Cuisine in the Kingdom
Food and beverages are major drivers of revenue, especially for
resorts and country clubs. Not to be outdone, daily fee courses like
Independence in Midlothian are pulling out all the stops to compete
for appetites beyond those of players completing the latest 18.
Independence Golf Club,
Midlothian
Five years into golf course upgrades
and clubhouse expansion, the
long-promised food and beverage
initiatives set forth by Pros Inc. CEO
Giff Breed are gaining serious traction.
The club already does a booming
catering and special event business,
so much so that director of dining and
events Megan Kidd says that Tavern 19 is “a restaurant that has a
golf course. It is very important that we make everything the best and
food number one.” To do that, Tavern 19 maintains operating hours
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
In his first year as chef, York, England product Mike Davis has
revamped the entire menu. “We are fashion-forward on the culinary
side,” Kidd says. Many ingredients are grown on site, including
various herbs, tomatoes, assorted fruits and vegetables. Davis has
hosted chef dinners under the stars where he explains the nuance
of preparation and instituted a Hawaiian luau among other special
events. Food pairings with local beer, wine and spirits are a regular
occurrence. Woodstone pizza, garnished with homemade marinara
and fresh toppings, remains a Tavern 19 staple.
Woodstone pizza with homemade
marinara and fresh toppings is a
staple at Tavern 19.
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display of fresh vegetables that I have ever seen. “Coach
Matarazzo and his staff are driven to enhance the dining
experience,” she says.
Farmington also employs a food truck for special
events that serves items such as fresh shrimp tacos.
The Golden Horseshoe
offers gourmet breakfast
from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE, WILLIAMSBURG
Years ago, John D. Rockefeller set the table for Colonial
Williamsburg with his massive endowments. These days
it is executive chef Travis Brust and his staff delivering
the comestibles to the five-star, five-diamond Williams-
burg Inn and Golden Horseshoe guests. To do so, Brust,
once a category winner in the World Chef Challenge at
the World Food Championships, doesn’t have to travel
far. Many of his ingredients, such as colonial-accurate
vegetables including lettuces, root vegetables, carrots,
parsnips and herbs (horseradish, borage) reside in
resort gardens. Also, at his beck and call are hydro-
ponically grown African Blue Basil, pea tendrils and
sunflower shoots.
From his kitchen come some time-honored dishes.
“The Chicken Niblick has gone through several itera-
tions and always found a spot on our menu,” Brust says.
“Currently we showcase a natural grilled chicken breast.
It is served with vine-ripened tomatoes, leaf lettuce on a
butter grilled brioche bun and finished with our very own
“Par-Fect” dressing, a lightly smoked, whole grain mus-
tard and horseradish sauce finished with a touch of honey.
“Every item on our menu is prepared a la minute and
to order resulting in dishes ranging from extremely
fresh seasonal salads to a piping hot Round Robin Reu-
ben to succulent house-ground prime beef burgers,”
Brust says. “We offer a gourmet breakfast from 8:30 a.m.
to 11 a.m. and serve a restaurant lunch from 11:30 a.m. to
3 p.m. Our bar is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.”
For discerning palates, Brust also provides insightful
programming at the resort’s Taste Studio just a short
walk from the clubhouse. There, depending on the day,
diners can enjoy events that include chef demonstra-
tions, wine tastings and spirit and food pairings.
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FOOD AT DAILY
FEE COURSES