Members were recently treated to an evening of Mexican cuisine at the Golf House restaurant.  Chef Mercer and his culinary team created a special menu of Rick Bayless Caesar Salad, Chicken Taco in Corn Tortilla Cup, Chili Rellenos with Pork Salsa, Potato and Cheese Quesadilla, and Toro Corn on the Cob using the freshest ingredients to best capture the delicacies of traditional Mexican cooking.  The event was a sellout and members look forward to more theme nights to come!

The Bay Club at Mattapoisett is chock full of special events this December; many of which have become family traditions.

The Holiday Wreath Workshop starts off the holiday season when local favorite Chad Michael Peters offers his assistance and a vast assortment of materials for members to create their personalized holiday masterpiece for doors, mantles or tabletops.

The young members of the Bay Club are treated to an incredible Gingerbread House Workshop. Willie Wonka himself could not provide a more elaborate spread of confections used to adorn the prebuilt houses. Generations of family members gather to enjoy the process and welcome Santa to the Bay Club!

Traditionally, a group of Bay Club members plan a trip to Boston to attend a Boston Holiday Pops performance. This year, however, the venue has been revised and the group heads to the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra as two of the young members of the club will play in the Family Holiday Pops performance!

Nestled in between the family events is a member holiday party where Chef Mercer outdoes himself each year with an amazing offering of holiday fare.

The Bay Club at Mattapoisett is a country club with an eighteen hole championship level golf course and residential property located in Southeastern MA.   To arrange a private tour please contact Dave Andrews via email or phone, 508-758-9543.

The Bay Club at Mattapoisett recently announced the issuance of a limited number of Off-Season Dining Memberships for the 2010/2011 season.

This membership extends dining privileges at the Club’s charming Golf House restaurant between October 1, 2010 and May 15, 2011, including special dining events.  Previous dining events hosted by Bay Club Executive Chef Jim Mercer include: Palm Beer Dinner, La Cucina Italiana Dinner, Wines of the World Dinner the popular Dinner and a Movie Night Series, and the Julia Child Dinner.  Additionally, members are entitled to take-away menu items, as well as the enormously popular option of ordering a home cooked Thanksgiving Dinner.

Those who wish to join this program must be sponsored by a current Bay Club member and are charged a flat rate, of which seventy five percent is credited for food and beverage. Details on the Off-Season Dining Membership, including a FAQ sheet and application, can be found by clicking here.  Or, if you prefer, please contact Dave Andrews directly at 508-758-9543.

The Bay Club is a golf and country club community with 625 acres of wooded and gently rolling terrain, that includes 200 acres of open space and 175 home-sites in Mattapoisett along the SouthCoast of Massachusetts. To arrange a private tour please contact Dave Andrews via e-mail or phone, 508-758-9543.

The Bay Club is pleased to welcome Michael Wilson, editor in chief of Italy’s oldest and preeminent food magazine La Cucina Italiana, to the Golf House restaurant in late September.  Michael will work with Bay Club Head Chef Jim Mercer to present a menu culled from the magazine’s recipes that will reflect Italy’s regional culinary diversity.  Restaurant Manager Sue Papi will carefully select Italian wines to best complement each dish.

In 2007, La Cucina Italiana re-launched the American edition  in the United States. Under the leadership of Michael Wilson,  it has become America’s leading resource for the Italian gastronomy. Each issue features recipes that span the traditional to the modern, representing the rich and diverse regions that make up the country, as well as stories on chefs and travel – serving an audience of more than 350,000 nationwide.

I sat down with  Chef Mercer to get his thoughts on La Cucina Italiana and this upcoming event.  “It is a beautiful magazine; always inspiring, it makes you want to pare back to really simple food with simple ingredients that achieve amazing results.”  Chef Mercer simply laughed and responded that “guests can look forward to a great homemade pasta dish,” when I asked him to break with tradition and share the menu with me ahead of time.    Then with a twinkle in his eye he admitted that the event has inspired him to procure a few authentic items that are ordinarily difficult to find.

