“The dessert was well-received by the membership, but I still felt like it was missing something. I asked for feedback from our Executive Chef, Laurent Pillard, and that feedback helped me evolve and improve the dish,” says James Satterwhite, Executive Pastry Chef, Charlotte Country Club.
In January of 2021, Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club (CCC) named Laurent Pillard as Executive Chef. This hire delighted CCC’s Executive Pastry Chef, James Satterwhite.
Both Pillard and Satterwhite progressed along similar career paths, having worked for the Ritz-Carlton organization. While the two chefs never worked together directly prior to CCC, they have many mutual colleagues.
Over the past year, these two chefs have worked diligently to further elevate the culinary program at CCC.
“The “Flavors of the Tropics” dessert started as a play on pineapple upside-down cake,” says Satterwhite. “The dessert was well-received by the membership, but I still felt like it was missing something. I asked for feedback from Chef Pillard, and that feedback helped me evolve and improve the dish.
“Now it has a more modern presentation that combines tropical flavors, spice and an array of textures,” he says.