Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/479647
14 Celebrating 140 Years • The Hartford Club O ne of the best aspects of e Hartford Club can't be seen. It has to be tasted: the cuisine served breakfast, lunch and dinner under the supervision of a classically trained chef who has worked across the country. Chris Kube is approaching the end of his fourth year at e Hartford Club. "When I first got here it was pretty much steak and potatoes," he admitted during an interview in his tidy office in the club's basement. "I try to prepare food with flavors, to create dishes that have a broad sense of reach," he said, citing as an example Scallops with a rich balsamic reduction with pan seared Brussels sprouts. "We're getting away from the heavy food and going toward a lighter style of dining." Kube embraces seasonal and local ingredients. Nothing could be more local than the herb and vegetable garden, built with funds donated by members, that sits behind the club. Harvested items are used in meal preparation. Among the items planted this year were eggplant, spaghetti squash, tomatoes and peppers. "It was nice to be able to go out and harvest vegetables and use them for daily preparation," he said. An affable man, Kube heads a culinary staff of 13 that prepares 20,000 meals a year in the dining room and many more on the banquet side. He's constantly improving the cuisine with a goal in 2014 of incorporating his training as a pastry chef into enhanced desserts. e 40-year old chef brings an impressive resume to e Hartford Club. He is a graduate of the prestigious culinary arts program at Johnson & Wales. He worked in Washington, D.C., serving various famous politicos, before moving west to train as a pastry chef at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Calif. His career brought him back to New York City to the five-star St. Regis Hotel. He then opened an organic market and café in Manhattan that he said was a learning experience that influences the meals he prepares today. When he worked in California, Kube would go to local farmer markets. In New York City, vegetables and herbs were picked from rooop gardens. "Now we can go outside and trim what we need daily for fresh herbs from late spring through late fall," he said enthusiastically. At the end of the season the remaining herbs are dried and then infused in oil. "We have members who are true foodies. We have to provide that for them and mimic what's out there and strive for what is out there," said Kube, who handles well the challenge of a client base that must eat at his restaurant at least once a month. But while he makes sure the clientele doesn't eat the same familiar food month aer month, the staff works hard to be familiar with each member's wants and needs. And the membership appreciates that level of service. "e menu is constantly changing and the chef is so attentive to the members' needs," said Nick Cianci, 27, a three- year member. "He brings amazing one- on-one attention to the membership." He runs a lot of features not seen at local restaurants like a popular Prime Rib night and a Build-Your- Own-Burger day. (He's introducing short rib burgers to the menu.) Kube also restored Chateau Briand served in the classic tradition tableside at the Hartford Club. "It's not new and trendy but I guarantee you're only going to get it here," he proclaimed, adding that Caesar salad is also prepared tableside. "ere are a lot of things we do well or better than the next guy," he said. One of those things, rarely found in a restaurant, is catering to members' health needs. "If they want steamed broccoli with fish, we'll do it. It's their club. We'll do what we can," Kube said, adding that the kitchen will even make items not on the menu if the food is in stock. "e member comes first. Any request we can fulfill will be fulfilled. I try to never say no." "We're trying to make a positive experience. e member deserves it. O The 5-Star Chef Behind The Hartford Club's Cuisine Chris Kube is the executive chef of The Hartford Club. By Keith Griffin "The member comes first. Any request we can fulfill will be fulfilled. I try to never say no."