Food & Beverage

With vaccines and proactive COVID safety practices at clubs and resorts making members and guests feel more comfortable about dining out, top chefs have prepared for a healthy rebound in attendance at holiday meals and events.       

In the face of how the pandemic has dramatically altered the employment landscape, chefs and food-and-beverage managers at club and resort properties are pulling out all the stops to still attract and retain the best fits for their kitchen and dining-room staffs.   

The new emphasis on outdoor dining has prompted club chefs to also make al fresco cooking a greater part of their repertoire, and has shed new light on how to turn everyday meals into special events.   

Whether for dine-in or takeout, pre-entrée starters or entire small-plate meals on their own, chefs are using innovative flavor profiles and presentations to offer new upfront enticements to club and resort diners.       

Melinda Burrows, CEC, CCA, didn’t let 2020’s challenges slow her drive to continue to pursue her unique culinary approach both personally and at her Springfield, Mo. club, while also keeping her team interested and engaged.

The combination of COVID and winter’s cold have cranked up cravings for familiar, hearty foods. But members are expecting a more elevated style of their favorite fare, and their clubs’ chefs are delivering.         

Club + Resort Business’ Second Annual Awards recognize Arrowhead Country Club in Rapid City, S.D. for transforming its culinary approach, which has increased dining revenue by more than 30% while bringing new innovative events to its members; and Moss Creek Golf Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C. for introducing meal kits, a “Home Cooking with…

Geoffrey Lanez, CEC, Executive Chef of The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Conn., began building a name for himself while in college at Johnson & Wales University by competing on the student level and studying under prominent chefs. At age 29, he now manages and oversees a team of about 40 staff and three kitchens to produce…

While the pandemic is keeping Americans from enjoying many of the things they love, club members can still take comfort in special sweet treats, whether dining outside, inside or at home.   

The Executive Chef of Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio joined the club in 2018 and quickly instituted a number of enhancements, including utilizing mobile pizza and smoker equipment, and starting a new sushi program.

The pandemic has made club members crave comfort foods more than ever, and chefs are responding by providing feel-good favorites for indoor, outdoor and takeout dining.

Executive Chef Blair Cannon, CEC, oversees an extensive program at the Winston-Salem, N.C. club that has met all of this year’s challenges—including a kitchen renovation and shoulder surgery for Cannon, in addition to what the pandemic brought—with a measured and unified approach.

The Bluffton, S.C. club offers its members a monthly culinary event centered around a destination or unique geographic attraction. The popularity of the reservation-only evenings has resulted in consistent sellouts over the past year. Also, the sale of club-logoed cups with unlimited refills at Champions Run in Omaha, Neb. has significantly reduced plastic use at its pool.

The Bay Head (N.J.) Yacht Club created its own “Periodic Table of Ice Cream, Toppings and Sauces” to give its action station a “science-y” twist. Also, The Country Club of Virginia purchased a large tower infuser and invited its lead bartender to create custom recipes for drinks the new equipment would be used to prepare.

The Charlotte, N.C. club teams with Myers Park High School’s culinary department to source some of its produce. The school has now become the club’s primary source for bibb lettuce, green leaf, red leaf and frisee. Also, Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. hosted “Thanksgiving Tips and Tricks” classes in mid-November to offer interactive cooking and cocktailing…