Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, in the Galena Territory, has provided luxury accommodations and exceptional food for over 40 years. Its award-winning restaurant, The Woodlands Restaurant and Lounge, is known for offering fine dining at reasonable prices.
Eagle Ridge Executive Chef Randy Hoppman recently hired chef Chad Myers as The Woodlands’ new Chef de Cuisine. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Myers, who did an externship at Eagle Ridge in 2005 when completing his studies at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minnesota. He impressed Hoppman, then went on to hone his skills at restaurants and country clubs along the Mississippi River Valley.
“I gave him the reins to let him do his own thing,” says Hoppman. “He has a passion for not just making food taste good, but for making it look picturesque.”
From his previous experience at The Woodlands, Myers understands the core elements diners expect, yet he also loves testing new dishes.
Some items – like Hoppman’s signature smoked corn and sausage chowder – are staples, but four times per year the chefs create new seasonal menus that center around fresh, local ingredients.
Whether you want an extravagant night out or a delicious dinner, The Woodlands’ menu accommodates every palate. Comfort foods include melt-in-your-mouth braised short ribs, fried half-chicken, Cobb salad and the famed Territory Burger: a half-pound Black Angus burger on brioche topped with house-made American cheese, hand-cut bacon, shaved onion, lettuce, a special sauce, juicy tomato jam and fried pickles.
Diners love the chefs’ twists on foods like filet mignon, Berkshire tomahawk pork chop, rosemary crusted rack of lamb and salmon gremolata. The menu also features grilled lobster tail and ravioli, blackened ahi tuna nachos, and vegetarian and gluten-free options.
“We always try to keep our high standards up,” says Hoppman, adding that he anticipates Myers’ creativity, attention to detail and ability to stay ahead of trends will elevate those standards.
“He knew we were looking for a chef. And it was a perfect fit to keep our standards high, local, fresh and creative.”
The Woodlands is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.