13 minute read
Chef’s Thoughts
Blair Cannon,
CEC, CFE
Prior to becoming Executive Chef of Forsyth Country Club (Winston-Salem, N.C), Blair Cannon, CEC, CFE, worked at a number of impressive clubs, including the Bohemian Club (San Francisco, Calif.), Augusta (Ga.) National Country Club, and Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club. 1. You’d be surprised to learn that
my wife and I are expecting our fi rst baby girl this summer.
2. If I could trade places with one chef it would be Thomas Keller. 3. One of my most memorable meals was at Altura in Seattle, Wash.
The tasting menu was 14 courses. We sat at the chef’s table. The best part was that I was able to share this with Forsyth CC’s former Executive Chef, Michael Mort. He has done so much for me here, so being able to step back and enjoy an experience like this with him was amazing.
4. My go-to drink is Health-Ade
Blood Orange, Carrot, and Ginger Kombucha. Drinking half a bottle every other morning has really helped my digestive system.
5. My last meal would be Wagyu
tomahawk ribeye, pomme puree, grilled asparagus, smoked horseradish, and a big glass of Opus One Cabernet Sauvignon.
6. My worst culinary creation was not a creation, but a HUGE mistake.
We had a party of 350 guests with other multiple parties going on. I overcooked 200 steaks. No one said anything after scrambling to get more done, but it was very embarrassing to have the team looking at me. We pulled it together, though.
7. If I could change one thing about my club it would be to add more “ The most important question I ask during the interview process is, ‘What are your goals in life inside and outside of work, and how do you want to reach those goals?’ ”
fast-casual outlets that are kept simple with low labor costs, such as adding a co ee shop in our fi tness center.
8. My favorite junk food is tortilla
chips and guacamole. I can eat a whole bag of chips if my wife doesn’t pull them away.
9. If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be a
video journalist, like an Anthony
Bourdain.
10. I knew I wanted to be a chef when
my grandmother would take me to the farmer’s markets and fi sh mongers to gather ingredients, and then teach me how to prepare those ingredients.
11. You’ll never see tripe on the menu at my club, because our members
would look at me like I am crazy.
12. The hardest service of my career
isright now. This sta ng crisis is real, and our team is seeing how valuable stewards and dishwashers are to the organization. Interviews don’t show up, and temp agencies cannot be relied on.
13. I love being a club chef because
I love creating experiences for our guests, exploring other cultural fl avor profi les and techniques, and passing along my knowledge to our passionate team of chefs.
14. When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m
kayak fi shing with my wife, and hiking various mountains.
15. My biggest mistake when I fi rst started as a chef was assuming
that respect is gained from the sta just by knowing my experience as a chef.
16. I cook cheap Maruchan Ramen at home, but I’d never cook it at the club. 17. When hiring, lack of details and constant very-short tenures kill a resume fastest for me. 18. The most important pieces of equipment in my kitchen are the
combi ovens and my computer.
19. I want to learn more about social-
media marketing strategies and videography.
View the extended conversation with Chef Cannon at www.clubandresortchef.com.
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unlocking
Interlachen CC’s leadership team is focused on planning, growing, conquering complexity and further establishing its culinary expertise.
By Joanna DeChellis, Editor
unlocking potential
CLUB CULINARY PROGRAMS HAVE to innovate to
be successful—but the magnitude of change, and the speed at which a club is able to set new ideas in motion, can vary greatly. Success is achieved when leaders are focused, collaborative and driven by the same desire to create a member experience that is nothing short of exceptional.
Over the past four years, Interlachen Country Club (Edina, Minn.) has been on a transformative culinary journey. It began when Joel Livingood, General Manager/CEO, hired a strong new Executive Chef in Aaron Anderson, who then leveraged the club’s $10.5 million campus-wide renovation and worked with Assistant General Manager Carrie Eyler to change everything about how the club defi nes and delivers its culinary experience.
GETTING STARTED
As part of a campus-wide renovation, Interlachen made signifi cant changes to its dining spaces and programs. Each restaurant was given its own unique identity, with the overarching goal of creating destination-type outlets with menus to match.
