You’ve probably never dined at a club whose members possess one-sixth of the world’s wealth. But that was the Jekyll Island Club at the turn of the 20th century. I visited the club recently and dined in the Grand Dining Room, where J.P. Morgan, Rockefeller, and other plutocratic members took their meals. While the Georgia club is now open to the public, and its guests probably don’t control global finance, I discovered that it’s still a spectacular place to visit.
Welcome to the Grand Dining Room at Jekyll Island
The Grand Dining Room at Jekyll Island Club Resort features nature-themed custom-made carpet, muted green crown molding, and crossbeams against cream walls. Snowy white shutters tilted inward to mute the sunlight. I almost expected to see the Vanderbilts or the Goodyears in the buffet line, helping themselves to some scrambled eggs and bacon, but everyone seemed to be of this century.
Our small group settled in at a table near the fireplace. The soft lighting from the antique-style chandeliers above lightened the room. I had hard choices to make. The buffet offered potatoes, sausage, bacon, biscuits, sausage gravy, grits, sliced fruit, granola, yogurt, assorted cereals, breakfast pastries, scrambled eggs, and, if you were particular about the eggs, an omelet station.
I chose the scrambled eggs, grits, bacon, and biscuits, which I drenched with the sausage gravy. Our server brought me Earl Grey tea in a small pot. The bacon was crisp enough to snap as I bit into it. The biscuit absorbed the gravy perfectly. The eggs were fluffy. I could tell the buttered grits were not instant.
History of Jekyll Island
In 1886, a group of elite millionaires bought Jekyll Island as a winter hunting retreat. The club was dubbed “the richest, the most exclusive, the most inaccessible club in the world.” The Queen Anne-style Clubhouse was built in 1888.
Many members wanted more space, so they built “cottages,” which were actually mansions. J.P. Morgan and a few of his friends built Sans Souci, one of the country’s first condominiums. Others, like Richard Teller Crane, Jr., owner of Crane Plumbing, built winter homes here. He built Crane Cottage, an Italian Renaissance-style, 20-bedroom, 17-bath cottage in 1919. Few cottages had kitchens, as members were expected to dine communally in the Grand Dining Room.
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By 1942, when German submarines were seen in the waters off Georgia, the club disbanded. The island was sold to the state of Georgia in 1947, and its historic district became a National Historic Landmark and a state park.
Today, over 30 historic structures are on the island. Many can be viewed on trolley tours or by walking through the Historic Village. Some are open to the public; others are part of the hotel complex or the Jekyll Island Authority. The island is famous for its seven beaches, four golf courses, and the Wanderers Memory Trail, marking where the second-to-last illegal slave ship landed in 1858 with over 400 enslaved Africans. The island is home to Georgia’s only sea turtle rescue facility. It’s worth touring.
Shrimp and Grits Cooking
After our explorations, Executive Chef Ryan Caldwell gave us a demonstration in the Grand Dining Room of how he makes shrimp and grits for Jekyll Island’s annual Shrimp and Grits Festival.
Along with the standard bacon, sausage, and shrimp, he used a few “secret ingredients” — Yuengling Beer, Tabasco sauce, and Cajun seasoning. The shrimp were large white Georgia shrimp cooked until just tender, and the sauce was tangy enough to tickle my palate. The grits were cooked with milk, water, lots of butter and cheese, and the beer adds a kind of funk. It’s a unique take on one of my favorite dishes.
Champagne Sabering
On our first evening there, we experienced a tradition dating back to Napoleon’s cavalry— a Champagne sabering on the Clubhouse veranda, where a staff member opened champagne by slicing off the cork with a saber. I was amazed to see the cork fly off into the evening sky.
Then we enjoyed a glass and toasted the beautiful sunset over the Jekyll River.
Afternoon Tea
We were lucky to attend a Gilded Era Afternoon Tea, as club members did in the late 1800s.
When we entered the Grand Dining Room, musicians were playing a violin and a cello. The leisurely tea began with a glass of champagne. A server asked for our tea choices. From the four options, I chose Fireside Fig and Port Tea. When our teapot arrived, the tea tasted like a rich Earl Grey flavored with fresh figs.
Servers brought three courses, beginning with scones and croissants. A server did a champagne sabering and then refreshed our champagne glasses.
The second course was small sandwiches. The ham and cheese on a tiny bun was my favorite.
We ended the tea with a Tower of Delights: The top level offered chicken and watercress, pimento cheese and chive finger sandwiches, and smoked salmon mousse with herbed cream cheese. The middle and lower rows presented fresh fruit and desserts. The fresh blackberries burst into juicy morsels as I bit into them.
Alexander’s Bar and Boars Head Lounge
The small, curved bar tucked in near the entrance to the Grand Dining Room looked vaguely familiar. It was created as a set for the 2000 movie, The Legend of Bagger Vance, which was filmed here.
The Wharf Restaurant
History and food also mix at another of the resort’s restaurants. The Wharf is on the pier overlooking the Jekyll River. During the club days, members would usually take their private railcar to Brunswick and then be transported here on the club’s 100-foot steamer, The Jekyll Island. A few came in their private yachts.
The Wharf is the best spot to watch the sunset from the outdoor deck. Since it was cool, we chose indoor dining even though the band was playing soothing music on the deck.
The food is a mix of Southern American-style dishes and seafood. Their fried green tomatoes appetizers practically melt in your mouth. I was torn between the Low Country Boil with Georgia white shrimp, crawfish, mussels, smoked sausage, sweet corn on the cob, and red bliss potatoes, and the snow crab special with potatoes, sausage, and corn.
The snow crab special won out, and I wasn’t sorry. You can imagine how messy I got cracking those crab claw shells and dunking them into the butter and garlic, which made the firm crab meat even more flavorful.
Eighty Ocean Kitchen and Bar
The resort is a two-pronged vacation opportunity. The Island Club caters more to adults who love the historic feel of the clubhouse. Jekyll Ocean Club is a beachfront hotel with ocean-view suites. Families with kids or beach lovers choose this option.
Eighty Ocean Kitchen and Bar is the restaurant at the Ocean Club. They specialize in Low Country cuisine, seafood, and Southern dishes like my tender scallops and the fried green tomatoes. Our appetizers set the mood for our dinner. A taste of the Skillet Cornbread was bursting with a honey flavor. The wood oven-roasted shrimp were large and smoky.
My entrée, diver scallops, is sourced locally. My fork sliced through them like butter. Their sweet, slightly briny flavor worked well with the fingerling potatoes on the side.
S’mores by the Pool
For a perfect finish to our day, we made s’mores by the pool. The resort provides all the fixings — graham crackers, dark chocolate, and fluffy marshmallows, with long skewers to roast over the dancing flame of the fire pit. Since one of our group is a musician, she helped finish off a perfect evening with some soft guitar picking and a rousing rendition of “Big, Bad Leroy Brown.”
If You Go
- Getting There: The closest airport to Jekyll Island is Brunswick Golden Isles Airport (BQK), about 30 minutes away. Larger airports are Jacksonville (JAX) and Savannah/Hilton Head (SAV), both about an hour’s drive.
- Price range: A $10 toll fee applies to entering the island. The resort prices range from around $200 to $500 per night. There are other, less expensive hotels and a campground on the island.
- Best Season: Jekyll is great to visit any time as the beaches are wonderful in spring, summer, and into fall. The resort has events year-round.
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