Coachman’s Golf Resort: Big City Dining in a Small Town
by Lisa Lathrop on 04/19/10 at 12:50 pm
As Featured in the August 2007 Issue of Madison Originals Magazine.
If you’re searching for a nice quiet place to dine, you’ll find open fields, rolling hills, and good food (at reasonable prices) just 25 miles southeast of Madison at Coachman’s Golf Resort in Edgerton. Coachman’s Golf Resort has been serving food for 44 years from an extensive menu which offers both classic as well as gourmet choices. And you don’t have to be a golfer to eat there!
Eldon and Nira Johnson started Coachman’s in 1963. The Johnsons met while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and married in 1955. Restaurant experience runs in the Johnson family as Eldon’s father owned The Curve Tavern. When his father passed away unexpectedly, Eldon helped his mother with the restaurant and was inspired to open Coachman’s on the same property.
In the early days, the restaurant was famous for its seafood buffet. Lydia Moore, one of the Johnson’s daughters and co-owner of the resort with her brother Mark, recalled that people would line up at the door waiting for the crab legs, lobster tails, and other seafood selections offered on the all-you-can-eat buffet. The buffet was discontinued after about ten years, and Lydia said they tried to bring it back recently, but seafood costs made it impossible.
Nira worked Friday and Saturday evenings as hostess at Coachman’s while raising their five children: Lydia, Mark, Brian, Kathy, and Chad. The Johnson siblings each have been involved in the business throughout their lives, and Eldon encouraged his children to see what else was out there before deciding on a restaurant career. Mark and Lydia came back to Coachman’s and their siblings followed career paths outside of the family business.
Lydia explained that she moved to Chicago and to California and ended up joining the business in 1982. In November, Lydia will celebrate 25 years at Coachman’s. As president, she oversees the back office responsibilities of payroll and bookkeeping. Her three children, Ryan, 24, Justin, 21, and Zach, 18, have all helped at the golf course and restaurant during the busy season.
Both Mark and his wife Theresa have worked at Coachman’s since 1985. Mark is vice president and is responsible for the three nine-hole golf courses. The first golf course opened in 1968, the second in 1970, and the third in 1991. Theresa runs the pro shop and motel office. Their three children, Christopher, 28, Courtney, 25, and Abby, 24, also have worked at the resort in various capacities.
Nira retired from the restaurant in 2005, and when she comes back to visit, regular customers are happy to see her and greet her as a friend. Eldon passed away about 12 years ago.
Executive chef Bryan Keiser is responsible for creating the collection of entrées on the menu. Keiser, a Stoughton native, attended MATC to earn a 2-year degree in Culinary Arts, and has worked at Coachman’s for much of his 12-year restaurant career.
To begin, Coachman’s has a unique selection of appetizers including breaded duckling (fried fillets of duck tenderloin breaded with toasted almonds and bread crumbs) served with a cranberry compote dipping sauce; stuffed mushrooms with a mix of shrimp and crab topped with hollandaise sauce; and broiled and beef brochettes (strip-loin on skewers with green beans, topped with a whole grain mustard cream). You will also find escargot, chicken wings, potato skins, and more.
Bryan recommends the Pecan Walleye, Coachman’s signature fish. Two walleye fillets are hand-breaded with toasted pecans and Japanese-style seasoned bread crumbs, then pan-fried. The fillets are served with creamy remoulade sauce, grilled asparagus, and Parmesan mashed potatoes. Grilled tuna, brown-sugared salmon, beer-battered shrimp, coconut shrimp, and blackened catfish round out the fish and seafood selections.
Meat-eaters will enjoy the eight-ounce Coach Steak, a bistro fillet on a bed of roasted red and green peppers, and caramelized onion, topped with fresh tomato bruschetta, sautéed wild mushrooms, and a gorgonzola compound butter, broiled to blend all of the flavors. Bryan said this is Coachman’s signature steak. Other selections from the butcher block include filet mignon, top sirloin, pork porterhouse, and veal marsala.
Pasta and poultry choices are sun-dried tomato pesto linguini, red wine and artichoke chicken, saffron and lobster ravioli, Prosciutto and gorgonzola ravioli, stuffed chicken, herb-rubbed chicken, duck breast, and chicken Florentine.
Soups are made fresh daily, and some of the selections include white bean and ham, chicken Florentine, chicken dumpling, beer, cheese and brat, baked French onion, and cream of broccoli. “The kitchen staff takes a lot of pride in the fact that 99 percent of what comes out of the kitchen is made fresh in our kitchen,” expresses Bryan. Because of the seasonal nature of the golf business, during the summer there about 50 employees at the restaurant while in the winter there are about 20.
Evening specials include: chicken and dumplings on Wednesday, all-you-can-eat shrimp on Thursday, Friday fish fry or seafood platter, and prime rib or BBQ ribs on Saturday.
Hungry for a burger? Create your own with their “build-your-own” burger. Tuna or bison burgers are also offeredfor those who prefer something even more unique. A lighter fare menu is also available with smaller portions of some of the dinner selections.
Lunch includes a lengthy sandwich menu that includes a French dip, a Monte Cristo, turkey melt, marinated chicken breast, a Reuben, and the Coachman’s club. Try the soup and sandwich buffet which includes a sandwich bar with a variety of breads, sliced meats and cheeses, a selection of homemade salads, and two homemade soups.
Sunday brunch includes a selection of fresh fruit, smoked salmon, eggs Benedict, chef-carved ham, made-to-order omelets, taco dip, and more.
Adjacent to the dining room is the bar which offers a wide selection of wine, beer, and specialty drinks. There is a separate menu for the bar and there is ample seating in the bar for dining. There are four TVs including a big screen so that sports fans can keep track of who is winning.
Three banquet rooms accommodate parties from 20 up to 200, and Bryan said they are in constant use throughout the year for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, birthday and holiday parties, and other functions. A separate banquet menu is available and Bryan said they work with party planners to ensure that everything is done to their request.
Golfers who come in after playing a round, or those who come from longer distances and stay at Coachman’s Golf Resort, are among the customers Bryan sees on a regular basis. “We have people who eat here on a weekly basis,” he explains. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served daily from May through September during the busy golf season.
