Leadership Lounge

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

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

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

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

Who knew that January 26th was National Peanut Brittle Day? Well according to Foodimentary™, the website that recognizes and celebrates food holidays 365 days a year, today is the day to get your sweet nutty on. In celebration of this one day of the year where it’s perfectly fine to go a little nuts, here are a few snappy facts from the peanut gallery at Foodimentary: “Brittle”, a flat hardened sugar candy, is thought to be one of the first candies ever made. Peanut brittle m

The crush is on as planning begins for the feast that celebrates the perennial, quintessentially American observance of our national expression of gratitude: Thanksgiving. The menu lineup of turkey, trimmings, and pastries decking out the holiday table beckon refreshing beverages to round out the spread. The Thanksgiving holiday is a perfect time to fall into the world of hard cider. For Colonial Americans and westward settlers who produced and consumed it by the barrelful, c

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

Wine by the glass offerings can be a strong contributor to a private club’s food and beverage program, creating a fun social environment for

A well-known bit of fact in Club food and beverage service is that special order requests occur every day, multiple times a day. Special requests often create friction and stress between service staff and back of house, and can bring unintentional discomfort to members and guests who may feel that their request is seen as an inconvenience. Since special requests occur with such frequency, preparing for the inevitable would be a good course in managing them. Chefs never want t

The Practice of Mise en Place “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail”, attributed to Benjamin Franklin, is an admonition keenly appropriate to foodservice operations. Lacking preparation in mindset and method in the kitchen and in the dining room can create a chaos that is painful to experience and uncomfortable to witness. The old military training adage--Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance--also has tremendous relevance in food and beverage, and failing t