The Bay Club is a golf and country club community with 625 acres of wooded and gently rolling terrain, that includes 200 acres of open space and 175 home-sites in Mattapoisett along the SouthCoast of Massachusetts. To arrange a private tour please contact Dave Andrews via e-mail or phone, 508-758-9543.

Each month the Bay Club holds a book group discussion for members followed by “Ladies Night Out” at the Golf House restaurant. Members will meet in April to discuss Still Alice, a thought provoking and interesting piece of fiction that has received much acclaim and numerous awards.

After the discussion a wonderful dinner prepared by Chef Jim Mercer will be served.  Some of the items on the menu include Grilled Chicken Stuffed with Mushroom Duxcelle, Parsnip Puree and Haricot Verts and Roast Cod with Saffron Broth, Purple Potatoes, Carrots and fresh Fava Beans.  This evening is a great opportunity for the women of the Bay Club to meet and share a meal, perhaps make new friends or catch up with those they already know.

The Bay Club at Mattapoisett is a country club with an eighteen hole championship level golf course and residential property located in Southeastern MA.   To arrange a private tour please contact Dave Andrews via email or phone, 508-758-9543.

Join Wendy Koder from Trio Wines at the Bay Club at Mattapoisett Golf House Restaurant Saturday March 6th,  for a Wines of the World wine dinner.  Chef Mercer and his team will prepare a special menu to be expertly paired with unique wines from around the world.

Menu
First
Salad of Roast Peppers, Artichoke Hearts and Parmesan, Aged Balsamic and EVOO

Second
Homemade Saffron Papparadelle, Smoked Tomato Concasse and Ragu of Roast Duck

Main
Roast Rack of Lamb with Rosemary Demi, Potatoes Dauphinois, Roast Baby Beets and Turnips

Dessert
Flourless Chocolate Cake, Raspberry Blazo

Featured Wines

Chenin Blanc
California

Sauvignon Blanc
New Zealand

Andeluna Malbec
Argentina

Chateau Fombrauge
St. Emilion, France

Mantello Sangiovese
Italy

Black Bubbles
Australia

The Bay Club at Mattapoisett is a country club with an eighteen hole championship level golf course and residential property located in Southeastern MA.   To arrange a private tour please contact Dave Andrews via email or phone, 508-758-9543.

This Wednesday, February 10th is dinner & a movie night at the Bay Club.

Joins us at the Golf House for the feature film Miracle, just in time for the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics.  This is the inspiring story of the U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey Team’s victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, NY.

Chef Mercer and his staff will prepare a special dinner including featuring Chicken and Lentil Chili with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes. Also included is a Mixed Greens Salad and Dessert. Dinner will be served promptly at 6:00 pm and the movie will follow at 7:15 pm.

Watch this video as a reminder of the mood of the United States in 1980 and the incredible victory for the USA Hockey Team.

The Bay Club at Mattapoisett is a country club with an eighteen hole championship level golf course and residential property located in Southeastern MA.   To arrange a private tour please contact Dave Andrews via email or phone, 508-758-9543

Back by popular demand, the Golf House restaurant at the Bay Club will resume its weekly prix fixe specials on the Pub Menu over the late fall and winter months.

Our Pub Menu will be featured on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.  As always, Chef Mercer selects the best of the season and his menus are continuously updated; however some options on the prix fixe menu may include Sausage and Ratatouille Pot Pie, Chicken and Dumplings, Pot Roast of Beef, Baked Stuffed Sole, Lamb Tagine and various seasonal stews.  Perfect comforting foods to be enjoyed in the cozy restaurant alongside friends and family. These weekly specials will be served with a salad and dessert and are priced in the $16 – 19 range.

The Bay Club at Mattapoisett welcomed California vintner Roger Roessler for a special evening featuring the cuisine of Chef Jim Mercer with stellar Pinot Noirs & Chardonnays’ from Roessler Cellars.

