JSR22==did you get there on Tues with your party of 7?==Looking fwd for your review

Looking at the pictures of the plated food--didn't look too appetizing--kinda reminded me of how navy food was served

View
 

7 of us ate there Monday evening. It was the 1st night of the full menu. There were many choices. 5 pastas and chicken parm with pasta, steak, lamb, pork and salmon. Additionally 4 large salads that you could add chicken, shrimp or steak. A lot of appetizers including mussels, clams and shrimp cocktail. Many different choices were selected at our table. Everyone like their food! Service was very good and we will return.
I had the green lip mussels and the baked french onion soup and both were great.

Hemmingway's tried the unusual menu and you see where that got them.

Sorry, Typo - Hemingway's

Just had lunch there...............Great service and all four of our meals were very good.

Will return.


:BigApplause:

It is unfortunate that all the Country Clubs end up with very generic menus. It’s like going from one “Denny’s” to another.
The food isn’t bad, it’s just not that good.
We did love Hemingway’s when under Lopez management. Excellent food and unique menu.
This new menu sounds just like Evan’s Prairie, Bonifay, Belle Glade, and The chain CC north of Spanish Springs.
There are many of us who dine out several times a week and we really could use some unique themed CC restaurants. I just think the owners/managers are missing a great opportunity.
And thus, so are we.

You said it very well and I totally agree. I mostly go off the reservation to eat because we are surrounded here by mediocrity.

I've been saying the same-and I've been accused of being a snob--, you can blindfold the average villager sit them in a the average CC restaurant , feed them --they would never know what restaurant they're in based upon the food

The "unusual menu" happened when they lost their top chef and abandoned the best seafood oriented menu in TV. The follow on menu was what did them in.

Hemmingways WAS to seafood what Palmers is to steak in TV. I still don't understand why the old ownership never saw this. Great location, views, etc. Should have been a no brainer to find and hire a Chef who could deliver and advertise the heck out of it. We always enjoyed the fish flown in from Hawai'i, fresh gulf fish and shrimp, top shelf Martinis with blue cheese stuffed queen olives, and excellent key lime pie. Dang, making me sad that's all gone.

The chef split and went to Turner's -- the difference was enormous--had to send back entrees on several occasions--

Now that Sam's sells "prime" steaks-- we no longer have to go out for steaks

We go out for what we can not cook well at home--my wife doesn't eat fish, our choices are very limited in TV

I was there for lunch last weekend with 3 other people. Everyone was very happy with their meal. I was very pleasantly surprised. I haven't been there for dinner yet but based on my lunch experience I will definitely go back.
I don't think you can judge a restaurant until you try it. I had a Cuban at Views. I thought it was very good... much better than the Cuban at Hemmingway's. But based on comments here (based on the fact people judge a restaurant solely on the menu), a Cuban is the same whether it's from a restaurant in The Villages or South Beach or Columbia in Tampa. Seems a bit presumptuous to me.
But I I think you have to walk into the restaurant with an open mind. Not sure everyone will do that.

It’s not so much an open mind as the fact that sandwich is a sandwich in any restaurant. If we go out to eat I’m looking to find something that can be done better than what I can cook at home. I think that’s what most everybody is looking for is a good meal. Chefs are few and far between in TV. It’s one of the reasons we go outside the bubble.

as far as sandwiches go,IMHO-idon't believe any restaurant in TV has a sandwich that is super to the sandwiches you can buy @ the Fresh Market-so why would I go to restaurant for a meal-we go out to dine

Robert and I went to Views yesterday for lunch. I had the Ropa Vieja sandwich, he had the sirloin. Both were quite good. Also had to try the cheese curds. I thought they were tasty with an unexpected chewy-ness, that might not be to everyone's taste.

We ate last night at the Bar at Havana, it is not Views anymore, The Villages didn't want them using the name, so now it's just Havana CC. Talked to the manager and bartender and they confirmed the name change. Menus were printed before they were told about the change of not using Views.
I ordered mussels, which I love them at Red Sauce, and since same owners I was told by bartender they are the same recipe, they were great! Husband had spaghetti and meatballs, meatballs were frozen cocktail meatballs in sauce, not good.. but the bartender picked up on our conversation and by the end of the meal we had one of the managers over asking us and very concerned about the spaghetti meal, they said they are going to fix the recipe or take it off till it's fixed, or eliminate it, which is a good thing, seemed to care and want the feedback. We will go back, really want them to succeed. Lovely restaurant and beautiful view of golf course..