Ballyhack Highlights Local Meats and House-made Charcuterie

Media: BlogCategory: CulinaryClub: Ballyhack

Dec 7

There’s just something about Ballyhack. Though the club is a mere ten minutes from downtown Roanoke, Virginia, its location nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains lends a serene and picturesque backdrop to 18 of the most breathtaking holes in golf.

The stunning course may be the draw, but Ballyhack is not truly experienced without a meal or two prepared by the hand-picked team led by Executive Chef Robert Obst. The club’s menu reflects Chef Robert’s culinary style in dramatic fashion: ocean-centric and refined-rustic, driven by Appalachian, New England, and Japanese influences.

With a cooking style dictated by availability and seasonality of the best local ingredients he can purvey, Chef Robert “gets out of the way and lets the food speak.” This strategy incorporates whole animals, fresh fish, and Ballyhack’s own garden vegetables to create unique meals that maximize quality and freshness for a true farm-to-table experience.

The team’s commitment to using all parts of the animal is the driving force behind Ballyhack’s charcuterie program. All breakdowns are completed in-house, which produces old-world-style pates, terrines, and rillettes. Chef’s affinity for the ocean and relationships with local spearfishermen, oyster farmers, maricultural, and aquaculture facilities give Dormie Network members access to some of the best seafood from the Virginia and North Carolina coast lines.

“Our oysters have been a hit in various events, from private oyster roasts at the cottages to our Blue Ridge Baked oysters here in the dining room,” notes Chef Robert. “We have a regular rotation of offerings, and enjoy the flexibility of trying new things. It’s nice when guests don’t see the same menu over the course of a three or four day stay.”

While classically French- trained, Chef’s appreciation for Japanese culture influences his handling of vegetables and seafood, and has inspired the member-favorite Unagi (eel) dish, which has been a hit on both tasting menus and appetizer boards over the past season.

Ballyhack’s lucky location in Roanoke Valley’s Blue Ridge Mountains along the Appalachian Trail can be tasted in the food: local Virginia farms offer succulent cuts of high-quality pork that complement seasonal produce from their own chef-kept garden, to suit palates throughout the year. In spring, that pork may pair with fresh peas, asparagus, or early-season roots like carrots and turnips. Come summer, those ingredients taper off and varieties of summer squash and tree fruits take their place. Mushrooms, turnips, and apples are a natural fit for local meats in the fall, and now into winter it’s all about those dark leafy greens. This flexibility allows Chef Robert and team to feature produce at peak flavor, to an effect that is uniquely of the region.

“I enjoy composing technical dishes that guests may have never seen before and would be difficult to prepare for themselves. It’s this uniqueness that creates an irreplaceable experience,” said Chef Robert. An example, he notes, is a Goose Roulade he recently prepared as part of a small plate menu: forcemeat (finely chopped meats, herbs, and spices) pulled from the goose leg and thigh is ground into sausage, spiraled inside the goose breast and skin, pan-seared, and accented with tender Matsutake mushrooms, creamy roasted fingerling potatoes, and a light mushroom bouillon to offset the richness of the goose.

Robert and team offer a Chef’s Tasting Menu, which is completely tailored to your group’s needs and preferences. The nine-course experience is a blank slate for Chef’s creativity, and wine is thoughtfully paired throughout from the experienced hand of Scotty Moran, Ballyhack’s Director of Food & Beverage.

Ballyhack’s culinary experience is available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the clubhouse dining room and outdoor patio (and may be catered in cottages by request) Wednesday through Sundays. Next March, members will have access to expanded dining hours. To make your reservation, call the club at 540.427.1395.