Club + Resort Chef

  • Home
  • Clubs
  • Resorts
  • Recipes
  • 40 Under 40
    • Class of 2025
    • Class of 2024
    • Order: Commemorative Plaque
  • Master Class
  • Documentaries
    • Watch: Inside Ocean Reef
    • Watch: All Ships Rise
  • Certification
  • Resources
    • PlateCraft
    • Chef to Chef
    • C+R Talks
    • Salary Survey Data
    • C+RC Association
    • Digital Issues
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

What’s Old Is New Again

Matthew Blazey, Executive Chef of Camargo Club, foresees a shift toward old-school cuisine and classic cooking methods.

By Matthew Blazey, Executive Chef, Hurstbourne Country Club | February 10, 2023

Matthew Blazey, Executive Chef, Camargo Club

The news of Noma’s closing was a shock.

This is one of the most influential restaurants of our generation. This is a place of insane attention to detail, absurd levels of the forward-thinking mentality we all strive for, at a level most can only dream of.

I started thinking about how restaurants like Noma are formed and how the leaders of those restaurants evolve into the magic they produce. But even chefs of that magnitude rely on the most basic and essential cooking methods, techniques and understanding.

Restaurants today do whatever they can to remain relevant—and they should. Finding and being in front of a new wave in the industry can set you apart. The club industry’s not impervious to this. Many of our members pass dozens of restaurants that are all fighting for relevance on their way to our club.

It’s clear now that restaurants of Noma’s caliber are falling away because the industry is shifting.

Trends are cyclical, and retro is cool again. Considering the ebbs and flows of our industry, I foresee restaurants reverting to classic or old-school dishes—the backbone of what most of us were trained in.

Coq Au Vin
Oeufs à la Neige

Of course, club chefs must always keep in mind that we aren’t cooking for ourselves or our tastes; we’re cooking for our members. And every club has its own identity with varying wants, needs and expectations. It’s up to us, as forward-thinking chefs, to make these determinations.

At the Camargo Club, the culinary team meets regularly to discuss upcoming menus—what’s working and what isn’t. We revisit conversations we’ve had with members while touching tables, and we form an overall sense of how we’re doing and where we might need to pivot. After testing the waters and determining where we can push the envelope, it’s become clear that a large population of our members have an affinity for the classics—or would at least be interested in interpretations of them.

Examples include an elevated coq au vin (see recipe), featuring amish chicken ballotine, sous vide carrots and onions, house-cured bacon and poulet chicharrones, or the French dessert oeufs à la neige (see recipe), with variations of meringue, cardamom-scented anglaise and compressed berries. In 2023, our members will come to see these types of recipes—both recreations of classical straight-forward dishes, as well as interpretations of these concepts.

Granted, while we at the Camargo Club are tapping into the old-school theme, this simply won’t work for everyone. But if this wave fits your club’s model, fully embrace it.

Related Articles Read More >

Ocean Reef Club’s Ian Fleischmann Details His First France Trip
Can a Michelin-Starred Chef Make a Great Club Sandwich?
The Stories That Move Us Forward
Elevating Events Starts with Planning, Not Panic

PlateCraft

https://youtu.be/9kF2hijL4ek

Chef to Chef Conference

https://youtu.be/aOZc9QDWWWk

C+RC Newsletter

Club + Resort Chef Association

Elevate Your Club and Career: Join CRCA

C+RC Association Join the Club + Resort Chef Association to connect with a network of elite club culinary professionals and access exclusive resources and certifications designed to elevate your skills and career. Embrace the opportunity to showcase your talent, learn from industry leaders, and stay at the forefront of club culinary.

C+RC Digital Issues

Club & Resort Business Browse the latest and archived issues of the premier magazine for club and resort culinary teams, available in a user-friendly and high-quality format. Enjoy the convenience of bookmarking, sharing, and engaging with the top culinary content tailored for club and resort chefs.

Club + Resort Chef
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
  • Submit a Recipe
  • Club & Resort Chef Association
  • Club & Resort Business

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Club + Resort Chef

  • Home
  • Clubs
  • Resorts
  • Recipes
  • 40 Under 40
    • Class of 2025
    • Class of 2024
    • Order: Commemorative Plaque
  • Master Class
  • Documentaries
    • Watch: Inside Ocean Reef
    • Watch: All Ships Rise
  • Certification
  • Resources
    • PlateCraft
    • Chef to Chef
    • C+R Talks
    • Salary Survey Data
    • C+RC Association
    • Digital Issues
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe