The Pines Restaurant at Cherokee Pines Golf & Fitness Club in Perry, Ga., and La Forêt Fine Dining & Lounge at Sundale Country Club in Bakersfield, Calif., received glowing recommendations from their local media.
The Pines Restaurant at Cherokee Pines Golf & Fitness Club
Eaton Wright of Macon, Ga.-based Telegraph recently visited the Pines Restaurant at Cherokee Pines Golf & Fitness Club and shared his dining experience at the Perry, Ga., golf club. The club is currently undergoing renovations so it’s more functional than formal at the moment. The restaurant’s tables and chairs are plain and simply set. The buffet station holds three meats and six sides, but where the setting may lack in quantity it makes up for in quality. The club’s Facebook Page lists the daily buffet choices.
After choosing a seat, Wright headed to the buffet station to choose a meat and two sides for $7.95, noting that everything he tried was delicious—basic but done well. The ham had been baked in a lightly sweet and equally salty sauce, cooked until tender. The chicken and dumplings tasted just like Mrs. Grace’s from church, with lots of chicken and not too much sauce, the Telegraph reported.
Wright’s favorite sides were the loaded mashed baked potatoes, with plenty of sour cream to make it interesting, and the butter beans that were still plenty al dente.
On Sundays, Cherokee Pines Golf and Fitness Club has the cheapest brunch buffet at only $9.99 for all-you-can-eat biscuits with sausage gravy, made-to-order omelets, bacon, sausage, grits, hash brown casserole, butter beans, black eyed peas, smothered chicken and rice, baked ravioli, stewed carrots and garlic bread. Add another $5 for prime rib, the Telegraph reported.
Each day of the week offers standards for the buffet. A recent Friday menu included baked tilapia, pot roast, fried shrimp, baked spaghetti, roasted vegetables, mac-n-cheese, cream corn, hash brown casserole, turnip greens and biscuits or corn bread.Thursday had shrimp Alfredo, country fried steak, baked chicken, roasted vegetables, red potatoes, yellow rice and green bean casserole. Mondays had pork tenderloin, Salisbury steak, garlic mashed potatoes, black eyed peas, cabbage and other sides, the Telegraph reported.
The staff is friendly and very helpful, the Telegraph reported, willing to do anything to make your visit special. If you’re looking for a calm, peaceful lunch with beautiful scenery out the window, the restaurant at Cherokee Pines is a good bet.
La Forêt Fine Dining & Lounge at Sundale Country Club
- The crab cakes at La Forêt were bite-sized but very tasty. Each was lightly crusted with panko bread crumbs and served with a dollop of roasted habanero and mango aioli.
- The caprese is a combination of yellow tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella cheese sprinkled with fresh basil and lightly covered with aged balsamic vinegar, and opens the taste buds for the rest of the meal.
- The shrimp cocktail came with five large shrimp that were nicely chilled, riding in a glass of cocktail sauce that was the perfect balance of sweet and heat from the horseradish. The surprise citrus flavor of the cocktail sauce made this a refreshing dish, the Dining Divas said.
Next, the Dining Divas tried four different entrees:
- The pan-seared sea bass was topped with a green pepper pesto, grape tomatoes and served with brown butter risotto. The sea bass had great flavor and was cooked perfectly.
- Cooked to a perfect medium-rare, the rib-eye steak was beautifully marbled and tender and delicately seasoned in a way that enhanced a simply perfect cut of steak. The rib-eye is a 16-ounce portion without the bone and is paired with fresh vegetables and delicate mashed potatoes.
- The chicken piccata was a nicely sized chicken breast seasoned with a white wine, lemon butter caper sauce. The dish was served with mixed vegetables and a creamy risotto that melted in the mouth.
- One of the evening specials was coffee-encrusted filet mignon. The taste the coffee crust was minimal, but the outside of the filet mignon was covered with rosemary butter that melted on top and made for a beautiful presentation before getting into the tender meat. The filet was easily cut with a butter knife and was full of flavor. The filet mignon was served over brown butter risotto.
To end the evening, the Dining Divas tried two dessert choices:
- La Forêt took Jack Daniel’s Honey and incorporated it to make a creamy, light and delicious dessert. There is no alcohol taste, just the sweet remnants of honey to please the palate and an accompaniment of fresh berries.
- For the red velvet cheesecake, instead of your traditional graham cracker crust, used a layer of red velvet graham crackers, then topped the crust with a delicious vanilla cheesecake.
The Dining Divas told the Californian that without a doubt, La Forêt is a place every local should experience. Walk through the doors on the second floor and it’s easy to feel like you’ve stepped into a high-quality restaurant, with big windows for viewing the surrounding golf course. With a plethora of dishes to choose from, La Forêt brings a unique and romantic ambiance to Bakersfield dining.
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