Our Team

We believe that “human capital” is a critical ingredient for a successful restaurant. The staff at the Canoe Club is at the very center of what we are about. They reflect our aspirations and expectations for a memorable experience at the Canoe Club.

The Canoe Club Staff is a colorful assemblage of talent.  Over the years we’ve been home to artists of note, equine fanatics, graduate students at Dartmouth, organic farming aficionados, multi-linguists including some fresh from Italy and Hungary, gardeners from Costa Rica, certified teachers, a one-man repository of the history of jazz, and a Dartmouth coach.  Several of our team members have been with us since our launch in November of 2003, and a number of Canoe Clubbers choose to “re-enlist” when they return to the area. This staff continuity creates a certain “esprit de corps” which we hope enhances the service at the Canoe Club.

 
A STAFF SAMPLER:
 

KEY MEMBERS OF THE CULINARY TEAM

 Martin Murphy: Executive Chef
Martin's culinary career has been anchored by extended stints at some of the top restaurants in Florida and on Cape Cod. Specifically, Martin served as Executive Chef or Managing partner at Cafe Chardonnay, Frank's Sandbar & Grill, and Carbabba's Italian Grilll on the East Coast of Florida, and more recently as Executive Chef at The Blue Pepper and The Kitchen Aid Culinary Center on the West Coast. Previously, Martin established a considerable reputation on Cape Cod as the Executive Chef at The Regatta of Cotuit, High Brewster, etc. He also worked as the Executive Chef at Stella's in Lyme, NH.
Martin has been a figure at several James Beard House dinners in New York and enjoyed a professional association with both Madeline Kamman and Roy Yamaguchi. He was also the regular featured chef on a 5-minute weekly NBC cooking show. Most recently, Martin was selected by Niman Ranch as one of twelve chefs, nationally, to be honored at a dinner in Des Moines for "exemplary chefs" committed to using livestock which have been raised naturally, humanely, and sustainably, a philosophy the Canoe Club has embraced since its inception in 2003.

Jim Oronte is one of the premier soup, appetizer and dessert artisans in the Upper Valley. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he’s worked at top restaurants in the area, notably as pastry chef and Executive Chef of Grenache and as the Executive Chef at Café Buon Gustaio. Jim has worked his magic at the Canoe Club for 5 years.
 

Mark Prunk, who was raised in Kuala Lumpur, was previously the Executive Chef at The Blue Mountain Group, and a valued member of the senior culinary team at Simon Pearce Restaurant, and La Poule a Dents. His passion for food shapes our luncheon menu, and adds a flair to the selections at dinner, as well. Mark is the central figure in our catering initiatives and occasional wine dinners.

FLOOR STAFF:

Chancellor of the Exchequer and Jill-of-All-Trades:
Sara Gordon has held local management positions at Grenache and Steele Hill in New Hampshire, and the Pines and the Third Rail in Vermont. She stalls the prompt payment of all submitted bills, and trims our payroll to the bare bones, shakes martinis, and delivers food!
 

Owner:
John Chapin previously created and owned a restaurant in Farmington, CT and two restaurants in Hartford, CT, where he functioned as the impresario of a noted music series.  He is an acknowledged expert in the art of pouring water.
 

WAIT STAFF VETERANS:

When Roz Klusman is not planning a trip to Turkey, Poland or Portugal, she is engaged at the Canoe Club training new staff and keeping those regular guests coming back for more. 

BAR STAFF:

Daniel Levitt has been a fixture at the Canoe Club bar for the past 5 ½ years.  He claims to have invented the  famous Remy Martin Louis XIII and Red Bull fusion drink. His reputation for recalling the peculiar preferences of regular guests is legendary, as is his unflappability in the face of a Tuck School tsunami.