Chef to Chef October 2018

C&RB’s

OCTOBER 2018

Chef to Chef I D E A S F O R F & B S U C C E S S AT C LU B A N D R E S O R T P R O P E R T I E S A HARBOR COMMUNICATIONS PUBLICATION

Seeds of

CHANGE

Executive Chef Jeffrey Baker is driving a new culinary movement at The Clubs at Houston Oaks.

22

p

UNIFY THE FRONT AND BACK OF HOUSE p8 REIMAGINE CHEF’S TABLES p12 MASTER SEASONAL BANQUET MENUS p28

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The Importance of Relationships

EDITOR’S MEMO

EDITOR Joanna DeChellis jdechellis@clubandresortbusiness.com 412-260-9233

THINK ABOUT YOUR BEST FRIEND. Maybe it’s someone you grew up with or met in school. Maybe it’s someone you work with or live near. Whatever the case, that relationship was built by spending time together.

Now, think about how much free time you have, especially when one of your line cooks calls in sick or you’re in the heat of your busiest season. You’re stressed. You’re rushed. And it’s much easier to fire off a text message or an e-mail to the dining room manager than it is to sit down in her office.

Don’t get me wrong—technology is great and it can be incredibly valuable. But it should not be your default means of communication with the people on your team.

When I interviewed Scott Craig, Director of Culinary Operations/Executive Chef of Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., about how to manage the front of house/back of house dynamic (see pg. 8), he said something that took me by surprise.

I asked him what the biggest challenges are in managing this relationship.

He said, “My really honest response is that chefs, by nature, are counter-culture and competitive. It’s easy to see peers as competitors. And it’s hard to overcome that mindset.”

If that’s true, the ambiguity of an e-mail or a text could have a profound impact if it’s misread or misinterpreted.

Chef Craig and I talked about how relationships are the root of success, and how building a culture that instills fairness, trust and honesty not only creates a more enjoyable place to work, but one that is filled with loyalty.

He went on to share a story about how, when he was at the Chevy Chase (Md.) Club, he and the club’s Food & Beverage Director were good friends. He told me how he invested in that friendship, as he does with all relationships, knowing her interests and about her family. She did the same for him.

He’d make it a point to go into her office and not discuss work. Instead, they’d catch up on their kids or talk about what they did on their day off. By being friends, work became more fun and more productive, and the whole team became more unified.

So commit to it. Invest in face-to-face time. It will help your food-and-beverage program—and it might make you and your team happier.

3 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

W H AT ’ S I N S I D E F E AT U R E S Seeds of Change, pg. 22

PHOTO COURTESY OF (LEFT) THE CLUBS AT HOUSTON OAKS; (BELOW) COSMOS CLUB

a house undivided

OCTOBER 2018

“

IMPROVING THE TEAM DYNAMIC HAS TO COME FROM COHESIVE LEADERSHIP AND STRONG TRAINING.

How to bring the front and back together to ensure a great member dining experience. 8

reimagining chef’s tables Clubs are inviting members to participate in one-of-a-kind dining experiences that not only give them a greater appreciation for their club, but also for their chef. 12

seeds of change Executive Chef Jeffrey Baker is driving a new culinary movement at The Clubs at Houston Oaks. 22

D E PA R T M E N T S EDITOR’S MEMO, 3 CHEF’S THOUGHTS, 6 After more than 13 years as Executive Chef of an old-line, traditional golf club, Marshall Violante packed up his knives and moved to Chicago’s Saddle and Cycle Club to begin a whole new culinary adventure.

COLD-BREW COFFEE HEATS UP MEMBER-GUEST EVENT, 10 BECOMING THE BEST, 15 The Duquesne Club’s Pastry Chef, William Racin, CEPC, believes his recent ACF win has not only improved his skill set, but also that of his dynamic and dedicated pastry team.

“

RECIPES, 16

WILLIAM ROGERS EXECUTIVE CHEF, COSMOS CLUB WASHINGTON, D.C. PAGE 20

ON THE COVER: JEFFREY BAKER, EXECUTIVE CHEF, THE CLUBS AT HOUSTON OAKS, HOCKLEY, TEXAS.

FOLLOW US:

MAKING BANQUET MENUS SHINE WITH SEASONAL INGREDIENTS, 28 Three club chefs share insights into how they incorporate seasonality into traditional banquet menus.

USING FURNITURE TO SET THE TONE, 30 Dining room furniture plays a critical role in the member dining experience at Corinthian Yacht Club.

Chef to Chef A quarterly supplement to Club & Resort Business

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Joe Barks jbarks@clubandresortbusiness.com 610.688.5666 EDITOR Joanna DeChellis jdechellis@clubandresortbusiness.com 412.260.9233 NATIONAL CHEF TO CHEF CONFERENCE PROGRAM COORDINATOR Jerry Schreck, Executive Chef Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa. PRESIDENT Dan Ramella dramella@clubandresortbusiness.com 440.250.1583 GROUP PUBLISHER Tom McIntyre tmcintyre@clubandresortbusiness.com 440.250.1583 PUBLISHER EMERITUS Bill Donohue bdonohue@clubandresortbusiness.com 312.664.1583 ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sean Carr scarr@clubandresortbusiness.com 440.250.1583 DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER, C&RB Giovanni Castelli gcastelli@clubandresortbusiness.com 440.250.1583 OPERATIONS MANAGER Barbra Martin bmartin@clubandresortbusiness.com 440.250.1583 DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER Nicole Lender nicolelender@clubandresortbusiness.com 440.250.1583

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Edward Leonard, CMC, Director of Culinary Operations and Executive Chef, The Polo Club of Boca Raton (Fla.) Lawrence McFadden, CMC, GM/COO The Union Club, Cleveland, OH Cody Middleton, Pastry Chef, Forsyth Country Club, Winston-Salem, N.C. Nelson Millán, Executive Chef, San Antonio (Texas) Country Club Chad Myers, Executive Chef, Dubuque (Iowa) Golf & Country Club Colby Newman, Executive Chef, Grosse Pointe (Mich.) Yacht Club Michael Ramsey, Executive Chef, Jacksonville (Fla.) Golf & Country Club Drew Tait, Executive Chef, Kelly Greens Golf & Country Club, Ft. Myers, Fla.

PRODUCT SHOWCASE, 32 AD INDEX, 33 CHEF TO CHEF CONFERENCE UPDATE, 34

4 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

C&RB’s

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CHEF’S THOUGHTS

MARSHALL L. VIOLANTE EXECUTIVE CHEF SADDLE AND CYCLE CLUB CHICAGO, ILL.

PHOTO BY SADDLE AND CYCLE CLUB

As Executive Chef of Chicago’s Saddle and Cycle Club, Marshall Violante refuses to grow stagnant and pushes himself to conquer new challenges.

In fact, a little more than four years ago, Violante left the Executive Chef position with the Glen View Club (GVC) in Golf, Ill., where he had been for 13 years, to take on his current position at a club that’s worlds apart from GVC. In the time he’s been with Saddle and Cycle, he’s substantially elevated the club’s food-and-beverage profile.

Violante also holds the distinction of having attended all ten of C&RB’s Chef to Chef Conferences since the event debuted in Las Vegas in 2009.

15.

1. My last meal would be a Neapolitan pizza.

2. The most valuable piece of advice I’ve ever received was from a former president of a distinguished club. I was venting and once I finished he took a sip of his cocktail and said, “The private club world is not the real world, Chef.”

3. The most important things in my kitchen are my core players. They work very hard for the cause—not for me. They have taught me to be demanding, but not demeaning.

4. My go-to drink is a proper negroni with Aviator Gin. 5. The rules of conduct in my kitchen are respect the food source and each other. And absolutely no music. I abhor whistling.

6. My worst culinary creation was a Fat Tire Beer sorbet, because it was put on the wrong buffet and the kids ate it!

7. My favorite junk food is super-crunchy Cheetos.

8. If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be a conch diver in Anguilla. Go if you have not been.

9. I don’t like to brag, but I was the beer-chugging and pizza-eating champ on campus in undergraduate school two years running.

