|
Club Car invites all aboard
Dining Delights
By Margo Oxendine, Staff Writer
 | | The Club Car is a delightful café on Ridgeway Street in once-again bustling Clifton Forge. Tasty sandwiches, inventive beverages and warm home-baked cookies are offered for lunch Monday through Friday, as well as an array of gift items, delectables and Virginia wines. (Recorder photo by Margo Oxendine) |
|
CLIFTON FORGE - This town was built on, by, and around the railroad.
So, it is only fitting that one of the best places for lunch is called "The Club Car."
On any given Monday through Friday, from 10 until 3, this charming little deli is crowded with diners in the know.
They know the food is fresh, the service is zippy, the cookies are still warm from the oven, the flavored lemonade is tasty, and the latte comes hot or iced.
On a recent outing to this wonderfully revived little town, I couldn't decide be- tween a countless number of sandwiches and salads. Would it be The Alleghany - roast beef, provolone, and roasted sweet red peppers with herbal vinaigrette, on a baguette? (And, isn't it lovely that one can finally find a baguette around here?) Would it be the CSX - mesquite grilled chicken breast, melted Swiss, lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing on a Kaiser roll?
Every sandwich takes on a railroad theme; even the standard BLT is lifted with the moniker "The Metro Liner." Want a simple grilled cheese on white? Order the Choo-Choo.
I finally decided on a sandwich more fitting to my personality: The Dragon Lady. (Is there a train called the Dragon Lady? If so, I'd like to travel on it.) The Club Car Dragon Lady sandwich is corned beef, Swiss, tomato and cole slaw with thousand island dressing, on marble rye.
Yes, marble rye. And sourdough. And croissants. This place makes a specialty bread lover's heart rise like fresh yeast.
If you're trying to stay away from delicious, calorie-laden bread, the Club Car will turn any sandwich into a salad, with your choice of dressing.
Salads are a perfect summer lunch choice. At the Club Car, choose from Greek Salad, or perhaps warm nutty pear salad with walnuts and cheddar on spring mix lettuce.
Consider the Razzleberry Ham and Pineapple salad, replete with shredded cheese, sunflower seeds, and topped with creamy razzleberry dressing.
If that's not fruity enough for you, go with the Very Berry Salad - spring mix topped with strawberries, cranberries, feta cheese and warm raspberry bacon dressing.
There's also a classic Caesar, a warm cashew chicken salad with poppy seed dressing, and a tasty bacon cheddar salad.
Around here, a good deli is hard to find. The Club Car offers Boar's Head brand meats and cheeses by the pound, along with deli salads, including that classic favorite, pimento cheese.
There are daily specials from the minute the place opens at 10 a.m. until the deli shuts down at 3 p.m. On Monday, the aforementioned CSX; Tuesdays, it's the Smoke Stack, a Black Angus burger with your choice of spread, served on a Kaiser roll. On Wednesday, go for the Reuben, which is a Dragon Lady with sauerkraut instead of cole slaw. Thursdays feature my very favorite hard-to-find sandwich: The French Dip - roast beef, sautéed onions and provolone on a heated baguette with au jus for dipping. And on Friday, what better way to kick off the weekend than Carolina-smoked barbecue on a Kaiser roll, with the obligatory slaw on the side?
"We are noted for our scrumptious desserts," the Club Car brochure proclaims. This is not hyperbole, folks. I had a melt-in-your-mouth, still warm Heath Bar cookie. Then, I managed to polish off a soft and sensational Snickerdoodle, just as yummy as Mom's always were.
Other dessert choices include Reese's Pie (does this really need an explanation?), Chocolate-Lovers Spoon Cake (they aren't lying!), Cookie Crumble, Banana Pudding, Banana Split Parfait, sugar-free chocolate mousse and homemade lemon or chocolate pound cake. Save room!
The attractive dining area is surrounded by gifts galore, and a selection of Virginia wines. The Club Car is known for its made-to-order gift baskets, so ask owner Cindy Perry or marketing director Gail Nicely to make one up for you. Once you get a look at what the Club Car can put together, there's really no reason to order from Harry & David.
And then there's the catering end of the business. It's picnic season, after all. Why toil in a hot kitchen when you can pick up the phone and call the Club Car? They're at 525 Main Street - an extension of Ridgeway - and the number is 540-862-0777. Get a closer look at what's available by visiting their web site, www.clubcarva.com.
|
)