The goal every member of the Food and Beverage team at BBC has is for our Members to leave from their meal feeling nourished and expertly served from both food and overall hospitality. I believe the core of that concept comes from two main focal points: our From Scratch approach to cuisine and what I refer to as “The French Fry Mentality”. These two concepts form the backbone of a dining experience that surpasses the expected and fulfills at a deep level.
Recently Fred, Joseph and I recorded a podcast episode that delved deeply into what “From Scratch” means to the food and beverage experiences here at Bonita Bay Club. This 45(ish) minute episode explored many aspects of what we do behind the scenes to bring remarkable products and experiences to our members. If you have the time, please give it a listen by scanning the QR code, searching “Bonita Bay Club’s Podcast” on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Amazon Music or going to https://www.buzzsprout.com/2241433/14051556.
The second concept is “The French Fry Mentality” which, in its most simplistic ideology, is placing as much value on the simple and seemingly expendable products and interactions as one does on extravagant and “VIP” interactions. What does this mean from an everyday standpoint? So often we become lulled into complacency with our everyday tasks that often the attention to them, and therefore the quality of them, start to diminish. In the back of the house, this could be simple food items that are made thousands of times a week.
We go through the motions not necessarily focusing on the importance of something as simple as a perfectly fried French fry; hot and glistening, flakes of salt speckling the surface, possibly still hearing them still sizzling. Hot – almost too hot to eat- crispy on the outside, fluffy and steamy on the inside. This is my vision of a French fry, and what I strive to convey to the staff in our restaurants. Bread warm and steaming from the oven, a glass of soda carbonation still bubbling at the surface, fresh coffee with whisps of steam rising from the surface, warm interactions with the Member who is at the same seat every day. This attention to detail can then transfer to special events, foods and “VIP” guests. So often attention is placed on extravagance, but the real impacts are gained with “The French Fry Mentality” We can never lose sight of the importance of those items that are considered “mundane”.
Cheers and Good Eating!
Chef Richard Brumm, CEC, CCA
