Walk in. Sit down. Order. Eat. Talk (maybe). Pay. Leave. This is the standard dining-out routine of the modern era—and sometimes, it can take as little as 30 or 40 minutes. To Justin Daw—a renowned chef who made waves in New Orleans before moving to Lake Placid in 2022 to revive The Interlaken Inn and Restaurant—that’s not how it should be.
“Cuisine should be special,” Daw says. “It should be enjoyed with friends, family, and even strangers.”
Daw’s desire to make the dining experience special again has manifested in his newest venture, Libby Supper Club, named after his niece and located inside the historic Union Gables Inn at 55 Union Ave.
The supper club, which officially opened last weekend, is unlike anything else in the area—it’s a reservation-only experience with only one seating (of up to 18 people) every Friday and Saturday at 6pm. Each night features a six-course, prix fixe, seasonal menu. Courses are served one at a time, in unison, allowing groups to thoroughly enjoy meticulously-crafted dishes over flowing conversation.
The prix fixe menus will rotate monthly; July’s menu features seared peach and burrata with aged balsamic and prosciutto, seared duck breast with cherry gastrique and fingerling potatoes, and summer greens with roasted corn, radish, and buttermilk dressing. The menus for August and September—including special vegetarian and pescetarian menus that will be offered on select dates—have also been posted online. Most of the items on Libby’s regular menu are gluten-free.
While Daw hasn’t uploaded all the menus for the year yet, he plans to continue the Friday and Saturday evening schedule beyond track season, and hopes to offer Sunday brunch and the occasional porch seating. A full liquor menu is also coming soon; for now, a curated selection of beer and wine is available.
Beyond serving intricately designed dishes, Daw hopes to create an experience—a vibe—that leaves a lasting impression. “I want guests to feel special,” he says. “I want them to feel like they are coming into my home.”
And while he’s been inspired by the existing dining scene in Saratoga—where “chefs and cooks actually care about what goes on their plate and how it looks”—Daw isn’t necessarily concerned about fitting in. “Fitting in,” he says, “sometimes means standing out.”