10. The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was a chicken salad sandwich, but with no chicken.

11. My favorite ingredient is pork butt and my F. Dick sausage press.

Truffle oil is the most overrated ingredient. Patience is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest selective ignorance and laziness, and I can’t live without La Croix brand lime-scented club soda for me and my staff.

12. If I could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, it would be my brothers. I lost two of them too early and they never really saw me do my thing. I love them and miss them and would love to have the ability to entertain them and their families.

13. I’d like to see more club chefs band together locally and share off-time together as comrades.

14. My favorite movie/TV show is Somebody Feed Phil.

I LOVE BEING A CLUB CHEF BECAUSE THE CURRENT GENERATION OF MEMBERS DEMANDS MUCH MORE OF US AND MAKES US ALL BETTER CULINARIANS. View the extended conversation with Chef Violante at www.clubandresortbusiness.com/c2c-supplement/chefs-thoughts

6 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

Registration Is Open!

C to C A C L U B & R E S O RT B U S I N E S S C O N F E R E N C E

March 10-12, 2019 Hilton New Orleans Riverside

New Orleans

Meet Club Chefs. Share ideas.

Expand Your Network.

C&RB’s Chef to Chef Conference is a can’t-miss annual event that reflects the fast-growing importance of food and beverage in the club industry, and the critical contributions of the people who run those operations and create great food for members and guests.

Join us for the 11th annual Conference in New Orleans, March 10-12, 2019 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

Presented by Club & Resort Business magazine, Chef to Chef offers an abundance of knowledge on cooking, management concepts and operating practices. Club and resort chefs come to Chef to Chef to learn, network and be inspired. They leave with practical, club-specific ideas they can’t get anywhere else.

Registration is Now Open at www.CheftoChefConference.com sponsored by:

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PHOTO COURTESY OF MYERS PARK COUNTRY CLUB

A HOUSE UNDIVIDED

Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte, N.C.

HOW TO BRING THE FRONT AND BACK TOGETHER TO ENSURE A GREAT MEMBER DINING EXPERIENCE.

by Joanna DeChellis, Editor THERE ARE MANY MOVING PARTS within a club’s foodand-beverage operation. From chefs and line cooks to servers and dining room managers, everyone should be working toward the same goal: to offer an outstanding member dining experience.

But mistakes are made, tempers flare, blame gets passed around and arguments ensue. How these issues are handled—or, ideally, avoided—can make or break a club’s dining operation.

“The first step to improving the relationship between the front and back of house is finding the problem areas, validating them and drawing up a plan to fix them,” says Richard Beckel, Executive Chef of Woodholme Country Club (Pikesville, Md.). “Then, as Chef, you must stay vigilant.”

Beckel, who has been with Woodholme CC for one year, was brought in as an agent of change for the club’s nearly $2 million F&B operation. He has spent the past year improving the dynamic between the front and back while creating a new culinary culture.

“Chefs must come out of the kitchen to see what’s happening on the floor,” he says. “It’s critical to experience what your servers are seeing and experiencing. You’ll also gain a lot more respect and forgiveness from members by opening a dialogue with them when a mistake is made as result of a team breakdown.”

Beckel recommends addressing the issue with the member first, and then reviewing the mistake with the team. His formula is as follows: 1. Recognize the problem.

2. Offer an opportunity for resolution.

3. Follow up.

“Any problem, whether the kitchen overcooked the burger or the server rang in the order wrong, is a team problem and requires a team solution,” says Beckel. “Realistically, chefs don’t cook hamburgers to the desired temperature on the ticket, then shove it in the fridge before handing it off to the server to deliver it to the table. And servers don’t intentionally 8 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

enter the wrong order in the middle of a busy service, just to screw things up on the line.”

Putting yourself into the situation, to see where the rough spots are, will allow you to work on fixing them, Beckel explains.

“Sometimes a solution is simple, like buying a pump system for servers who keep forgetting to bring ketchup when fries are ordered,” he says. “Other times, solutions take training— if there are consistent issues with doneness on steaks or burgers, for example, perhaps the team needs to review what we consider rare, medium and well.”

DO AS I SAY… AND AS I DO Communication is the root of success.

Since William Rogers came to the Cosmos Club (Washington, D.C.) to take on the role of Executive Chef nearly two years ago, he has made substantial strides in food quality.

He and Carolyn Papetti, Food and Beverage Director, have also vastly improved service standards as well as the team dynamic.

“As Executive Chef, it’s easy to be loyal just to the chefs,” says Rogers. “But you have to listen and be aware of all the issues, especially the ones in the front of the house. They are seeing what we can’t from the kitchen. I try to set the best example I can, so that my cooks can follow suit.”

The Cosmos Club does $6.8 million in annual F&B with more than 2,800 members. It’s an upscale city club focused primarily on dining, with a staff of about 125 people. “[Papetti] and I have an open-door policy with one another,” continues Rogers. “We work toward the same mission and try to lead our team in that direction. I encourage her to share with me if a member of my team is out of line, and vice versa. Then we coach and counsel appropriately.”

The relationship between Papetti and Rogers is pivotal to Cosmos’ success, and all policy changes and training starts with them. The two managers do not take this responsibility lightly, as they realize the impact they can have on the club’s F&B success.

“We wanted to abandon tray service,” says Rogers. “But we couldn’t just command and demand that servers stop us-

C H E F S AT W O R K

ing trays, especially if we wanted to get positive buy-in from them.

“Instead, we set up a training game where servers had to serve 100 tables with a tray, and then again without them,” he continues. “We timed them and were able to show them how much faster they are without trays.”

The same exercise was also done to show the benefits of serving banquets live, instead of with pre-plating.

“We want the team to be invested in what we do and why,” says Rogers. “If we’re fighting, we’re not focused on food or service. It’s like standing with a hose while your house burns down.

“Improving the team dynamic has to come from cohesive leadership and strong training,” he adds. “We must also lead by example and be there every step of the way.”

1. Lead by example.

2. Keep the lines of communication open.

3. All training and policy changes should be made with the member experience in mind.

4. Treat each other with respect.

5. Cross-train to allow both sides to see what it’s like in each other’s shoes.

6. Never argue in front of your staff. (Take it into the walk-in cooler or the chef’s office.)

7. Be patient and consistent with new hires.

8. Present new menus to both sides of the house, so questions can be asked and answered.

9. Make yourself and other chefs and cooks available to the FOH team.

10. Have a clear plan of action to resolve mistakes.

BUILDING BRIDGES In April, when Scott Craig returned to Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte, N.C., after serving as Executive Chef of Chevy Chase (Md.) Club for three-and-a-half years, he brought with him a new perspective about how best to manage the BOH/ FOH dynamic.

“I had the opportunity to work with one of the industry’s best food-and-beverage directors at Chevy,” says Craig. “And I saw what it meant to be a truly unified team.”

Training is critical to achieving that unification, Craig learned. So both sides of the house are now present at all Myers Park menu releases, and the barrier between the two sides has all but vanished as a result.

“A server should never be too intimidated to ask a question of the culinary team,” says Craig, who also began creating spec sheets for new dishes to give servers a brief overview of them, noting any potential allergens.

Craig also created a new position at Myers Park to help with the team dynamic.

Meredith McKenzie, Food & Beverage Administrator, is now the club’s liaison between both sides of the house. She is tasked with marketing, social media, photography, reservations and more.

“All those ‘nice to have’ ideas we come up with as chefs get put on Meredith’s desk, and she powers through to make them happen,” Craig explains. “We are a more unified team because of her work, and we’re moving toward one goal more efficiently, which leads to a better member experience.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF COSMOS CLUB

RESPECT IS EVERYTHING Respect plays an equally important role in building BOH/ FOH relationships.

When Scott Doran was promoted to Executive Chef at Menlo Country Club (Woodside, Calif.) nearly a year ago, he had unique insight into the F&B team dynamic. Prior to his current appointment, he had worked as Executive Sous Chef for two years and as a line cook for one year before that.