The club’s fl agship restaurant, the Bobby Jones Pub & Grille, saw the greatest change, both physically and conceptually. The dining room was artfully redesigned with rich wood accents and exposed beams. Iron chandeliers hang from the soaring ceilings of the 100-year-old building (see photo, pg. 66).
Members can also enjoy outdoor seating on a newly added, sizable Bobby Jones Terrace that overlooks the golf course.
The Pub & Grille’s menu o ers a simple and refreshing approach to cuisine that changes seasonally and is chef-forward.
“Every component of this restaurant was thoughtfully considered,” says Livingood. “Each element of the dining experience, from the moment a member or guest arrives to the moment they depart, feels connected and intentional. Our goal was to create an experience that rivaled the best restaurants in the Twin Cities.”
Pictured (left to right): Aaron Anderson, Executive Chef; Kayla Plumley, Executive Pastry Chef; Scott Engberg, Banquet Chef; John Krattenmaker, Sous Chef; Luis Ortiz, Chef de Cuisine; and Carrie Eyler, Assistant General Manager.
As part of the new concept, leadership decided to have servers don jeans and white shirts, instead of the more traditional black slacks and black button-down shirts.
“A week before opening, I asked [Eyler] if jeans were still a good idea,” says Livingood. “She reminded me that we were trying to create a warm, casual, inviting atmosphere and our team’s uniforms were a part of that.”
In the concept phase, Eyler, Anderson and Livingood noted that the best restaurants in Minneapolis—even those that have won James Beard Awards— have servers who wear jeans. So they went for it.
“Overall, it was well received by our members and a welcome change by our team,” says Livingood, adding that the Bobby Jones Pub & Grill continues to be the club’s busiest member-dining space.
LAY OF THE LAND
The main kitchen that serves the Bobby Jones venue is divided into smaller spaces—and, as part of the renovation, it got a brand-new line with new equipment and better fl ow.
As part of the second phase of its renovation, which focused on the lower level of the clubhouse, the club created the Founders Café and Turn Bar as a casual, quick service-style dining option. A garde manger space in the back of the main kitchen acts as a commissary for serving this outlet and the pool.
At Founders, members can choose from a variety of sandwiches, salads, snacks and smoothies. The space is also a full-service bar and co ee shop.
Last, but certainly not least—especially during Midwestern heat waves— the 1909 Pool Cabana o ers casual and fresh poolside dining. Members can choose to receive food-and-beverage service from their lounge chairs or be seated on the Cabana’s upper deck. The venue also features a separate bar with a shaded lounge area.
In addition to the three permanent outlets, the club’s lawn space is transformed into “The Snow Yard” in the winter and “Burgers and Brews” in the summer. The Snow Yard includes cozy seating in 10 igloos and o ers Gesino’s Pizza, a New Haven-style pie created by Interlachen’s Sous Chef, Joshua Gesino. The menu at Burgers and Brews includes fi ve signature burgers, hand-cut fries, homemade ice cream sandwiches, and features a di erent local brewery each week.
“All told, our members now have four or fi ve di erent restaurants to choose from at di erent times of the year, based on how they want to enjoy their club,” says Livingood. “There’s been a ton of ingredients in our success. While our renovated spaces provided a platform to create these experiences, our team is the secret to our success. Everything we do, we do at the highest level—and it starts with them.”
PATH TO SUCCESS
Interlachen’s cover counts are up 48% over the last two years. Sales are up nearly $2 million, from $3 million to $4.75 million, and the club’s Net Promoter Score is currently 82, up from 17.
Livingood credits Eyler and Anderson with being the creative masterminds who have led this incredible success and growth.
Anderson came to the club six months before the renovations were complete, having previously served as Executive Chef of Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.
Eyler, on the other hand, came to Interlachen, and the club business, after years in the theater.
“You’d be surprised to learn how much similarity there is between the performing-arts world and the club world,” she says. “In both cases, we are charged with creating an experience, and with doing all of the little things correctly to bring the big things to life.”
