May 16, 2018 at 5:47 p.m.
Whipsaw Bar and Grill open for business
Whipsaw Bar and Grill open for business
VandenHoogen introduced himself to the city's golf course advisory committee May 8 as the group held its monthly meeting at Northwood. He was hired in April to manage the food service portion of the golf course club.
The first day of play under the management of Green Golf Partners saw 47 players take to the links. Golf professional Kyle Christian said the Wednesday and Thursday leagues began play last week and that league numbers are up from last year. He also said that 12 new memberships have been purchased since May 5.
Getting more players to come to Northwood will be key to Green Golf Partner's efforts to increase the gross revenue the course brings in for the city.
A number of the prices for play have been reduced, with many incentives aimed at increasing the number of local golfers buying tee times.
At the May 8 meeting, Christian said they had just instituted a weekend Oneida County resident rate to help fill up the tee sheet.
Northwood has been operating in the red for much of its existence, with the city's general fund subsidizing its operations. The debt to the city's general fund is over $1 million. Green Golf Partners was hired to manage all aspects of the golf course over the next two years, with a 10-percent incentive if gross revenue goes up at least $100,000 this year. This is in addition to the $38,250 fee the company will earn this year.
The former Mulligan's restaurant, which was run by Dave O'Melia, has been renamed the Whipsaw Bar and Grill and VandenHoogen was hired by GGP to revamp the menu and offer homemade food at an affordable price.
Committee member Sonny Paszak said he has heard that Whipsaw had the best hamburgers in town.
"I was up at a meeting at the courthouse and they spoke highly of you yesterday," Paszak told VandenHoogen.
VandenHoogen then explained why his fish fry is going to be different.
"It's my own recipe, it's not like anything anywhere else," he said. "I've had customers when I was younger literally follow me from restaurant to restaurant, when I bounced around, just so they could come to my fish fry."
He said the species of seafood he will feature will include beer batter dipped cod, "poor man's lobster," blackened walleye and batter-dipped perch.
"Our menu is 95 percent made from scratch, so it is coming in at a cheaper cost to us, so it is reflected in the menu price, as well," VandenHoogen explained.
He said he has hired Alison Elkins as his sous chef, but is still looking to hire a part-time assistant chef to help on busy days, such as Fridays.
"When I interviewed her and I quizzed her, I could see that she could talk the talk," VandenHoogen said of Elkins. "So far, from what I seen, she can walk the walk, too."
He added that Elkins is a graduate of the Nicolet College culinary arts program, which was also a plus in favor of hiring her.
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