Welcome to Lodge & Legend, the new quarterly publication from Saskatoon Lodge. For the past two decades, my wife Renee and I, and our two daughters, Eryn and Ayden, as well as our family of employess, have dedicated ourselves to one thing: making the lives of our customers feel fuller, more connected, and more meaningful. We’ve done this by creating a dining experience like no other and offering true companionship and hospitality to everyone who comes through our restaurant doors. We’ve expanded to include a simple, customizable Paleo Program that is helping clients lose weight, improve their health and feel better. And we now have a beautiful event space to accommodate celebrations of all kinds, from networking meetups and company Christmas parties to weddings and family reunions. Finally, we’ve created a garden and practice “farm to table” and sustainable living on-site. For all of these wonderful things, we have to thank our amazing employees and our loyal customers. We could never have gotten here without your continued encouragement and support over the last 25 years. This quarterly magazine is the next step in our efforts to connect with our customers and impact their lives for the better. As always, the story is about you—so here you will find features about the customers, employees, and vendors who have made this remarkable place possible. You will find encouraging success stories about hard-working people who have turned their health around through our Paleo Program as well as tips and advice for farm to table, living sustainably, and recreating a fine dining experience in your own kitchen. Like the atmosphere of the restaurant, the name Lodge & Legend is meant to evoke the feeling of sitting around a fireplace, swapping stories and jokes with your closest friends. I hope you enjoy the magazine, you love the new Saskatoon Lodge as much as I do, and that you’re looking forward to the next 25 years. See you at The Lodge,
Edmund, Renee & The Family at Saskatoon Copyright @2018 by Saskatoon Lodge and The Brand Leader. All foreign and U.S. rights reserved. Contents of this publication, including images, may not be reproduced without written consent from the publisher. Published for Saskatoon Lodge by The Brand Leader.
FOR THE SUMMER
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IN THIS ISSUE TWENTY
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FROM THE GARDEN
Taking Farm-to-Table to the Next Level
4 Against All Odds THE LEGEND OF THE LODGE
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10 12 14 16
STEAKING A CLAIM
How to Cook a Restaurant-Quality Steak & Roast at Home PA RT N E R S P OT L I G H T
Brother-Sister Team Brings Saskatoon Lodge to Life A PA L E O S U CC E S S STO RY
A League of Their Own EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Two Siblings, Two Decades: A Lifetime of Serving CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT
Blending Business, Friendship & Family T H E S A S K ATO O N LO D G E M E N U
Our Appetizers & Entrées
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YOUR ESCAPE IS WAITING DISCOVER YOUR WILDERNESS, RIGHT IN THE HEART OF GREENVILLE. When you’re looking for that out-in-the-wild event or retreat spot, look no further than Saskatoon Lodge in Greenville, South Carolina. Call us today at 864.297.7244 for a wedding, corporate event, or party experience of a lifetime (perfect for parties of 12 to 250)!
6 8 1 H A LT O N R D . G R E E N V I L L E , S C 2 9 6 0 7
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864.297.7244
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www.saskatoonlodge.com
FROM THE GARDEN
F R O M
T H E
G A R D E N
TAKING FARM-TO-TABLE TO THE NEXT LEVEL Sustainable gardening has been in our DNA for a long time. When Edmund’s dad and mom opened the New China restaurant on Poinsett Highway in the 50’s, they had 3 acres that Mama Woo farmed, waking up at dawn to hand-pick many of the vegetables they served to customers that day. Edmund’s dad also farmed the land and, what he couldn’t farm, he hand-selected at the local farmers’ market.
The elder Woo’s philosophy was that you can’t get the same flavor or texture from boxed produce that you can get from a tomato or a cucumber picked that morning. More importantly, you can’t know what has gone into the soil or how the produce has been fertilized. This philosophy impressed Edmund at a young age but, until recently, Saskatoon Lodge didn’t have the space for a garden.
