Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto in Lake Macquarie, NSW has landed itself a new chef and new restaurant.
The new restaurant, Emerson’s on the Lake, is being headed up by Emerson Rodriguez, a restaurateur and chef who’s best known for his long-standing restaurant in NSW’s Hunter Valley, Emerson’s, which permanently closed its doors after 13 years in January.
“We needed a change,” Royal Motor Yacht Club secretary-manager Marian Gavin told Club Management. “Our members were asking for it.”
The former caterer had operated the club’s food and beverage offering for six years.
In his new position, Rodriguez is hopeful his food will help the club increase member numbers.
“I’m concentrating on bringing the members back in … there are a lot of retirees in the area. They used to come to the club, but because it’s got so bad in the last three years they’ve been going elsewhere,” he said.
He described the dishes that patrons can expect are a little more elevated than the usual club offering where they’ll be produce- and season-driven.
“Instead of going to the club and getting a schnitzel I’ll be lifting it a bit, so instead of doing a chicken schnitzel, I’ll be doing a chicken Milanese with spaghetti,” he said.
Rodriguez will also be launching a bar food menu aimed to help the club raise further revenue, as it will encourage patrons to linger for longer and hopefully return to the club for a full dining experience at the restaurant.
“People can come in and grab a beer, and order a barramundi burger, fish and chips, or my duck pate and hopefully those people at the bar will say, ‘This is great food, we’ll go the restaurant next time’,” Rodriguez said.
Emerson’s on the Lake will open its doors on February 28.