Meadowlark’s fare is no lemon

Doug Tabbert

I was feeling good but hungry as I walked into the clubhouse at

Meadowlark Golf Course after parking my ride under a shady spot,

thanks to an amiable eucalyptus tree.

Golf courses can be wonderful places to eat and relax, even if you

haven’t spent the previous five hours wrenching a small, obstinate

white ball from tee to green. It’s not just the grassy expanse that

the three wall-length windows render observable at Meadowlark’s

restaurant that can alter one’s perspective. There are grandfather

and grandmotherly types lolling out tales. The clientele is

relatively subdued, with many prowling softly around putting surfaces

with neat collars and pleated shorts. With regard to atmosphere and

location, golfers have it made in the shade and diners can have it

made in the kitchen too.

The classic choice would have been the hearty club sandwich that

comes with roasted turkey breast, bacon, lettuce and tomato on rye,

wheat, or sourdough. Chili or clam chowder (available Fridays only)

in a bread bowl would have been a nourishing dish.

I tried the sand wedge quesadilla ($5.99) because my waitress, the

only server in the 12-table restaurant/bar, said this choice

delivered the most food, which, perhaps, is not always the best

criteria for choosing a dish. Fortunately it worked out this time.

The copious pepper jack cheese flowed like proverbial thick lava over

the appropriately seasoned chicken, mellow Cajun peppers and sweet

onions.

The cheese issued forth from the authentic, delicately flaky

tortilla. I would have been able to drink it, had it not immediately

congealed to the inside of my mouth -- not that it wasn’t

scrumptiously satiating, it was. But frankly I missed the salsa,

which wasn’t available upon request. The barbecue sauce and sour

cream condiments were a tangy target but ultimately rendered this

rich dish even heavier. I suggest you split this as an appetizer with

your playing partner.

Most of the lunch items offer guests a choice of French fries,

onion rings, fresh fruit, cole slaw or cottage cheese. I choose the

refreshing cup of fruit, filled with pineapple, cantaloupe and

honeydew melon that helped balance out the meal.

The Cobb salad with turkey and bacon is the biggest hit on a menu

full of sandwiches and burgers. There are currently about five salads

available ($3 to $7), including a Thai chicken salad as well as a

stuffed tuna salad.

Food and Beverage Director Andre Fournier is in the process of

revamping a menu that is already pretty good for a public golf

course, and it should be completed within the next two weeks.