Dining in Romeoville
Visitors to Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville come for a five-star golfing experience, and that’s exactly what they get. Beyond the immaculate greens, inside the club’s unassuming fifty-seat restaurant lies the delightful surprise of world-class cooking. The culinary quality far surpasses that of the average sports bar, and this is due to the efforts of the man behind the grill, Executive Chef Jim Shamet.
After 22 years of experience, Shamet is a seasoned veteran of the cooking industry. He started at George Jewel Catering, where he was awarded a coveted Silver Plate award by the International Foodservice Management Association. From there, he moved to Georgis Catering, the number one aviation caterer in the world. After two years, he was named Executive Chef.
Shamet has cooked meals for some grade-A celebrities, including Princess Diana and Prince Charles, the Chicago Bulls, the Chicago Bears, Cardinal Joseph Bernadine, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Willis, Steven Spielberg and many more. He still looks back in awe at some of the things he has seen: “It wouldn’t be unusual for me to be cooking at someone’s house and notice ‘That looks like an original Picasso’ and have them respond with ‘That’s because it is.’”
As exciting as tickling the taste buds of some of the world’s most well-known people could be, at times the workload and hours were hard to manage. Surprisingly, professional athletes weren’t the clients with the biggest appetites. “One time I got a call in the middle of the night telling me that 20 Leer jets were getting ready to leave the Polo Ball [a benefit to raise money for landmine removal] and they were all hungry from their night out on the town,” said Shamet incredulously. “I had to gather my team and make custom gourmet meals for all of them before their planes left at 4 a.m……the job could be very unpredictable and stressful at times.”
After eight years in the pressure cooker that is aviation catering, Jim Shamet decided he wanted a job where he could work more normal hours and interact with the clientele. His employment at Mistwood was serendipitous: he happened to be golfing there when the owners recognized him. They asked if he could do some work for them training and advising the cooking staff. They were so impressed with his work after that that they offered him a full-time position as Executive Chef.
The once-struggling restaurant at Mistwood is now top-rated, and Jim Shamet couldn’t be happier. He may not get to rub elbows with the ultra-elite, but he does get to rub elbows: “In my old jobs, I was always stuck in someone’s kitchen or in my own. I never really got to talk to the clients. Now, I have plenty of time to mingle with the customers and really see how they liked the food. It’s instant gratification.”
Even though the restaurant primarily serves a less exotic menu of burgers and steaks, there is still room for experimentation. “Our second-most popular item isn’t even on the menu,” chuckles Shamet. “A lot of the regulars ask for the Chef’s Special, which is whatever I was able to put together that particular morning. It’s a chance for me to be creative.”
Shamet stumbled on his vocation by a fortuitous accident. He attended the University of Iowa to play football, but when a knee injury put him on the sidelines, he found solace in a gift from his mother. A “phenomenal cook,” she had given him some of her old cookbooks when he went off to school. Within two weeks, he discovered that cooking “was automatic.” Twenty-two years later, the Lisle native has now returned to his roots by sharing his gift with the Chicago suburbs.
Thanks to Jim Shamet’s cooking and new ownership, business is booming, and Mistwood Golf Club is moving forward on plans to build a brand new, larger restaurant, giving Shamet even more space and tools to work with. It appears that together, Shamet and Mistwood have found a recipe for success.
Try These Great Romeoville Area Restaurants
At’s-A-Nice Pizza
334 Independence Blvd.
Romeoville, IL 60446
815-886-5200
Bennigan’s
145 S. Weber Road
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
630-679-1470
China City Buffet
330 N. Independence Blvd.
Romeoville, Il 60446
815-293-3300
Cilantro Mexican Grill & Bar
634 S. Weber Road
Romeoville, IL 60446
815-230-3500
Eggman’s Restaurant and Omelette House
345 Independence Blvd.
Romeoville, IL 60446
815-293-4041
Family Square Restaurant
372 S. Route 53
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
630-739-7191
Fat Ricky’s & The Original Old World Pizza of Elmwood Park
660 N. Independence Blvd.
Romeoville, IL 60446
815-293-2900
Hollywood Boulevard Cinema Bar and Eatery
1001 W. 75th Street
Woodridge, IL 60517
630-427-1880
Louie’s Chophouse & Banquets
700 W. Jefferson Street
Shorewood, IL 60431
815-725-9800
Michael’s Pizza, Inc.
422 N. Weber Road
Romeoville, IL 60446
815-886-7159
Mickey’s Grill-N-Pub
377 Budler Road
Romeoville, IL 60446
815-436-8853
Nick’s Barbeque Romeoville
649 N. Independence Blvd.
Romeoville, IL 60446
815-372-0578
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
215 S. Weber Road
Bolingbrook, IL 60490
630-759-5191
Rosati’s Pizza
463 N. Weber Road
Romeoville, IL 60446
815-293-2600
TGI Friday’s
157 S. Weber Road
Bolingbrook, IL, 60490
630-771-9860
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