Like most Garth Newel fans, I am always looking forward to my next GNMC concert. For many of us, part of the allure is the opportunity to dine—and dine extraordinarily well, I might add—with fellow audience members and the musicians after the concerts. Exceptional hospitality has been part of the Garth Newel DNA from the very beginning, when GNMC Co-Founder Arlene Di Cecco cooked the meals herself because there was nowhere nearby for concertgoers to eat dinner. From all accounts, she was (and still is) an exceptional cook.
Every meal at Garth Newel is delicious, and the four-course plated dinners that are served most Saturday evenings during the summer are particularly impressive. Every plate is exquisitely crafted with a perfect harmony of taste, texture, and visual appeal. Patrons with dietary restrictions are accommodated flawlessly. The cash bar serves up pre-dinner libations. After the concert, the audience heads out to the portico for hors d’oeuvres and a glass of champagne while the dining tables are moved into place. Once they are set up, everyone finds a seat. Attentive servers bring out baskets of fresh bread each table and offer wine, water, and iced tea. And then, course by course, elegant plates are placed in front of diners, each uniquely delicious and beautiful.
To find out how Garth Newel’s small but expert culinary crew manages to turn out such amazing meals for large crowds, I asked if I could hang out in the kitchen for a day. Executive Chef Josh Elliott agreed with his typical graciousness. So, on the morning of Friday, May 23 (the first day of Founders Weekend), I showed up to experience the culinary magic first-hand. I was welcomed warmly by Josh, Sous Chef Juston “Hot Rod” Hiner, and John Hilton, kitchen staff.
In the Kitchen
When I arrive, Josh is prepping the fettuccine for the appetizer, Hot Rod is expertly carving a watermelon for a fruit tray, John is gathering supplies, crescent rolls are proofing, a large pot filled with fingerling potatoes sits on the back of the stove, and fresh-made blueberry jelly (which will be used in the dessert) is bubbling on a front burner.
The pace seems relaxed, everyone completing one task after another without much conversation. Everyone knows each other so well, and they’ve worked together for so many years, that they do what is needed without direction. The kitchen soundtrack (from Pandora) is a mix of upbeat classic rock. I recognize songs by Tom Petty, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor, the Beatles, Eagles, and Neil Young, among others.
It’s been well over a year since Chef Josh created the menu—in the winter of 2024, he developed all the menus for the 2024–25 program year (June 2024 through May 2025). Because each menu is unique, the team has never prepared these exact dishes before. To remind themselves of what goes into each dish, now and then Josh and Hot Rod refer to the 2024–25 Garth Newel program book, in which the menus for each concert are printed. Hors d’oeuvres, served before the plated courses, are the chef’s choice and often feature fresh seasonal ingredients. For instance, tonight there will be crostini with seasoned Boursin cheese topped with fresh morels and tiny snow pea leaves.
Preparations for that night’s dinner had started the previous day, and today the team will begin prep for Saturday’s dinner. In addition, they make the next day’s breakfast for that evening’s lodging guests. Fresh-baked crescent rolls, juices, quiches, fruit plates, bagels, cream cheese, butter, and cream for coffee are all carefully assembled for delivery to the Manor House kitchen and the Green Room Apartment.
Menu for May 23, 2025
Hors D’oeuvres:
- Sourdough crostini with seasoned Boursin cheese topped with chopped fresh morels and baby snow pea leaves
- White bean and kalamata olive spread on cucumber rounds
- Caramelized onions and blue cheese on rosemary crackers
Appetizer: Roasted mushroom and garlic fettuccine with chive pesto, soft mozzarella, sautéed broccolini, crispy parmesan, pancetta, and fried sage
Salad: Green and red leaf salad with avocado, red onions, cucumber, fried shallots, quinoa, and goat cheese parsley vinaigrette
Entrée: Crab cake on smashed fingerling potatoes; corn and heirloom cherry tomato salsa; creole aioli; frisée and micro green salad; and caper, lemon, and white balsamic vinaigrette
Dessert: Vanilla crème brûlée with raspberry coulis, blueberry jelly, and honey cream
Meanwhile in Herter Hall
While the culinary crew works in the kitchen, the concert hall is also being prepared. The two pianos that will be played during the evening concert are being tuned—a task performed the day of every Garth Newel concert in which a piano is played. Director of Operations Heather Brinkley has already overseen the alignment of chairs for the concert and the setting of the tables for the evening’s meal; she is now making sure that surfaces are gleaming and everything in the hall is in its proper place. Volunteers from the Warm Springs Valley Garden Club have come and gone, having placed arrangements of flowers from their own gardens on each table. They’ve also brought some impressive larger displays for the stage and reception area.
Josh and Hot Rod methodically address the task of preparing each component of each course as listed on the printed menu. One of the first things I notice is that almost all the food is prepared by hand—there is a lot of knife work. Cucumbers and shallots are sliced with a knife, not a food processor or even a mandoline. Frisée and lettuce are washed in a bowl of clean water, then dried, batch by batch, in a salad spinner not much larger than the one I have at home. Appliances are used as needed for the best result—for instance, the chive pesto and Boursin mix are made in a food processor, and the vinaigrette is made in a blender.
