The RCS Hospitality Group Blog for Private Club Consulting

Pecan Pie: an Ode

Just in time for a certain hospitality group’s collective giddyup to the Lone Star State, we thought it would be wrongheaded of us not to ponder; for just a spell, what sort of eats and drinks we might find ourselves indulging in during our temporary status as Dallasites at the upcoming CMAA Conference. Shiner Bock and Barbeque are surefire possibilities, and who could pay a visit to the Big D without sampling some fine Tex-Mex cuisine. Once we square away a heaping helping o

Good Old Days

The countdown is on! The new decade dawns in just five days and while some may still be luxuriating in holiday stretchy pants, RCS is putting a bow on the year that was 2019 and gazing out at the horizon to see what new food and dining trends are set to emerge in 2020. Some currents of the past year, cauliflower crusts, meat alternatives, non-dairy “milks” and mindful consumption are still going strong. Many of those trends with a long shelf life seem likely to carry on into

Changing Times

Stuck in professional doldrums or disengagement, time comes when chefs may find themselves at the end of their culinary tether, searching for new opportunities and inspiration. If ambition and motivation have receded in a current situation and personal and vocational growth has stalled, a new chef job elsewhere may be just what is needed to get back in the groove. Chefs looking for new positions generally go through a rigorous interview process that often includes performing

Food Fright

"Food allergies are a potentially fatal medical condition that results in more than 200,000 emergency room visits a year." -Centers for Disease Control Given that statistic it might be surprising to learn that there is no national standardized approach or training requirements for kitchens in dealing with food allergies. Teaching cooks and servers about food preferences or dietary imperatives is a training component mostly left up to individual food and beverage leadership.

Comfort Food

Everyone knows it’s there--somewhere. In the walk in. On the top-left shelf, or right, maybe midway above the milk and cheese, it’s always there: THE TRAY. Either a full or half-sized sheet pan, maybe even a couple of two-inch hotel pans, THE TRAY is where the dribs and drabs of old, once or sometimes even potentially necessary foodstuffs gather to get older. Comingling substances in various vessels from no longer legible or documented dates of origin, they gather in anticipa

Member/Partner/Advocate

In the busy, demanding world of a club chef, his or her interaction with house committees, food and beverage committees and even members in general can, in some instances, create great anxiety and even resentment. Some culinarians might be indignant or annoyed about suggestions or recommendations made in committee meetings about a club’s F&B program. “What do they know?” an overly stressed chef might ponder--Turns out, a lot. We think of long-tenured employees as possessing a

To Every Season

A visit to just about any farmers market this time of year will reveal that, much of summer’s bounty is still coming in strong: squash, tomatoes, corn, melon and stone fruits remain ripe, enticing and abundant. But as long daylight hours begin to wane, soon that fuzzy, juicy peach will become scarce. The nip of cooler fall months will be reflected in the goods nature provides and time will be ripe to make some seasonal changes to menus. Photo Credit: CUESA Data provided by U

Fish Tales

With the first week of summer now under our belts it seems like a good time to loosen up and get to cooking up some light and easy to prepare summertime eats. And wouldn’t you know, today just happens to be National Ceviche Day! But before we march ourselves to our local fishmonger and select a glisteningly fresh filet of snapper, bass, haddock, yellowtail, mackerel; or even shrimp, let’s take a deep dive into the vast world of this dish so vibrant, fresh, cool and zesty, wit

All Hail

Earlier this month on May 6, the winners of the prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards for Best Chef and Best Restaurant categories were announced at a glitzy, glam gala in Chicago. Regional wins went to Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark of Parachute (Chicago), Tom Cunanan of Bad Saint (Washington, D.C.), Ann Kim of Young Joni (Minneapolis), Jody Williams and Rita Sodi of Via Carota (New York City), Tony Messina of Uni (Boston), Brady Williams of Canlis (Seattle), Vishwesh Bhat

The Birds, Bees and Mushrooms, Please

The trend in club food and beverage to cultivate home-grown goods on club property has become anything but garden-variety. While a simple kitchen herb garden was once a nice little addition and talking point for a club’s F&B program, some chefs are taking on literal earth-shaking initiatives to create a buzz for fresh ingredients grown on the home turf. Not only are chefs helming scratch kitchens and tending vast raised-bed kitchen gardens producing dozens of varieties of fru

Let the Good Times Roll

Red beans and crawfish and Sazerac, oh my! RCS ambled down south recently--way down south. To New Orleans along with a pack of chefs on a mission to become enlightened as to the state of all things club culinary. As became clear soon enough; when a warm welcome into this fraternal gathering was not realized, RCS lit out for some of the city’s most delicious destinations. Vibrant, humid and lively as ever with a massive amount of development and renovation going on, but with s

Provisions: It’s That Time Again! (Already)

So long, February. The shortest month of the year is passing quickly, and guess what: in a few days, it’s time to take inventory! But didn’t we JUST take inventory a couple of weeks ago? “Yippee! It’s the end of the month and I can’t wait to do inventory!”-said no one, ever. Given a choice many of us in the industry would rather do just about anything else but take inventory. Whether your operation conducts daily, weekly or monthly inventory, the task always seems to loom lar

Provisions: Over the Moon

A browse through the sundries and notions shops at the Nashville airport reveals a confection that is scrumptiously celestial. Tennessee is the home of the famously beloved MoonPie and the treat has been in production at the Chattanooga Bakery since 1917. The story of its creation comes from an encounter with a traveling salesman from the bakery and a coal miner who, when asked what he’d like to snack on replied: a graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate pie “as big as the