“It’s important for me to give the team the tools they need to succeed,” Doran says. “Each person deserves respect and the opportunity to learn and grow, just as I did. As Chef, my job is to help them become better, so they can continually improve the member experience.”

Doran maintains his professionalism when a problem arises.

For example, when a new server rang in the wrong order in the middle of a busy service a few weeks ago, he took the new hire to the side to explain the impact of the mistake.

“The fact is, I didn’t give him the knowledge or tools to succeed,” says Doran. “His mistake wasn’t malicious. And degrading him or screaming at him in front of the whole team wouldn’t serve the mission of the club. It doesn’t build confidence in the team, and it doesn’t make me a better leader.”

Instead, Doran took the time to train the new hire and explain the domino effect between both sides of the house.

Since then, he reports, that server has been careful to doublecheck orders so mistakes aren’t made.

“When you respect your staff, and give them the tools to do their jobs, they will respect you,” Doran says.

Ten Tips for a Unified House

Executive Chef William Rogers of the Cosmos Club (right, second from left) says it’s easy to be loyal to chefs, but it’s critical to listen and be aware of all issues on both sides of the house.

9 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

FOOD & BEVERAGE

by Joanna DeChellis, Editor BEVERAGE

COLD-BREW COFFEE HEATS UP MEMBER-GUEST EVENT MOVE OVER, ICED COFFEE. Cold brew is making waves as one of the most popular cold-coffee beverages. (In fact, sales of coldbrew coffee in 2017 topped $38.1 million, representing a 370% jump since 2015, according to Statista.)

Cold brew is made by slowly steeping ground coffee beans in room-temperature water for up to 24 hours. The coffee is then filtered to produce a concentrate that is diluted with cold water or milk and served chilled over ice.

Because it’s crafted entirely without heat, much of the bitterness and acidity found in traditional brewing is lost. As a result, cold brew is becoming the coffee of choice for those with sensitive stomachs—along with the fact that it typically has more caffeine than its traditionally brewed brother.

Cold brew has been offered in coffee shops for years. But it’s just recently gaining traction in grocery and convenience stores.

It’s also breaking through into clubs, like Nashawtuc Country Club (NCC) in Concord, Mass.

“We really wanted to do something different for our golfers during our member-guest event this summer,” says Ashley Atkins, NCC’s Food and Beverage Manager. “We knew they’d need a pick-me-up on the longest day of the tournament.

And we’d already done energy drinks, as well as a Bloody Mary bar. That’s when we came up with the idea for a coffee station.”

Atkins nurtured the idea by searching for local baristas who might be able to partner with the club for Pretzel RollsThat led the member-guest event.

IMAGES COURTESY OF PEDDLING CAFFE

NASHAWTUC CC PARTNERED WITH A LOCAL BARISTA TO OFFER GOLFERS SPECIALTY COFFEE DRINKS ON THE COURSE DURING THE LONGEST DAY OF ITS ANNUAL TOURNAMENT.

Nashawtuc CC brought in a local coffee expert to serve up espresso drinks, cold-brew and nitro-brew coffee (a coffee infused with nitrogen so that it’s slightly fizzy) during its member-guest event earlier this year.

her to Jeff Widronak, a local coffee expert who owns and runs a coffeecart catering company. Widronak uses custom-built coffee “trikes” (see photos above) that allow him to create multiple specialty beverages, in addition to cold brew, anywhere the trike is parked.

10 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

“We stationed him at the 19th hole, so a lot of our golfers went by him twice,” says Atkins. “From his trike, he offered two different local brews: George Howell Coffee out of Acton, Mass., and Barrington Coffee Roasters out of Lee, Mass. “[Widronak] also had the abil-

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According to the National Coffee Association, the percentage of Americans drinking coffee every day has risen from 57% to 62% over the past year. Some experts believe coffee builds a habit and that when customers—or members, in this case—find a coffee drink they enjoy, they’re far more likely to come back to the same place to get it.

Here’s a useful infographic to keep near your club’s espresso machines that can help to expand your club’s coffee-drink capabilities.

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ity to create a variety of specialty coffee drinks, like americanos and lattes,” Atkins adds. “He customized each cup based on what the member wanted, and offered two different sizes, too.”

Widronak’s specialty drinks were topped with a coconut-milk whipped cream that was one of the best things Atkins has ever tasted, she says.

The coffee trike was such a hit at NCC’s member-guest, orders for its drinks outpaced those served from the Bloody Mary bar, Atkins reports. “The members not only appreciated that they could get a specialty coffee drink or a cold brew on the course, but also that Jeff’s company’s philosophy closely aligns with our own, to support local growers, farmers and suppliers,” she says. Not surprisingly, she plans to bring the trike back next year.

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11 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

The TCC team is willing to do whatever it takes to exceed member expectations—including hosting a chef ’s table event in its grounds garage.

REIMAGINING CHEF’S TABLES INVITING MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN ONE-OF-A-KIND DINING EXPERIENCES CAN NOT ONLY GIVE THEM GREATER APPRECIATION FOR THEIR CLUB, BUT ALSO FOR THEIR CHEF. IT USED TO BE THAT A SEAT AT the chef’s table was an exclusive and upscale affair. But in recent months, club chefs have taken the chef’s table concept to a whole new level, by serving in out-of-the-box dining destinations, featuring unique themes, and working with unscripted menus.

Here are three examples: LET IT RAIN

The Country Club, Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Every year, Joseph M. Leonardi, CMC, Director of Culinary Operations at The Country Club (TCC) in Chestnut Hill, Mass., hosts six “On the Lawn” chef’s tables where up to sixteen members enjoy a one-of-a-kind dining experience put on by Leonardi and his team somewhere on the club’s grounds.

“I wanted our members to be able 12 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

to use the property in a different way other than for golf,” says Leonardi, who initially approached Golf Professional Brendan Walsh, Director of Grounds Dave Johnson, Director of Events Emily Goldman and Assistant General Manager Kristen LaCount with the idea for the dining series.

“It was a tough sell to our golf and grounds department,” Leonardi adds.

“But once they were on board, they realized the impact this was going to have on our membership.”

In the spring, The Country Club team lays out a detailed plan for where and when each event will take place.

But even the best-laid plans can fall apart—especially when Mother Nature is involved.

At the club’s most recent “On the Lawn” event in late August, massive storms popped up and dropped heavy

FOOD & BEVERAGE

rain just a few short hours before members were scheduled to arrive for dinner on one of the lawns.

“We had to come up with a new plan—and fast,” says Leonardi. “I didn’t want to do a traditional chef’s table in the kitchen, so I reached out to our grounds department and asked if we could do the dinner in the garage.”

Once the grounds crew realized he was serious, they set to work positioning Toro and John Deere equipment and market lights above and around a fully dressed formal dining table (see photo, pg. 12).

“It doesn’t matter which department you work for here at TCC,” says Leonardi. “We get the job done. Our goal is to exceed member expectations, and if there is any chance that we can all work together and do that, we do.”

As always, Leonardi and his team prepared and served a six-course meal to ten members, while the grounds department educated them about the different tractors, what they’re used for and how they work.

“I was able to not only showcase my team and their cooking ability, I was able to give the grounds team some of the spotlight as well,” says Leonardi.

Executive Chef Joseph Leonardi, CMC, (right) and his team prepared and served a six-course, meal during the August “On the Lawn” chef ’s table event, hosted in the maintenance garage.

ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN F O R P R I VAT E C LU B S & H O S P I TA L I T Y The Milbrook Club Greenwich, CT

JUDD BROWN DESIGNS JEFFERSON GROUP ARCHITECTURE Contact: Peter Cafaro pcafaro@jbd.cc 401.721.0977 www.jbd.cc

MASTER PLANNING, ARCHITECURE, INTERIOR DESIGN, PROCUREMENT

PHOTOS COURTESY OF (LEFT) MIZNER CC; (PPPOSITE) DUQUESNE CLUB

FOOD & BEVERAGE

DREAMING IN COLOR

Beacon Hill Country Club, Atlantic Highlands, N.J. Adam Scott, CEC, Executive Chef of Beacon Hill Country Club (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) has been hosting chef’s tables and upscale wine dinners for years.

