When it comes to putting on a superb dinner show, PGA Champion Phil Mickelson enlisted the aid of Miami’s magnificent Barton G to feed the appetites — and imaginations — of a host of past champions at Medinah Country Club. We take you behind the scenes at one of the Tour’s tastiest events

Say and think what you will about Phil Mickelson. All I know is that his hipmanship shined through last year at the PGA Championship when he (and his wife Amy) ushered in a crack team from Barton G to prepare the Champion’s dinner, a privilege bestowed upon the previous year’s champion.

Like the P.T. Barnum of party planning, the Miami event impresario and restaurateur Barton G has been wowing clientele with out-of this world presentations and taste sensations for more than a decade. In addition to catering large scale events for events like the Super Bowl, satisfied patrons include captains of industry, cruise ships, football teams and Ryder Cups … and somewhere along the line, the Mickelsons.

Tuesday lunchtime presented ideal conditions for a major’s first practice round. The weather was spot on, the galleries were swelling as the nation’s No. 1 golf town skipped out of work early, players were ironing out issues while getting to know the course and the club’s staff hurriedly transformed months of meetings into action. The kitchen was no different as a culinary crew of about a dozen bounded in synchronized randomness to serve up lunch to droves of members, member’s families and special guests. Topping it all off, Great Lakes Golf was there for a “fly on the wall” behind the scenes look into the Champion’s Dinner preparation and to meet Barton G’s Director of Operations and Corporate Chef, Ted Mendez. Since the kitchen was only slightly larger than a 12-person passenger van and all the seats were taken, we waited for Chef in the adjoining banquet room where “the dinner” was to be served. The room itself was small yet stately and surprisingly dark despite the bright sunshine outside.

Sitting several steps above the practice green and just behind the member’s patio, it seemed as old as the dirt it was built on and provided an amazing vantage point made for viewing. More impressive, though, was the thought of the collection of “champions” shortly to be gathered
within it.

The moment seemed lost on the guys fooling with the AV equipment and the prep team unpacking the dinner props. Not me … as I spent the next half hour mentally prepping the evening’s seating chart.

Now where am I going to sit … hmm? Then the roar of, “Where Are My Assistants?” shook me from my daydream/delusion. “It’s 1:30 and we’ve got a hell of a lot of work to do.” Then turning to us, “Who are you guys?”

Chef Mendez had arrived, larger than life and all business. The moment certainly wasn’t lost on him. Although, for all he cared, he could have been serving the champions of the Medinah bowling league. The production had begun and it had to be perfect. Once he remembered who we were and why were there, Chef walked us through how the afternoon and meal prep would play out.

“First of all, we’re working in another team’s kitchen, a small one at that. So while we are feeling our way around we have to remain courteous yet deliberate and mindful that we are guests, guests with a job to do.”

After some quick and deliberate orchestration, the team was equipped and in position, the first act had begun. Mendez described the culinary creations he crafts for Barton G. as “design driven cuisine – an amalgamation of flavor and ‘wow’ factor. I keep to the simplicity of the elements, yet infuse the finish with my own finesse, allowing each dish to taste as wonderful as it looks.” The menu items we saw prepared for the past PGA Champions certainly accomplished that. They also earned a standing ovation from us ... but we weren’t invited to stay and eat. That evening, as is also tradition for the dinner’s host, Phil had the responsibility of giving each past champion a gift. A ticket to the Barton G. Show starring Ted Mendez would have been gift enough. I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did.