Putting the Pieces Together: How Does Your Garden Grow? That all changed with our new location. “In the middle of building the new lodge, I looked at our 9 acres and wanted to do something with the land,” said Edmund. “I remembered mom and dad’s old place and immediately thought about farming, but didn’t know how to start.” Lucky for us, Greenville is home to many sustainability experts who were willing to collaborate with the Saskatoon Lodge family—and the project came together in a really cool way. “I was at Bacon Brothers Restaurant talking to Jason Callaway, the owner, who is such an astute restaurant guy, picking his brain about how to do more local sourcing. He introduced me to Mike McGirr, who runs Feed & Seed,” Edmund said. “Mike started putting me in touch with local farmers, seed producers, and other resources, and the conversation evolved from there.” While Edmund had the resources he needed to begin the garden, there was still a missing piece: How to set it up, how to lay out the land, what to grow, how to grow it… “I didn’t know how to set up a garden, so I went back to Mike and Jason for a recommendation. They introduced me to Chris Miller, better known around here as That Garden Guy (www.yeahthatgardenguy.com). Chris came out and walked the property with me, showed me where the water should come from, how the sun hits and passes over the land, and what we should plant.” The collaboration between That Garden Guy and Saskatoon Lodge went beautifully, and shortly after we opened, we began serving some beautiful radishes grown on our property. Since then, we’ve grown many of our vegetables on site. The project has also been personally significant for Edmund. “Being able to farm my own land is important to me,” said Edmund. “We reclaimed trees we cut down from the property which we milled and turned into raised beds. It’s funny. As kids, we hated that stupid garden my parents had because we had to work hours, sometimes morning until night during the season on it, and now I’m making my own kids help out. I guess what’s old is new again.”
FUTURE ISSUES •••
That Garden Guy, Chris, will give sustainable farming tips and recommend local gardening resources, from organic soil and compost to the best plants to farm in our region. We look forward to serving more homegrown food at Saskatoon Lodge and helping our readers live more sustainably. •••
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THE LEGEND OF THE LODGE
The odds against Edmund Woo ever being born, let alone ending up in the restaurant business in Greenville, SC., were astronomically high. And the whole chain of events was set in motion at a Mah Jong table in rural Mississippi in the 1950’s. It’s a long, winding story full of twists and surprises, but a remarkable one. Edmund’s parents were the first Chinese immigrants to Greenville, and they opened the first Chinese restaurant in town. But, his parents didn’t arrive in South Carolina at the same time—not even close. Edmund’s parents were married when his dad was 17 and his mom was 19. Soon, the couple had a baby boy. Who was not Edmund. The year was 1932, and Edmund wouldn’t be born for 27 more years. This was Edmund’s much older brother.
Coming to Greenville
The young couple decided that they needed to immigrate to America to provide a better life for themselves and their children. Unfortunately, his wife was not able to get immigration papers for her or her new baby, so Edmund’s dad went first with the plan to send for his wife and child as soon as possible. In the ensuing years, being such a distance apart, the couple lost touch. With seemingly no hope of getting back to China and no communication with his wife, Edmund’s dad eventually remarried years later and had two more children, a girl and a boy. Meanwhile, back in China, Edmund’s mom wrote to her youngest sister who had moved to America and lived in rural Mississippi to see if she could find her estranged husband. We are not sure if Mama Woo knew how vast America was or how difficult it would be to find her husband among so many people. So, Edmund’s aunt, Mama Woo’s youngest sister, asked everyone she knew or came in contact with if they knew an Arthur Woo. One day, in response to her question, a man who traveled throughout the southeast visiting all of the Chinese people as a sort of a de-facto congressman for the Chinese said: “Actually, I think I have met this person…he is cooking in a restaurant on Main Street in Greenville, South Carolina!” Edmund’s aunt promptly called the restaurant and asked for Arthur. When he came to the phone, she said: “Arthur, this is Lava, your wife’s youngest sister. Do you remember me?”
This phone call was the first of several until she invited him to come visit her family in Mississippi (at this point, Arthur was raising his two children by himself as their mother had died in an accident). When Edmund’s father came to Mississippi to visit, Aunt Lava threw a big homecoming party and invited all of the Chinese people in the region—literally hundreds and hundreds of Chinese to welcome him and make him feel at home. And, here is where the Mah Jong game came into play. As part of the festivities, everyone played Mah Jong, which is a popular gambling game in the Chinese community. As fate would have it, Edmund’s dad won big at the Mah Jong table that night. Aunt Lava asked him to take some of his winnings to send back to his first wife in China. One thing led to another, and several years later his wife, who he had not seen in over 25 years, joined him in Greenville, SC.
Starting the Family Business
As surprised as Edmund’s parents were to be reunited, the couple had an even bigger surprise in store. Shortly after they remarried, Edmund’s mom gave birth, at 47, to a healthy baby boy. Edmund Woo—who we believe was the first Chinese person born in Greenville General Hospital. By this time it was the late 1950’s, and Edmund’s parents had opened the New China restaurant, the first Chinese restaurant in town and the only Chinese restaurant between Charlotte and Atlanta. The restaurant was incredibly popular and became a Greenville mainstay. This was how and where Edmund grew up, watching his parents work 18 hour days, 365 days a year at one of the trendiest restaurants in Greenville. His mom even worked at the restaurant the day that she gave birth to him. The work ethic Edmund observed in his parents had a profound effect on his life and his career. It would take him many years, and he would have to walk down many more paths, before he began Saskatoon Lodge—but that’s a tale for another time.
TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT ISSUE
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Many people walk into the meat aisle at their grocery store or go to their butcher and feel completely overwhelmed. There are so many cuts to choose from—how do you know which will be best for the recipe you’re making?
First, Know Your Cuts and Your Cooking Options.
In addition to choosing beef with a moist, shiny surface and fresh smell, it’s important to know the different cuts and how to cook them. Generally speaking, there are two ways to cook beef—Low and Slow or Hot and Fast.
1. SHORT LOIN
1. CHUCK
T-Bone & Porterhouse if bone-in; New York Strip if boneless
Bone-In Chuck Steak/Roast
2. TENDERLOIN
2. BRISKET
Filet Mignon, Tenderloin Steak, and Roast
BBQ, Corned Beef, Pastrami
3. SHANK
3. SIRLOIN
Beef in Stew & Soup
4. TOP SIRLOIN
4. RIB
Short Rib, Prime Rib, Ribeye
5. BOT TOM SIRLOIN
5. ROUND
6. FLANK
Round Steak/Roast
London Broil & Fajitas
HOT AND FAST
The cuts of meat that require this high heat cooking method are either well marbled (have lots of flecks of fat interspersed throughout the meat) or not as exercised as the parts of the animal that require low heat and long cooking time. Use searingly high heat, cook fast, and turn the meat frequently. Most steaks, including T-Bone, Porterhouse, Ribeye, Filet, New York Strip, and Flank steak all do well with this cooking method. The Loin or Tenderloin roast is protected by the ribs and located in the center of the animal, which means the meat is tender and doesn’t need too much time on the heat. Another really important reason for the high heat is because it sears the meat and creates such an appetizing crust and great flavor.
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LOW AND SLOW
The cuts of meat that need a low and slow cooking process include muscles that get a lot of work, which makes them very lean, pieces that have multiple types of muscle in one cut, and cuts that have lots of connective tissue. Cooking low and slow gives the protein fibers and collagen plenty of time to break down and become tender—if you rush the process, you will end up with tough, dry, leathery and stringy meat. Chuck, Round, Brisket, and Shank are all tougher, lean cuts of meat that can achieve fall-apart-in-your-mouth levels of tenderness if cooked correctly. Try braising, smoking, or roasting on low heat for a long time (typically 4 hours or more.) Even though it’s naturally tender and well-marbled with an amazing flavor, Prime Rib is also a cut of meat that does well when you roast it for a long time in the oven— simply because it’s such a massive slab of meat.
STEAKING A CLAIM
THE DOS & DON’TS OF COOKING BEEF There’s no reason to be intimidated by cooking a good cut of meat. With a little knowledge and practice, you can handle meat like a pro.
Season With Kosher Salt. Kosher salt has a different flavor than table salt because of its structure and how it dissolves. Kosher salt flakes are flatter than the more granular table salt, which means that kosher sticks to the meat better and is also much more forgiving. This is a good thing. It is really easy to over season with table salt.
Let Your Meat Rest. Many chefs recommend leaving your steak for two days once you have taken it out of the packet. Place the steak on a shelf in the fridge with a plate underneath it and the air around it will begin the process of drying it out. Before cooking, allow your steak to return to room temperature by leaving it out of the fridge for a couple of hours before cooking.
Let Your Meat Rest. (Again.) It may be difficult if you’re hungry, but the best thing you can do to have a flavorful, mouthwatering steak is to let it rest for at least five minutes before digging in. The rest time allows the juices that were brought to the surface by the searing process to infuse back into the meat.
Cook All Meat the Same Way. Maybe you’re the master of the grill or like to toss everything in the crockpot so it’s ready when you get home from work—but meat is tricky and certain cuts prefer to be treated certain ways. Perhaps that is why it is so popular on restaurant menus. Getting it right begins with the right cooking process for the right cut of meat.
Season Your Meat Too Early. Or Too Late. What kind of marinade, dry rub, or other seasoning you add to your meat is a matter of taste. For steaks, a simple dusting of salt and pepper always works. The key is to season at the right time. Make sure that you salt your steak at least 40 minutes before cooking. If you salt right before cooking, all the moisture gets brought to the surface of the steak where it’s lost to the pan or grill—but the process is reversed if left for a while. The salt breaks proteins down and tenderizes the steak as the moisture works its way back into the meat. Fresh ground pepper, on the other hand, should be added right after the meat finishes cooking in order to avoid burning and creating an acidic flavor.
Cook a Cold Steak. When it comes to cooking steak, one of the worst things you can do is throw a slab of meat straight from the fridge onto a searing hot surface. The change in temperature will cause the muscle fibers to tense up even more than they normally do. You want your steak to relax so that the juices permeate the meat.
