Introducing small plates is a great way to add variety to your menus while also giving most of your senior members something they really want: smaller portions. This season at Kelly Greens G&CC, we are rolling out a new small plates menu. These items are bigger than an appetizer but smaller than an entrée. Since…
How Mentoring Will Solve Our Labor Challenges
According to Edward Leonard, CMC, Director of Culinary Operations and Executive Chef at The Polo Club of Boca Raton (Fla.), the greatest impact chefs can have is to be mentors and teachers to those around them. We hear the term “culinary education” routinely used to explain those embarking on a career in the craft of cookery.…
Could Mashing Help My Mentoring?
The Union Club’s GM/COO, Lawrence McFadden, CMC, has found that the synergies between his favorite hobby and his career are making him a better leader. Can a hobby help make you a better leader? I’ve been an avid cyclist since 2003 when I purchased a “real” bike following the Lance Armstrong excitement at that year’s…
The Benefits of Gender Balance in GPYC’s Kitchen
It’s not someone’s gender that determines what role they play in the kitchen at Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. It’s their work ethic, ability and drive. The food coming out of clubs and restaurants is evolving. So are the chefs and kitchen environments we are creating in. With the long hours, late nights, and a high-stress work…
His Title Was Executive Chef, But They Called Him God
The Union Club of Cleveland’s GM/COO, Lawrence McFadden, CMC, believes chefs succeed most when they are well-rounded and curious about life beyond the kitchen. Back in 1998, I attended the Ritz-Carlton’s annual food and beverage conference in Hawaii. During the event, a who’s who of the company assembled to share a global vision for our…
How Do I Help My Team Be Better Today Than They Were Yesterday?
Chad Myers, Executive Chef of Dubuque Golf & Country Club, is working to improve his management skills and thus his club’s culinary operation. What is it that makes a good or decent cook? What are the characteristics you look for in a new hire? I generally start with the most basic requirement, that being that…
Making a Graceful Exit from Glenmoor CC
As Executive Chef Penelope Wong begins the process of leaving Glenmoor CC, she is spending her final weeks being transparent and offering as much opportunity to her team members as possible. The term “short-timer”, when used in reference to an employee, alludes to his or her mentality of being checked-out of daily responsibilities and abandoning…
Hosting our First Teen Pastry Boot Camp
Forsyth CC’s Pastry Chef, Cody Middleton, invited teen members to the club for three days to learn intricate pastry preparation. Their abilities wowed him and the gratitude from members was rewarding. Last month I had to the opportunity to teach pastry to some of our members’ children during our three-day Teen Pastry Boot Camp. Not…
Showcasing Eight Years of Culinary Change at SACC
San Antonio CC’s Executive Chef Nelson Millán was invited to speak in front of members about the club’s F&B operation, its growth and evolution. Having “clubs within the club” is a tradition for private clubs across the country. San Antonio Country Club is no exception. One of our most popular “clubs within the club” is called the…
The Importance of Yearly Reviews
Kelly Greens G&CC’s Executive Chef Drew Tait has found that yearly reviews can turn a challenging associate into a very successful associate. At Kelly Greens G&CC, August is the last month of our fiscal year and all yearly reviews must be issued before September 1st. I know a lot of chefs groan at the thought…
What Being Fueled by Passion Really Means
For Edward Leonard, CMC, Director of Culinary Operations and Executive Chef of The Polo Club of Boca Raton (Fla.), passion moves him forward. It fuels his work. It fuels his team’s work. And he believes it fuels the work of many of the club industry’s most talented players. It is time here at The Polo…
Was it a Calculated Career or a Lifetime of Learning?
As one of the few CMCs to move beyond the kitchen, Lawrence McFadden, CMC, GM/COO of the Union Club (Cleveland) attributes his unique career path to his dedication to learning. What if you could write your own career story? Would it limit your dreams, aspirations, and expectations or spur continuous self-reinvention? It takes confidence and courage…
What I’ve Learned in My First Year as Executive Chef of GPYC
In his first year at Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, Executive Chef Colby Newman made great strides, but he has new goals for the year ahead. I don’t know where the past year went, but it has come and gone. The week of the Fourth of July marked my first year with Grosse Pointe (Mich.) Yacht…
Why I’m Leaving and What I Hope to Leave Behind
After twenty years as Executive Chef of Glenmoor CC, Penelope Wong has submitted her resignation. She has big dreams for her future and big hopes for the team she has mentored as well as the operation she has spent her career elevating. Club chefs come and go. We hear about it all the time. And…
Why Housemade Extracts are Worth the Extra Effort
Looking to reduce waste and improve quality, Cody Middleton, Pastry Chef of Forsyth Country Club, is now turning stone fruit pits in noyaux. Summer brings with it a bounty of fresh, local fruits and vegetables. In the savory kitchen, there is always a push for total product utilization, however, I have found that this is…