Come into the Clubhouse today and celebrate the initiation of autumn with our new Fall menus. The new culinary creations include succulent dishes like the Smoked Trout Salad and Fish & Chips for Lunch, Seafood Risotto for Dinner, Stuffed Crepes for Brunch, and Spiced Apple Crisp for Dessert. Click the links to view our complete selections. The Georgia Club once again sat down with Executive Chef Chris Rountree to find out more about the new Fall Menus.

The Georgia Club's new Smoked Trout Salad and Reese's Peanut Butter Pie are just two of the new entrees on the Fall menus.

TGC: Tell us about the highlights of the new Fall menus. Are there any never-before-seen items or a new spin to an old favorite?

Chef: The great things about the new menu are the ingredients–I’ve tried to use as many seasonal products as possible. The colors of the dishes depict the season as well–similar colors to the changing of the leaves. I think presentation, in some respects, is just as important as taste–it’s that first impression that sets the mood for the enjoyment of the food.

TGC: Tell us about a dish that particularly has “fall flavors.”

Chef: The apple crisp obviously has the most fall appeal–it’s apple season in North Georgia, and warm apple desserts (especially with ice cream) are such comfort foods. Another of my favorites is the spinach salad–dried fruits and toasted nuts are important ingredients in the months to come.

Chef: I let the seasonal ingredients do the inspiration. Of course, member preference plays a crucial role as well–but if you can get the freshest product available, you don’t have to do much to it to make it taste good. That’s very important to me. Making great food starts with the food you select to cook–if you don’t buy the best, you’re already at a disadvantage.

The Georgia Club Dining Room is open for Member and non-Member fine and casual dining seven days a week.   The Georgia Club Dining Room is open daily for lunch, Friday and Saturday evenings for dinner and Sundays for Brunch.  Reservations are requested for large parties and dinner.

The Georgia Club's new Executive Chef Chris Rountree represented the club at the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia Road Kill Cafe in August.

The Georgia Club is pleased announce that it promoted Chris Rountree as its new Executive Chef. Chef Chris joined The Georgia Club in February of 2007 as Sous Chef and was promoted to Executive Sous Chef in September 2008. Prior to The Georgia Club, Chef Chris worked as the Sous Chef at the Versailles Room at Chateau Elan, then as a kitchen supervisor for Le Clos, an intimate fine dining restaurant at the resort.  He is a native of Lilburn and currently lives in Athens with his wife, Amie.

We caught up with Chef Chris on the first day of his new position and asked him a few pressing food questions:

The Georgia Club Blog (TGCB): What was your first food experience?
Chef Chris: Working at Chik-Fil-A

TGCB: What is your cooking philosophy, Chef Chris?
Chef Chris: The best thing is to keep it simple and use the freshest ingredients. I don’t like to do too much to ingredients and I prefer to let them speak for themselves. I also believe in nice presentations. Guests in the Dining Room need to understand what’s on the plate. Clean presentations that are identifiable are key.

TGCB: Do you have a favorite type of food you like to prepare?
Chef Chris: I would say soups and sauces. It is one pot cooking and  I  feel I have a natural knack for soups.

TGCB: Do you like cooking at home?
Chef Chris: It depends on the week. In general, I do enjoy it when I can be leisurely about it — and when I can cook for more people than just myself and my wife, Amie.  The process is very relaxing to me , which is a luxury, because the professional kitchen can be a seemingly very chaotic place at times.

TGCB: Do you have any favorite restaurants (other than The Georgia Club) in Athens?
Chef Chris: I would have to say Five and Ten, but I love the cooking philosophy of Farm 255 where the food is locally grown, too.

TGCB: Do you admire any celebrity chefs?
Chef Chris: The chef I admire the most is one that not a lot of people have heard of named Thomas Keller. He runs a restaurant group in California including one called French Laundry in Napa Valley.   I admire him because  he has a dedication to the best ingredients, and to getting the best flavor out of such without masking their natural flavors.

TGCB: Do you have a favorite cooking show?
Chef Chris: I guess Hell’s Kitchen just for the drama, but I prefer Top Chef because I can actually learn something from watching such professionals compete.  There are very few professionals in Hell’s Kitchen.

The Georgia Club Dining Room is open for Member and non-Member fine and casual dining seven days a week.   The Georgia Club Dining Room is open daily for lunch, Friday and Saturday evenings for dinner and Sundays for Brunch.  Reservations are requested for large parties and dinner.

Chef Chris Rountree and Executive Chef Don Law

Executive Chef Don Law began working his culinary magic at The Georgia Club before houses had even been constructed on the property. As TGC’s sixth longest employee after seven years, he has witnessed a lot of growth, both at the Club and within his job.

” The best thing about being Chef at The Georgia Club is that it never gets boring. With menu changes, daily specials, banquet orders and special requests, I always get to create something new and interesting.”

Chef Don draws inspiration from a few favorite restaurant websites he occasionally browses. However, he claims a lot of the culinary genius behind some of TGC’s most unique dishes comes from Chef Chris Rountree, a former English major who turned his passion for food into a career.

“Chris is a real foodie with first class taste and a good eye. I think I held him back creatively for a little while, but now I trust him to put together dishes I never would have thought of.”

With the new “Member Favorites” Winter Menu being unveiled next week, Chef Don offered a little insight into some of the most popular dishes.

“The Tomato Basil soup used to be a special. We moved it to the regular menu even though I thought it was too simple. I took it off the menu, but that only lasted two days because there were so many complaints about not having it. The Basil Chicken Salad plate is always pretty popular as well, and of course everyone likes the Filet Mignon.”

Chef Don said the “favorites” were chosen taking into consideration the most popular items and the requests of the most frequent regulars. He has learned the tastes of many members, like how the lady golfers love the Taco Salad, and one member always specially requests Filet Oscar.

He tries to prepare different dishes than other country clubs, but admits sometimes he estimates Members’ tastes a bit too conservatively.

“I didn’t think the Cuban Wrap would be very popular, but it has shown good sales,” he said.

Sometimes though, Chef Don knows the tastes of his audience too well.

“When we added the Blackened Salmon and Grits to the menu, I figured it would do well. Ideally, the dishes should sell about even, but some nights Salmon and Grits makes almost 75 percent of the sales!”

With the release of the Winter Menu comes some old traditionals and some new favorites. But if none of those dishes appeal to you, Chef Don encourages you to take him up on his rarely accepted offer:

“If you don’t see something you like, let me know and I will create something special just for you.”

A personal dish from the Executive Chef? Now that is some fine dining at The Georgia Club!