Cut Into Your Meat to Test If It's Done. We know it’s tempting, but you should never cut into your steak to see if it’s done while cooking. When you sear meat, the natural juices are brought to the surface. Cutting into the steak will allow the juices to drain out. Instead, poke the meat to test doneness (A rare steak will feel like the palm of your hand underneath your thumb. If you touch your thumb to your middle finger and touch the same spot, that’s how a medium steak will feel.) Alternatively, use a timer or a meat thermometer.
With a little practice and a lot of patience, you can become a master at preparing celebration-worthy meals at home. 7
Treehugger Customs
Matt McClain and his sister, Chelsea Rosen are the brothersister team behind TreeHugger Customs, which started as a company that built super cool, custom treehouses but soon added sustainable commercial renovations to their portfolio. “We use a lot of reclaimed wood and metals,” said Matt. “It’s great for businesses that want that rustic, vintage vibe.” Even when they can’t find the reclaimed materials they need, TreeHugger Customs can deliver the aged look that many companies are looking for. “Our warehouse over at Hampton Station is always full to overflowing, and we have the biggest bay out there,” Chelsea said. “We scavenge constantly, so we usually have the pieces. I also have these awesome rustic patinas I can create on metal and wood to age them. Our team has this joke about me: Everything she touches turns to old.”
HOW TREEHUGGER CUSTOMS BEGAN Matt and Chelsea grew up around woodworking and got into the hobby at a really young age. Their grandfather had a 2,000-acre Walnut farm which Matt describes as “totally awesome” and was a master woodworker by trade. Their dad dabbled in woodworking, building custom furniture and other pieces. However, neither of them imagined that their childhood passion would one day turn into a full-time career. It sounds like something out of a fairytale, but Matt and Chelsea really did get their start by designing and building custom treehouses. “We’d been building paddle boards and surfboards together for a while, but it was such a seasonal business,” Chelsea said. “We found ourselves completely bored in the fall and winter, and we were looking for something else to do.” That’s when a friend who had seen the treehouse that Matt built for his kids suggested that they start building treehouses for other people. “We built a couple and started getting referrals, which led to other builds. It grew organically from there,” Matt said. “Building treehouses really is the most amazing thing to do. Each one is so different, because each one has to respond to the environment it’s in. And then the client is always so excited and happy. No one is ever just neutral or indifferent about an incredible treehouse.”
GETTING INTO COMMERCIAL RENOVATION Matt McClain and Chelsea Rosen have 75 years of building experience combined. The TreeHugger team is fueled by the thrill of a blank slate, and gives life to forgotten materials and transform them into timeless, inspired designs.
The team at TreeHugger Customs stays pretty busy with their treehouses. They built seven last year and already finished two in the first couple months of this year. They also regularly take on custom furniture and metalworking as their schedules allow. The commercial renovation side of the business began in the same way the rest of the projects began—through word-of-mouth and referrals.
PA RT N E R S P OT L I G H T
“We first got started with the old Handlebar location, turning it into a new event space called Revel,” said Chelsea. “Matt got a call from a mutual friend who had seen some huge treehouse we’d built with a crazy, winding staircase. We already had the look that he was going for, so the project ended up being a great fit for us.” From there, TreeHugger Customs also designed and built the Stonepin Bowling Alley, which is directly beneath Revel. “Stonepin wanted something a little more edgy, with more metal, which was a challenge” Matt said. “I’m so glad we took it on, because I love the result and it’s become a showpiece for us.”
DESIGNING AND BUILDING SASKATOON LODGE The work at Revel and Stonepin inspired Edmund Woo to get in touch with Matt and Chelsea about creating Saskatoon Lodge, which was their third commercial project ever and their first new build. “Edmund contacted us with this off-the-wall plan to make a building look like the mountain lodge of his dreams, and we jumped at the project,” said Matt. “His vision for the restaurant, his excitement, really gripped us and sucked us into his vortex, so we came on as designers and builders.” Part of what drew them to the project was the unique nature of the request and the challenge that it presented: Saskatoon Lodge asked TreeHuggers to work with their architect, Bob Ellis, and their contractor, Creative Builders to transport customers to a time long ago in a million-dollar lodge set high in the mountains out west. “We see what we do as art, and we like to take on inspiring projects, so this was right up our alley,” Chelsea said. “We’re not the builder that’s going to come out and put up your deck. But if you want to build an insane deck 28-feet in the air with an attached treehouse and spiral staircase...that we can do.” Of course, the team didn’t have a million-dollar budget for their million-dollar lodge, which was another challenging aspect of the build. TreeHugger Customs had to source the best materials at the absolute best prices in order to achieve the look they were going for. “I think one of the things that really sets us apart from other contractors is
the wide collection of materials that we work with. We hoard materials all the time and have created this library of resources,” Matt said. “This allows us to present options to clients that might be difficult or impossible for other craftsmen.” Chelsea also credits the sense of partnership among TreeHugger Customs, Creative Builders, and Saskatoon Lodge as integral to the success of the project. Since the design used mostly salvage and reclaimed materials, the plan required a certain amount of adaptability from everyone. “Let’s just take the bathroom sinks, for example. We have an idea, but we don’t know exactly what the walls and decor are going to look like when we’re sketching the designs, because we haven’t sourced all the materials yet,” said Chelsea. “So being able to pick the sink after the room is established aesthetically is so much better than trying to pull out our crystal ball and decide six months in advance. We really lucked out teaming up with Creative Builders; we worked synergistically together and they were alright with some flex in the game plan. We also appreciated the trust Edmund gave us, the freedom to design as we went to some degree so we could make the best decision.”
