When we were seven years old, we started helping out: mopping floors,
peeling potatoes, washing dishes," says Lou Lanzi. "My parents always
said, 'A little work will never hurt you.'"
That simple approach has carried three generations of Lanzis to success
in the restaurant business.And nowhere can you see the success more clearly
than in Lanzi's on the Lake in Mayfield.
The only waterfront restaurant on Great Sacandaga Lake, this
newest Lanzi success came about by chance, according to Lou, the restaurant's
manager. "We were going to build a banquet house in Amsterdam about eight
years ago," he says. "But this came up, and we thought we could make
a good go of it."
Have they ever. Part of "making a good go of it" involves the ambience:
high ceilings and natural wood add a casual lakeside touch to the decor,
which also boasts a stone fireplace and a back wall lined with windows.
The outdoor deck, which seats 135, yields a spectacular view of Sacandaga
itself. The lake holds the key to many facets of Lanzi's business. Daily
in summer, it provides a quick route to dining for vacationers, who sail
in for a meal or a drink; they can moor their boats at the restaurant's
marina. And throughout the year, the sparkling blue water serves as the
backdrop for Lanzi's cornucopia of lakeside events.
Summer is a natural for such events: during the warm weather, Lanzi's
sponsors a reggae festival, a home-brewed chili cookoff, and beach
parties that feature local radio stations and 4,000 partygoers. But
the lake doesn't stop drawing patrons to the restaurant when the cold
weather comes.
"We found that you can do well here in the wintertime," Lou says, "because
of all the snowmobiling, ice fishing tournaments, cross-country skiing
at Lapland Lake, and downhill skiing at Gore." To that list, Lanzi's
has added a few events of its own: professional snowmobile races, winter
volleyball, and "frozen lake bakes"-outdoor clambakes amid the snow
and ice.