In the Kitchen
Carrington Pub & Grill

story by Ed Huyck

When Wayne Katerski arrived at the Landmark Resort nearly five years ago as the food and beverage manager, it was time for a change at the facility's venerable restaurant.

"We were a supper club with a fine dining atmosphere and the trends were showing that you had to be a really high end one to be successful," Katerski said. "We looked at the next trends that seemed to be strong; the pub and grill atmosphere was starting to take off."

In place of the Egg-Harbor-area super club came Carrington Pub & Grill, intended to be a more casual space. Over the past few years, the formula has proved to be successful, as the restaurant has not only maintained its resort and out-of-town business, but has also become a more popular destination for locals during the off-season.

"We've seen a lot more local folks than we've seen for years and years here," Katerski said. "That's been a real driving force for our year-round business."

It wasn't just the menu that was revamped. The restaurant got new flooring, tables and chairs, and a nearly 2,000 square-foot deck was added, providing customers with a commanding view of the waters of Green Bay.

"Number one, I hope (our customers) have a great meal and great service. I hope they can enjoy themselves too.  We have a really friendly staff that really enjoys what they do," said Katerski. "We want our customers to come back and keep having those great experiences."

Of course, those good experiences start with the meal. When putting the menu together with Executive Chef Fred Menger, "We talked to a lot of vendors about what the other restaurants were running. We wanted to be unique. We wanted to be the trend setter," explains Katerski.

You can find that throughout Carrington's menu. Their top seller is the Focaccia Patty Grill, which puts new twists on the familiar burger.  It starts with a half-pound certified Angus patty, which is grilled with sautéed onions, topped with cheddar and Swiss cheese and served between two slices of a tomato-herb focaccia bread for $10.

The main entrees also show a similar flair, from a grilled chicken breast topped with spinach-artichoke sauce ($13), to a twist on the familiar surf and turf, here featuring a Burgundy-peppered top sirloin steak and shrimp served on a pure sugarcane skewer ($20).
The expansive menu has plenty of options for folks with different tastes or hankerings.  Along with the entrees, there are more than a dozen sandwiches, hand-tossed pizzas made to order, and the traditional Friday-night fish specials. There's a children's menu for those with smaller appetites. There will also be additional items available in the spring and summer at the restaurant.

Apart from the burger, Carrington's other main signature item is the house soup - a butternut squash soup ($4.50). "It's very good," Katerski said. "It's rich with apples, cinnamon and squash.  It's almost like a dessert soup."

Speaking of desserts, Carrington Pub & Grill offers those, as well. This includes a twist on probably the most familiar of Door County sweets - cherry pie. In this case, the Door County Cherry Crisp is an individual pie that features a crisp crumb crust. It's baked to order and then topped with ice cream ($6).

Rounding out the menu are a number of appetizers, from Santa Fe Nachos and white cheddar cheese curds, to a hot artichoke dip ($9.50), which is the most popular. The dish, which mixes spinach and artichokes in a creamy Parmesan sauce, is served in a fresh sourdough bread bowl.  "It's very cheesy and tangy," Katerski said. "It puts other artichoke dips to shame."
The key to the restaurant is to provide high value without compromising the quality. "In the fall we added a new steak," Katerski added. "We went through six or so before we found one that would be the best value to our guests.  One thing we are really committed to is that even with rising costs, we won't cut back on quality."

There is more than food at Carrington's. Entertainment such as karaoke and music runs throughout the year.  During the off-peak months, there's comedy club.

And the spring also marks the return of the deck. "We have seating out there for 50 people," said Katerski. "It has an unbelievable view."

Door County Magazine | Spring 2010

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