THE RESULTS “We really wanted to hit this one out of the park, and I think we did,” said Matt. “My absolute favorite part is the log walls and ceilings. You’re not going to see anything like that anywhere else in town. They turned out exactly as we expected and give the room just the right feel.” On this, as on most other things, the brother-sister team are in complete agreement. “I could look at the log walls and ceilings all day. And it blows my mind that we found it all, we sourced it all.” She adds: “I have to admit, I also have an affinity for the custom copper bar top. When I look at it, the hours I spent going through the aging process, putting in tiny nails with a tiny hammer, and going home covered in copper shavings all feels totally worth it.”
We really wanted to hit this one out of the park, and I think we did. M AT T M c C L A I N
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Cholesterol Numbers Reversed with Paleo at Saskatoon Lodge Fraser & Linda League made the decision to commit to their health and begin Saskatoon Lodge’s Paleo Program together. Fraser owns a fourth generation manufacturing business and is often on his feet all day, managing the plant. While they both wanted to lose a little weight, other health concerns were the main motivation to try Paleo. “For me, it was a matter of cleaner eating that would support my healthy lifestyle,” said Fraser. “I’ve had several health issues in the past decade that made me want to change my diet, including a quadruple bypass ten years ago, and then kidney cancer five years ago. Following my nephrectomy, I started doing a lot of research about heart and kidney health to find out what I could do on my end to take control and better my health. I learned that some people are able to slow down or even reverse these conditions with the proper diet—and my research led me to Paleo.”
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Fraser & Linda League have a horse farm in Traveler’s Rest, and they often head to the barn at the crack of dawn and go back again at night, after work, to take care of the horses.
A PA L E O S U CC E S S STO RY
Quality, Variety and Convenience According to Fraser, he spent a few weeks delving into a number of diets in town as well as online meal services before landing on Saskatoon Lodge’s Paleo Meals Program. “We were big fans of the restaurant already and knew we would love the meals. Where else can you get a full week of chef prepared meals that you know are going to be fresh and healthy? Not only was the quality much better than any of the other services I looked into, but it was also an incredibly fair price,” The selection was also important to Fraser because of the health goals he was trying to achieve through the Paleo Program. “The variety and the ability to tailor your weekly menu is what sets this program apart from any other program in town. I had this conversation with my cardiologist recently. Paleo isn’t what you think of as a go-to diet for someone with heart disease; it has a reputation for being the Caveman Diet, packed with red meat and not a lot of veggies or fresh fruit,” Fraser said. “But since I can go in and pick my meals and there’s such a huge selection, I can choose three salmon meals, lean toward fish and chicken, and I can make my order mirror what I need.” Finally, both Fraser and Linda have been thoroughly pleased with the convenience of the program. “Honestly, the program couldn’t be easier. I choose my meals from the weekly menu and pick up my prepared meals when they’re ready. This is the only program that includes all three meals for the entire week, as well as snacks and supplements, so there’s no time at the grocery store, no time prepping meals, no time cleaning up after meals. It’s truly amazing how much more time I have in the week since starting Paleo,” Fraser said.
Honestly, the program couldn't be easier."
" Remarkable Results
Of course, for Fraser, the proof of the program would be in the results. “My cardiologist told me that my condition was largely the result of genetics. I was on medications, a stringent exercise program, and strict diets, but despite all my efforts and medications, I was still building plaque in my arteries,” Fraser said. “My blood work has not been encouraging over the past ten years, and I’ve had three more heart surgeries to put in stents to help correct the condition.” He has been on the Paleo Program for about seven months, and he’s been closely monitoring his progress along with the help of his cardiologist. “I had new blood work done after six months, and the results were shocking. I stood there in the office and looked at the report—my cholesterol and LDL were stable. It was a near reversal of the numbers I had before Paleo,” said Fraser. ““I had done so much research, read so many studies and books. I did believe that good health was possible for me, that a reversal was possible, but I never saw it happen.” As for how that made the Leagues feel: “Having this first taste of success, seeing those numbers change. We feel excited and hopeful about my condition for the first time in a decade.”
