Anthony Wayne was born January 1, 1745 in Pennsylvania and died December 15, 1796. He was a United States Army general during the  American Revolutionary War. His military finesse and fiery temper earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the nick name, Mad Anthony.

Anhtony had many distinguished battles including in Virginia, Wayne led Lafayette’s advance forces in an action at Green Spring, where he led a bayonet charge against the numerically superior British forces after stepping into a trap set by Charles Cornwallis, thus increasing his popular reputation as a bold commander. After the British surrendered at Yorktown, he went further south and severed the British alliance with Native American tribes in Georgia. He then negotiated peace treaties with both the Creek and the Cherokee, for which Georgia rewarded him with the gift of a large rice plantation. He was then promoted to major general on October 10, 1783.

Later in life President Washington placed Wayne in command of a newly-formed military force called the “Legion of the United States”. Wayne established a basic training facility at Legionville to prepare professional soldiers for his force. Wayne made the very first attempt to provide basic training for regular U.S. Army recruits, and Legionville was the first facility established expressly for this purpose.

So how did Waynesville get it’s name from Mad Anthony?  Even though Wayne never set foot in Waynesville, in 1811 Colonel Robert Love who donated the land for the courthouse, jail and town square, in the then Mount Prospect, suggested the name. Love had fought in the American Revolution and admired Wayne for his quick temper and bravery during the revolution.

While Anthony Wayne isn’t as familiar to the general public as other Revolutionary heroes, his name lives on throughout our country.  The following namesakes bear witness to the respect he earned in his lifetime.  15 Counties, 8 Cities (including Fort Wayne, IN),  5 Towns (including Waynesville, NC),  5 Townships, 2 Boroughs, 2 Communities, 6 villages, 1 River, 1 National Forest and 1 Super Hero.

Wait…Super Hero?!  Yes!  Bill Finger, the co-creator of Batman, named his character’s alter ego Bruce Wayne after Mad Anthony.  In the DC comics Bruce Wayne is depicted as Anthony Wayne’s direct descendant, and it has been said that Wayne Manor (“To the Bat-pole!”) was built on land given to General Wayne for service during the Revolutionary War. So that means Gotham City isn’t New York, it’s Savannah!

So while you dine at the new Anthony Wayne’s in The Gateway Club you can say I know who he is, an American hero, a Statesman, and yes, a Super Hero! Fitting for a building that houses such history for the Town of Waynesville, North Carolina.

We are also still offering memberships for those that would like to take part in the extras The Gateway Club has to offer. Such as 10% off your dining room bill, discounts on purchasing wines for your home cellar, member only events, and much more.

Our first Member only event will take place this Friday September 30th and will be a cocktail party to say thank you to all of our members.

Here are all the exciting changes and things that were too good to change.

What will be the same

• Creative New American Cuisine
• A Service-Centered Staff whose goal is to provide you in a manner of excellence
• Unique dining environment like no other in Waynesville
• Social and Business connectivity

What will be new

• New faces on our staff
• Menus with favorite items and daily specials
• Increased activity and non members in the dining room

Benefits of Membership

• 10% discount on all food and beverage purchases in the dining room
• Wine purchases at 30% above wholesale for the home/cellar collection.
• Priority Reservations
• Continue to maintain accounts and receive statements detailing usage.
• Periodic Members only events and cocktail parties
• Use of 2nd floor conference space without rental fees
• Rental fee for the ballroom is waived

Remember when you were a child, or even now, when someone says good Local Southern Comfort Cooking how your mouth starts to water at the sound of everything that will be around the picnic table that evening? Here is a preview of Saturday’s menu and The Gateway’s take on those good Southern feelings.

Fried Chicken

Squash Carpaccio

Green Beans(the greasy kind!)

Potatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes

Roasted Patty Pan Squash

Fried Okra

Butter Beans

Cucumbers and Sliced Tomatoes

Corn on the Cob

Fresh Sunburst Trout Station (cooked to order right in front of you)

Corn Bread and Biscuits

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

To top it all off we will have  Arnold Palmers (hard and original)! Is your mouth watering yet?

Cost is $15 person and please RSVP ya’ll!

As part of the Young Professionals we also email a monthly $5 certificate good during Gerry’s Place Professionals hour from 5-6:30pm each night, and if you refer a friend or business colleague and they join you get $15 in food credits the next month. It is always more fun when you have your friends around!

The Gateway Club as a YP is a great place to mingle with others in your field or meet new prospective clients in a comfortable setting. Our bar tender Gerry always makes your feel welcome even if you come alone to unwind before going home. It is also a great venue to business lunches and meetings. While anyone can host an event at the Gateway members are able to reserve rooms at no cost for the first two hours or even the ballroom at a reduced rate. The benefits of membership also extend to our award winning culinary team. The food at the Club is always impeccable and the staff will cater to your every need. Email julie@thegatewayclub.com for more information on joining or come to one of our mingles. They are always the second Thursday and fourth Tuesday of the month and you can follow us on Facebook for reminders of upcoming events.

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for the 5th of May. It is a holiday commemorating the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It is celebrated mostly in the state of Puebla and in the US. It is not a Mexican holiday, but a holiday created by Americans in support of this battle. This is not to be confused with Mexican Independence Day on September 16th.

