The Livin’ is Good in Downtown Plattsburgh

LivinGoods Restaurant Dishes Up Some Great Food

Story and photo by Missy Repola

On a Saturday afternoon while walking through downtown Plattsburgh a friend and I decided to stop somewhere for a bite. Not having any place in particular in mind we kept walking until we came along a very modern looking restaurant called LivinGoods. The front was complete with wrought iron gates and windows that act much like a garage door, so that they can be brought up during the summer months. Neither my friend nor myself had ever been there before, but we were both pleasantly surprised by what we found.  

Walking into LivinGoods we were greeted with a sandwich board announcing the day’s specials. As I looked around on that busy Saturday afternoon I was surprised that I saw so few people. The host came over and told me to sit anywhere and someone would be right with us. The staff is very attentive and helpful, and makes you feel right at home as soon as you walk inside. My friend and I wandered over to the very popular booths at the back of the restaurant, which have been cut right into the wall.

The environment at LivinGoods is clean, friendly and inviting. Due to its prime downtown location, LivinGoods is not the most spacious restaurant. In order to accommodate all of the patrons there is a balcony section of the restaurant, as well as an outdoor seating area. The outdoor seating area is situated right on Margret Street. This area can really only be used a few months out of the year due to the famous chilly Plattsburgh weather.

The menu at LivinGoods is surprisingly large. They offer everything from pizza and burgers to a tequila chicken salad. Being a picky eater I breathed a sigh of relief. Shortly after we had been sat our server came by to take our orders and tell us about the days specials. LivinGoods features daily drink specials. Saturday happened to be all day long two for one Sauza Gold Margaritas. Never having a margarita before I ordered myself one, and I was not disappointed. The drink was stronger than I had expected, but none the less very tasty.

The wait for our food was a little long but it was well worth it. I had ordered the three-cheese pizza, it was by far the best pizza I have ever had in Plattsburgh. The cheeses went perfectly together, I had never had pizza with ricotta cheese on it before, but after this it’s going on all of my pizzas. The dough was thin and crispy and when I got to the center of the pizza I had to eat it with a fork because it was falling apart, in a good way. The portions at LivinGoods are very large; the pizzas are all 8 inches in diameter. This may not seem like a lot but the toppings are very heavy, so you definitely get your moneys worth.

The items on the menu are all fairly priced and can range from $15 to $30. For a restaurant in Plattsburgh this may seem a little pricy but for the quality of food and service you receive it is well priced.

By the time I was done with my pizza there was no room for desert, so my friend and I got the bill. For my pizza, my friend’s grilled chicken quesadilla and both of our margaritas the bill came to less than $40.

The one area of the restaurant that we did not visit was the bar. This area really seems to be the heart of the restaurant. There is a huge flat screen television mounted to the back wall that features whatever sports game is currently going on. It is very spacious and offers a lot of seating for all of the loyal customers. The bar offers a wide assortment of liquors and beers, everything from Grey Goose vodka to a Stella Artois. Because we went so early in the day there were not many people drinking. But there were the few loyal exceptions and they seemed pretty content to be watching the game and drink whatever was on tap.

Overall, I would say that my trip to LivinGoods Restaurant was very successful. It is now my new favorite restaurant in Plattsburgh, and I will definitely be coming back.

Have you been to LivinGoods before?