The Club Car, the storied restaurant just above Straight Wharf has reopened under new management, with remodeling that is much closer to the original Club Car setting than its previous informal décor. The story of the Club Car is long, and we recount it here from 2017. After Tom Proch retired as chef, the Club Car was sold to 3 investors, including an experienced and well-regarded chef. However, the informal lunch counter-like décor and new veggie-heavy menu never caught on, and the chef was dismissed by the other investors who restored a somewhat more formal décor and a more classic high-end American cuisine.
It is this new incarnation that we report on here, after this new version of the restaurant had been open just about a month. The layout of banquettes is very nice along the windows and back wall, but the center row has a high partition between rows of tables with 2-tops along the back, many of which are not great for people with long legs and /or big feet. Of course, that is where we were seated.
The new menu includes several specialty cocktails, each including an ingredient you may not be able to pronounce and a more classic menu. This menu include appetizers, five soup and salad choices, and eight entrees ranging in price from $31 for the Eggplant Parmesan to $65 for the Veal Schnitzel. Other offerings include Salmon, Seared scallops, Halibut with black truffle risotto, Lobster pasta, Center-cut Filet, and Lamb loin.
Based on Marianne Stanton’s recommendation, we both ordered their Crab Cakes appetizer ($25) with beurre blanc and yuzu pickled daikon. The crab cakes were quite tasty with the buttery sauce cut by the pickled daikon. But as a Baltimore crab cake fan, I would prefer a spicier taste (usually brown mustard mixed into the crab cake), and a bit more crab and less filler. Nonetheless, these were delicious. Other appetizers include Gougeres, clams casino, steamed mussels, grilled octopus, steak tartar, seared foie gras, fried hallumi and mushroom tartine.
For main entrees one of us selected the Lamb loin ($38), on Israeli couscous, with eggplant, Swiss chard and coffee jus. It was juicy and medium rare as we requested, but it was not all tender, although really quite flavorful.
Our other entrée was the Lobster pasta ($47) made with cognac, tomato and brown butter, served on pasta. You got a lobster claw, poached, and half a lobster tail grilled. The claw was tender, but the tail not so much, as grilling can easily dry out lobster meat. The flavor, however, was excellent.
We should interject here that we wondered about bread being served with our meal. The busboy didn’t answer at all, but our waitress said they didn’t offer bread, but could provide some toast. That seemed unusual. Later, when the maire d’ stopped by we asked about the bread, and he said that they usually suggest the Gougeres (cheese puffs, $7) instead. Too bad we didn’t think of that, as they would have been a great accompaniment.
There were only four desserts recited, but we went with the chocolate ganache pie with ice cream. How could you go wrong with that? You couldn’t: it was superb.
The bill with 3 glasses of wine and tax but before tip was $221.49. Not bad!
This is a shakedown period for the Club Car and they are certain to straighten out the kinks as the season progresses. You should definitely give it a try. To put it in perspective, we ate only once at the previous vegetable heavy incarnation and had no intention of going back. This version shows real promise and we’ll be back again on our next visit.