Gathering for family meals can be a Herculean feat; from finicky toddlers to moody teens, it takes a culinary wizard to whip up a feast that delivers for all. The same goes at the clubhouse, where teams must work together to engage parents and kids with creative dishes that taste as good as they look. Here’s how two facilities met this challenge head-on, setting the stage for future events with adaptable formats.
Tech-Free Teen Night
As any parent of a teenager knows, getting kids to give up their phones is on par with asking a golfer to part with their clubs. But for one summer evening, young members at The Hyannisport (Mass.) Club traded in their devices and tied on aprons for a teen-only pizza party. Judging by the smiles all around, the results were worth posting about.
The concept for last year’s inaugural event was prompted by the social committee’s goal to create more programming for ages 13-18.
“They had grown out of the children’s activities but still weren’t old enough for adult-only events,” explains Catering Manager Kelsie Griffin Crocker.
The desire to engage older kids in a hands-on format was key, as was the element of socializing without parent chaperones. Crocker considered the club’s existing outdoor kitchen and woodfired pizza station, used weekly ever since its inception four years ago, and an idea was born. Email blasts were sent out to membership, while word-of-mouth marketing at other teen events filled in the gaps. In no time, 20 teens were ready for a night of pizza-baking and memory-making.
Crocker worked closely with Executive Chef Nicholas Reney and culinary team members La’norris Ferguson and Zorica Barth to plan the menu and establish a production timeline. They decided to host the event on the same day pizza was served at the club, which minimized prep time. Prior to the teens’ arrival, toppings and sauces were assembled and doughs were stretched and added to the pizza wheel. The remaining ‘work’ was left up to the teens.
Organized in groups of three, each kid had an opportunity to personalize their pizza to their liking. Teens could choose between tomato sauce, white sauce, pesto or garlic and oil, along with pepperoni, sausage, ricotta, heirloom tomatoes, mushrooms and other toppings. Before heading to the cook station, teens were invited to decorate their aprons, putting their downtime to good use. They got a chance to interact with the culinary team as well as mingle with other teens.
By the end of the night, kids had polished off their pizzas, sampled creative mocktails, including a Lavender Haze special—a nod to Taylor Swift—and left with a full stomach. Crocker was pleased with the event and thrilled by the teens’ level of curiosity.
Crocker also appreciates their honesty, especially in communicating what works—and what doesn’t. Such feedback will come in handy later this summer when the club reprises the event—and not just for the teens. Crocker is planning to add a second date for younger kids, along with parent chaperones and possibly a make-your-own sundae bar for the teen event.
Out-of-This-World Brunch
Waffle stations and donut towers aren’t enough these days to dazzle foodies at Sunday brunch. The culinary team at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn., knew this all too well and set out to create a memorable meal that incorporated a classic theme—one that captivates kids and parents alike.
In the week preceding Easter, Interlachen hosted a Star Wars-themed brunch to immerse its member families in a culinary adventure in a galaxy far, far away. Housed with interactive stations that included creative beverages, pastries and ice cream, guests were magically transported to the fictitious planet Tatooine. Director of Club Events McKenzie Davenport, who spearheaded the outing, wanted to challenge herself and the crew with a fresh spin on a beloved franchise.
“I often idolize the immersive worlds that the Disney Imagineers create,” she says. “I wanted to give members a similar out-of-this-world experience from the moment they walked in the door.”
After promoting the event to membership via an in-house-designed invitation, the crew got down to business. Davenport’s events team was tasked with manning tableside service, food running and staffing the bar, while Director of Operations Allyssa Doud concocted mocktail/cocktail concepts. Menu-planning was a group effort by Davenport, Executive Chef Aaron Anderson and Executive Pastry Chef Jessie Stravinskas.
Culinary highlights from the brunch included a liquid nitrogen ice cream station; a reenactment of the movie’s cantina, serving blue and green milk (made from coconut milk and Hawaiian Punch flavoring) and housemade sodas named C-3Pops; and at the buffet table, Princess Leia’s (Cinnamon) Buns. At the adults-only hangout was the Death Star Bar; cocktails included Darth Maul-tini (blood orange Aperol spritz with blackberry and dried blood orange) and the Stormtrooper (coconut milk margarita with Stormtrooper ice cubes).
Executing a multi-layered event, particularly one aimed at families rather than adults, requires a new mindset. What remains unchanged is the desire to make it memorable.
“While there may be times flavor profiles change to adapt to the age of our members, creativity does not,” said Stravinskas, noting the importance of nostalgia when crafting recipes. “We can execute unique and fun visual pieces without sacrificing the food’s quality.”
Are You Ready for It?
Interlachen adopted this same mentality for its Lover Galentine’s Day Brunch (Taylor’s Version) earlier this year. Mother and daughter ‘Swifties’ bonded over friendship-bracelet-making, a karaoke catwalk and food and beverages inspired by the singer.
“After seeing how many of our members and their daughters attended the Eras Tour in 2023, we knew we wanted to capitalize on that while it’s still relevant,” says Davenport. “Galentine’s Day felt like the perfect holiday, as it’s centered around friendship and love.”
The culinary team laid out its game plan, ordering specialty items like decorations and designing a production list. The event kicked into high gear 72 hours beforehand when the culinary team determined which items to prepare ahead (breakfast pastries and bread doughs) and which must be made on the day of the event.
Highlights of the brunch included the “Mr. Perfectly Fine” yogurt parfait station, “You Belong With Me” avocado toast station, “Red” velvet waffles, and a “Getaway (Dessert) Bar,” made up of salted caramel macarons, strawberries and cream profiteroles and black cocoa cupcakes. Moms also indulged in song-inspired cocktails, such as a “Slammin’ Screen Door” (gin, lavender, lemon and liquid disco) and “(Bloody) Mary’s Song” (vodka, ICC house mix and celery salt). While peals of laughter and rousing sing-alongs are a testament to the event’s success, Interlachen still made a point of meeting to recap the results.
“This has helped us time and time again to note what has been a success and why, whether it be the location of where items were placed or notes of the demographic of the group,” says Stravinskas. “All of these things help us improve year after year to ensure that the preferences and needs of our members have been met.”
