Bay Club members recently enjoyed our annual Member Holiday Party held in December at the Golf House restaurant.  A near record number of members and their guests gathered to celebrate the holiday season with old and new friends.

The restaurant and patio were festively decorated with trees, seasonal florals and a seahorse ice sculpture.  And party goers were entertained by local singer/songwriter Rebecca Correia as she sang holiday favorites throughout the evening.

Our talented Food and Beverage team put together a wide array of passed hors d’oeuvres including Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Blue Cheese Tartlets and Bluefish Pate.  In addition, stationary displays of cheeses, bruschetta and a raw bar were available prior to the meal.  The dinner buffet featured Tenderloin Wellington Roast and Halibut and was served along with side dishes including Fondant Potatoes and Roasted Winter Squashes.  And yummy desserts such as Pecan Tarts, Thumbprint Cookies and Apple Cider Muffins along with a decadent Chocolate Display rounded out the food portion of the evening.

This is always one of our most popular events – one our members look forward to year after year!

Santa Claus recently took time out of his busy schedule to visit the children of the Bay Club during our Breakfast with Santa and Gingerbread House Decorating event.

The morning began with Chef George’s delicious Pancakes, served with a variety of yummy toppings including Fresh Berries, Bananas, Maple Syrup and Home-made Whipped Cream.  A scrumptious Quiche and Bacon rounded out the menu.

Santa made his arrival as everyone finished their meals, and led the group in singing a rousing rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  The children then had a chance to sit on his lap, pose for pictures and share their Christmas lists with him.

Santa had to be on his way, but the fun continued as the kids moved on to decorate their gingerbread houses.  The provided frosting, fondant and a wide variety of candy, paired with their creativity, made for a fun time.  And those with smaller children were happy to help in the decorating.  No two houses looked alike!

This enjoyable family event is always a favorite for the children – and this year was no different.  Everyone left with big smiles and a little more holiday spirit!

Every summer, Bay Club members enjoy Family Night at the Pool, a fun, weekly event for all ages.  During these evenings, the Food and Beverage team serves a unique themed buffet by the pool while children and parents alike enjoy an evening swim along with games and music.

In addition, a game of Bingo is played every other week.  These nights always draw a large crowd – no one can pass up a chance to win Bingo!

Menu themes this summer have included Cheesesteak, Flatbreads, Chinese Take-out Favorites and Taco Bar.

Members love this opportunity to gather their families and friends together, enjoy a great meal and have fun at the pool!

Another Fourth of July Celebration has come and gone at the Bay Club, but not without many fond new memories for the record numbers of members and their guests in attendance.

As in years past, the carnival-style atmosphere didn’t disappoint.  Children enjoyed the return of the dunk tank, inflatable obstacle course, face painting, bounce house, and individual and team races.  Our Mini-Golf Spectacular was once again a big hit for all ages.  And what has become the biggest attraction in recent years, our famous Egg Toss drew a large crowd of both participants and spectators.  In the end, the highly contested competition saw a new pair of champions.

Food choices consisted of member favorite Fried Chicken, Hamburgers, Grilled Sausage, Vegetables and Summer Salads.  And the kids enjoyed Hot Dogs, Popcorn and Cotton Candy.

And lastly, the highlight of the evening saw the best fireworks display in the event’s history, with more than 20 full minutes of brilliant color lighting up the night sky.

The compliments are still rolling in, and we’re of course already thinking ahead for next year’s big event!

In June, many Bay Club members enjoyed a beautiful evening on the patio for “Cocktails with Eric.”  During this event, Golf House Bartender, Eric Marshall demonstrated how to prepare eight different cocktails including a New York Sour, Blood Orange Paloma, Basil Cucumber Gimlet, Spanish Coffee and Pistachio Shots.  Eric showcased technique, as well as the use of fresh, quality ingredients throughout.  In addition, he provided a brief history on each of the drinks.  Participants then had the opportunity to sample each of the cocktails.

It was truly a fun evening in which attendees thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and many laughs.  And some of these special cocktails are now offered on the menu at the restaurant for all members to try!

Bay Club members recently had the opportunity to join Kitchen Manager, George Karos for a hands-on Greek Cooking class.  The focus was on working with Phyllo Dough.  Participants received hands-on instruction and learned the secrets behind making Baklava, Tiropita, and Spanakopita.  While enjoying a light lunch around the Teaching Kitchen’s counter, George shared his knowledge of the flavors of Greek Cuisine, and provided some tips and helpful insight on the versatility of Phyllo Dough.

Members experienced a great afternoon of baking and eating, while welcoming George’s engaging approach to teaching.

Bay Club members recently had the opportunity to join Food and Beverage Manager and resident Pasta Making Expert, Nick Lisotto for a hands-on class.  Participants gathered at the Teaching Kitchen where Nick provided the instructions and necessary tools to make pasta dough from scratch.  The dough was then used to create hand-cut Tagliatelle and filled Ravioli.

