witsend, a place that attracts diners from both sides of the border. German immigrants running an Irish pub may seem a little strange, but it works well.

And then there is our Insight feature, which introduces Plattsburgh YMCA’s new director, Justin Ihne. After a lifetime of working in a variety of Ys, Justin has come to the North Country and jumped right in to put his stamp on our community.

Not far from the Y is a new restaurant on Brinkerhoff Street in downtown Plattsburgh. Sip offers fresh, homemade, and simple
foods that are attracting a crowd.

From a new downtown restaurant, SB moved on to one that has been feeding Plattsburgh residents since 1950. Campus Corner owner Sue Upton describes her clientele as “everyone from college students to seniors.” Open for breakfast and lunch, Campus Corner food is “just like eating at home.”

We couldn’t leave Saranac Lake out of this issue and so SB writer Julie Canepa visited The Left Bank Café with its genuine ties to France. Now run by Anne Sterling, who also teaches at Paul Smith’s College, the restaurant is as close as you can get to French cooking without leaving the Adirondacks.

To explain the new Paid Family Leave which goes into effect on January 1, 2018, attorney Jaci Kelleher offers part two of her tutorial on this sweeping legislation.

Finally, Garry Douglas brings us up to date on the North Country Chamber of Commerce’s 2017–18 agenda.

Plattsburgh has many things that make it special. You just can’t beat its amazing variety of restaurants. Good food, pleasant ambiance, and owners and staff devoted to providing you with a pleasurable experience. And that’s good for business.