New Pastry Assistant Wows GBCC Members

Have you savored a dessert at Green Bay Country Club recently? Fresh, club-made desserts are served at GBCC thanks to our new Pastry Assistant, Franciane Hencke.

Franci joined GBCC in September on a part-time/as needed basis and is happy to be a part of this team. 

Her path to pastry artisan has been a circuitous one. Prior to working in food service, Franci had a banking career for over a decade. She graduated with high honors from Fox Valley Technical College for Culinary Arts as well as Baking and Pastries. While at Fox Valley Tech, Franci earned silver medals in state and regional cooking competitions sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation. She also competed as a student in a professional pastry category and earned a gold medal.

Franci is certified by the ACF and is currently pursuing the next level of pastry certification in January 2018. Prior to working at GBCC, Franci was the pastry chef at Mahoney's in Oshkosh.

When not working, Franci enjoys spending time with her husband, studying and creating recipes, and traveling.

GBCC Chef Preparing for Certification

By Director of Member Hospitality, Mike Faggio

Chef Robert Rupp has been a member of the of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) since September of 2016. Chef is also a Board Member for the Fox Valley Culinary Association. The Fox Valley Culinary Association is an organization of area chefs and industry professionals who are committed to building relationships, expanding membership and promoting culinary certification and education among its membership in the local community. They generally meet once a month, and every member of the association has an opportunity to host a monthly meeting at their facility.  GBCC will be hosting this year’s formal holiday dinner. These monthly meetings provide opportunities for educational lectures, culinary competitions, formal dinners, tours, and casual social events with students from Fox Valley Technical College.

Chef originally joined the ACF to start preparing for certification. Over the next year he will be preparing for the Certified Executive Chef Exam. Part of this process is documenting all of his work experience, and taking refresher courses in nutrition, food safety, and management. Writing and practicing his menu for the practical exam will also be on the docket. During the practical exam he will be judged on safety, sanitation, organization, and culinary skills.  Along with the practical exam, there is a written exam that covers food, equipment, safety, sanitation, marketing, finances, ethics, professional, and legal issues. We will keep you posted on Chef’s progress in this process!

Garden to Table Initiative at Green Bay Country Club

By GBCC Sous Chef Joe Sonderegger

Assorted cherry tomatoes from the GBCC Gardens

As many of you may have noticed over the past two years, our garden has expanded. Our goal is to bring you more fresh and local products, so we figured why not right outside the doors of GBCC! We have been incorporating a large variety of herbs and vegetables from our very own gardens into our lunch and dinner menus. Each year the gardens will change slightly to bring new and improved flavors to the dishes we prepare each and every day for our members and guests.

Here is a list of what we currently have: 38 Tomato plants with 6 different varieties, Sweet Basil, Thai Basil, Purple Ruffle Basil, Chives, Garlic Chives, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley, Sage, Tarragon, Thai Chilis, Jalapenos, Swiss Chard, Kale, Beans, Peas, Mint, Cilantro and Edible Pansies.

You will find these ingredients in items such as; pesto, bruschetta, mojitos, caprese salads, sauces, vegetable sides, plate garnishes, soups and many other menu items; especially in our weekly features. We hope you have noticed the quality and freshness that our garden has provided this summer.

Stay tuned for details about our “Farm to Table” dinner in October!

Pesto! Our herb garden includes six different varieties of Basil as well as over 15 other herbs.

"Where Everybody Knows Your Name..."

By Beverage Manager Lacey Zietlow

Do we all remember the show Cheers, with Norm, Carla and Sam? The characters all had their quirks and qualities …But wasn’t it nice that at the end of the day, they all had a place where everyone knew their names? Much like the good old GBCC.

One of the many benefits of a private membership at the Green Bay Country Club is the relationships that are fostered. We have many longtime staff members that are sometimes reason alone to stop out!  Come visit us, we’ll treat you like family.  We will get to know you, your kids, your personal preferences and especially what you like to drink!

At Green Bay Country Club, we handcraft all our cocktails. From Muddled Old Fashions, Mojitos made with our garden grown mint to the specialty drinks named after members that have invented them.

We also have a wine selection that is sure to please most everyone. Browse our wine book or ask our bartenders for recommendations. They’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.  Are you in the mood for a higher end wine but don’t want to commit to the bottle? Browse our Coravin menu. The Coravin is a device that allows us to pour wine from a bottle without compromising the integrity of the wine after it’s been uncorked.

New this year, we have an expanded our selection of tap beers. We’re aiming to primarily feature local craft selections from Wisconsin or just outside the state. Additionally, we are offering a Member’s Choice option whereby for a nominal fee, any member may choose a keg to be served on our lines and will receive ½ off their choice beer.

So, come on out and visit us in the pub for drinks of any kind whether it be before or after dinner, post golf game or special occasion celebratory drinks. 

GBCC Menus and Seasonality

By Executive Chef Robert Rupp

As most of you have probably noticed over the past year, our dining menus have changed more frequently than in years past. I will continue to change the Clubhouse menu as the seasons change here in Green Bay, even though this year it feels like we have had one season…winter! There are a few reasons why I feel it is important for us to do this at GBCC:

1.  Produce quality deteriorates while the price tends to increase. Over the past few weeks lettuce quality, along with some vegetables, was terrible due to the amount of rain the south was receiving. I am starting to see the products improve and the pricing fall more into. Lettuce is a staple on our menu for salads and sandwiches. While we are not going to take lettuce/salads off the menu, it does make things a bit more tricky due to quality issues and vendor shortages. During the winter months we rely heavily on the south for our produce. Over the next few weeks you will start to see us work on the GBCC garden. In addition to last year’s herbs and edible flowers, we are expanding the garden to include tomatoes, green beans, an assortment of peppers, snap peas, etc. We are also tripling our fleet of basil based on last year’s pesto use!
2. To keep things fresh and exciting for members that frequently use their Club. Our goal is to keep all the favorites/best sellers on the menu, while being seasonally innovative. Our summer menu began on Tuesday, May 2nd. If the Roasted Brussels Sprouts an Fig salad was a fall favorite on the menu, I think you will enjoy the summer version of this salad that includes feta cheese and fresh blackberries. We have also added an Ahi Tuna as an appetizer, as an entrée and, you are also able to add pan seared or blackened Ahi Tuna to any salad! The new menu also includes all natural black angus Ribeyes and Tenderloin for your dining pleasure. 

I ask you to always keep in mind that if there is something you are in the mood for, if you enjoyed Friday’s feature, or last week’s featured salad dressing; it never hurts to ask your server! If my team and I have the ingredients and the time, we are more than happy to accommodate! Mentioning special requests when making your reservation is always appreciated.

I hope to see you for our summer kick off on Friday, May 19th. We will be featuring an (optional) Seafood Buffet that evening to accompany complimentary live music in the Pub. The tuna, swordfish and opah are being flown directly to GBCC from Hawaii for this buffet. This is something that you can look forward to seeing more of on the menu throughout the summer.