“The pressure is on me to come up with new ideas and ways to keep these events interesting and unique,” says Scott, who has been with Beacon Hill CC for more than a decade. “It takes a lot of work and planning, but I push to make each one better than the last.”

That includes setting personal challenges for himself that ultimately direct his menus.

“The next wine-dinner menu is ambition, even for me,” says Scott. “I was given Jordi Roca’s cookbook and I read about how he does a lot of monochromatic desserts. I thought to myself, ‘I wonder if I could do a whole menu, with pairings, where each dish is only one color.’”

Scott spent weeks working out the details, and he’s made great strides.

“The first course is going to be yellow and will feature a saffron-poached mango grit cake,” he says. “The next course will be orange, then green. Dessert will be white.”

With plans to do an orange pheasant, a beef “wellington” wrapped in leeks and a vanilla mousse with coconut, Scott and his team are excited to see what he comes up with next.

“The food must taste good before it fits into any theme,”

14 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

At Mizner CC, Executive Chef Orlin McLendon balances the needs of his Chef ’s Table guests while running a full dinner service.

he says. “And it will. But it will also surprise the members and take them through a new dining experience with us.”

THE BEST MEAL UNPLANNED

Mizner Country Club, Delray Beach, Fla. According to Orlin McLendon, Executive Chef of Mizner Country Club, Delray Beach, Fla., the theme of each of his new chef’s table dinners is “unscripted.”

Hosted every fourteen days, six members are invited into the club’s kitchen for a dining experience unlike any other.

“I want members to see behind the curtain to experience what it’s like to be in the kitchen—with the heat, the sounds, and the smells,” says McLendon, who has been with Mizner CC for nearly one year.

On the night of the event, McLendon instructs members to meet in the club bar at 5:45 for a cocktail. Once everyone has arrived, he invites the group to follow him back into the kitchen, where the entire culinary team begins beating on pots and pans to welcome them.

Seven glasses of champagne are poured, a toast is made, and the dinner is officially underway. Meanwhile, the kitchen continues to crank out a la carte and to-go orders, while Clubhouse Manager Daniel Salgado (see photo, above) offers wine pairings to the kitchen’s new guests.

“The reason we call these dinners ‘unscripted’ is because the menu changes at the drop of a hat, like when the dining room seats a party of twelve,” says McLendon. “We need the flexibility to change and take the members on a true culinary adventure with us.”

The first event was supposed to be a five-course dinner, but it turned into nine. “Not only was it a magical experience for the members, it was also an opportunity to challenge myself and my staff,” says McLendon. “We had to think on the fly and be especially creative to not only serve members in the dining room, but also those in the kitchen.”

At the end, members left the club enlightened and energized.

“There is no better way to create culinary ambassadors than to bring them into your kitchen and show them how you do what you do on a daily basis,” says McLendon.

PASTRY

BECOMING THE BEST

THEY SAY COMPETITION BUILDS CHARACTER. But for William Racin, CEPC, Pastry Chef of The Duquesne Club (Pittsburgh, Pa.), it has also made him a better chef.

Earlier this summer, Racin competed in the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Pastry Chef of the Year competition and won the top title: ACF National Pastry Chef of the Year for 2018. “[Racin] has not only demonstrated considerable skill in the kitchen throughout the competition process…but also devoted significant energies to sharing his expertise throughout his career,” ACF National President Stafford T. DeCambra said in a release announcing the award.

Those comments are indicative of Racin’s management style and commitment to his club and his team.

“The biggest driving force for me to compete was The Duquesne Club’s Executive Chef, Keith Coughenour,” says Racin. “He’s a legend in the ACF. He told me competition would make me a better chef—and he was right. This competition helped me refine my skills and focus on my craft. But it also had a huge impact on my pastry team.”

During the competition, pastry chefs had two hours and 30 minutes to prepare and serve three items representing the designated theme, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: • a cold-plated dessert featuring

William Racin, Pastry Chef of The Duquesne Club, uses competition to better himself and his skills.

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THE DUQUESNE CLUB’S PASTRY CHEF, WILLIAM RACIN, CEPC, BELIEVES HIS RECENT ACF WIN HAS NOT ONLY IMPROVED HIS SKILL SET, BUT ALSO THAT OF HIS PASTRY TEAM.

9/11/18 10:51 AM

Iemon, buttermilk and plum • a signature cookie • an edible showpiece at least two feet tall, composed 75 percent of either chocolate or sugar work A panel of ACF-approved judges determined the winner.

Racin’s winning desserts included a pistachio cherry spritz cookie and a buttermilk plum crescent featuring cornmeal cake, buttermilk panna cotta, buttermilk lemon sherbet and plum gelée. His showpiece consisted of dark chocolate, white chocolate and pastillage.

“Preparing for the competition was hard,” he says.

“We were busier at the club than ever before. But that gave me a chance to delegate, and it gave my team a chance to expand their skills.”

With a team of eight cooks in the pastry shop, Racin’s operation at The Duquesne Club is extensive. At any one point, the club is running between four and five pastry menus while producing nearly ninety percent of its products in-house. This includes everything from breads and ice creams to chocolates, jams and desserts.

“A mentor of mine once told me how competition is just a moment on a timeline, and that the outcomes— good or bad—are quickly forgotten,” says Racin. “He

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DUQUESNE CLUB

FOOD & BEVERAGE

The Duquesne Club’s William Racin discovered that competing is about how you practice and what you learn as a professional and about yourself.

said competing is about how you practice and what you learn as a professional and about yourself.

“This whole process has given me and my team a growth mindset,” he continues. “It’s made us all think more critically and push the limits of what’s possible. I can see them grow as I grow. It’s exhilarating. We will continue on this path, improving the pastry experience for our members—and ourselves.”

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RECIPES

Sous Vide Poached Lobster with Grilled Pineapple and Vanilla Beurre Blanc INGREDIENTS: FOR LOBSTER: 2 1-½ LB. MAINE LOBSTERS 2 GAL. WATER 1 LEMON, HALVED 2 BAY LEAVES 1 CUP VINEGAR SALT, TO TASTE 4 OZS. UNSALTED BUTTER 1 SPRIG FRESH THYME

FOR SAUCE: 1 SHALLOT, CHOPPED 8 OZS. WHITE WINE 2 OZS. LEMON JUICE 1 TBSP. HEAVY CREAM ½ VANILLA BEAN 12 OZS. UNSALTED BUTTER,

COLD AND CUBED SALT, TO TASTE WHITE PEPPER, TO TASTE GRILLED PINEAPPLE RINGS GAUFRETTE POTATO CHIPS MICRO GREENS

DIRECTIONS: 1. FOR SOUS VIDE LOBSTER: Set up stock pot with water, lemon, bay leaves and salt it until it tastes like the ocean. Bring to a boil.

Poach lobsters for two minutes. Remove and put into an ice bath.

Remove tails and cut in half length-wise to remove meat. Clean with cold water if necessary. Remove claws, crack and carefully remove meat. Place meat in a vacuum bag with thyme sprig and butter and seal. Set sous vide circulator to 135°F. Cook lobster in water bath 20 RECIPE COURTESY OF ADAM SCOTT, CEC, minutes.

EXECUTIVE CHEF, BEACON HILL COUNTRY CLUB, 2. FOR SAUCE: Combine shallots, white wine, and lemon juice and vaATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, N.J. nilla bean in a non-reactive saucepan over medium heat and reduce to a ¼-cup. Add the cream to the reduction. Once the liquid bubbles, reduce the heat to low. Add the butter, one cube at a time, whisking first with heat and then without heat.

Continue whisking butter into the reduction until the mixture is fully emulsified and has reached a rich sauce consistency. Remove vanilla bean and scrape out seeds with a paring knife. Add to sauce. Season with salt and white pepper.

3. TO PLATE: Warm four plates or bowls. Remove lobster from sous • Double walled construction vide bags, place in bowl and toss with some of the sauce. Place 1 • 18/8 brushed stainless steel warm pineapple ring in each bowl.