To learn more about the Saskatoon Lodge Paleo Plan, visit saskatoonpaleo.com. 11
TWO SIBLINGS, TWO DECADES A
O F
L I F E T I M E
S E R V I N G
When Kate Holder’s friend encouraged her to apply for a job at Saskatoon Lodge, Kate never imagined that one decision would alter the course of her life and give her a satisfying career 20 years later. “This friend of mine got a job here. We were in college at the time,” said Kate. “I just sort of started one day—I came in to apply and started training that day. That was late 1998. I’ve been here ever since.” Since she first began working as a server, Kate has taken on greater responsibility at Saskatoon Lodge, handling everything from managing the front of the house and scheduling to organizing the Paleo Program. Several years later, Kate also brought her brother Thomas on board. “I’d been running the kitchen at a restaurant near Main Street, and I really wanted to get out of downtown,” Thomas explained. “That’s when Kate dragged me over to her world.” Kate added: “Saskatoon Lodge is truly a familyoriented restaurant. Edmund and Renee and their girls feel like my family. We spend so much time together in the restaurant, I feel like my coworkers are family. So, I realized that I wanted my actual family here, too. Now Thomas and I work together doing something we both love. We feel so lucky; I can’t imagine a better life.”
Service Versus Hospitality The restaurant business is notorious for being a high turnover industry, but Kate and Thomas both feel there’s something very different about Saskatoon Lodge. “I originally thought of this as a job while I was in school, not a career” said Kate. “But I’ve been given so much trust and responsibility—opportunities to grow. There’s literally nothing here at the restaurant I haven’t had a hand in. That makes the job feel fresh and exciting every day.”
Thomas & Kate Holder have been long-time employees at Saskatoon Lodge, and have both used the opportunities available there, to transform their jobs into careers they both have grown to love.
According to Thomas, the high quality of the work they do along with the dedication of the owners and the other employees create a fulfilling working environment.
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
“We’re encouraged to take ownership and work together toward a common goal, which raises our game. All of our best friends are here. We’ve been in each other’s homes, shared meals, traveled together. Kate and I aren’t the only ones who have been around for decades.” Naturally, the friendship between coworkers impacts the restaurant atmosphere and customer experience. “I think we’re actually a part of the hospitality industry, not the service industry,” Kate said. “There’s more genuine concern about how your customers feel. We have a passion for the work but, more importantly, we have compassion for our customers. Why are they out tonight? How can we help them have the best possible time? I often feel like I’m personally sharing dinner with guests. It’s just a different level of care.”
Making a Difference for Customers Kate and Thomas agree that the best part of the job is knowing they’ve actually had an impact on someone’s life—and one of the biggest ways they do that every week is through the Paleo Program. “My absolute favorite thing about working here is the connection I get to have with our guests. To me, the avenue doesn’t matter,” said Kate. “Whether they’re here for dinner or they pick up Paleo meals every week, they’re sharing an important part of their lives with us, and that matters. With Paleo, especially, I feel like I’m making a difference.” Thomas agrees: “Paleo is the best. I get to take a step back from the restaurant frenzy to catch up with these regular customers who come by to pick up their meals. It gets me out of my 'cave' in the kitchen.” Kate and Thomas work together to manage the Paleo Program. Kate does front of house management tasks such as getting in touch with customers, organizing special requests, and sorting the meals. Thomas manages the weekly menu and meal preparation. “Last week, we had nearly 200 customers with 15 meals a piece that all had to be vacuum-sealed, stickered, and sorted,” said Kate. “Meanwhile, we’re putting together the next week’s menu. It’s a huge production.” And no two weeks are the same, either. “We always have a wide variety and include two brand new items each week,” explained Kate. “Thomas and I eat the Paleo meals, too. So we get fussy. If I don’t want to see something on the menu again, I’m pretty sure the customers don’t want to see it, either.”
Moving to the New Location Kate and Thomas have been at Saskatoon Lodge long enough to see the restaurant evolve and expand in many ways, but perhaps the biggest change has been the move to the new location. For Kate, the move to the new location was also meaningful because she’s been hearing about the plans for so long. “I remember from the time I first started working, Edmund told me about his ideas for Saskatoon Lodge—he talked about these wall murals he’d seen at a Disney resort and the lodges he’d visited. He pictured Saskatoon Lodge as a hidden lodge that travelers might find while hiking, with a big, open floor plan. Seeing it happen has been really beautiful. When I first walked into the new location, it felt more like walking into my new home.”
