October 2016 - Chef to Chef

Small plates have many advantages. They allow members to sample a wide variety of dishes; they’re casual and sharable; they can be pieced together to form a meal, or be enjoyed as a snack between or before regular dining occasions. But while many clubs have found small plates to be a useful addition to their…

The more club chefs I meet, the more I find a common thread among you: you care deeply for your members, and you inspire one another to be better. Remember when Thomas Keller’s Per Se got that scathing review in The New York Times and lost two of its four stars? Everyone everywhere was shocked,…

At Ballantyne CC, COO/GM Jill Philmon and Executive Chef Anthony Soriano have built a strong culinary team and taken a $3 million F&B operation from good to great. As the Chief Operating Officer and General Manager OF Ballantyne Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., Jill Philmon, CCM, CCE, often gets asked: What’s your management style? “Transparency,”…

Club chefs are on the lookout for the next exotic dish, technique or ingredient that is approachable, but still ignites curiosity. The world is fast becoming a smaller place, and global ingredients like blue prawns and black mint, as well as dishes like paella and sushi, are no longer out of reach—or out of context—on…

When fully understood and wielded properly, combis can be a club kitchen’s most versatile tool. Talk to any club chef who’s familiar with combi-oven technology and chances are you’ll find that they don’t just like it—they love it. But for the uninitiated, these workhorse ovens can be both intimidating and somewhat baffling in their uses,…

As one of the only country clubs brewing on property, Arlington Club has learned a thing or two about beer. Portland, Ore.’s Arlington Club has been brewing its own beer since 2012. Spearheaded by Executive Chef Leonard Greco and General Manager Mike Legg, the club’s program has grown from very small seasonal batches to one…

Skokie Country Club’s $3.7 million food-and-beverage operation—led by Executive Chef Richard Stanton—is in a class of its own with three culinary gardens, nine beehives, a flock of egg-laying hens and a dry-aging room. For Richard Stanton, Executive Chef of Skokie Country Club in Glencoe, Ill., every day is a grind. But his focus, determination and…

How three different clubs with three different budgets keep their numbers in line. Because clubs typically operate member dining as an amenity rather than as a profit center, their food costs generally run higher than in commercial restaurants. As a result, the strategies associated with controlling food costs in clubs are unique. Some club chefs…

James R. Patterson III, originally from Wilmington, N.C., became Executive Chef of Sedgefield Country Club, a McConnell Golf property in Greensboro, N.C., in March 2014. Patterson has been with McConnell for more than ten years and his dishes feature local ingredients prepared with an upscale Southern flair. Before joining McConnell, Patterson’s resume featured restaurant experience…