• 14.5" opening, 9.375" depth Place ½ a lobster tail and 1 claw on each pineapple ring. Sauce each plate. Garnish with vanilla beans, gaufrette potato chips and micro greens.

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RECIPES

Ghee-Seared Wild Alaska Salmon with Lemon, Feta and Toasted Pistachios INGREDIENTS: 1/4 CUP SHELLED PISTACHIOS 4 (6-OZ. EACH) WILD ALASKA SALMON FILLETS SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE 2 TBSP. + 2 TSP. GHEE 1 LEMON, CUT INTO 8 WEDGES 1/4 CUP CRUMBLED FETA 2 TBSP. CHOPPED PARSLEY

RECIPE COURTESY OF ALASKA SEAFOOD MARKETING INSTITUTE

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pistachios on a small baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they smell toasty. When cool, coarsely chop the pistachios and set aside. (Tip: Place them in small ziplock bag and gently bash with a rolling pin until they are in pieces, but not pulverized.)

2. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. In a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat melt the ghee. When the ghee is hot, add the salmon pieces to the skillet with the skinless sides down. Cook for 2 minutes without moving, or until a golden crust forms and the fish easily releases from the skillet when you peek with a spatula. Turn the fish over and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the salmon should register at 125°F. The exact time will vary according to the thickness of the fillets. Transfer the salmon to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes, during which time the salmon will continue to cook.

3. Transfer the fillets to four plates. Immediately spoon 1/2 teaspoon of ghee on top of each fillet to melt, and use four of the lemon wedges to sprinkle each fillet with lemon juice.

Sprinkle with the crumbled feta, pistachios and parsley and serve with remaining lemon.

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Soft Potato Gnocchi with Fonduta and Truffles INGREDIENTS: 4 2.5 CUPS 2 EACH 4 EACH AS NEEDED

MEDIUM-SIZED RUSSET POTATOES ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, AS NEEDED EGG WHITES EGG YOLKS FONDUTA

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Wash the potatoes then individually wrap them in aluminum foil. Place the potatoes on sheet tray and roast them in the oven and cook them about 2 hours or until the potato is cooked through.

Remove potatoes from the oven and then, carefully, from the foil. Peel the skin from the flesh and run the hot potato “meat” through a food mill (or ricer.) It is important to work quickly with the mixture, while the potato is still hot. Cover the milled potato with the 2.5 cups of flour. Beat the egg whites and yolks together. Make a well in the center of your flour-covered potatoes and add in the egg mixture. Using your hands and a metal bench scraper, squeeze and press the dough mixture together, adding the reserved flour as needed to help ease the stickiness of the dough. Continue pressing the mass until

RECIPE COURTESY OF TABLETOP MEDIA GROUP

the ingredients come together as one. Do not knead the dough, as it makes the gnocchi dense. Cut the dough into small pieces and roll out to a thickness of about ¼ inch. Generously flour the long rolls of Gnocchi. Cut into 1” pieces. Keep in a cool place for up to 12 hours.

2. To cook, add the pieces of Gnocchi to gently boiling, salted water. Once it floats to the surface, drain it from the water and add to a sauté pan with the warm fonduta and swirl the pan, off of the heat, until the gnocchi and fonduta come together as one. Garnish with shaved fresh black or white truffle as desired.

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Chef to Chef I D E A S F O R F & B S U C C E S S AT C L U B A N D R E S O RT P R O P E RT I E S

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f Subscribe: www.clubandresortbusiness.com/contact/subscribe/ Publications of Harbor Communications 9/12/18 12:04 PM

Seeds of CHANGE Executive Chef Jeffrey Baker is driving a new culinary movement at The Clubs at Houston Oaks.

by Joanna DeChellis, Editor

UTIVE CHEF of The Clubs at

W

club has to offer,” says Baker. “It’s truly a

Houston Oaks (Hockley, Texas),

unique place that straddles private club

needs a minute to himself, he goes to the

and resort. My job description doesn’t say

club’s garden. It’s quiet there, despite a soft

anything about starting a garden, manag-

buzzing from ten honeybee hives, and he is

ing honeybees, or creating hot sauce. But

reminded of what’s possible when the right

those are the difference-makers.”

HEN JEFFREY BAKER, EXEC-

owners, an outstanding culinary team and a

“I live and breathe the possibilities this

Since Baker came on board four years

unique piece of property come together for

ago, Houston Oaks has successfully re-

a common purpose.

defined its food-and-beverage program,

He leaves the garden inspired. Soon the hot peppers that Master Gardener Jean-

elevated the caliber of its team and made bigger plans for the future.

nine Hopkins has been nurturing organical-

Baker, who has led the charge, shares an

ly from seeds will be ready for harvest, and

ambitious vision with the club’s owners and

Baker will begin the next batch of “Double

management team, which includes Robert

Dog Dare Ya” hot sauce before tackling

J. Gusella, CCM, CCE, Chief Executive Offi-

challenges that include a new set of sea-

cer/General Manager and Travis Dale, CEC,

sonal menus, renovation updates for the

CCM, AAC, Assistant General Manager.

club’s unique Bunker venue, and member service goals.

22 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

As a result, a culinary revolution is well underway.

23 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CLUBS AT HOUSTON OAKS

The underground Bunker 55 has been renovated into a premier Wine Cave with wine lockers, meeting space, and lounge. It’s also home to a new 3,000-sq. ft. kitchen that will eventually serve as a commissary.

“We have to have a ‘resort’ mindset, meaning the french fries in the main dining room taste exactly the same as they would at the pool or at the gun club,” he continues. ”The same goes for the chicken salad or the corn and crab chowder. Our members expect this. As we continue to grow, that goal will be at the top of our priority list.”

UNDER COVER Houston Oaks’ history is nothing short of fascinating.

First developed by the Tenneco Oil and Gas Company, it served as the company’s worldwide gas-control facility and recreational getaway through the 1980s.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Tenneco built an extensive underground bunker facility, from which it maintained and monitored the company’s global gas operations. The bunker was also used by The El Paso Corporation, which owned the property in the 1990s.

Still intact, the bunker is located near Houston Oaks’ administrative buildings.

Recently, the current owners renovated an old Tenneco administration building that now serves as a boutique hotel for members and guests. The underground bunker left behind by Tenneco was transformed into Bunker 55, a premier Wine Cave and secure, temperature-controlled storage facility that hosts wine lockers, meeting spaces and a tasting lounge (see photos, above).

A brand-new, 3,000-sq. ft. kitchen was also created as part of the Bunker renovation and Baker, who was heavily involved in its design as well as the selection of equipment, plans to use this kitchen as a commissary for many of the products the club mass-produces.

“When we make an equipment purchase, we buy the best and highest-quality pieces available,” says Baker.

“We’re diligent about preventive maintenance.”

Every Sunday and Monday, Baker and his team clean kitchens from top to bottom, breaking down the six-tops and scrubbing every nook and cranny. Because, as Baker puts it, if you start with the best and take care of it, you’ll only ever need the best.

“One of our biggest ongoing challenges is that we’re in a continuous state of development,” says Gusella, who has been with the club since November. “But our goal is to provide consistency to our members across the board.

24 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

BELIEVING IN TOMORROW Before Baker arrived at Houston Oaks, the menus had grown stagnant and shortcuts were being taken at the expense of quality. There was also an immense amount of overtime being logged—upwards of 300 hours every two weeks—which indicated the club was severely understaffed.

Baker knew the operation needed to be reorganized, inside and out. (In fact, while doing inventory in the early days, he found 46 cans of jalapeños scattered throughout the kitchen.)

Fortunately—having cut his teeth with a series of oldschool European chefs—he was up to the challenge. He started three days before Mother’s Day with no menu, four cooks and 300 reservations on the books. “I told the GM, as long as you have the chairs for them, I’ll take care of the rest,” he says.

And he did. Mother’s Day that year was a success and the entire staff pitched in to get the job done.

