The idea behind my frequent blogging is to share with readers my culinary adventures great and small. As one who eats out virtually every day of the year, those experiences run the gamut from casual to formal, from impromptu to planned, from conventional to cutting-edge, from inexpensive to priceless. Some experiences readers may be able to duplicate; others they may only be able to enjoy vicariously.
I probably have little in common with the country club set—in income, in taste, in ideology, in anything. But once in a rare while, I find myself dining at a country club as some friend or other’s guest. And as a rule, I have found country club fare to be pretty good, pretty consistent and pretty insipid.
Those who can afford the country club experience should count themselves fortunate. But some club members are more fortunate than others. And members of Silver Spring Country Club in Ridgefield are more fortunate than most. They’re fortunate because their enlightened management hired an exceptional restaurant team in executive chef Jacques Larsen (center), sous chef Robert Fraser (left) and dining room manager Karl Anderson (right).
They’re also fortunate in that their big beautiful kitchen is one of the best-organized and cleanest that I have visited. They’re fortunate because the country club carries El Forno breads and other products from Spain. They’re fortunate because they have fresh herbs growing in the kitchen. Good food doesn’t magically materialize. It has to come from good products in a good setting.
It’s just in the last year or two that I have become friends with Jacques, but it turns out that I’ve been acquainted with his food a lot longer. I gave Jacques a glowing review perhaps 10 years ago when he was the chef of the Inn at Ridgefield. And in recent months, he has cooked food for me right before my eyes, and all I can say is he’s one fastidious and talented individual.
On a recent visit to the Silver Spring Country Club, I tasted Jacques’ grilled Portuguese octopus with warm potato salad, mâche and truffle vinaigrette (wow!) as well as his two-way duckling of roasted duck breast and duck leg confit, Savoy cabbage and pomegranate syrup (double wow!). Obviously, these are not typical country-club offerings. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of either. However, I did snap photos of his beef carpaccio with arugula, endive, shaved pecorino, extra virgin olive oil and fleur de sel
as well as his signature Caesar salad with hearts of romaine, fresh anchovies, herb croutons and Parmesan disks.
Two other items that I tried really impressed me. One was a bowl of Jacques’ sweet spring garlic soup with shiitake mushroom, asparagus crisp and fresh thyme.
The second was a sample of Jacques’ pan-seared diver scallop with mushroom, grape tomato and verjus. Incredible!
Apparently, the membership is thrilled with the overall quality of Jacques’ food and the addition of some imaginative offerings that would be appropriate in any of Connecticut’s finest restaurants. Since Silver Spring Country Club isn’t open to the public, most readers’ chances of trying Jacques’ food aren’t great. If you know anyone who’s a member, now would be a good time to reach out to them. And if you’re a member of another country club, you might want to lobby your management to adopt a similarly enlightened outlook.
Silver Spring Country Club, 439 Silver Spring Road, Ridgefield, 203-438-6720
Used to be members miss beating New Canaan, in every respect, except the train, the only mistake.
I am glad to see a club being featured and Jacques being a friend of mine I am doubly glad. I think if more people realized the quality of chefs in private clubs they would not be so surprised. The country club cuisine is not prime rib and popovers, mashed potatoes and well done broccoli anymore, nor has it been for at least ten years. Remembering my first evening cooking for the board of my new club I was asked by one of the board, “How do you plan on changing your food to match the country club?” I answered by asking him if I could answer him with a question. “If you were to take you wife out for a nice meal would you come to my restaurant or come to your club?” His reponse was “I would come to your restaurant.” So I asked him, “Why then do I need to change my food?” I knew then that we were on the right track.
Thank you for being aware, and enjoy.
P. Quint Smith