Most of the crème brûlées were made the previous day, but a few more are needed, so Josh has made another small batch. Wanting to test for quality, he pulls a chilled cup from the walk-in refrigerator, sprinkles sugar on it, and uses a small torch to caramelize the sugar. This is when I discover one of the side benefits of being a guest in the kitchen: I get to do some taste testing. The crème brûlée is perfect. It has just the right level of sweetness and a texture that is creamy and smooth, and the caramelized sugar has a satisfying crunch.
In the afternoon, Hot Rod trims rack of lamb for the next day’s dinner. He makes it look easy as he deftly removes silverskin and fat and portions the ribs. I comment on his expertise, and with a smile he acknowledges, “I do like butchering meat.”
Lisa Hamilton, sous chef, arrives mid-afternoon with a big smile on her face. She’s a teacher, and she’s just finished her last school day of the year. With her presence, the mood changes subtly. Where there has been companionable quiet, now there are more smiles and laughter, and the occasional sharing of photos on phones. The lighter mood comes just at the right time, offsetting the increasing pressure as time gets short.
There are a couple of snags during the day. The morning delivery didn’t include everything that had been ordered, so calls are made, and the driver soon returns with the missing cheese and fruit. Later, in the afternoon, Lisa discovers that there is not enough of the previously prepared crab mixture to make the necessary number of cakes. There will be no skimping on portion size, so she mixes up another big batch and hand-forms the cakes one by one.
The genius of Josh’s approach slowly dawns on me as I observe. The components of each dish are prepared separately so that when it is time to serve, each course can be carefully composed on the plates. The result is pure artistry: in addition to the delightful presentation and freshness, the distinct flavors and textures are wonderfully balanced and complementary, a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth.
“I like to keep the dishes fresh and simple,” Josh tells me. “I don’t do a lot of elaborate sauces. Building the dishes with separate components makes it easier to accommodate dietary restrictions. In my menus, I try to use ingredients that are okay for most people, so we don’t need to do a lot of substitutions.”
Gluten free? No problem—rice noodles are substituted for the fettuccine. Alpha-gal or can’t eat pork? Pancetta is left off the appetizer. And so on. Administrative Coordinator Nikki Bowes provided all the information on that night’s special accommodations well in advance, so the kitchen team knows exactly what to do, and Director of Operations Heather Brinkley has posted a table chart with service details including which guests get the special plates.
There’s an operational payoff to Josh’s modular approach, too. When the time comes to serve, the final dish is created in a sort-of assembly line process, allowing all 80 plates to be table-ready relatively quickly.
About 3 p.m., bar staff and servers start to show up. Like the chefs, they know exactly what to do and set about doing it with no fuss. Lisa is thrilled; all the servers were once her students, and they are doing great.
By 4:30 p.m., a half hour before the concert begins, the kitchen still feels calm, but I sense more intensity of focus. It’s the home stretch, and everyone is on their A game. When long-time patrons and board members pop into the kitchen to say hi, they are greeted warmly, and the culinary crew is relaxed enough to genuinely enjoy a brief chat with old friends.
Because every dish must be fresh when served, they are not plated until after the concert ends at about 7:00 p.m. But the servers are ready to go with beverages and baskets of bread to be taken out as soon as guests are seated.
As the servers head out to the hall, the first course is being plated. Eighty plates are lined up on the tables, and ingredients are arranged on a rolling cart. Josh first portions out the fettuccine, which has already been tossed with the chive pesto, and Lisa adds roasted mushrooms, fried sage, and pancetta, trying to build the height of the dish to achieve the desired aesthetic. Then the mozzarella balls and a ladle of sauce.
Hot Rod checks the menu and realizes that the sautéed broccolini has not been added, so that goes on top. “You saved the day!” says Josh. Finally, a scattering of the crispy parmesan completes the dish, and the first course is ready to be served.
The team plates the next three courses in the same manner.
Out in the dining room, there are smiles and laughter, and audible sounds of appreciation. It’s been another remarkable evening at Garth Newel, and everyone is happy.
Try this at home! Chef Josh’s Crab Cakes
Ingredients:
1 lb lump crab meat
1 egg
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 tbsp chopped chives
2 tsp whole grain mustard (optional)
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
Cooking oil for frying
Method:
Place premium lump crab meat in a bowl. To this, add mayonnaise, panko, lemon juice, chives, the mustard if you are using it, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the mixture gently with a large spoon or spatula until the ingredients are well distributed. Form into cakes in your desired size—small for appetizers, or larger for an entrée. When almost time to serve, pan-fry the cakes in oil, flipping once, until both sides are nicely browned and the internal temperature reaches 165°.
On May 25, the crab cakes were served as an entrée on a bed of smashed fingerling potatoes with corn and heirloom cherry tomato salsa, creole aioli, frisée and micro green salad, and caper, lemon, and white balsamic vinaigrette with a micro greens topper.
The Culinary Crew
Josh Elliott, Executive Chef
Juston “Hot Rod” Hiner, Sous Chef
Lisa Hamilton, Sous Chef
John Hilton, Chief Steward
Heather Brinkley, Director of Operations
Marjorie Hevener, Bartender and Shift Lead
Marjorie, Jackson, Faith, Gabriele, Sarah, Madison, Kelsey, Jordon, Darah, Haley, and Lisa—Servers
