All-Weather Comfort Food

LD’s on the River in Pulaski is year-round enjoyment

By Christopher Malone

When searching for food in Pulaski, LD’s on the River comes up. The bar-restaurant (according to a food review website) describes the eatery on Jefferson Street and next to The Kallet Theater as traditional American. In other words — comfort food. If it’s not culturally inspired, that’s American cuisine for you. It’s the simple bliss of a burger and fries.

A large chalkboard at LD’s on the River lists the specials and drinks

With the Tug Hill Plateau and the Salmon River region being a year-round destination, it’s a place to go for a good bite when the summer humidity is oppressive, after a winter outing on your sled or fishing, and any other day just because.

And it wasn’t an internet search engine that convinced me to hit up LD’s. The star rating wasn’t scary either. My wife and I have never been there and we wanted to try it.

The quiet Saturday afternoon was nice. We had the full-service greeting, seating, and were able to hear the Olympics on the television. We also had our dog, who we’re training for service purposes, and he was also very welcomed. He didn’t (and typically doesn’t) misbehave either, so that was reassuring for the staff.

The large chalkboard with the specials and drink list boasted great local craft offerings from 1911 (LaFayette), Meier’s Creek (Cazenovia), Three Heads (Rochester) and more.

The hot chicken sandwich was our other sandwich of choice. The breaded, crispy Cajun sandwich was topped with jack cheese, bacon, diced dill pickles, and chipotle aioli.

For anyone who feels relaxed in a setting with exposed brick — LD’s offers that, too. Plus, its long and old bar has a lot of character. You’d wish it could speak and have it spill the details of its history and the conversations of countless patrons.

To kick off our meal, a few things caught our attention. For one, cheddar and potato soup ($4). The hearty soup didn’t disappoint. No need to add any pepper either. The flavor stepped up enough to not need anything with it.

Normally menus have mozzarella sticks. LD’s, however, has smoked gouda bites ($9.99). The basket of bites was a pleasant take on a familiar appetizer. However, there were also mac and cheese bites. There’s a lot going on and there’s a lot to enjoy. We highly enjoyed these delicious bites. The house wing sauce added a pinch, not a punch, of heat. It really is a great appetizer.

The pierogi basket, not typically seen as an appetizer. It was doused with garlic, oil and cheese

The pierogi basket ($10.99) was also something not typically seen as an appetizer. Served with string, hand-cut fries, the pierogis could come out with the aforementioned Buffalo wing sauce or garlic parmesan. Going with the latter, the Polish staple was doused with garlic, oil and cheese with no apology.

The beef from the burgers are sourced locally, according to LD’s menu. That’s reassuring, especially when it’s in print and coming from a cartoon cow. No, that’s not sarcastic. Who doesn’t like a burger coming from a local source?

And who doesn’t like a burger with mushrooms sautéed in garlic butter? If that strikes your fancy, go with the mushroom Swiss burger ($11.99). It came with house sweet potato fries for a slight upcharge. The burger tasted fresh and was cooked as asked — medium rare. The mushrooms and cheese were plentiful.

Smoked gouda bites — the basket of bites was a pleasant take on a familiar appetizer.

The hot chicken sandwich ($10.99) was our other sandwich of choice. The breaded, crispy Cajun sandwich was topped with jack cheese, bacon, diced dill pickles, and chipotle aioli. It sounds like a spicy sandwich but it’s not as intense as you think. For those afraid of heat, give this a try. Each bite into the crispy sandwich with crispy bacon is a satisfying one.

Before tip, the total bill came to around $70.

Is LD’s award-winning? It depends on what you’re looking for. For a high-class meal? Perhaps not. For comfort food? Absolutely. LD’s offers hit-the-spot options for all seasons and people of all ages.