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CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT
Will and the team at Creative Builders have gone back and forth with the Saskatoon Lodge team, trading places as vendors, customers, and coworkers. Creative Builders played a large role in constructing the new venue—and they also did the upfit renovation that turned our former location on Haywood Road from an old piano bar into a restaurant 20 years ago. “From the beginning the relationship has been a mix of a little bit business, a little bit personal. If anything, we lean toward being friends rather than colleagues or customers,” said Will. “In fact, my sister worked for Edmund all the way back when he had his restaurant on Augusta Road. Because of our history, I probably feel more deeply connected to this place than your average customer. Then again, maybe there are no average customers. Every last employee is kind and warm. I see them go out of their way to make everybody feel welcome.”
All About the Relationships Will and his family established their contracting business through hard work, honesty, and by forming ongoing friendships with their clients and collaborators—which are all qualities that Will says he appreciates about Saskatoon Lodge. Qualities that keep him coming back year after year. “I love local businesses and love to support local restaurants, so that’s what drew me to Saskatoon Lodge in the first place,” Will said. “But it’s the personal touches that take the dining experience from good to great. It’s not just the food, it’s the whole atmosphere. I believe that we’re wired to crave companionship, and that’s what my wife and I get when we go to Saskatoon Lodge.” Another aspect of the Saskatoon Lodge experience that resonates with Will is how long the employees stay with the restaurant. “There are many employees at Saskatoon Lodge that have been there for 15 or 20 years. It really is a family restaurant, in that it’s run by a family and everyone there feels like family. That’s how I like to run my business, too. I invest in my people first and foremost, and so I have contractors who have been with me for decades.”
The Corporate Dining Experience “Men in construction work incredibly hard. What they want is steak and game. Hearty meals,” said Will. “So we’ve made Saskatoon Lodge our go-to dining out location when we take a client or collaborator out. A couple weeks ago, we had a guy in from Raleigh for a strategic planning session, and we took
him there. He was blown away; he’d never heard about a menu like this and he couldn’t believe the lodge look. We got to tell him that we had a hand in building it, and he went back raving about the restaurant and about our work. Having a place like this available makes it so much easier to impress clients and have fun with friends. It elevates the whole event.” In addition to dining out at Saskatoon Lodge, Will has been bringing the Creative Builders team to the restaurant for their annual Christmas party for the last 20 years. “I actually have a funny story about that,” Will laughed. “We created this tradition with our team, where we took them to Saskatoon Lodge every year. Well, a few years in, we decided to go somewhere else for the Christmas party. Not for any reason, but just to change it up. We thought maybe our employees would like some variety. Let me tell you. We had a mini mutiny on our hands, and no one wanted to go. We ended up canceling at the other place and getting a last minute reservation with Saskatoon Lodge—and we’ve never tried that again. What we realized is that this is something that our group truly looks forward to every year. I’m glad we stuck with the tradition, because now it seems more like a family reunion than a corporate gathering.”
The New Venue Will has been in a unique position as a long-time customer to see Saskatoon Lodge grow from a small dining facility into what it is now. “For me, it’s been a true joy to watch this vision come to fruition after such a long time—to watch Saskatoon Lodge go from a location that was too small for what they were trying to do to a big, beautiful, A+ location,” Will said. “The new venue makes me want to go experience it more often, even though we live up near Traveler’s Rest. I think Edmund and I hit it off right away because we both believe in hard work, we both came from a family of hard workers. I don’t think this could have happened to a better, harder working family, and I’m glad I got to be here when this dream came true.”
Will McCauley is the owner of Creative Builders, Inc., an award-winning, 2nd generation commercial contractor in Greenville, SC that has been in business for 47 years. Will is also a long-time friend, vendor, and customer at Saskatoon Lodge.
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T H E S A S K ATO O N LO D G E M E N U
APPETIZERS Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Pan-seared, then oven-roasted with citrus garlic cream and rémoulade dipping sauces. 9
Wild Game Sausages
THE F OUNDER’S PROMISE —
WE BUILT SA SK ATOON LODGE ON THREE PROMISE S: UNIQUE EX PE RIENCE We believe you deserve an unparalleled experience. Our staff’s been with us for decades, and many of our guests have become more like family than visitors, so every detail matters.
SU PERIOR QUALITY We serve only hand-selected meats, aged in house, hand-carved daily by our lodge chef and grilled over hickory fire, cooked to your preference and sealing in a burst of flavor inside every cut.
