The Country Club earned the #2 spot in C+RB’s First Annual Top Ranked Culinary Experiences program.
Scott Ryan, CEC, AAC, Executive Chef, The Country Club
The Country Club (Pepper Pike, Ohio) has been an important part of Cleveland-area club history for more than a century. Its culinary program, helmed by Scott Ryan, CEC, AAC, Executive Chef, offers a range of styles, from upscale to casual.
Ryan, who has been with “Country” since 2009, prides himself on using only the freshest ingredients and finest preparation techniques. He and his team incorporate classical and modern cooking methods that blend together regional and international flavors to create an eclectic dining experience for members.
Ryan is an active member of the American Culinary Federation’s Cleveland Chefs Inc. chapter and has earned medals and top honors in numerous culinary and ice-carving competitions, including Chef of the Year in 2008 for the Michigan Chef de Cuisine chapter; 2011 ACF Cleveland Chapter Chef of the Year; 2012 ACF Northeast Region Chef of the Year; and 2012 ACF National Chef of the Year.
In 2013, he won the Global Chefs Challenge semi-final, to earn the right to compete as America’s representative in the World Association of Chefs Society Global Chefs Challenge, held in Norway in 2014, and went on to place second.
He was also a featured speaker at the 2014 Chef to Chef Conference and has appeared in a variety of Club + Resort Chef articles and videos in the years since.
“Everyone on our team is focused on the main goal of not only achieving but exceeding, our members’ expectations,” says Ryan. “Our General Manager stresses a team-oriented environment. He trusts us to be creative and have fun with what we do—but at the same time, he never lets us stray too far from our objectives, by constantly encouraging a ‘trust but verify’ environment.
“Communication is also key,” Ryan adds. “Our management team has a great rapport and we enjoy working with each other. The passion and drive that we all have for what we do is what makes ‘Country’ such a special place.”
