As a writer who travels the globe covering golf, travel and all things food and drink – and who will collect 110,000 frequent flyer miles by 2025 – GOLF Contributor Shaun Tolson has visited the world’s most famous golf clubs, resorts and best-kept secrets. Below, on Clubhouse Eats, he shares his favorite bites and drinks from his recent travels.
The headlines you’ve seen of McLemore Resort over the past nine months certainly highlight the Georgian championship golf course’s second course, The Keep, which shines in the way it evokes the hard and fast links courses of the Old World.
Recently, though, McLemore’s tourism management has injected the resort with another Scottish flavor – this time in the literal sense – as the building’s steakhouse shifts focus to become the fourth French-Scottish restaurant in the world (and the first to be located outside Scotland).
Less than 500 miles to the south, just outside of Tampa, a lot has changed at Saddlebrook Resort, too. Major renovations, redesigns and rearrangements of the golf holes have turned a pair of the area’s previous courses into a highly versatile triangle of nine-hole loops.
But unlike McLemore’s, the tempting bites enjoyed during dinner at the classic steakhouse, Rare 1981, are nothing new. Instead, it’s one of the resort’s classic dishes — a dessert that the resort’s culinary team has wisely kept on the menu, even as many things around it have changed.
Old and new
There was a time, not too long ago, when the mention of Scotland conjured up thoughts of kits, pipes, golf links and whisky. No country food was remembered, except for haggis, although even then the dish was never spoken of with great affection. Simply put, the northern regions of the United Kingdom are rich in culture, but they were not known for their varied, high-quality food. Much has changed since then, as the dining experience in Scotland today is full of unique fare and sophisticated cooking techniques.
You could say that McLemore Resort has entered into that, although it has accepted the long-standing treaty between France and Scotland that was formed in 1295. That’s the premise of the area’s flagship restaurant, Auld Alliance, which it describes as “French country cuisine with an auld twist.”
If you’ve been to Scotland any time in the last two decades, just looking at a restaurant menu will impress you. Past the drinks section, which boasts pours of Belhaven Best, Innis & Gunn, Tennent’s Lager and dark IPAs from Scotland’s Brewdog, you might do a double take when you see rumpledthumps (mashed potatoes mixed with cooked cabbage and onions, then baked and topped with cheese) and, if you’re going to love me, salivate. Laphroaig-washed for 28 days dry-aged in ribeye.
In time for the restaurant’s grand opening this spring, a number of distinctly Scottish creations have been prepared:
“Whole Lamb” Supper at Auld Alliance.
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Foie Gras & Haggis Pithivier presented Scotland’s most popular meat-based dish in all its veggie-forward glory (you can probably tell I don’t mind eating haggis). The foie gras added a silky, decadent texture, while the peach and pecan dressing not only added sweetness and texture, it injected a touch of local flavor into the dish.
Even the restaurant’s description of the Ocean Roast Monkfish Au Poivre sounds Scottish. The presence of pepper had predicted that it brought a nice element of spice to the preparation, but it was the chicken butter sauce – a seemingly unusual accoutrement for a seafood dish – that brought the right richness to complement the strong flavor and meaty texture of the fish, itself.
Whole Lamb, as the dish appears on the menu, is not actually whole lamb. Instead, small portions of four different cuts or protein preparations: herb-baked shoulder with rosemary, Scotch pie, Asher Blue chop and merguez – a spicy sausage with North African roots. The merguez was rustic, hearty and textural, but in a good way. The chop was everything I hoped it would be – tender in taste, moist, tender and comforting. Both the shoulder and the Scotch pie added an interesting steam to the plate, which differentiated the offerings.
The proof is in the puzzle
I definitely have a sweet tooth, especially certain dishes or certain types of baked goods. Bread pudding is usually not one of them. It’s mostly a texture problem, though I tend to find the flavor of most bread puddings to be too weak for my taste. The more I think about it, it’s those two things that go hand in hand that almost always leave me wanting more.
Bourbon pecan pie at Saddlebrook Resort’s GOAT Kitchen & Bar.
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Needless to say, I would have skipped the Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding at Saddlebrook Resort without a second’s hesitation. But because I was part of a large dinner party, delicious food was ordered for the entire table – including bread pudding. It’s a good thing, too, since I almost missed what was the most important thing on the menu.
Rich and flavorful, the dessert wasn’t terribly sweet – a pleasant surprise given that it was filled with pecans, bourbon caramel and served with vanilla ice cream. Yes, the baked brioche was delicious, but it also boasted baking spices (think cinnamon, dark brown sugar, cardamom). In many respects, the dish took the traditional flavors of bourbon and presented it in the form of a pastry. No wonder it’s a fan favorite.
If you’re like me – a skeptic of conventional bread – I hope this convinces you to try the Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding, if you ever find yourself at Saddlebrook Resort. If, however, that’s a bridge too far, I recommend going to GOAT Kitchen & Bar, a resort take on an American bar, where many of those same flavors reappear in a more classic form — bourbon pecan pie.
;)
