After the Fire: Where The Landing Goes for Dinner While ESSĒ Is Gone

"When the restaurant was renovated, it became a new hub," Reynolds Lake Oconee Director of Marketing Brian Gaydica told Lake Oconee News after the fire. It was, he added, "a very popular spot for our members."

He was describing ESSĒ, the restaurant inside The Landing clubhouse. The fire on the evening of Oct. 11 destroyed it. Reynolds offers plenty of other places to eat. But no other dining room belonged to The Landing the way ESSĒ did, and the rest of the dining map runs on schedules that leave some weeknights thin. For Landing households, dinner has become something to plan by the day of the week.

What Burned on Oct. 11

According to Lake Oconee News, the call came in at about 6:30 p.m. Greene County Fire and Rescue's Engine 9 arrived five minutes later and found the 20,000-square-foot building almost fully engulfed. The paper reported that high winds tied to the remnants of Hurricane Isaias fed the fire, and that crews fought it with a deck gun and a 2.5-inch handline while Engines 10 and 12 set up water supply. Oconee County Fire and Rescue covered Station 12 and sent personnel to relieve the Greene County crews. 11Alive added that crews from Putnam County and Greensboro also responded, and that Reynolds staff evacuated patrons and cleared the rooms before leaving the building themselves.

Nobody was hurt. The building was a total loss. The fire took ESSĒ, five overnight guest rooms, the fitness area and the golf shop. Reynolds told 11Alive that the Georgia State Fire Marshal's Office was expected to review the fire and determine its cause.

What ESSĒ Had Become in a Short Time

The clubhouse has a long history. The Landing course was the first one built at Lake Oconee, in 1986, when it was called Port Armor Golf Club. Reynolds bought it in 2005. The restaurant was new. Lake Oconee News reported that it was renovated two years ago and renamed ESSĒ, from the Latin for "to be."

That renovation is why the loss hits The Landing harder than one closed restaurant normally would. In its reopening announcement, Reynolds described a year-long project that expanded the dining room into more open, connected spaces. It added an octagonal central bar topped in Blue Roma Quartzite, dark wood arches under the vaulted ceiling, and a veranda and two front lounges that opened up outdoor dining with views of the course. Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Zouhair Bellout and his team wrote an international menu. Reynolds named the Wagyu Beef Sliders, Szechuan Sautéed Shrimp, Grilled North Carolina Swordfish and Roasted Beef Prime Rib as early favorites. The Johnson Studio handled the interior design and DreamBuilt built it.

The industry noticed. In April 2025, Golf Inc. gave ESSĒ at The Landing second place among remodeled private food and beverage facilities in its Golden Fork awards. The clubhouse was open to Reynolds members and resort guests. So for Landing residents, the most recognized dining room in Reynolds sat in their own part of the community.

The Dinner Map Without It

The other options are spread across Reynolds and The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds. They vary in who can use them and how much of their schedule is public. The table below lists what Reynolds and the Ritz-Carlton currently publish. Where no hours are listed, none are posted.

Reynolds lists five Ritz-Carlton outlets among its member dining options: Amore del Lago, Linger Longer Steakhouse, Gaby's by the Lake, the Lobby Lounge and The Coffee Shop. The Coffee Shop opens daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., so it covers mornings rather than dinner. The Ritz-Carlton's two warm-weather spots, Splash Shack and The Sand Bar, are now listed as closed for the season.

Why Tuesday and Wednesday Are the Nights to Plan

Weekends are covered. The Overlook serves dinner Thursday through Saturday, and Amore del Lago stays open until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Reynolds chose Monday as the night to add, opening The National Tavern for dinner then.

The middle of the week is thinner. The Overlook has no published dinner service on Tuesday or Wednesday. Oconee Cove is closed on Tuesdays. On those nights, the dinner options with published hours are mostly the daily Ritz-Carlton outlets: Linger Longer Steakhouse from 5:30, Amore del Lago from 3 p.m., and Gaby's by the Lake until 9. Eighty8 Kitchen + Cocktails also serves dinner, but its weekly hours are not posted on the Reynolds dining page. The same is true for the Platinum-only rooms at Richland Pointe and The Creek Club. Before planning a Tuesday or Wednesday dinner around one of those, call the club and confirm it is serving that night.

It also helps to book midweek tables earlier than you used to. ESSĒ diners now share the remaining rooms with everyone already eating there, and the published schedules give only a few options on those two nights. Those schedules can change, so use the table above as a starting point.

Reservations, Tee Times and Classes That Were Already Booked

The dining room was not the only thing in the building. Reynolds told members it was rescheduling every affected tee time, ESSĒ reservation, fitness class, event, Landing meeting room booking and overnight stay, and that it was working on longer-range plans to accommodate as many member bookings and events as it could. Its message also said it was finding new work assignments for displaced Landing staff.

If you had a reservation or a class at The Landing in the weeks after Oct. 11, ask the club directly where it has been moved. Reynolds has not said publicly where the golf shop or check-in will operate for now, so the club is the right place to ask before a round as well.

The Wedding Trays, and the Next Clubhouse

Reynolds shared one story from that night in its message to members, and Lake Oconee News reported it. After hosting their son's wedding at home, a member family loaded up trays of reception food and a cooler of drinks and delivered them to the first responders at the clubhouse. The whole family helped, including the new bride, still in her wedding dress.

As for the building, Gaydica told Lake Oconee News it is too early to discuss rebuilding details but that the plan is to replace it. Reynolds told members that "over the coming days, weeks, and months, we will work hard to determine the next generation of The Landing clubhouse." No timeline has been announced.

At Luxury Lake Oconee Real Estate Group, many of the families we work with call The Landing home, and we'll keep following the plans for its next clubhouse. If you'd like to talk through what the rebuild may mean for your corner of Reynolds, or just want a recommendation for a Tuesday dinner while you wait, contact us.