Rock Spring Club

Located near Montclair NJ is this Country Club with amazing views of Manhattan. The view alone is a reason to go. We didn’t golf there but if the views from the course are also of Manhattan I’d probably golf there everyday.
We went to this club for dinner. It’s a little complicated to get to and you drive through a very residential neighborhood leading into the club. As you come onto the property the first thing is a pretty large parking lot. With 2, yes, 2 disabled spots. Really? That’s all? To go with that huge parking lot? Interesting. I assumed they would have valet parking, but nope. Not that night. Maybe other times, I don’t know.
Entering into the club it’s beautiful. Perhaps slightly outdated, but very «CC» type décor. There is a nice dining room that can be sectioned off for private parities. Great flexibility. Some of the tables have a first row view of Manhattan. If you go there be sure to ask for a «table with a view».
Now the menu is only ok. Not cohesive or well organized. Felt to me like each board member got to «pick a fav» for the menu. So some fish. Some meat. Some apps that were Asian. Some with a Mexican pov. You get the idea. All over the place.
We ordered a bunch of soups and apps. The soup was reheated I think. Very hot. The duck apps were ok. All in all, the food was not memorable, and not really worth the prices, which were on the menu. The crème brûlée for dessert was deemed very good. And the house wines were not bad, with a generous pour.
The service was also all over the place. I think they were trying, but without any leadership the best efforts often don’t work.
With new management this place will rock. Fantastic views. I’ll be back in the fall and hope the staff is better trained by then. And that the menu is better. And fresher.