Provisions: In with the New

A new year brings fresh, innovative ideas for club food and beverage along with exciting, endless possibilities and creative potential for the months and seasons ahead. In addition to forecasted food trends for 2019 (Georgian cuisine, savory donuts, unusual salad greens, seed-to-table cooking) a few non-food trends this year will be top of mind for many in the industry. Among them: food waste reduction, gender equality, sustainability initiatives and not the least, health an

Provisions: The Season of Spice

Fragrant essences and whiffs of roasting mustard-glazed pork; pepper-cured salmon resting in the smoker; cumin-scented lamb slowly turning on the rotisserie; warm maple-walnut gingerbread just emerging from the oven; and steaming pots of mulled cider ready to be paired with some fine proof of rum, these aromas, wafting through club kitchens this time of year herald the busiest weeks in hospitality. Boldly flavored dishes new and familiar rely on a knowing, trained hand to coa

Provisions: Little Shavers and Budding Foodies

Time was when some processed mac n’cheese, deep fried chicken fingers (speaking colloquially of course--we all know that chickens don’t have fingers), buttered noodles, French fries, hot dogs and some plain pizza could pass for a typical kids menu in club dining rooms. Add a cute little four-piece box of crayons, an “activity menu” and some sweet soda served up in a spill-proof cup and you had all the ingredients needed to round out a child’s typical dining experience. It see

Provisions: Altitude

RCS was on the road recently, assisting a customer based in the valley of Jackson Hole, below the backdrop of the spectacular Teton Mountain Range in Wyoming. The ground in this popular resort and ski town is iced over up to eight months per year. Although the rugged land is cherished by outdoor enthusiasts and lovers of the pristine natural wilderness, the severe climate and brief growing season makes traditional vegetable farming in this vast unspoiled high country a perenn

Provisions: Save the Date

September 25th is National Foodservice Workers Day! Hooray for us! It’s the day to tip our hats, and maybe add a little extra tip, to all the servers, cooks, dishwashers, stewards, hosts, bartenders, baristas, chefs, bakers, lunch ladies, hash-slingers, food runners, sommeliers, maître d’s and the managers who herd all these cats in the uniquely special environment of the food world. Food workers serve customers in fine dining restaurants, private clubs, fast food establishm

Provisions: Our Oyster Months

A misconstrued pearl of folk wisdom suggests that oysters should only be enjoyed in the months containing the letter “R”. This was good advice when oysters were harvested in the wild. Abstaining from oysters during the months of May through August when oysters were busy...well... making baby oysters, was considered beneficial for re-populating stocks and giving the bivalves time to spawn and reach their full potential of briny richness. Inconsistent and informal refrigeration

Provisions: Cultivating Opportunities with a Wine by the Glass Program

2 3

Whitney Reid Pennell

Founder & President

Whitney Reid Pennell is the founder and president of the award-winning RCS Hospitality Group. She is a published author and widely praised seminar leader, with over 20 years of club operations management and consulting experience.

The nationally renowned full-day staff service training to boost your food and beverage operations

"Everyone in the service industry should take this course."

FIND OUT MORE

Hospitality Training Online

AFFORDABLE.

CONVENIENT.

INTERACTIVE.

CONSISTENT.

"In this age of virtual worlds, RCSU is ahead of the game."

Michael Fay, CCM, CCE

LEARN MORE

FREE MONTHLY WEBINARS

quick

informative

valuable

no strings attached

no product pushing

“The RCSU webinars are exceptional sources for actionable and helpful information! I refer to them as “power hours” because they are jam-packed with great content and full of energy and passion for the industry."

Leadership Lounge

RCS Hospitality Group : preparing you for the next generation

Pecan Pie: an Ode

Good Old Days

Changing Times

Food Fright

Comfort Food

Member/Partner/Advocate

To Every Season

Fish Tales

All Hail

The Birds, Bees and Mushrooms, Please

Let the Good Times Roll

Provisions: It’s That Time Again! (Already)

Provisions: Over the Moon

Provisions: In with the New

Provisions: The Season of Spice

Provisions: Little Shavers and Budding Foodies

Provisions: Altitude

Provisions: Save the Date

Provisions: Our Oyster Months

Provisions: Cultivating Opportunities with a Wine by the Glass Program

Whitney Reid Pennell

Founder & President

Hospitality Training Online

AFFORDABLE.

CONVENIENT.

INTERACTIVE.

CONSISTENT.

"In this age of virtual worlds, RCSU is ahead of the game."

Michael Fay, CCM, CCE

FREE MONTHLY WEBINARS

quick

informative

valuable

no strings attached

no product pushing

“The RCSU webinars are exceptional sources for actionable and helpful information! I refer to them as “power hours” because they are jam-packed with great content and full of energy and passion for the industry."

Jackie Carpenter, CCM

Private Club Advisor

Whitney Reid Pennell

Founder & President

​

​

​

Hospitality Training Online

​

AFFORDABLE.

CONVENIENT.

INTERACTIVE.

CONSISTENT.

​

​

"In this age of virtual worlds, RCSU is ahead of the game."

Michael Fay, CCM, CCE

FREE MONTHLY WEBINARS

​

​

quick

informative

valuable

no strings attached

no product pushing

​

​

“The RCSU webinars are exceptional sources for actionable and helpful information! I refer to them as “power hours” because they are jam-packed with great content and full of energy and passion for the industry."

Jackie Carpenter, CCM

Private Club Advisor