At Fiddler’s Elbow, we pride ourselves on being uniquely creative and inventive, in all phases of our operations but especially when it comes to food and beverage. Ours is not only one of the largest in New Jersey, but one of the largest for F&B in the country. I constantly am tested, and therefore am challenging my team, to come up with new ideas that set trends rather than following them. Yet, nothing could prepare us for the unprecedented challenges presented in early March as we prepared for the oncoming new golf and tennis season. While we are open year-round, the new seasons bring new energy. However, the year 2020 will forever be remembered for a horrific pandemic that gave us new words, like coronavirus, COBID-19, and social distancing, and challenges that would put safety ahead of all else.
Normally this time of year we are running on full steam in our upscale Elbow Room & Bar, our 55th Hole Grill Room and patio, and at our poolside dining facility. Additionally, typically our banquet operation is in full swing at this time with golf and tennis outings , member-guests, weddings , parties and meetings and of course a full slate of member social events.
New Jersey was hit incredibly hard by the pandemic, second only in the United States to New York, a state (and city) that is close by. Early on as we first heard about China it was clear that things needed to change in our approach and operations but exactly how and for how long was anything but clear. Our leadership team considered remaining open, with golf and a limited food service available to our large and enthusiastic membership. But in very short order, our governor issued a stay at home executive order that would change everything. While it was determined that our course maintenance was “essential,” golf and tennis, as well as group gatherings were banned. We were allowed to offer food to go but how could I ask my team to risk coming to work. They feared for their jobs but many feared more for their safety. We made the decision to cease food and beverage operations.
I set out while working from home to develop, along with my colleagues, new ways to provide value to our members while we are all at home. And I began work on a safety plan for what our kitchen would look like when we go back. While it has fast become the norm, we were among the first to offer our members a robust list of activities that they could enjoy online to stay in touch with their fellow members and our staff. Our members even took the initiative to start a GoFundMe effort to raise money for staff who suffered hardships. This was thoughtful and generous and very much representative of the culture at Fiddler’s. In turn our staff put together a heartfelt thank you to the members and our ownership for their caring.
We have featured two magicians, speakers, trivia nights, fitness classes, golf and tennis lessons, and of course cooking demos. My team has produced videos making breads, potato pancakes, and numerous entrees. For a culinary team, this gave new meaning to “production” and we have all become proficient at ZOOM. Is this the new normal, I hope not but it gave purpose to our staff and value to our members.
More recently as golf was allowed to reopen, we decided to offer a to go program complete with dinners of the day and a robust list of “catered” items. Our curbside pickup with daily family meals plus an enhanced catering to go Menu has been well received and even included the opportunity for members to purchase meats direct from our outstanding vendor, Dartagnan. Our next step was to enhance our food to go program with the membership able to order their grill room favorites like wings, burgers, salads and wood fired pizza via the club app.
On June 2nd our governor announced that we could open outside dining on June 15th as our state entered phase 2 of “reopening.” Unfortunately, he provided almost no specifics to help us prepare, and interest and excitement was immediate from our membership. One thing we do know is that the experience at Fiddler’s will look much different than before.
Our Elbow Room will feature a smaller more local, seasonal focused menu with our popular Sea to Table Night on Wednesdays and Steak Night on Thursdays and three nights of regular a la carte dinner. Our Grill Room will have reduced seating with tables 6 feet apart. It is important to keep the social distancing in place for the safety not only of our members but for our team in front of the house and back of the house as well. We will also be converting our ballroom, typically reserved for large events, to be used for a la carte dining in anticipation of the demands of our membership.
The combination of safety precautions and high demand has pushed us to open a brand-new venue with 96 seats of outdoor dining adjacent to our ballroom that previously was not set up for a la carte service. Staff has to be retrained including banquet cooks now will need to adapt to a la carte style service at the highest level while still executing catering to go offerings.
The challenges we face are immense but we are up for it. First, staff must feel safe in their work environment. We have a new, higher level of commitment to keeping up with additional daily and weekly sanitation programs. All staff must wear masks and gloves all day which certainly adds a level of discomfort for all. It is my duty as Executive Chef, and for all of our chefs, to keep our team positive and motivated.
But it does not just stop here. Writing new menus that makes sense and give the members enough offerings to satisfy their needs at a private club that has tremendously high standards, has always been a big challenge made event greater now. We now have to deal with product shortages, limited deliveries days, large price fluctuations of meats, fish, produce and dry goods. This tests our creativity and member pricing. Budgets are unpredictable at this time.
The chef community is adapting to the new “normal” and looking at this as an opportunity to make a positive impact. Our members have been locked down for months and look to us for comfort. We are going to do everything within our power to keep them happy. After all that is “why” we are here.
The safety and well-being of our staff and members has always been a priority but it has taken on the utmost of our attention. At Fiddler’s we strive to “wow” our members and guests and this will continue, with our new motto “Six Feet Apart… But As Close As Ever.” This is true in all aspects of our operation.
Chef Michael Weisshaupt is the highly regarded Executive Chef at Fiddler’s Elbow, a prestigious private club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He has been recognized internationally for his culinary excellence having begun his career in the Black Forest region of Germany where he attended culinary school before an apprenticeship in Switzerland.
Michael has worked at many acclaimed restaurants including in New Jersey The Manor in West Orange, Bernards Inn in Bernardsville, and Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg. He also has worked at The View atop the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City,
He is well known for his fresh take on traditional dishes and their impeccable presentation. He is equally skilled at a la carte dining and large upscale banquets and celebratory events.
