photos courtesy of Sean Kaschak
Chef Andrew Haapala recently introduced a new “CDC Dinner” program at The Country Club of Virginia, setting aside three dates on the culinary calendar and pairing our Chefs de Cuisine together with complete creative freedom. It was an opportunity unlike anything either of us had experienced before.
In January, Chef Haapala informed us of our pairings and dinner dates, and immediately the brainstorming began. When Chef Cody Etchill and I first sat down to discuss what we wanted to create with this opportunity, we began by identifying where our culinary styles intersected. I myself am half Spanish and half Mexican on my father’s side, while Chef Cody frequently draws inspiration from Latin American flavors, ingredients, and techniques, as his mother grew up in Arizona.
That intersection became the foundation of the evening. We wanted to create something unexpected, immersive, and deeply personal—an experience that felt alive. Something beyond a traditional tasting menu. We landed on a concept centered around Spanish tapas, Mexican influence, family-style dining, and storytelling.
If you are familiar with either of our styles, you know we tend to run fully into a concept once inspiration strikes, and this dinner was no exception. During our next meeting, we each arrived with nearly 20 fully developed ideas, over 40 concepts total. Narrowing the menu became one of the hardest parts of the process because we were both so passionate about the direction the other was taking. Eventually, we refined the experience into 16 composed pieces ranging from interactive small bites and handhelds to seafood courses with molecular gastronomy elements.
At the same time, we were both leading large-scale culinary operations during one of the busiest seasons of the year. Easter weekend had taken place only four days prior to the event, making the execution itself an enormous undertaking. Despite the pace and pressure, we pushed ourselves creatively and operationally to deliver something truly memorable.
The progression of the dinner itself was intentionally designed to feel interactive, layered, and communal. The first four courses were all presented as single-bite pieces, meant to spark curiosity and conversation immediately upon arrival. Some of these bites were already waiting for guests at the table alongside a welcome cocktail, creating a warm and immersive introduction to the evening before the formal progression of courses began.
Following the opening bites, we presented the smoked oyster course featuring oysters topped with mezcal paloma spheres created through reverse spherification. The oysters were set beneath custom-made cloches filled with smoke and revealed tableside, creating a theatrical transition into the remainder of the experience.
After the initial small bites, the dinner evolved into a composed salad, soup, and handheld course. Throughout the menu, Chef Cody and I intentionally searched for ways to meet in the middle creatively, blending our individual backgrounds and inspirations into cohesive dishes. Chef Cody presented a sweet tamale inspired by flavors and memories from his childhood, while I contributed an all-black huitlacoche sope, inspired by dishes I grew up eating while spending time in Mexico City. The sope was deeply earthy and dramatic visually, incorporating black masa and layered umami flavors. To accompany my sope, Chef Cody developed a vibrant saffron bao, drawing inspiration from the growing popularity of bao throughout Spain. Together, the handheld duo became one of the clearest examples of the collaborative spirit behind the dinner, where Mexican tradition, Spanish influence, and modern technique all intersected naturally on the same plate.
For the entrée course, we divided and conquered creatively while still maintaining cohesion throughout the experience. Chef Cody presented a mole negra beef cheek dish layered with deep, rich flavors and traditional technique, while I focused on a branzino showpiece with scallop mousse and delicate radish ‘scales,’ combining classical seafood technique with a more artistic, modern presentation style.
The entrées were accompanied by family-style sides designed to encourage sharing and conversation at the table. Dishes such as pan de nata, papas bravas, and a bright cucumber-melon salad reinforced the communal and welcoming atmosphere we wanted the evening to embody. Even at its most elevated moments, the dinner was always meant to feel warm, generous, and rooted in hospitality.
From the moment guests entered the room, we wanted them to feel transported. The tables were lined with live-edge cedar elevations, moss, candlelight, pickled vegetables, and layered natural textures meant to evoke warmth and nostalgia. Menu cards were designed to resemble traditional Mexican lotería boards, bringing a playful and cultural element to the table.
Chef Cody even explored Ferran Adrià-inspired crystal bread techniques as part of the experience, further pushing the boundaries of what club dining can look like. But beyond the technique and presentation, what mattered most to us was the feeling behind the dinner. We wanted conversation. We wanted energy. We wanted guests to feel our creativity, our heritage, and our passion through every detail.
Throughout the evening, we shared stories about our grandmothers and the women who shaped our relationships with food and hospitality. Much of the menu quietly paid homage to them, to family traditions, memory, and the emotional connection food has the power to create. We wanted guests to feel as though they were sitting in our homes, in our family’s kitchens, experiencing something both refined and deeply personal at the same time.
photos courtesy of Sean Kaschak
To conclude the evening, Pastry Chef Jessica Quiet elevated the experience even further with a stunning family-style dessert presentation that perfectly matched the warmth and generosity of the dinner itself. Chef Jessica truly came in showing out, creating four desserts designed to be shared across the table, encouraging guests to continue conversing and lingering together through the final moments of the evening.
The dessert spread included a beautifully balanced Basque cheesecake finished with rich cajeta, a bright and refreshing coconut-lime tres leches cake, and take-away chocolate mole truffles that allowed guests to leave with one final thoughtful touch from the experience. Her desserts carried the same spirit as the savory courses—comforting yet refined, nostalgic yet elevated—and provided the perfect ending to an evening centered around culture, storytelling, hospitality, and connection.
photos courtesy of Sean Kaschak
The response from the membership was overwhelming. Guests questioned why we had not charged significantly more for the experience. Members from Spain told us the flavors felt authentic and emotionally nostalgic. Others shared that the dinner rivaled experiences they had at Michelin-starred restaurants.
For both Chef Cody and myself, the evening became far more than a dinner service. It became a reminder of what can happen when young chefs are trusted with creative freedom, collaboration, and the opportunity to tell a story through food. It was one of the most creatively fulfilling experiences of our careers, and we are incredibly grateful to Chef Haapala and CCV for creating space for that kind of innovation to exist.
