Bull Valley Golf Club, which boasts one of the state’s most difficult 18-hole championship golf courses, is surrounded by estate homes and panoramic valley views. Unlike most country clubs in the area, however, it offers dining-only memberships in addition to golf memberships. New chef Maurizio Fonda and manager Brian Jason intend to raise the bar on members’ dining experiences here.
“Country club dining is a special pleasure because of the bucolic environment, the personal service, the fact that you’re always seeing familiar faces and the sense that you’re getting away from the bustle of your everyday life,” Jason said. A Johnson & Wales University graduate, Jason previously held both front- and back-of-the-house management positions in public restaurants as well as private clubs.
He said he prefers working at the latter because it’s easier to get to know the members and guests and to concentrate on quality and service instead of turning tables. He also doesn’t have to watch his food costs as closely. The club’s current food cost is between 40 and 45 percent, he said.
“Our goal is to be a top-caliber restaurant, equal to a downtown Chicago restaurant,” Jason said, noting that the fine-dining options are limited in the immediate area.
Proximity to Chicago and to O’Hare International Airport enables the club to get daily deliveries of seafood and other perishables. A raw bar is especially popular with the many Asian golfers from all over the Chicago area who tackle the difficult golf course, and four or five cooked seafood items are offered as daily specials on the dining-room menu.
Seafood also is featured on a special buffet one Friday a month. Many members are eating lighter than in the past, Jason noted.
“We have a diverse membership, from people who want meat and potatoes to those who want gourmet cuisine,” Jason said. Fonda’s new menu has both a Mediterranean and a California-Italian slant.
Fonda, a native of Venice, Italy, and a former fisherman, said he was surprised at how well seafood sells at the club.
He prefers using light flavorings, such as olive oils, lemon juice and vegetables.
“We still have to keep the primary items, like pot roast, fish fries, meat loaf and sloppy joes,” Jason said. “We kept those few things that kept people happy.”
He also has held down pricing in this price-sensitive market. Dinner checks range between $25 and $30, and lunch checks average between $10 and $12.
Best-selling wines are Merlots, Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons from bigname vineyards.
“We will try to get some winemakers here for winemaker dinners,” said Jason, who said he hopes to broaden his clientele’s wine appreciation.
Other special events offered include theme brunches, candlelight dinners, progressive dinners for new members, an autumn lobster boil, special holiday meals and summer buffet dinners on the lawn.
The biggest challenge the club faces is a stigma that it’s only for the wealthy, Jason commented, denying that that is the case. He is happy to report that the membership is a mix of ages, with many younger people joining recently.
Dining members pay a one-time $500 fee and must spend a minimum of $100 a month on food, beverage or catering. They also may golf three times a year at the guest rate.
Banquets are a big part of the club’s business, and the off-premises social and business catering is growing, Jason said. Catering customers do not have to be club members.
Author: Carolyn Walkup