What’s the most beautiful spot in the state of New York?

For my money it’s the rear-window view from The Sagamore, the penultimate luxury resort on Lake George in the Adirondacks. Take a right turn off Route 9N at Bolton Landing (15 miles north of Lake George Village) and you are driving right smack into a time-warp (a giant mansion/English colonial castle) resort that reeks of the rich and pampered ambience of the original article that first opened its doors in 1883. Factor in some serious money invested in bringing The Sagamore up-to-date — a $75 million renovation in 1985, followed by nearly $20 million spent from 2002-2004, and — snap . . . you’ve got a state-of-the-art conference facility, 350-room resort and one of the rare-old jewels listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

THE GOLFING GOURMET

My personal interest in The Sagamore is its 18-hole golf course (2 ½ miles from the resort on Federal Hill Road) and The Club Grill Restaurant that overlooks Lake George and the psychedelic rainbow of golds and reds dotting the Adirondack Mountains in fall.

The Sagamore’s golf course is the best public course in New York, and arguably the most challenging and aesthetically pleasing public course in the US. Donald Ross, the Andrew Wyeth of golf-course designers, built the course in 1928 with a mission to weave the holes around natural features of white birches, evergreen forests and upland meadows.

The Club Grill, perched on a sloping hill overlooking the first tee, is my favorite golf-course restaurant on the East Coast. Club Grill Chef de Cuisine Jennifer Chisano has transplanted all the trappings of a New York steakhouse, along with the freshest seafood and inspired side dishes and desserts.

"The objective with the menu is to serve the classic NY steakhouse dishes, but with a flair and twist on the typical preparations," said Chisano, who lavishes attention to detail on every plate of this 90-seat dining room. "All the steaks are "dry aged" to maximize flavor, but along with a 21-oz. porterhouse you can enjoy a plate of creamed spinach that’s made with Marscapone and candied ginger or aged Grafton cheddar cheese and macaroni."

One of Chisano’s most inspired dishes is a White Marble Farms double pork chop – a 17- oz. chop that’s incredibly lean and cuts as easily as a blowtorch passing through French butter.

All meat dishes are accompanied by sauces created to complement, not obscure, the natural flavors of the produce. "I’m not interested in making too much out of the sauces," said Chisano, "as they are on the plate or served on the side to add nuances and overtones to each dish."

The Club Grill

A few examples of this culinary balancing act: A fresh rosemary-infused Demi is served with the porterhouse; the center-cut prime filet comes with a Portabello and smoked corn relish (the Lake George region produces some of the best sweet corn in the US); the double pork chop is complemented by a caramelized apple and rhubarb sauce; and the free-range chicken is truffle-butter basted and dolled up with its natural pan drippings.

October is a great month for ordering seafood in The Club Grill, as special items such as Mahi and Ginger Snapper are flown in from Hawaii. The Sagamore’s Executive Chef George Bargisen works with purveyors all over the world to produce a surprisingly eclectic menu for a dining room that services the needs of golfers, Lake George locals and other hungry travelers.

The service at The Club Grill is on par with its top-of-the-line food. Chris Collins, the dining room manager, has trained a staff that will bend over backwards to accommodate any special needs. On my first visit to The Club Grill to grab a quick lunch, for instance, I was given a complimentary shrimp cocktail because of a slight delay in finding the correct bread for a Cuban sandwich.

In this day of lower standards in most resort/golf-course restaurants, The Club Grill continues to raise the bar ever higher. To wit: At the end of dinner I decided to try a lavender-flavored cr¸me brulee that turned out to be one of the best desserts I’ve ever sampled. The lavender flavors blended with the caramelized sugar — a triumph of balancing style with substance.