This year Cinco de Mayo falls on Viva Vino Thursdays so we decided it would be fun to have a Mexican inspired menu for the night and Sangria for Viva Vino. Our $5 Gerry’s Place menu will have items such as quesadillas, avocado salad, and nachos.

Kentucky Derby

Called the Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports is definitely true. The Derby is a race for three year old Thoroughbreds and is the culmanation of the two week long Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. It takes place since 1875 on the First Saturday in May and is followed by the Preakness and Belmont Derbys to complete the Triple Crown.  Part of the traditions of the Kentucky Derby are Mint Juleps, Burgoo, Strawberries and Cream and Kentucky Hot Browns.

We will have all of this and more Saturday May 7th at the Club. Not only will we be serving the official drinks of the derby, and we will have a hat contest while showing the Fastest Two Minutes in sports.

There is always something for everyone at The Gateway Club. Part of its charm is we love to celebrate the “Fun Holidays” as well as the traditional ones like our famous Mother’s Day Brunch.

With Earth Day this week, lets talk Green. The Gateway Club strives to go above and beyond to help the environment by recycling, trying to reduce food waste and most of all by serving an event wine that also goes above and beyond.

Our event wine Trinity Oaks, a Trinchero Family Estates Wine, not only has a fruit-forward, food-friendly taste, it is a Green friendly company. For every bottle sold they plant a tree. They have 5 different wines to choose from a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. To date they have planted almost 5 MILLION trees!

Not only do they plant a tree for every bottle sold, but they also are sustainable, have reduced the amount of water used to create wine, and compost. You can read more about their environmental standards here.

Remember it is all the little steps put together that add up to a greener tomorrow.  What will you do to help this Earth Day?

The Winning Gateway Team with Mayor Brown

Haywood County. In its 7th year over 200 people enjoyed culinary delights from 12 restaurants competing in 10 different categories; Soup, Salad, Meat, Fowl, Seafood, Vegetarian, Dessert, Peoples Choice, Rookie Award and Best in Show.  The competition took place in none other than the historic Gateway Club’s ballroom.

The Gateway Club led by Chef de Cuisine Daniel Morris placed…

First – Soup – Smoked Corn and Lobster

First – Salad – Grilled Romaine with Rib Eye

First – Dessert – 3 Way Latte

Second – Vegetarian – Carrot Cakes with Chai Syrup

Third – Fowl – Seared Duck Breast with Orange Chipotle Sauce, Potato Hash, Wilted Greens and Ramp Chips

Third – Seafood – Bacon and Blue Mussels

Be sure to congratulate Chef Daniel and his team on their accomplishments and be sure to look for some of  these items on the menu in the near future. You can currently try the Bacon and Blue Mussels on the menu right now!

well, that is of course how business gets done!  The Gateway Club is closed to restaurant business on Mondays so we have started a Facebook campaign to get our loyal followers to patronize our beloved corporate sponsors.

Why become a corporate sponsor?  Well why not?  Not only do we put you on our website, but we also spotlight your business on our Facebook page.  Also once you have paid the initiation fee your employees can join without having to pay the initiation fee.  This then becomes an added perk for wanting to work for your business and builds loyalty among your staff.

Our meeting and events space is unparalleled anywhere in the area, and our corporate partners get full access to this space for staff meetings, presentations, hiring, or the company Christmas Party.  We invite you to see who are current corporate partners are, maybe you want to become one or stop by and see them.  Be sure to tell them you heard about their business here!

You can also watch a great segment on entrepreneurship below that features not only us, but two of our corporate sponsors as well.

http://www-tc.pbs.org/video/media/swf/PBSPlayer.swf

Watch the full episode. See more NC Now.

With Spring in the air and wedding season upon us, I would like to introduce you to the immense possibilities of a wedding and reception at The Gateway Club.  We have many options to fit any budget, and the Ballroom is also open to members and non-members.  Our head of events Suzanne Tinsley can help you plan and execute your dream wedding, call her at 828-456-6789 to reserve the Ballroom for your special day.  Rain, shine, or snow the Grand Ballroom is sure to please.

These are just a few options for the Ballroom.  The Grand Ballroom is an exquisite space to host an event and will accommodate 25 to 250 for a reception and comfortably seat up to 200 of you closest friends and family for a more formal sit down dinner.

Call now to reserve The Grand Ballroom, your special is waiting at The Gateway Club.

Originally from Nashville, TN, Marshall vacationed in the mountains of Western North Carolina as a child and again when in college. He had theopportunity to spend a summer at Lake Junaluska and became “hooked” to the area. Marshall has lived in Western Carolina for almost eleven years.

Marshall’s history with wine began with his father who is a wine collector. He has been around wine most of his life and worked at a wine shop for five and a half years. Marshall holds a 1st Level Certification from the International Court of Sommeliers and created a Wine Spectator Award Winning wine list. Marshall’s experience provides a major contribution to The Gateway Club.

You can request Marshall to help you navigate our wine list most nights.  We even have one night dedicated to wine…Viva Vino is every Thursday starting at 6pm.  Marshall chooses four wines each week for you to try.  The cost is $5 and we give you heavy pours of each wine as well as Marshall to guide you through the flavors, smells and lingo (such as flavor forward) that only the best Sommelier can provide.

See you at The Gateway.