By Paul Post

Sylvain Cloutier made it all the way up to the NHL during his 21-year pro career.

He’s in the Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame for his outstanding play with the Red Wings, IceHawks and Frostbite.

He also has extensive minor league and major junior experience behind the bench, but most important, he’s a proven winner, which made him the best choice among nearly 50 candidates to become the Adirondack Thunder’s new head coach.

“We did like the fact that he has a history in Adirondack,” team President and General Manager Jeff Mead said. “The biggest factor is we think he’s the right person to lead our team back to the playoffs and compete at the highest levels of the ECHL on a consistent basis.”

The 51-year-old Cloutier was introduced to dozens of enthusiastic fans who turned out for a July 15 press conference at Heritage Hall in Cool Insuring Arena. He takes over a team that set a franchise attendance record last season, but also went from first to worst in the ECHL’s North Division standings.

By STAFF WRITER

Daifuku launched this spring at 756 Upper Glen Street in Queensbury Plaza following a two-week renovation of the previous Zou Japanese Steakhouse in March. The updates featured a full interior makeover, a broader menu, and a rebranding under the Daifuku name.

“We did a complete overhaul and rebranding to establish Daifuku as a fresh Asian fusion spot with a wide-ranging menu that includes sushi, hibachi, ramen, and poke bowls, along with traditional Japanese and Chinese cuisine,” said Heather Thompson, manager at Daifuku.

The 4,200-square-foot venue now boasts a larger bar area, a new sushi counter, a semi-private lounge, and a private dining space for small gatherings, plus a main dining area and a hibachi room featuring six tables. “We also introduced a distinctive traditional Japanese raised tatami-style seating area, where guests sit on cushions on tatami mats around low tables. It might be the only one like it in the region,” Thompson added.

By Anne Donnelly

In the bustling design world, where trends come and go, Joël Lynn Designs is a testament to passion, heritage, and a deep understanding of what makes a house a home. Owner Joël Lynn Ralph, whose showroom in Glens Falls will celebrate its second anniversary in July, has built a thriving business focusing on kitchens, baths, and more.

Design, for Ralph, is not just a profession; it’s a family legacy. She explains, “I had a great uncle who used to build cabinets. My mother’s father was a builder. So, having graph paper in our house and drawing up plans was always just a natural thing. When my parents were renovating their home, my mom was drawing up plans on graph paper, and my older brother taught me how to measure the squares to see how many feet are in the square.”

Ralph’s career journey into kitchen and bath design started when her brother, who owned a kitchen and bath company, asked her to help organize his showroom. Curious about the design process, Ralph would take the designer’s plans home. “I used to draw over them and try to understand what all this was about.”

However, the leap to establishing her own business came after COVID. She started representing a cabinet line but soon found herself inundated with calls from people asking her to design kitchens for them. What began as a side endeavor quickly grew organically, with calls continuously coming in. She worked from home for about two years before opening her showroom.

By Anne Donnelly

Cleome Table + Bar has quickly become a standout in Glens Falls’ popular dining scene, marking the hometown return of chef and co-owner Jakob White.With culinary experience in Boston and the Virgin Islands, White brings a distinctive mix of skill and passion to an experience that resonates with locals and visitors alike.

Since opening in April on South Street in Glens Falls, Cleome has become a popular spot for dinner, drinks and shared plates.

The terrace offers a streetscape view of the Civil War Soldiers Monument and City Park—delivering on White’s vision of a space where “people can come together over delicious food and then have a unified experience that they could talk about and share.”

White’s culinary journey began during an uncertain time in his youth. Cooking, originally a hobby, became a calling thanks to the encouragement of friends and family. A pivotal moment came when his family asked him to cook Christmas Eve dinner.

“It felt like a lot of pressure at the time,” he said. But the positive response—especially to his signature “creative touch”—solidified his belief that “people may enjoy the things that I can create.” Another early success was winning a category at the Bands and Beans chili cook-off in Lake George, prior to attending culinary school.