“I used to be the kind of chef who would bust plates against walls,” says Baker. “But I’ve learned how ineffective that approach is. Soon after I started, I sat down and evaluated each staff member on an individual basis. I got to know them as people, so I could learn how to best maximize their production and personal growth.”

Baker’s philosophy is simple: Good doesn’t happen by itself. It takes work, a strong team and leadership. As he interviewed potential applicants, he focused on those three characteristics, and that’s how Nick Zaputil became Executive Sous Chef.

“He reads my mind and follows my lead,” says Baker.

“He has a real mature approach to the business that is hard to find. He’s smart, and his work ethnic is unmatched.”

To attract top talent like Zaputil, Baker relies on the support of Dale and Gusella, as well as the faith of Houston Oaks’ owners.

As he was staffing up early on, he explained that to attract cooks of a certain caliber, the club would need to raise the base pay. Now, Houston Oaks pays higher than the industry average and has had very little turnover. In fact, in four years, Baker has only lost four people to new opportunities.

“I’d rather take someone raw with aptitude and willingness than someone with an good resume,” says Baker. “I can teach anyone how to cook. But I can’t teach them passion or dedication. Plus, knowledge is worthless unless you give it away, and we’re only going to be as strong as our weakest cook.”

Baker’s current team is creative and refuses to settle for anything less than the best. He also mentors them so they continue to grow and learn.

A NEW ROW TO HOE Once Baker had his team in place and organized the back of the house, he began retooling menus to be more seasonally driven. “It was a three-year evolution, and it completely changed the dining culture,” he says. “Our members gained a new sense of appreciation for our food, and our cover counts have grown.”

He then set his sights on a plot of land about a half-mile from the main clubhouse that had once been a garden, but was abandoned years before. “A garden, where we could grow some of our own ingredients, was the next logical progression,” he says.

Baker had the soil tested to see if a garden would even be viable. When the results came back positive, he purchased a state-of-the-art piece of machinery that controls weeds and also waters 19 rows of plants in 30 minutes.

“That first year [2015], I was bound and determined to get the garden project started,” says Baker. “I went to every plant store within 40 miles of the club, purchasing and planting over 600 plants myself.”

Executive Sous Chef Nick Zaputil (top, left) is able to “read [Baker’s] mind” when they work together, which leads to incredible dishes featuring home-grown ingredients (below.)

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THOUGHT PROVOKING, FORWARD THINKING.

Creating private club spaces that enrich the member experience.

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25 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

THE CLUBS AT HOUSTON OAKS

AT A GLANCE

Location: Hockley, Texas Members: 440 Annual F&B Revenue: $3M A la carte/Banquet Mix: 40/60 Food Cost: 46% Beverage Cost: 28% Annual Golf Rounds: 15,000 F&B Minimum: $450/quarter Dining Spaces (and Capacities): • Main dining room (110+60 patio) • Park House (30) • Gun Club (50) • Sunset Hill (Pool, 40) • Men’s Locker Room (45) • Ladies Locker Room (30) • Bunker & Wine Cave (150) • Wedge (Grab-and-Go) Kitchens and Sizes: • 2,500 Sq. Ft. (Main) • 1,000 Sq. Ft. (Gun Club) • 3,000 Sq. Ft. (Bunker) • 700 Sq. Ft. (Mobile) No. of BOH Employees: 16 No. of FOH employees: 26 Clubhouse Size: 40,000 Sq. Ft. Banquet Capacity: 650

With a $3 million culinary operation to run, Baker knew he would need help with the garden. That led him to Jeannine Hopkins (see photo, pg. 4), who had worked at Houston Oaks at various points, helping with landscaping and grounds maintenance. Having grown up on a farm and ultimately earning a Master Gardener certification, she was especially qualified to run the garden.

“I’ve worked with a lot of chefs over the years,” says Hopkins. “[Baker] is invested in the success of this garden.

He appreciates the foods we produce and finds ways to translate that passion to the plate, which gets the members excited.”

Adds Dale, who spent the bulk of his career as a chef before coming to Houston Oaks about a year ago: “Chef is passionate about the unique things that make the dining experience at Houston Oaks special for our members, like this garden and the ingredients we grow.”

Baker and Hopkins coordinate each season to plant new and different crops, while expanding the ones that have been especially successful. When the garden was officially up and running, the duo started an aviary, which has since blossomed into ten hives, two of which are flow hives (see photo, above). There is also an aquaponic greenhouse on property.

“Collaboration is a wonderful thing,” says Gusella. “Chef is a strong leader, and he has a lot of support from our owners, myself and [Dale].”

LOST IN THE SAUCE Anything Hopkins harvests in the club’s garden is given to Baker and his team, and the culinary staff then finds ways to use it in a la carte specials.

In fact, when Hopkins enters the kitchen, everyone is ex26 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

The culinary team utilizes every aspect of the farm throughout all seven dining locations as well as in canned and preserved products available for purchase.

pected to stop working and listen to what she has brought for them.

“I want my team to pay attention to the passion she has for the things she grows,” says Baker.

Scraps are composted (the compost goes back to the garden) and any items that don’t find their way onto a member’s plate are processed, preserved or dried for later use.

“We have a wide variety of canned and preserved foods available for our members, including pickles, jams, assorted spices, honey, chow-chow, barbecue sauce, salsa, sundried tomato pesto and basil pesto,” says Baker. He has also made waves with members with his three different varieties of hot sauce that he cooler-ages for a minimum of 45-days and then uses for member dining as well as displays and sells from one of the open kitchens, where a pizza oven invites members to come up close and see what’s offered.

Green Heat, the mildest sauce, features a ratio of two cups peppers to one tablespoon salt. Dab-a-Do Ya, the next hottest, includes ten different red peppers, including red jalapeños and pequin peppers. Double Dog Dare Ya (pictured, above), the hottest of all three, is made from a mash of Carolina Reapers, Naga Viper peppers and Trinidad scorpion peppers.

“It’s so freaking hot,” says Baker, who sells out every time he puts the hot sauces up for sale—an especially impressive feat, given that he makes 15,000 bottles each time.

All proceeds from the sale of his canned and preserved goods go back to the club, too. “I do it for member bragging rights,” Baker says.

And as a result of all of these initiatives—the hot sauce, Bunker 55, the expanding garden, the aquaponic greenhouse and bee farm—as well as the ones not yet underway, Houston Oaks is moving towards a sustainable future.

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BANQUETS

MAKING BANQUET MENUS SHINE WITH SEASONAL INGREDIENTS

THREE CLUB CHEFS SHARE INSIGHTS INTO HOW THEY INCORPORATE SEASONALITY INTO TRADITIONAL BANQUET MENUS.

by Penelope L. Wong, CEC MEMBER SERVICE, ESPECIALLY IN A LA CARTE DINING, is a top priority for club chefs. But banquets play an equally important role. They supplement lower-margin member dining and help to yield successful profit margins.

Most banquet menus are not where creative, plate-painting, tweezer-yielding chefs unleash their ingenuity. Instead, these menus are written to be flexible, reliable, consistent, and even generic.

But seasonal ingredients can have a huge impact as a result of this structure. By showcasing the best of what’s available each season, an average chicken, steak or fish dish can be transformed into something truly unique.

At San Antonio (Texas) Country Club, Executive Chef Nelson Millán offers a standard banquet menu for non-member events and structured daily caterings. But he welcomes the opportunity to customize menus, as it gives him and his team a chance to incorporate seasonality.

“Members always want to out-do the previous event they attended,” says Millán. “Our members prefer tailoring the menu to their event.”

And he welcomes those requests as an opportunity to incorporate seasonality.

28 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

“I always start by asking, ‘What items do you not want to see on your plate,’” Millán says. Once he knows what not to serve, he explains, he can better suggest ideas for what could be featured, based on what’s seasonally at its peak.

At Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., Executive Chef Christopher Roth encourages his catering department to sell seasonal ingredients from the club’s base banquet menu.

“Communication and training is so important with banquet menus,” says Roth. “We provide our catering team with a list of the seasonal ingredients that detail when each is at its peak. The catering team uses that information to guide members and guests as they begin to select menus.”

