Hints to Avoid the Lines at the Snuggery

Last summer, the third in a row, the Snuggery made a small profit. And, since the antiquated refrigerator was replaced two years ago with an efficient model, the Club's electricity bills have decreased greatly. For many years, the Club's little snack bar finished the summer in the red, which meant funds had to be allocated to cover the losses, some of them as high as $8,000.

The reason the Snuggery is now self-sustaining is because of the prudent decision the Board made to stop using a food service business to purchase the food and figure the bills. (If you haven't already done it, give a big thank you to sage members Bill Monks and Stew Creelman for the decision to have the Club operate the Snuggery.) These days, the Snuggery is under the direction of the Field Club Board, with assistance from Jim Girotti, while Food Service Director Eileen Mason makes careful buying decisions.

Thank you to all the members who waited patiently on busy days last summer while their tuna wraps and grilled cheese sandwiches were handcrafted by Snuggery staffers. It's pretty difficult for staff members to move around efficiently inside the kitchen, since it is the size of a vest pocket. At noon time, when hoards of swimmers and tennis-ers are hungry, it is a real challenge to serve up all the orders in a timely fashion. Every item in the Snuggery is made to order. Remember, the Snuggery is not McDonald's, with pre-made burgers and fries. Instead, it offers a wide array of food items from salads to hot dogs to burgers to ham-n-cheese-on-rye-with-pickles, all handmade by your Snuggery staff.

So, the next time you come to the Field Club and decide to eat lunch, here are some alternatives to possible long lunchtime waits on sweltering hot days:

• You can order your lunch in the morning and pick it up at noon (the Snuggery opens at 10:30 a.m.).
  
  
• Sandwiches made after the mid-day rush is over are just as delicious as those made at noon.
  
  
• You can bring your own lunch to eat at the picnic tables near the baby pool and order soft serve with sprinkles for dessert. Then, you can order lunch on days or at times when there are no lines.
  
  
• Be patient and expect long-ish waits during the noon hour when there are crowds on hot days.

A new Massachusetts law for allergy sufferers will ensure restaurant employees understand how to handle food allergy issues during preparation and cooking. It requires these changes in every restaurant:

1. Display in the staff area a poster describing possible allergens. The Field Club Snuggery will also hang this poster (991kb - .pdf) beside the adults' and children's order windows.

2. Attend an allergen awareness training. Eileen Mason has completed the mandatory training on the new law.

3. Include this notice on every menu: Before placing your order, please inform your server if a person in your party has a food allergy (note: see example of Snuggery Menu below this article).

The Field Club Snuggery has always been sensitive to those members and guests who have allergies. In fact, our Snuggery staff keeps a list of those families whose members have food allergies. As in previous summers, Eileen would like you to notify her if any person in your family should be added to the list. In past years, families who attended the new members' orientation were asked to let Eileen know about any food allergies so that information could be posted in the Snuggery and communicated to Snuggery staff. And Eileen welcomes that information at any time, so talk to Eileen if you or your child has recently become sensitive to a food.

The new law also requires that those with allergies let their servers know they have an allergy. That said, we are now asking members, in addition to letting Eileen know ahead of time, to also write a note about their food sensitivities across the order sheet when handing in the menu. For example, you may write: allergy to peanuts or wheat gluten intolerance.

The Snuggery does have peanut butter on its menu, and the staff will make sandwiches and bagels with that ingredient. However, as a precaution for those who may be allergic, Eileen has always prepared peanut butter with disposable utensils on a separate counter so that ingredient will not make its way to the area where other food is prepared.

— Katherine Charbonneau

Please see the following example of how to fill out a Snuggery Menu to let the servers know you have a food allergy:

Monday - Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.