Cafe owner expands menu at Mariners Landing golf course

When Kim Laverty was growing up in Bedford County, she was her grandmother's shadow in the kitchen.

"Everything that she created was so delicious that you just couldn't stand it," said Laverty. "So I hung out with her and watched every move she made."

Laverty, a Huddleston resident, learned every trick in her grandmother's arsenal to create food that was "cooked low and slow and fall-off-the-bone tender."

Laverty brought those trade secrets with her to Mariners Landing about four years ago when she started working seasonally at the golf clubhouse's snack bar. She'd worked in the restaurant business for more than 20 years.

But Laverty said she wanted to do her own thing. After one business opportunity fell through, she met with the Mariners managers and began leasing the clubhouse snack bar on Dec. 2, renaming it The Clubhouse Cafe.

"I keep the menu for the golfers the same because they're used to coming in and grabbing a hot dog real quick, a burger or a sandwich," said Laverty.

But she's also added a bit of her own flavor, including homemade chicken salad and homemade barbecue. Laverty also started offering hot-plate lunch specials such as pork chops, meatloaf and country-style steak.

"Everyone just loves it," she said. "They kept saying this is too good for a golf course."

Laverty also serves breakfast, which includes real eggs, all day. Sandwiches range from $4 to $7, offering a quick bite for golfers who stop midway at the cafe near the ninth hole to reenergize before taking on the back nine.

The Cluhouse Cafe's winter hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hours will expand in the spring. During summer, Laverty said she'll host special events.

When not working in the snack bar, Laverty works as a caterer for her own Kim's Catering, serving up lunches and dinners for various events. In 2008, she catered the SML Charity Home Tour's donation luncheon.

"I'm a Southern cook; I have my own way of doing things," said Laverty. "It's nothing fancy. I just call it real food."

The Clubhouse Cafe is located at 2052 Lake Retreat Road in Huddleston, inside the Mariners Landing Golf Course pro shop. 297-7888.