Word travels fast in the Adirondacks, especially when it involves a legendary sandwich. I first heard about Wylde & Young from my nephew Riley, who came upon the deli after a day of hunting and claimed it was the best Italian sub he’d ever eaten. A month later, I visited the Johnsburg storefront to find he was right—but the shop is more than just a pit stop on Route 8. It’s the latest chapter for owner David Webb, an outdoors enthusiast and glamping pioneer who is now working to transform a food desert into a community crossroads.
“Our first five months have surpassed all my hopes for how well we’d do,” said Webb, owner and cook at Wylde & Young, which opened Aug. 1. He cites support from the local community as well as word-of-mouth that’s bringing visitors from Saratoga, Glens Falls and Blue Mountain Lake. The Route 8 location also means catching folks just passing through. “We estimate over 30 different state license plates have stopped in,” Webb said.
Wylde & Young owner David Webb, right, chats with a customer. Photo by Nancie Battaglia
This is not the first business Webb has started. In 2011, he was a pioneer in opening one of the first glamping sites in North America when he created Camp Orenda, a secluded 40-acre site on property in Johnsburg, owned by his family since the late 1960s.
Camp Orenda was in operation from 2011 through 2025. It ran seven days a week for 120 consecutive days, and its mission was to have people enjoy a camping experience at one of their four custom-made canvas tent cabins. Webb’s wife, Laura Marie, is a classically trained chef who prepared seasonal fine-dining menus daily. Webb, a trained mountaineer, would take patrons on canoeing, kayaking, caving, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and whitewater rafting adventures.
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“We loved the experience of creating Camp Orenda, but it was time to move on,” Webb said. “We were the first glamping site around here, but it has now taken off. It did what I had hoped it would do, be a place to get people not very familiar with the outdoors to enjoy nature.”
The Adirondacks have toughened me up, and I learned that no matter how difficult things are, you just need to keep moving.
David Webb, owner, Wylde & Young
He was one of those people as a boy growing up in Brooklyn. “My parents bought a place here in Johnsburg when my brother and I were young so we could experience the outdoors. That’s when I fell in love with the Adirondacks,” he said. Back in New York City, he worked at delis and pizza places, and looked forward to returning north to set up a tent in the wild backwoods behind their house. As he got older, he climbed most of the High Peaks and had many Adirondack adventures.
“The Adirondacks have toughened me up, and I learned that no matter how difficult things are, you just need to keep moving,” he said.
The W&Y Italian Mix sub sandwich is a popular offering. Photo by Nancie Battaglia
Some of that attitude may explain why Webb and his wife were willing to take their life savings and put all of that into this new deli in Johnsburg, about 15 miles northwest of Lake George. “We purchased this abandoned property in 2024. At one time it was a general store and a gas station, but it had fallen into serious disrepair. It sat here as a reminder how depressed and how forgotten some of these little hamlets can be in rural America. We spent a lot of time renovating it the right way.”
We purchased this abandoned property in 2024. At one time it was a general store and a gas station, but it had fallen into serious disrepair. It sat here as a reminder how depressed and how forgotten some of these little hamlets can be in rural America.
David Webb, owner, Wylde & Young
Unlike Camp Orenda, Webb is enjoying the simplicity of the menu. “We’re open five days a week Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Our mission is to provide excellent fresh deli food at an affordable price as a way to support our community and the place where we live. It’s a bit of a food desert up here, but if you put out good food, whether it’s pizza, a fish fry or even a hot dog, people will come. I also wanted to open a deli because there are so few true delicatessens anymore.”
He wants this establishment to be for the people. “When you walk through the door, we don’t judge you. Every customer gets the same friendly hospitable treatment. We may have a sweaty logger sitting at a table across from a wealthy summer resident. My hope is that this is a place where people from different backgrounds can enjoy good food and good conversation, and we want you to keep coming back.”
Keeping his deli open till 7 p.m. is for many of the hard-working people in the area. “Some of them can no longer go out to eat, but they can buy their cold cuts, bread and cheese here for a drastically low price. Maybe they can buy a sandwich that will last for two or three meals. It’s so rewarding for me to see people enjoy what they’re eating, and I especially love to see all the smiles in here.”