November marked year three of PlateCraft, a Chef to Chef Experience, hosted by Club + Resort Chef and Cullasaja Club (Executive Chef Scott Craig, WCMC, CCCD) in Highlands, N.C., with additional support from neighboring Highlands Country Club (Executive Chef Angel Herrera).
Like the annual Chef to Chef Conference (March 8-10, 2026 at The Broadmoor), PlateCraft is an event specifically dedicated to club and resort chefs’ continuous learning, but the experience for attendees of these events is vastly different. While Chef to Chef hosts hundreds, PlateCraft is an immersive, two-day workshop for a small group of about 25 club chefs from across the country who want to push their craft in a highly hands-on environment.
While last year’s PlateCraft centered around The Grand Buffet, this year’s event honed in on the Chef’s Table. Teams of attendees collaborated, cooked together, and created a chef’s table-style meal together with guidance from top culinary leaders: Cullasaja Club’s Craig; The Country Club of North Carolina’s Adam Deviney, CEC; Forsyth Country Club’s Lance Cook, WCMC, CCCD, WSET II; Mizner Country Club’s Daniel Montano, CECC; and Andy Chlebana, CMPC, instructor at Joliet Junior College.
At the end of day two, attendees were able to take a seat at the table to experience the meal as members would, tasting the results of their work, collaboration, and shared commitment to craft. The evening served as a celebration of process, precision, and the connection that happens when chefs get the opportunity to gather and create together.
Montano, Executive Chef of Mizner CC in Delray Beach, Fla., shares the inspiration behind and process surrounding his group’s course, plus the full recipe, linked below.
Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): Tell us about the planning for this dish pre-PlateCraft and how it evolved. What were the biggest challenges?
Daniel Montano (DM): The first few weeks were honestly tough. I had an overload of ideas and could not decide what direction I wanted to take. Anytime I am planning something creative, I go to social media for visual inspiration, so you can imagine how many screenshots were piling up in my inspo folder. Eventually, I went back to my favorite vegetable, purple cauliflower. It is versatile, it is bold, and it gave me the anchor I needed to start shaping the idea.
From there, the evolution became about narrowing the focus and building layers that made sense. The challenge was taking all those ideas and translating them into a dish that felt personal, balanced, and precise enough for a PlateCraft Chef’s Table.
C+RC: What was the impact of PlateCraft’s team collaboration on the final version?
DM: Rubbing elbows with these high-caliber chefs will always be one of my favorite memories. It is the kind of thing that one day becomes a really cool story to tell later in your career. The collaboration changed everything for the better.
Working side by side with other chefs who were all refining ideas created a flow of honest feedback. We discussed what was hitting and what needed to be rearranged. That environment allowed the dinner to evolve from good to amazing. The final version of my dish is absolutely better because of that team.
C+RC: Please describe the flavors and presentation. What do you believe makes this a successful dish?
DM: Cuban mojo pork has become a favorite of mine, especially living in South Florida, and that flavor profile became the heart of this dish. I combined it with one of my go-to sauces, salsa verde, and elevated it with preserved and fresh truffle. A few drops of truffle oil at the end gives it a beautiful, aromatic lift.
The truffle crema came from a lunch at Shake Shack. I ordered the truffle fries, and they were served with a side of truffle aioli that I was obsessed with. I did my best to replicate that flavor and texture in a more refined way.
I wanted a crispy element, and since onions are a classic part of mojo pork, I created a dehydrated onion cracker. It had a chewy crisp texture that was really unique. I shaped it to look like a classic plating smear so that when guests took a bite, it became a small surprise. It looked like a purée, but was actually the crunch.
The shaved cauliflower and frisee salad brought brightness and freshness, helping reset the palate throughout the dish. Altogether, the flavors read bold and comforting, while the presentation stayed modern and playful. I think the dish works because it is personal, layered, and delivers contrast on every bite.
C+RC: What do you believe makes for a successful chef’s table experience?
DM: I am slowly learning how important storytelling is to a Chef’s Table. When I can create dishes that are personal to me, it becomes much easier to tell that story and connect with the guests.
I have been fortunate enough to visit some incredible Michelin-starred restaurants, and at the very best ones, every course carries meaning. At El Celler de Can Roca, the welcome soup is served in a bowl that reveals the unique silhouettes of each one of the three Roca brothers as the soup levels change. At MAASS, the refined green curry originated from memories of a family recipe shared by the Chef de Cuisine. Those moments stay with you.
Stories can enhance the way guests perceive food. They give context, emotion, and depth. A successful Chef’s Table blends great technique with personal narrative. When you can taste the story, you’ll remember that for a lifetime.
