Rosetta serves new goodies and digs up silver (13 photos)

How'd you like to dine on delicious fare while gazing upon this lovely vista?

Well, now you can and you don't have to be a club member to do so.

The Iron Club restaurant, located at the Sault Ste. Marie Golf Club, is Chef Rosetta Sicoli's newest venture.

Sicoli quickly became one of the Sault's most beloved restauranteurs soon after opening A Thymely Manner in 1984.

And although she has stepped back from Thymely, handing over the reins to the capable hands of Chef Jen Healey, Sicoli still owns the fine dining establishment and will oversee operations as she's needed.

She now fills the role of clubhouse manager after the Sault Ste. Marie Golf Club board of directors approached her last winter, anticipating she could breathe new life into the tired dining room.

Sicoli happily agreed, but she had conditions - the restaurant had to be open year-round and it had to be open to the general public.

Done and done.

The Iron Club, open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., serves a variety simple yet chic options, and Sicoli is proud to use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

The pulled pork sandwich is reportedly a club favourite, the recipe for which comes from Alabama Chef Christine Healey (Jen's cousin).

The Iron Club also features a casual lounge, fittingly decorated with iron and wood pieces by local artist, Pat Gladu.

Originally opened in 1919, the restaurant has only seen very minor updates.

Until now.

The building underwent major renovations throughout the month of May, including new flooring, walls, ceilings, and an entirely new kitchen.

According to Sicoli, the only original remaining components of the building (aside from the main structure and foundation) are the windows and fireplace.

During renovations, hidden and long-forgotten treasures were discovered in an upstairs storage room that once served as the groundkeeper's apartment.

"We found beautiful silver trophies that were badly tarnished and dented just shoved into boxes," Sicoli told SooToday.com. "Some of them dated back to 1920, from the Club's first tournament."

Some of these gems have been cleaned up and hold spots of distinction atop the fireplace mantel.

Due to the rush to complete renovations and open the restaurant, the upstairs treasure search had to be put on hold.

However, Sicoli is eager to get her hands dirty, anticipating additional historically significant discoveries.

Until then, stop in to the Iron Club (1804 Queen St. East) to check out the new digs, enjoy a bit of Sault Ste. Marie Golf Club history, and test Sicoli's new cuisine.

Call 705-759-2695 for reservations.