During the process, Nick also provided mini-lessons on Fillings and Ragus, as well as Butter-based and Olive Oil-based sauces, to compliment the pastas.  Once the pastas were made, members were able to enjoy the fruits of their labor as they sat down to eat their freshly made pasta meals along with a glass of wine.

The flour was flying throughout the afternoon, and so were the laughs as everyone had a great time learning and creating a delicious pasta feast.

Port and Chocolate are a magical combination and in December, the Bay Club hosted a Port and Chocolate Tasting Seminar, given by Master of Wine, Sandy Block, along with his son, cacao and coffee importer, Matthew Block.

Throughout the afternoon, participants explored the delicious symmetries of these products, while learning about the varieties of Port, the wine’s origins in Portugal’s remote Alto Douro, and the artisan production process for “bean-to-bar” hand crafted chocolates.

Members enjoyed the unique opportunity to learn about these pairings from the dynamic father and son duo.

Sandy Block attained certification as a Master of Wine from the London-based Institute of Masters of Wine in 1992. He is vice president of beverage operations at Legal Sea Foods and frequently lectures at wine festivals both regional and national. Sandy is also wine editor of the Improper Bostonian, a monthly columnist for the Massachusetts’ Beverage Business, and has contributed to the Quarterly Review of Wines, among many other publications. He has an MA in history, and has worked as both a sommelier and vice president of several wholesale and importing companies.

Matthew Block is the founder of Campesino Mateo; importer of coffee and cacao.  He has lived and worked on many family farms learning how to cultivate and process coffee, chocolate, and other plants from generations of rural farmers in the time-honored way.  He has extensive experience in organic agriculture, having worked on over 20 organic farms and permaculture sites in the United States. Matthew has also farmed on small scale properties and commercial farms in the Pacific Northwest. And in Peru, has worked on over 50 farms in the country’s three distinct climates: the coast, the mountains and the jungle.

Santa Claus recently made his yearly trip to the Bay Club during our Breakfast with Santa and Gingerbread House Decorating workshop – easily one of the Club’s favorite children’s events of the year.

Parents and grandparents brought their little ones to enjoy Chef Kent’s yummy pancakes with a variety of fun toppings such as Berries, Fruit Sauces and of course, Home-made Whipped Cream.

Following the meal, Santa arrived and led the group in some favorite Christmas carols.  After which all the children had a chance to sit on his lap, pose for pictures and tell him what they want for Christmas.

Once Santa was on his way to his next location, the kids moved on to Gingerbread House Decorating. Imaginations ran wild as they went to town decorating with the provided Frosting, Fondant and more varieties of candy than you can imagine.  And parents and grandparents of smaller children were more than willing to dig in and help design the perfect house.

It was hard not to be in the holiday spirit after this fun family event!

Bay Club members recently enjoyed two events with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

In October, members were invited to climb aboard the Institute’s newest research vessel, Neil Armstrong for an exclusive guided tour.  WHOI acquired the ship in April of 2017 and it has been hard at work since then, conducting Oceanographic research, primarily in the Atlantic. Named for the American hero whose “small step” provided humanity with a new perspective on our planet, this vessel carries on its namesake’s legacy of exploration.  In addition to the tour, a scientist spoke to the group about their latest venture, Exploring the Ocean Twilight Zone.  About 30 members made the trip to Falmouth and raved about the tour and experience at the Institute.

Then in early November, an Associate Scientist for WHOI’s Biology department, Dr. Timothy Shank came to the Bay Club to present Who Lives in the Deepest Parts of the Ocean?  During the lecture, he spoke about the hadal zone, which is composed primarily of ocean trenches, represents the deepest marine habitat on Earth (6,000-11,000 meters). All the trenches together occupy an area about the size of Australia. Far from being devoid of life as originally perceived, additional observations have shown that the hadal zone hosts a substantial diversity and abundance of fauna, often endemic to specific locales. Dr. Shank has conducted significant research on the deepest parts of the oceans and on the unusual and unexpected life that they support.

Thank you to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute for providing these two fantastic experiences for our membership to enjoy.

Last month, Bay Club members were invited to view the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s exhibition of America’s longest painting, The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World.  The painting was on display for a short time in the nearby historic Kilburn textile mill.  Painted in 1848 by New Bedford artists, Caleb Purrington and Benjamin Russell, the 1,275-foot painting is longer than the Empire State Building is tall, and depicts a nineteenth century whaling voyage originating from a New Bedford port to the Azores, Cape Verde, Rio de Janeiro and beyond.