After cold-calling Interlachen’s previous GM and landing an interview, Eyler expressed her passion for people and for creating experiences and building a community. She landed a gig as a hostess and in that role, she built relationships with members, dining-room managers, servers and the back-ofhouse sta .
Each subsequent season, she was promoted. She then dabbled in membership, ultimately serving as Membership Director for three years. In this role, she learned the ins and outs of member events and banquets. One summer, she even worked as a pro shop assistant, to improve her golf acumen.
“I wanted to learn every aspect of the club that I could, so I could make myself a more valuable team member,” she says.
In January 2018, Eyler was promoted to AGM, and has since been laser-focused on service and team-building.
The menu for Tacos & Tequila features authentic Mexican dishes including tacos, quesadillas, tortas and more.
THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE
“We always strive to fi nd a path to ‘yes,’” says Eyler. “That mantra guides everything we do. We warmly welcome our members and send them o with a fond farewell. We anticipate their needs and are creative in fi nding solutions.”
When she served as a hostess, Eyler saw glimpses of this future within the sta . “But we needed more horsepower,” she says. “There were individuals on the team that had that service mentality, but we weren’t capable of delivering it at the time.”
Now, armed with a stronger team and plenty of support from the heart of the house, Interlachen is able to crank the wheel fast enough to see positive dividends.
“Chef, myself, our GM and our Director of Member Dining, Alyssa Smith, represent the core of our team,” says Eyler. “Training is central to what we do. We are always looking to identify individuals with the aptitude and desire to grow, and we develop them to set them on a path for career success.”
As part of this process, Interlachen’s leadership encourages managers to run equal parts defense and o ense.
“We want our managers on the fl oor as active participants in the experience, but we also ask them to think ahead and strategize how we can continue to be successful long-term,” says Eyler.
TRANSFORMING TACO TUESDAY
When Anderson joined the team, he was reluctant to run the same prolifi c theme nights and bu ets in the manner that they are often presented in clubs.
“Chef [Anderson] challenged our team to think about traditional club events in a di erent way, more consistent with our focus on delivering restaurant-quality dining experiences. We have a taco night but it’s more like dining at your favorite Mexican cantina,” says Livingood.
Interlachen’s team goes all-in on the theme. They’ve even created a dedicated brand: Tacos & Tequila.
Interlachen’s variation involves clearing the back bar and fi lling it with several di erent types of tequila for a high-end, build-your-own margarita menu. Servers wear custom shirts with the Tacos & Tequila logo on the back, and the menu features authentic dishes. Five di erent tacos—a chef’s taco that changes weekly, a pork carnitas taco, a green chicken chorizo taco, a short-rib barbacoa taco and a tortilla-crusted walleye taco (pictured above)—are also o ered.
CULINARY FIRST
For Anderson, “club food” are dirty words.
“We can keep traditions alive without o ering a menu with thirty entrees,” he says. “As club chefs, the charge falls squarely on our shoulders to create concepts that are exciting and innovative. We have to be more creative.”
Take Minnesota walleye, for example. Livingood told Anderson when he came on board that walleye is a menu must-have at Interlachen. Anderson translated that into a seasonal walleye special featuring di erent components, accompaniments and techniques.
“Our menu is hyper-seasonal,” says Anderson. “It changes every three weeks, so we can truly capture the best of what’s in season.
“Members who dine with us a few times a week always get to try something new and exciting, too,” he adds. “Our menus are tight, so when we make a change, we’re only really swapping four or fi ve dishes. It’s less daunting for the sta and more exciting for the members, and it gives us a chance to source the best ingredients at the best time.”
This philosophy doesn’t mean Interlachen doesn’t serve burgers and chicken tenders. Quite the opposite. Their mantra—”always fi nd a path to yes”—applies to the back of house, too.
O -menu items and special requests are a perk of membership. As for the traditional club favorites, Anderson and his team take the same care for those dishes as they do weekly specials, maintaining their commitment to utilizing the highest quality ingredients.
“Having worked in both restaurants and clubs, the transition from restaurant to club can be challenging,” says Anderson. “I am fortunate to be surrounded by a passionate group of culinarians who have embraced the environment and our philosophy—and I have also learned a lot from them.” C+RC