Roth relies on the relationships he has with local farmers and suppliers to incorporate seasonally available ingredients into Oak Hill’s banquet events.

“We work with a company dedicated to providing a connection between local farmers and restaurants in our area,” he says. “This partnership lets us have a direct connection to local farmers, to maximize the use of seasonal ingredients.”

At The Metropolitan Club of the City of Washington (D.C.), Executive Chef Vincent Horville takes

full advantage of the four seasons on his banquet menus by offering both fall and winter packages, in addition to a combined spring-summer package.

“The impact of a seasonally inspired menu is even greater in a club setting, where our customers are members,” says Horville. “The more we change the menus, the more we are able to attract repeat banquet business. When changing banquet menus, we follow the same change in seasons as we do with a la carte.”

Highlighting seasonal ingredients in banquet operations has a secondary purpose as well.

“When you run seasonal menus, your staff begins to look forward to working with certain ingredients that they haven’t worked with for nearly a year,” Horville notes. “They’re more motivated and they look forward to the transition. Seasonality inspires them—and it inspires me, too.”

Recognizing that banquet menus and operations are designed to have higher profit margins, chefs must be aware that by offering custom menus with seasonal ingredients, pricing must be customized as well.

“Just because you’re working with something that’s in season, that doesn’t necessarily mean it

will run cheaper,” says Horville. “Quality comes at a higher cost, but it also allows you to charge more.”

Roth agrees. “When you start with a great quality product, you end with a great quality product,” he says. “We have to pay attention to the costs on a daily basis; this allows us to communicate to the members and our catering team if there are any variances.”

Structuring a seasonal banquet menu can be quite simple, even when it allows for customization.

At Oak Hill, Roth has implemented a process to have his banquet menus include the staple items and cuts of proteins, while showcasing seasonal vegetables or fruits as accompaniments.

To maintain the banquet mindset of pleasing a variety of palates in one large group, Horville simplifies the process at The Metropolitan Club by choosing five or six popular items in season to make up the catering menu.

“Welcome the seasons with your team and with your members,” says Horville. “Make this process exciting for them. When they see that you have passion for seasonal ingredients, they will adopt the same passion, which is a win-win for your members and your menus.”

Clubs of Distinction

Club Pelican Bay - Naples, Florida

29 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

PHOTO COURTESY OF CORINTHIAN YACHT CLUB

DESIGN/DECOR

USING FURNITURE TO SET THE TONE DINING ROOM FURNITURE PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE MEMBER DINING EXPERIENCE AT CORINTHIAN YACHT CLUB.

by Joanna DeChellis, Editor WHEN THE COMMODORE OF CORINTHIAN YACHT CLUB (CYC) in Marblehead, Mass. continued to hear feedback from members about how the club’s main dining room felt “too formal,” despite a complete tear-down and rebuild in 2003, the club’s management team, led by David Titus, Clubhouse General Manager, began brainstorming ways to change that perception.

As the staff kicked around ideas, there was a fear that if the club “casualized” the main dining room too much, business would be poached from CYC’s Harbor Room, which has a more bar-like feel with wooden tables and chairs, a large bar, a fire-

place and a number of televisions.

CYC’s main dining room offers a completely different dining experience. It boasts water views from every angle and a menu featuring traditional New England fare and local seafood, as well as enticing signature dishes.

“The club’s dress code has relaxed over the last decade, but the main dining room maintained a level of formality, largely because of the look and feel of the space,” says Titus. “We had classic colors and paisley prints on the upholstery, and high-back mahogany chairs. There was no bar in the room, and it felt stuffy.

30 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

“We believed adding a classy, Ushaped bar overlooking the Marblehead Harbor would attract members to the space, but changing the furniture to improve the ambiance of the room would also help,” Titus adds.

CYC hired an architect and began laying out plans to improve the main dining room to make it more welcoming and comfortable. In November 2017, the room was closed for renovations, and it reopened in April with a whole new look and feel.

The main dining room now boasts a new bar with seating for 12, as well as a community table and a se-

How to Improve a Dining Room’s Visual Impact ries of four tops that offer incredible views of the harbor and the distant Boston skyline (see photos, pg. 30).

“The furniture we chose is wellcrafted, higher quality and extremely durable,” says Titus. Durability is important, he notes, because the club often hosts events in the main dining room, so the furniture is moved often and needs to withstand wear and tear.

“The fabrics are much more welcoming, too,” he adds. “They really soften up the whole room.”

Members have been thrilled with the redesign, Titus reports. “Year to date, we have increased our member-dining food sales by 12% and our member bar sales by 9%,” he says. “Members who wouldn’t come near the main dining room are now choosing to dine here, because they feel comfortable in this space.”

As clubs update dining spaces, more are focusing on quality craftsmanship in the selection and purchase of dining room furniture and finishes. These pieces need to not only be adaptable, but they also need to last. And when well-chosen and configured, they can bring a room to life.

Here are six expert tips for how to update and care for dining room furniture: 1. If you don’t have the budget to completely overhaul a dining space, make small changes that can have a huge impact, like reupholstering chairs or updating lighting.

2. Work with an interior designer to ensure that all furniture aligns with a new design.

3. Furniture patterns and styles should flow between the dining tables and the bar seating.

4. Include a side chair at every table, so larger members are not forced to squeeze into armchairs.

5. Dining room chairs should stack more than six high—this will make it easier for staff to clean and reconfigure the room, and also extend the furniture’s life.

6. Evaluate dining room furniture every few months and repair or refinish pieces as needed. This will save you from having to completely replace everything all at once.

Source: Eustis Chair

31 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

PRODUCT SHOWCASE PRODUCT: SYRACUSE® SMOKE FEATURES: • Unique smoke wisp designs drift gracefully across each piece for a sophisticated vibe • Creates a dramatically contrasted look when paired with Libbey’s World® Pebblebrook obsidian dinnerware • Twelve items available; all in thin, light, white Royal Rideau™ body color • Use as an accent piece to change things up without changing everything out • Great for seasonal entrees, shared plates or other special dishes • Backed by a lifetime no-chip warranty • Fully vitrified to prevent moisture and odor absorption, increasing service life • Glazed foot on plates, trays and saucers and highly polished foot on all other pieces adds refinement • Seamlessly complements the rest of the versatile Royal Rideau collection – mix, match and accessorize with premium patterns, textures and sizes in the same body color CONTACT: Libbey Foodservice foodservice.libbey.com PRODUCT: UNDERCOUNTER CUBER ICEMAKERS FEATURES: • Hoshizaki transitioned the KM-115B, KM-230B, KM-300B undercounter icemakers to the new KMEdge design • Uses up to 15% less electricity and 11% less water to produce 13% more pounds of crescent ice daily then previous models • KM-115BAJ is ENERGY STAR® qualified CONTACT: Hoshizaki America, Inc. www.hoshizakiamerica.com PRODUCT: HOAGIE BAG NATURAL FEATURES: • Fully compostable heavyweight bag especially developed for serious sandwiches and subs • Features a thicker kraft paper with a special spill-resistant coating— along with Planglow’s biggest, strongest window to date • Offers a subtle, sustainable Natural finish for sauce-laden and/or fuller-filled treats • Seal with Natural labels and pair with other items in Natural Collection for a fully eco-friendly presentation CONTACT: Planglow USA 800-774-0536 www.planglow-usa.com PRODUCT: CLEAR TEA DISPENSER FEATURES: • Constructed of BPA-free Tritan™ • Built-in hand grips for easy transporting • Brew directly into the dispenser • NSF-listed for foodservice applications • Rubber feet on base to prevent slipping • Optional plastic brew stand, to minimize potential splashing while brewing CONTACT: Service Ideas, Inc. 800-328-4493 www.serviceideas.com

