| rev:text
| - I want them to go back to four years ago.
Back then the location had a responsive and alert staff. The energy from them fueled the ambiance of experiencing CK's as a destination that you could talk about with friends. Now the Bar and Restaurant are just dead -- on a Saturday night (June 25, 2016) I witnessed an empty restaurant, and nearly empty bar! It's a sad situation to watch the rise and fall of a location that could be the gateway destination for the Ohio Wine Country region of the State.
I am an out of towner and use this as my stay when in the region. Since I was passing through, I came to see a band, and enjoy a dinner. Reading through a new two page menu, I settled on a safe bet - Potato Leek soup. It's a permanent menu item, so it must be mastered by now. I requested a few crackers with it.
When it was delivered, It looked like the kitchen staff opened a eight hour old soup touraine with chunked red skin potatoes and cream that had separated from the stock... almost curdled. Sad to say the potato had turned to in-state mash, and the leeks melted into the boil and were no longer a flavor component -- I could not find any leeks. To top it off the cracker packages were stale - All 7 packs. It made me think I got a side-dish of potato-water-gravy.
I could not finish it... but I wanted something more nutritional. I ran through the options on the menu, and realizing the soup was a failure, started considering my menu options that may have the same lack of care.
I ordered the bacon-cheese burger. The only reason this review did not get one star is because as a "go-to" item on any random bar restaurant menu, the one thing they can't mess up is a burger. It came to me as expected, although they didn't ask how well I wanted the burger made.
The kitchen feels like everything it serves is uninspired cooking. Although the staff in the kitchen want to make and present a good product, they are probably as disgusted as me. I'm sure the group had previous restaurant kitchen experience or are trained in culinary arts. However, it feels as if they are dejected from a lack of chef management direction/guidance. I'm assuming they have a "call it in" chef who leaves for the weekend with pre-made everything but burgers. Is there a chef there anymore?
CK's Lounge is inside a expansive part 2 and 3 story hotel on a country club golf course. They provide over 200 rooms (by recollection) and sits right off the I-90. The golf course is built around upscale homes and provides a great facility for hosting events. Somewhere in recent time, the facility was sold off to an out of state investor group. The changes to the entire property were noticed quickly within one year -- the restaurant and bar were the first to feel different.
In-season this place should be a welcome location for regional visitors (to the wine region to the east, and indirectly boaters.) In the off-season, your customers better be locals who want a place to go to and have a good time (live music and dinner.)
The changes were obvious and from looks of it the kitchen and bar were first on the block to get cut. I feel it's too late for an immediate mea culpa on the changes, however the place is still a viable facility in a very important location on the map. The only thing the management company needs to do is rely on local staff to make judgement calls on behalf of what's best for the location.
I cannot speak for hotel management or owners, but I can speak for CK's Steakhouse and Lounge.
- Change the name. CK's lounge is now a stigma to the brand that was CK's lounge. Reinvent yourself. Come up with a change in the restaurant and bar name and continue reading below.
- Get a regional Cleveland Chef to reinvent the entire menu basing ALL the items on Ohio ingredients. Use regional farmers and produce. Perhaps use a very under marketed aspect to the region and bring Amish produced food or meal components like breads and noodles.
- Drop your dependance on Sysco and US Foods for frozen foodstuff and side-dishes -- we know when you use them. Any customer can go to any mid-size national chain and get the same food. Everything should be purchased fresh.
- Return to the bar and provide live entertainment consistently. I know the bar attendance is primarily provided by guests at the Quail Hollow "resort" however this is where marketing locally will help fill the seats and tables a bit more.
- Start marketing with the wineries to the east -- 20 miles is not a lot when you consider the expanse that is the Napa valley wineries. You are totally isolating yourself by trying to be a first stop out of Cleveland. If I was visiting the region, I would not want to stay at your facility.
That's about it. I've got more energy to spend on this if anyone is willing to talk to me from Quail Hollow, or CK's Steak and Lounge. I would not write this type of review if I didn't care about the place. Growth is not 90 days. It takes years of nurturing to be good.
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