River Cities Business Journal: Business Profile

Chef planning to establish the best eatery on the river, Cordon Bleu-trained chef promises comfort food with great service

River Cities Business Journal

MOHAVE VALLEY - Ross Seidner gets a big grin on his face when he talks about restaurant he's working on at El Rio Country Club.

He says The Terrace at El Rio is going to be the best restaurant on either side of the river.

If someone is going to try to establish the best restaurant on either side of the river, Seidner may just be the right man to do it.

His pedigree includes studying at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and working at high quality restaurants in New York City, like Le Cirque and Windows on the World. After leaving New York he tried other aspects of specialty food preparation.

“I moved out to California and involved in special event catering and front of house operations,” Seidner said. “I really enjoyed those special events, putting them together and seeing everybody at the end of the event totally loving everything that happened and really expressing total satisfaction.”

Then he made another career change.

“I got into designing food and beverage operations for Indian casinos. I did what is now Trump 29 Casino from the ground up and a casino near the Temecula area called Cahuilla,” Seidner said.

His next step was to become food and beverage director at Borrego Springs Resort in California.

“I moved down to the Havasu area to be closer to some family. I didn't really find my niche until I saw an ad for this place and I met with Greg Ellis (director of golf operations at El Rio),” Seidner said. We hit it off right away. What he was looking for and what the Hoovers were looking for seemed to be the vision that I saw for this place when I saw the plans for it.”

Brad Hoover, chief operating officer of Hoover Quality Homes, wants to create a private club atmosphere at a public facility at the El Rio golf course.

“The plans are to be a full service restaurant serving breakfast lunch and dinner,” Seidner said. “The concept behind the restaurant is that although we're open to the public, people who come in here will feel like they're a member of a private club.”

Seidner promises first class service with high quality food and reasonable prices.

“You'll be able to come in here and have everything from a low carb salad to one of our classic items, a stacked steak sandwich with slow roasted tomatoes and grilled onions,” Seidner said. “We'll have New York steaks and a mainstay dish of fettuccini Alfredo prepared four different ways and then we'll bring in specials. I purposely designed a dinner menu that is small so we can really show some high end talent out of the kitchen.

“Dinner prices will be anywhere from $11 to $25. Lunch prices will be anywhere from $7.95 to $10. That's a reasonable price.”

Seidner also promises down to earth food like hamburgers and fish and chips.

“It's not a matter of overstating the cuisine,” Seidner said. “It's comfort food with fine service.”