32 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

PRODUCT: EASY ENTRÉE™ TEXAS RANCHERO® PINTO BEANS FEATURES: • A Southwest spin on a beloved classic • Savory pinto beans in an authentic Southwest sauce, heightened with Mexican oregano, cumin and onion • With simple heat-and-serve preparation, the beans can be served as a savory and spicy side or entrée ingredient in minutes • Made with 100 percent vegetarian and gluten-free ingredients CONTACT: Bush’s Best® Foodservice www.bushbeansfoodservice.com CHEFTEC AND CORTEC SOFTWARE FEATURES: • Provides state-of-the-art inventory control, recipe and menu costing, purchasing and ordering, production management, sales analysis and menu engineering, waste and lot tracking, and nutritional analysis • ChefTec Mobile Solutions expands the functionality and flexibility of desktop clients through the use of mobile handheld and tablet hardware CONTACT: Culinary Software Services, Inc. 800-447-1466 www.ChefTec.com PRODUCT: TECHNOSTAR™ FEATURES: • Durable heavy-duty construction • Cast-iron star burners deliver up to 30,000 BTU/hour • Two-piece, cast-iron open tops are easy to lift and move for cleaning • Even-top surface • Controls are located in cool zone CONTACT: The Montague Company 800-345-1830 www.montaguecompany.com PRODUCT: NAKED JUICE FEATURES: • Liven up the links with tasty takes on garden goodness • Naked Juice fits right in on the course with convenient, wholesome drinks sure to please • Select from a variety of products, from juices, smoothies and coconut waters • These products will feel right at home in the clubhouse, snack bars, snack carts, restaurants and big events CONTACT: VGM Club 800-363-5480 www.vgmclub.com

AD INDEX PRODUCT: NON-FAT GREEK YOGURT FEATURES: • Enjoy the ontrend, Island Oasis® new Nonfat Greek yogurt flavor • The product is gluten-free, has no artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup, and offers significantly more protein and less sugar • Non-fat Greek yogurt may be combined with other Island Oasis flavors, such as Strawberry or Peach, to create a snack or healthy meal replacement • Available in bulk 1-quart cartons • Each carton makes 5 16 oz.-smoothie servings CONTACT: Island Oasis® 844-537-7937 go.kerry.com/island-oasis-innovations

PRODUCT: STELLA HOTEL FEATURES: • Versatile and delicate, perfect for all kinds of occasions • From breakfast to dinner, lunch and coffee, the fine, premiumbone porcelain brings harmony into every situation • Professional functionality and depth of product range are the features that make all Villeroy & Boch collections special • Stella Hotel provides you with all of the prerequisites for perfect service—at large-scale banquets, in fine-dining situations and at themed buffets CONTACT: Villeroy & Boch www.villeroy-boch.com PRODUCT: ULTRAVENT AND ULTRAVENT PLUS RECIRCULATING HOODS FOR SELFCOOKINGCENTER® FEATURES: • UltraVent absorbs and dissipates steam, and the UltraVent Plus adds special filters that capture grease and smoke that occur during grilling and roasting • Equipped with the appropriate UltraVent, a SelfCookingCenter® can be used in visible locations such as front cooking areas • Saves time, reduces labor, and drives down costs, while preparing consistently excellent food CONTACT: RATIONAL www.rationalusa.com

Chambers 25 410-727-4535 / www.chambersusa.com ChefTec 12 303-447-3334/ www.cheftec.com C&RB’s 2019 Chef to Chef Conference 7 440-250-1583 / www.cheftochefconference.com Cres Cor 18-19 877-CRESCOR (273-7267) / www.crescor.com Electrolux 27 www.electroluxusa.com/professional Engineered Plastics 14 800-711-1740 / www.gloice.com Eustis Chair 31 978-827-3103 / www.eustischair.com Happy Chef 35 www.happychefuniforms.com Hatco 13 888-814-0054 / www.hatcocorp.com Judd Brown Designs 13 401-721-0977 / www.JBDandJGA.com Libbey 15 www.foodservice.libbey.com Minor’s 2 800-243-8822 / www.flavormeansbusiness.com Montague Company 5 800-345-1830 / www.montaguecompany.com Peacock & Lewis AIA 29 561-626-9704 / www.peacockandlewis.com Service Ideas 17 800-328-4493 / www.serviceideas.com Truly Good Foods 16 www.TrulyGoodFoods.com VGM Club 36 800-363-5480 / www.vgmclub.com

CLUB INDEX Beacon Hill Country Club Atlantic Highlands, NJ 10 Blue Hills Country Club Kansas City, Mo. 34 The Clubs at Houston Oaks Hockley, Texas 22 Corinthian Yacht Club Marblehead, Mass. 30 Cosmos Club Washington, D.C.

8

The Country Club Chestnut Hill, Mass. 10 Duquesne Club Pittsburgh, Pa. 14 Exmoor Country Club Highland Park, Ill. 34 Menlo Country Club Woodside, Calif.

8

The Metropolitan Club of the City of Washington Washington, D.C. 28 Mizner Country Club Delray Beach, Fla. 10 Myers Park Country Club Charlotte, N.C. 8 Nashawtuc Country Club Concord, Mass. 12 Oak Hill Country Club Rochester, N.Y. 28 Saddle and Cycle Club Chicago, Ill. 6 San Antonio Country Club San Antonio, Texas 28 Woodholme Country Club Pikesville, Md. 8

33 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

Chef to Chef A CLUB & RESORT BUSINESS C O N F E R E N C E

March 10-12, 2019 Hilton New Orleans Riverside

New Orleans

JOHN FOLSE TO KEYNOTE 2019 CONFERENCE C&RB’s 11th Annual Chef to Chef Conference—to be held in New Orleans, March 10-12, 2019—will kick off with a presentation by the legendary and accomplished Louisiana chef.

CHEF JOHN FOLSE, CEC, AAC, is as much an icon in the Louisiana culinary scene as gumbo and crawfish.

For more than two decades, he has advocated and educated the world about Cajun and creole cuisine. And on March 10th, 2019, he will spread that message to more than 250 club chefs when he delivers the keynote address for Club & Resort Business’ 11th Annual Chef to Chef Conference, to be held March 10-12, 2019 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

“I have had the pleasure of hearing Chef Folse speak on two occasions,” says Todd Walline, Executive Chef/Director of Food & Beverage at Blue Hills Country Club, Kansas City, Mo., and a member of the Chef to Chef Conference Advisory Board.

“The first time was in 1994 when I was an apprentice chef,” says Walline. “The thing I remember most about his presentation was how impassioned he was for the simplest recipes of Creole and Cajun cuisine. They defined his childhood.

To meet and listen to someone who has made it his life’s work to be an ambassador of his native cuisine was affirming for me.

“The second time I heard him speak was this year at the American Culinary Federation National Convention,” continues Walline. “Twenty-four years after I heard him speak for the first time, he seems to have an even greater desire to educate.”

Matt Hinkle, Executive Chef of Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park, Ill., notes that while he worked in New Orleans for two years, he

34 C&RB’s CHEF TO CHEF October 2018

never had the opportunity to meet Chef Folse. “So I am really excited to see him give the keynote address at the 2019 Chef to Chef Conference,” Hinkle says. “He has stood the hardest test for a chef—the test of time.”

After the opening reception and dinner on Sunday, March 10th, Folse will address Conference attendees on the topic of “Possibilities: The Life of a Chef.”

In his presentation, he will describe his “Cajun man’s journey,” from his humble beginnings in a trapper’s cabin in rural St. James Parish, La., and harvesting food from Louisiana’s “swamp floor pantry,” to how he has emerged as one of the nation’s leading culinary entrepreneurs, taking his famous “Taste of Louisiana” around the world.

Complete information about Chef Folse’s background and his current culinary ventures is available at www.jfolse.com “We are thrilled and honored that Chef Folse will be able to help us get the 2019 Conference off to a memorable start as we return to New Orleans,” said Jerry Schreck, Executive Chef of Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa., and the National Conference Coordinator for the Chef to Chef Conference.

Registration for the 2019 Chef to Chef Conference is now open at www.CheftoChefConference.com.

An early-bird discount is available for those registering by December 31st, 2018.

Details about the agenda for the 2019 Conference and its presenters will be available later this year.

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