Recently Roessler Cellars appeared on the cover of industry Bible, The Wine Spectator. The magazine sang the praises of the vineyard and their commitment to producing delicious Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs. To quote Roessler “we are primarily interested in Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, but have also added a few small lots of Chardonnay which we feel are in keeping with our Burgundian roots.” Roger is quite serious about the pairing of wine with food as he feels the correct match enhances both, and ultimately produces a higher level dining experience.

Credit for the evening must be given to Bay Club Golf House Restaurant Manager Sue Papi.  Sue has devoted her career to the restaurant business and her passion is fine wine. Members commonly respond to the question “what would you like to drink” by saying, “whatever Sue suggests”.  Sue has been offering his wines at the Bay Club for the past for years; his Pinot Noirs are her favorite. Last May an industry rep brought Roger to the Bay Club and Sue invited him to host a wine dinner, which he graciously accepted.

Roessler and Chef Mercer share a commitment to the localvore food philosophy, meaning utilizing foods found in your immediate area, or foods that are sourced not too far from your region. This penchant was apparent throughout the meal, particularly in the second course, a “risotto” of squash, potato and black truffle with foie gras and intense roast chicken reduction that was accompanied by both Griffin’s Lair Pinot Noir 2006 and La Brisa Pinot Noir 2007.

Roger personally introduced his vineyard to the members and explained his thought process behind the parings of each of the courses with his Pinot Noir and Chardonnay selections. The evening began with canapés and sparkling wine and proceeded through four amazing courses with two glasses of wine served with each.

While wild rains beat down upon the Golf House there was much merriment and joy inside as a packed crowd savored each course and debated over which pour was to be a new favorite. Thank you Sue, Chef Mercer and Roger for a lovely evening!

The Bay Club at Mattapoisett Executive Chef Jim Mercer & Sous Chef Kristin Costa recently paid homage to one of their culinary hero’s, Julia Child, in a special dinner party they hosted recently at the Club.

The new hit movie Julie & Julia was the impetus for Kristin to approach Chef Mercer with the idea for a Julia Child themed dinner.  Chef Mercer had the amazing fortune of meeting Julia on two separate occasions, first as her student, then again at a private dinner party.  Collective sigh, oh so fabulous!  Julia has a je ne sais quoi about her that resonates with your basic foodies through to the most culinary accomplished.

While watching the film the years Julia spent as a young newlywed in France, developing her craft, falling in love with the country and of course food, resonated most strongly with Chef Mercer.  Is it any wonder his favorite Julia cookbook is her first, How to Master the Art of French Cooking!  As for many women, Kristin is grateful to Julia for paving the way for women in the kitchen.

The menu almost seemed obvious to Chef Mercer, the stand out dishes that are quintessential Julia, Beef Bourguignon, Clafoutis, and her Lamb Marinade (a universal Chef favorite).  The piece de resistance for the dinner guests at the Bay Club, Chef served Chocolate Mousse for dessert.   Kristen was unwavering with regards to following the recipes.

For the members of the Bay Club, who all adore Jim, an opportunity to spend an evening enjoying our favorite Chef as he and his colleagues celebrated all things Julia was truly a special treat.

Jim Mercer has been the Executive Chef at the Bay Club Mattapoisett for the past five years.  His eclectic background leads to exciting menus and memorable meals. Jim’s food philosophy is grounded in the slow foods or “localvoire” movement, meaning foods of the immediate area sourced from not too far from our local or regional area. His flavor inspirations come from a variety of experience and training. “Start with the local Culinary heritage and add in flavors or techniques from Europe, occasionally adding in spice combinations of India or Morocco and fitting in bold flavors from the important cuisines of the orient.”

Jim was owner and head chef at the widely praised Mex in Boston’s South End, and served as the opening Executive Chef at the acclaimed Gusto Trattoria in Boston’s Roslindale neighborhood. He has also been head chef with such well-known organizations as Boston’s East Meets West Catering Company, Page Carter Catering and a Sous Chef for The Catered Affair, one of New England’s premier caterers.  Jim holds a BA from Johnson and Wales University.