Big things were happening in Lake County, as well. A visionary restaurateur named Vic Donahey combined his love for food, folks and fun and introduced fine dining to the area. For 25 years, Vic’s Embers Supper Club was the place where locals flocked to enjoy five-star dining with a side of superior hospitality. The elegant supper club—complete with wood panels, dim lighting, gothic white China and candlelit booths—often was compared to steakhouses in Chicago and New York City. Plenty of memories were served up over a quartercentury. The 73-year-old’s eyes light up like a Christmas tree when he talks about some of the restaurant’s most esteemed visitors, including astronaut Dave Walker, journalist David Brinkley and actor Danny Glover. However, the most rewarding aspect of owning Vic’s Embers was forging strong friendships and relationships with countless Lake County residents. “It has always been all about the people,” he said. Unfortunately, the restaurant met an untimely fate in December 2013 when a fire destroyed the facility.
RISING FROM THE ASHES Because of a long insurance process and the doubt of ever getting the smoke stench from the building, Vic never reopened Embers. "I looked at my age, num-
bers, the insurance and what it would take to reopen, and decided not to," he said. “All good things must come to an end.” But, do they? Vic and his son, Victor, currently continue their love for feeding people delicious food through their extremely successful catering business. Based in the Morrison United Methodist Church in Leesburg, they continue Vic’s legacy by serving hundreds of people every week. On the Saturday of Leesburg Bikefest, for example, Vic and
Victor spent their morning atop a downtown parking garage on Meadow Street. But, they weren’t there to show off power-packed machines and swap tales of the open road. Instead, they proudly served up delicious cuisine to hundreds of hungry leather-clad, vest-wearing bikers. Victor worked at his father’s restaurant for many years. The father-son team collaborated closely to help Vic’s Embers strike a perfect balance between service, food quality and ambiance. Their bond is strong, and that’s why they
continue catering together. “I enjoy working with my son in the catering business. He’s a very talented, wonderful cook.” Catering has always been a big part of Vic’s success. And throughout the years he’s catered to the most improbable places. Among them is the now defunct Leesburg City Jail, where he would deliver food to inmates. “They had a city jail here years ago and we used to feed the prisoners,” he recalled. “I don’t care if I’m feeding prisoners or my friends; I want the food to be good.” When he visits Two Old Hags in downtown Leesburg, Vic often shares these wonderful memories with friends over a glass of wine. Of course, he isn’t the only one who has fond memories of the restaurant. David Chapman, a close friend of Vic and longtime Lake County resident, frequented the supper club during its heyday. “It was the place to be,” David said. “My wife Monte and
BIKEFEST PHOTO: MARCI SANDLER
The year was 1988. ¶ George H.W. Bush was elected president, “The Last Emperor” won nine Oscar awards and a U.S. Airlines Boeing 747 circled the world in less than 37 hours.
