When people have a wealth of culinary options to choose from, the opportunity to see their food being made before their eyes tends to draw their attention.
That’s the philosophy espoused by the kitchen team at the Lakes Golf and Country Club. And with an award for Best Presentation from the 2014 Taste of Westerville event now under the club’s collective belt, the evidence suggests it’s an effective strategy.
The club’s contribution to the Taste: chicken and cheese quesadillas. At its table, a small grill with a frying pan, a cutting board below a heat lamp and an arrangement of salsas and other fillings allowed patrons to watch the quesadilla preparation process from start to finish.
“We always try, when we do those (types of) events, to do something that we can cook out there in front of the people,” says James Decker, executive chef. “I always try to have an action station of some type with a chef out there.”
A couple of stylish decorative sombreros added visual appeal to the Lakes’ table, which was organized by cook Rick Pagani.
This was the Lakes’ third Taste. The private club, 6740 Worthington Rd., has been participating since it began hosting the event in 2012.
Decker always makes sure to offer something unique at the Taste, says Alison Trimble,
food and beverage director for the club.
“(Attendees) always like us to make something that’s not a duplicate,” Trimble says.
The Lakes’ banquet and catering menu is fairly lengthy, and beyond what it offers on the menu, the culinary team also strives to meet club members’ desires – if someone is hoping to have lobster tails the next time he or she dines there, for instance, the club will order them, Trimble says.
Decker, who has been with the Lakes since 1990, has overseen a lot of changes to the menu over his nearly quarter-century there, but some items have remained customer favorites since the day he started. The lobster bisque is one major highlight, he says; the team will get whole lobster bodies and spend an entire day cooking them.
“We’ve had that on the menu since the inception of the club,” Decker says.
It may have helped that Decker’s predecessor as executive chef, the late Siegbert “Ziggy” Allespach, was renowned for the lobster bisque at his Upper Arlington fine dining restaurant, Ziggy’s Continental.
Everyone on the kitchen staff has made some contribution to the menu, Decker says.
“We empower the staff to create things, and I think that keeps the menu fresh and keeps them interested,” he says.
The Taste of Westerville was held April 25. Also taking home awards were Nicole’s Catering, which won Westerville’s Tastiest for its chicken New Orleans, and Polaris Grill, which won People’s Choice for its crab cakes.
Other participants were A Twist on Olives, Bel Lago, Benihana, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chef Honda, Cheryl & Co., Chocolaterie Stam, Earth Fare, Friendship Village of Columbus, Giammarco’s Pizza & Pasta, Gigi’s Cupcakes, Great Harvest Bread Co., Giant Eagle, Jason’s Deli, Matt the Miller’s Tavern, Max & Erma’s, The Old Bag of Nails Pub, The Rusty Bucket, Sandman Gourmet Deli & Catering and The Wine Bistro.
Garth Bishop is editor of Westerville Magazine. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
RECIPE
Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups pulled roasted chicken
- ½ cup peppers, julienned
- ½ cup onions, julienned
- ½ tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 cup Monterey jack cheese
- 6 six-inch flour tortillas
- 2 oz. butter
- Sour cream, salsa and guacamole
Instructions
Pull the roasted chicken and remove skin. Chill.
Sauté the peppers and onions, then set aside to cool. Combine the cheeses and season with cumin and chili powder.
In each flour tortilla, place some of the cheese mix, top with peppers and roasted chicken, and fold in half. Brown each side in a hot pan with butter until they are toasted on each side.
Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.
Polaris Grill’s People’s Choice award for its crab cakes at the 2014 Taste of Westerville marked its third consecutive victory in the category.