The chef ’s selection of three unique sausages; smoked, then seared on live hickory fire served with horseradish cream and Yukon golden-honey mustard sauces. 10
Portabella Mushroom
Stuffed with roasted chicken, black olives, tomatoes, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. 7
Buffalo Flank Steak
Served over caramelized onions and house-made hickory barbeque sauce. 9
Yukon Chicken Tenders
Fresh chicken tenders taken from the breast, skewered, grilled, and served with Yukon golden-honey mustard, and hickory barbeque sauces. 7
Saskatoon Spicy Shrimp
Plump shrimp skewered, grilled and served with Cajun rémoulade sauce. 9
Spinach Bacon Dip
Creamy Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses laced with spinach & crisp bacon. Taste the outdoors! 9
House Salad
Served with your choice of Caesar, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Creamy Garlic Ranch, or Honey Mustard. 4
HOME GROW N We provide optimal freshness and taste in a superior culinary experience by supporting local farms, cultivating relationships with hardworking business owners and growers experienced in best practices of sustainability in working with the region’s unique soil and climate conditions. We also support local hand-crafted beer brewers and winemakers who put their heart and soul into their products. SO RELAX, ENJOY AND LET US TAKE
Try our exclusive collaboration with local brewery Thomas Creek! Saskatoon Lodge Fireside Brown Ale has a deep leather hue with notes of roasted
caramel and molasses. This beer has a perfect balance of hop bitterness that finishes with a piney citrus flavor and aroma.
YOU TO A FARAWAY MOUNTAIN LODGE… A PLACE PRESERVED IN TIME AND AN EXPERIENCE YOU’LL TREASURE FOR LIFE.
C AL L AH EAD SEAT I N G
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T H E S A S K ATO O N LO D G E M E N U
ENTRÉES Your dinner includes fresh vegetables and your choice of our farmhouse-special potatoes (Our signature Northwest skin-on garlic mashed potatoes, jumbo baker or golden wedges).
WILD GAME
L O D G E
S P E C I A L T I E S
Elk Tenderloin
Eight-ounce portion with grilled portabellas and our signature ginger demi-glace. 30
Antelope
TA M E G A M E
B E E F
Cracked pepper, sea salt, hickory-grilled twelve-ounce cut, finished with parmesan peppercorn butter. A lodge specialty! 32
Filet Mignon
Buffalo Flank Steak
Sirloin Steak
Our nine-ounce cut is hand-selected, aged, trimmed and grilled. A wonderful cut of beef! 34 Ten-ounce cut, seasoned with our special Northwest blend of herbs, then hickory grilled. 21
Saskatoon’s Mixed Grill
Chef ’s choice! A selection of three wild game cuts with a wild mushroom cream. Ask your server for today’s selection. 26
FISH & SEAFOOD
F R E S H
&
S A L T
W A T E R
Cedar Plank Salmon
Oven roasted on cedar aromatic slats, then finished with citrus chardonnay cream. 20
THE BIRDS
C H I C K E N
&
D U C K
Remington Roasted Duck
Herbed, oven-roasted half duck finished with a l’Orange. A truly unique flavor! 23
Campfire Chicken
A Saskatoon favorite! Hickory grilled, herbed, double breast finished with a tarragon cream sauce and pecans. 16
PORK
Pecan Crusted Salmon
Lightly seasoned, then brushed with Dijon mustard and honey, crusted with Georgia pecans and oven roasted. 20
S T E A K S
Ribeye Steak
Eight-ounce free range and field harvested from Texas, grilled over live hickory. Very lean and high in protein. 35 Hickory grilled with caramelized onions and house-made hickory barbeque. Tender and flavorful. 24
&
T E N D E R L O I N S
Pork Tenderloin
Citrus Shrimp & Scallop Skewers
Pan-seared, oven-roasted medallions prepared with a mustard-herb bread crumb crust and a white wine Dijon cream sauce. A Lodge tradition! 19
Sizzlin’ Rainbow Trout
NOTE: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions.
Hickory grilled and served with garlic cream and rémoulade sauces. 20 Fresh from the cold, clear, Idaho waters and grilled for a light smoky flavor, served sizzlin’ in the pan with your choice of wild plum or lemon pepper seasonings and garnished with a large shrimp. 19
Fresh From The Stream
After your meal, be sure to ask your server for a Dessert Menu!
Ask your server for today’s selection. Market Price
HAVE AN U P C O M I N G EVEN T ? Our new event center is now available for company get-togethers, family gatherings, and everything in between. Be sure to ask your server for more information. 17
681 Halton Road Greenville, SC 29607
S A S K AT O O N R E S T A U R A N T. C O M