L.A.-based artist Andie Dinkin’s “Dinner at Vincenti” is a main fixture of the design at Caruso’s Trattoria within The Miramar Lake Club. (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for Caruso)
Caruso’s Trattoria at The Miramar Lake Club. (Photo by Benedicte Jacob)
“The club had been there for over 20 years, and it was a nice place,” says Caruso. “But it was tired, and there hadn’t been much improvement to it.” While the 18,000-square-foot clubhouse and Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole, par-3 golf course remain intact, the latter has received some much-needed attention. The more substantial changes, however, come in the form of entirely new amenities. “We built a brand-new wellness center, a brand-new pool, two new restaurants and bars. People are thrilled,” Caruso shares.
“This is a very different kind of golf club. It’s not buttoned up and stuffy and staid,” he explains. “It’s not the club of our parents or our grandparents.”
Perhaps the biggest changes at The Miramar Lake Club came through the dining. There is Good Sport Grill, serving your typical grilled cheese, Caesar salad, standard American fare, and then there’s Caruso’s Trattoria, the most notable departure from what you’d expect at a traditional clubhouse.
Behind the concept is chef Massimo Falsini of Michelin-starred Caruso’s at Rosewood Miramar Beach, where he continues to helm the kitchen. Managing day-to-day dining operations at The Miramar Lake Club is executive chef Michele Lisi. “The food is just beyond exceptional,” Caruso praises. “Some of the best food—not just in Ventura County, but in L.A.” As for the drinks, the New School group, which also manages the bar program at his and Nancy Silverton’s Spacca Tutto, is shaking things up, while the wine list has ranked among the 100 best wine cellars in the world, according to Wine Spectator magazine.
Executive chef Michele Lisi. (Photo by Benedicte Jacob)
A selection of Italian fare from Caruso’s Trattoria. (Photo by Benedicte Jacob)
At Caruso’s Trattoria, that philosophy extends to the design, which has an instantly recognizable “Caruso” sensibility. “I think you want to have a level of glamour and decorum, as well as making people feel good, feel welcome, feel pampered,” says Caruso.
Custom woodwork, a sparkling Lalique chandelier and even a bar using wood all sourced from the same tree are to evoke a contemporary Californian design elegance, even utilizing an art piece titled “Dinner at Vincenti” by L.A.-based artist Andie Dinkin. “My design team just did an incredible job. They crushed it,” shares Caruso. “It’s next level. It’s very glamorous. It’s a bit of old Hollywood. It has that warmth that we put in all of our properties that makes you feel welcome and comfortable—that it’s your place,” he continues.
The bar at Caruso’s Trattoria, The Miramar Lake Club’s new upscale Italian dining concept. (Photo by Benedicte Jacob)
“We never want to build a place that’s too pristine, that you’re worried about sitting on something or relaxing,” Caruso explains. “You want to build an environment that feels like your home, your living room, where you just want to spend the day and relax. That’s our signature on all of our properties.”
With all members’ clubs, though, there always has been the stigma of exclusivity; Caruso thinks about it differently. “Clubs have become very popular, in my looking at it, where it revolves around family and friends and the sense of community,” he explains. “I’m not building clubs to be super-secret hideaways, buttoned up, stiff, put-offish. I have no interest in that.” Instead, he envisions a place where familiar faces know your name, the service feels second nature and members of every generation feel equally welcome.
“That’s what I like. It’s no different than the premise of all of our properties, whether it’s The Grove, The Americana at Brand or Palisades Village. It’s open and available to everybody,” emphasizes Caruso. “We just want to create an environment where people can come together, relax and unwind. The world is complicated and stressful, and I enjoy creating an environment that allows you to escape that.”
Beyond dining, Caruso hopes to further instill that environment at The Miramar Lake Club through expansive programming for children and families, alongside new wellness amenities, while staying true to the country club must-haves. “The course is beautiful, and it’s very family-friendly,” he says. “The 18-hole par-three course you can play within a couple of hours.” Add a swimming pool and state-of-the-art tennis courts, and the result is a club designed for much more than golf.
As he continues to evolve what a members’ club can be with The Miramar Lake Club, “The rule at all of our properties is we’re in the hospitality business,” he states. “This is really designed around hospitality. At our properties, the rule is you never say ‘no.’”