Hot Dish Review

Last year, LC asked me to accompany him to the dinner that preceeds the pro-am golf tournament at Eastlake Country Club, which in turn, preceeds the Tour Championship. I didn’t take my camera and regretted not blogging about it for a whole year….until last Sunday.

The event was held in the ritzy clubhouse. LC and I arrived and quickly assessed the crowd. CEO’s and celebrities were around every corner. Passed hors d’oeuvres like caramelized onion sliders and individual shrimp cocktail cups were plentiful, as was the booze.

As we ordered martinis, I casually mentioned that my mission for the evening was finding the lobster salad that I fell in love with last year. Luck would have it that I was standing next to chef Michael Diehl’s wife, who introduced herself, then brought out her husband to meet me….nice!

Like last year, each room hosted several tables with chafing dishes containing everything from mini crab cakes to spice-rubbed ribs. A carving station featuring beef tenderloin was in one corner, a lovely display of sushi in another. As I made my way to a buffet to sample a few dishes, a gentleman seated nearby said hello. He looked familiar, very familiar. Turns out it was Craig T. Nelson. Moments later we struck up a conversation with the lone rocker dude in the room, Tommy from Kiss.

Tender slices of the beef tenderloin were accented with sweet caramelized onions. It was impossible to try everything, but the chef clearly put his heart into every dish. Delicious.

Initially, I did not find the lobster salad. LC and I continued to mingle, meeting pro golfers Stewart Cinck and Bill Haas. Eventually I ran into chef Diehl who explained he had transformed the room temperature salad into a warm dish that was near the beef.

Huge chunks of lobster were paired with potatoes and dressed with plenty of olive oil and herbs. I preferred the former version but could hardly complain….hundreds of plump lobsters gave their lives for this decadent dish!

Miniature desserts were displayed, and devoured, during the auction, presented in a hilarious manner by a comedian there to play in the pro-am tournament. Cheesecake lollipops dipped in a variety of chocolates and sprinkles stood up in little cups of pink sugar….so clever!

One of the best schmooze events of the year, I’m already looking forward to next year’s lobster salad.