Gourmet Golf at the Greenbrier

Growing up in Washington, D.C., I had heard about the fabulous Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia for as long as I can remember. My mother, who worked at the Pentagon in the Defense Department, knew about the secret bunker built into a hillside at the resort that was intended to house Congress in the event of a nuclear attack, but never said a word about it until it was declassified in the early 90’s. Finally, this past weekend, I had a chance to visit both the bunker and the restaurants at this incredible mountain retreat in the Allegheny Highlands.

My sister, her daughter Susie, and grandson Joe, accompanied me and we started with dinner at the Sam Snead Golf Club. No burgers and club sandwiches here…touted as the “casual” dining room (no jackets and ties required), the Club overlooks one of the beautifully manicured golf courses at the resort. I started with the huge sea scallops, while Susie chose the Beef Carpaccio. Both were wonderfully tender and tasty, and I couldn’t wait for my “Maine” course, lobster.

I wasn’t disappointed. If lobster isn’t fresh, it can be as chewy as a rubber band, but this was melt-in-your-mouth pleasure, and the savory broth full of vegetables was complemented the rich and buttery taste of the crustacean. My nephew, Joe, only had a bowl of French Onion soup, since he already had his eye on dessert, a raspberry crème brulée.

He pronounced it the “best” of all the crème brulées he’s ever had, and even waited for 10 seconds to dive in, so I could snap a picture. The table next to us burst out laughing, whispering and pointing at us when I whipped out my camera to capture the dishes we had ordered. I guess they thought we were a bunch of hillbillies who had never eaten at a nice restaurant, and that’s why we were taking pictures of our food.