It was initially designed as a moving panorama (a form of entertainment during that time, preceding the age of cinema) with multiple scrolls moving across a stage.  Though after many years on display, the wear and tear on the painting was so extensive, it was believed to be impossible to conserve and therefore, worthless.  It was donated to the Whaling Museum in 1918 and following decades of conservation planning and research, the 170-year-old painting was brought back to life and displayed for the public to enjoy (not in its original moving form.)

More than 30 members made the trip to the museum and enjoyed learning about this national treasure and historical depiction of the prominent New Bedford industry.

To view photos of the painting being brought to life in the mill, please click here.

Last month, Bay Club members welcomed Molecular Geneticist, Nicole Faulkner, Ph.D., FAMCG as she presented, “How to Make a Perfect Human in the 21st Century.”  Nicole trained at WPI, UMASS Medical and Harvard Medical School and is currently a Clinical Molecular Geneticist at the Invitae Clinical Testing Laboratory in Cambridge.  She shared her more than 20 years of experience in the field of human genetics in clinical testing of genetic diseases, prenatal diagnosis, identity testing, and pharmacogenetic profiling of cancer tumors.  In her presentation, Nicole spoke about the examples of DNA variants that cause inherited disease, the modern science of embryo selection for couples in fertility treatments and the future of curing genetic-based disease by fixing the “typos in the instructions of life.”

Members raved about and were fascinated by Dr. Faulkner’s lecture and her captivating approach to presenting the complex subject matter.

Another successful Bay Club Fourth of July Celebration is in the books for members and their guests.

Attendees enjoyed the carnival-style atmosphere which included face painting, dunk tank, bouncy house, inflatable obstacle course and individual and team races. New attractions of basketball and corn hole joined wiffleball, mini golf and volley ball to add to our game and sport offerings.   But the biggest competition of the evening was our popular egg toss – drawing the largest group of participants and even became a spectator event.  The competition lasted 20 minutes and in the end, a new pair of champions was crowned.

What’s a party without food?  A member favorite, Fried Chicken was on the menu, which also included Grilled Sausage, Hamburgers, Grilled Vegetables and various Summer Salads.  Our young guests enjoyed Hot Dogs, Popcorn, Cotton Candy and Snow Cones.

And no Fourth of July Celebration would be complete without fireworks!  Spectators enjoyed a brilliant display in perfect viewing conditions.

It was a beautiful day and party, and we are already discussing ways to make next year’s event even better.

In January, we were fortunate to welcome New York-based writer, Justin Spring to the Golf House restaurant for a unique dining experience with our members.

The evening began with a brief lecture by Justin about his latest book, “The Gourmands’ Way.”  Released in October 2017, the book shares how French food became popular in America following World War II and was influenced by icons such as Julia Child, M.F.K. Fisher, Richard Olney and others.

Following the talk, members shared a single long dining table and enjoyed a five-course dinner inspired by the historical figures in the book and prepared by Executive Chef, Jim Mercer and his team.  The menu included offerings such as Duck Rillettes, Potage Germiny (Sorrell Bisque) and Pork Roast with Prunes. Food and Beverage Manager and Sommelier, Nick Lisotto paired specific wines to best complement each course.

The evening concluded with all participants receiving a personally autographed copy of “The Gourmand’s Way.”

Justin is the author of many monographs, catalogs, museum publications, and books, including the biography Fairfield Porter: A Life in Art (Yale University Press, 2000) and Paul Cadmus: The Male Nude (Universe, 2002).  He has been the recipient of a number of grants, fellowships, and awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the International Association of Art Critics Best Show Award.  He has held research fellowships from Yale University, Brown University, Radcliffe College and Amherst College.  His monograph on Paul Cadmus was a finalist for the Lamda Literary Award in Art History.

 For more information about Justin and his book, “The Gourmands’ Way”, please click here.

Earlier this month, the Bay Club welcomed Terry Wolkowicz, Education Director for the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, as she presented “Gravity in Space and Sound.”  Along with the accompaniment of cellist Peter, oboist Laura and violinist Travis, three talented musicians from the orchestra, Ms. Wolkowicz discussed the meaningful connections between musical chord progressions and the movement of objects in space.  Members thoroughly enjoyed the musical pieces played that exemplified the gravitational forces between the planets and the sun.

Terry shared that the presentation is representative of the Orchestra’s “Learning in Concert” program, an in-school partnership program with the NBSO and over fifty local elementary schools in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  In 2016-2017, more than 50 schools partnered with the NBSO for their “Gravity in Space and Sound” program.  During this project, Terry aided the students in demonstrating the idea of gravity through astronomy, physics and music; through studying gravitational forces working within our solar system; and by performing classical music that shares these same forces within a musical system.

A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and Harvard University, Terry is in her seventh season with the NBSO, and continues to create innovative programming that connects classical music to our South Coast children’s lives and learning by exploring concepts that are authentically shared between classical music, the arts and academics.

For more information about the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, please click here.