Westlake Golf and Country Club
By Andie Gibson

       If you dine at The Westlake Golf and Country Club on Friday night, one thing is certain: You won’t go home hungry.
       Fridays are when club manager Jimmy Hunt serves buffet dinner that packs them in at the club, which is located near Westlake Corner and open to the public. The meal is $15.95, plus tax, and reservations are required.
        “In the summer, we’re usually booked up by Wednesday,” Hunt said. “In the winter, it’s not as bad, but you still need reservations.”
        The buffet includes an adequate salad bar as well a homemade soup that changes weekly. For entrees, prime rib and shrimp are always on the menu. Kathy Mommerency, chef and assistant manager, carves the meat to your preference and offers fresh horseradish and au jus. The shrimp is served cold and already peeled (a plus for those of us who aren’t interested in messy peeling) with a sweet cocktail sauce.
        Mommerency adds an additional entree or two that vary from week to week. I enjoyed flavorful garlic pork and a ricotta-based vegetable lasagna. Side dishes included asparagus, baby carrots and roasted potatoes. A variety of fresh rolls were also served.
        “I try to offer a variety,” said Mommerency, who rattled off other Friday night favorites such as lemon-pepper chicken, chicken Marsala, Cajun catfish, rainbow trout and a variety of pasta.
        The evening’s culinary high point was visiting the dessert table to survey the nine varieties of cakes and pies available, most made from scratch by Mommerency. I sampled the strawberry cake, coconut cake and pumpkin pie but hailed the ultra-rich chocolate cake with chocolate icing as my favorite.
        “I just like the fresh taste of homemade desserts,” Mommerency said. “The desserts you buy from the store are always stale and dry.”
        The meal was served in a casual family atmosphere in the ballroom of the charming, fully restored farmhouse. The service was prompt and friendly and the chef visited our table to make sure we enjoyed our meal.
        The buffet is served most Friday evenings from 5:30-9. On Sundays, a country brunch is offered from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The menu includes Belgian waffles, made-to-order omelets and more for $10.95, plus tax.
        The Westlake is also open daily for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A revamped lunch menu includes several new offerings, including a delicious Philly steak and cheese sandwich, a hearty Italian sub and pulled pork bar-b-que sandwich. A variety of salads are available as well as traditional favorites such as grilled cheese, club sandwich, chicken and tuna salad, burgers and hot dogs. Homemade soups and desserts are also served.
        Lunches range in price from $2.60 (garden salad) to $6.25 (grilled chicken breast salad, Philly sandwich and Italian sub). The chef also offers daily lunch specials for $4.75, plus tax.
        For more information or to make reservations for dinner or brunch, call 540-721-4215.