The chef at Summit Hills in Spartanburg takes great joy in showing respect for the senior living community through an award-winning culinary program called “Every Menu Has a Story.”
It has been described as “an edible encyclopedia of the human experience.”
“Food is a thread in the social fabric of our lives,” said Regina Fargis, executive director at Summit Hills. “Through ‘Every Menu Has a Story,’ we are trying to be respectful of our members’ lives by integrating their experiences, stories, and legacies into that social fabric through strategic menu planning and execution. Simply put, we are highlighting our members’ experiences through food."
Throughout the year, in honor of a recently lost loved one, the chef and the dining team review the person’s biography and select a menu that best represents that person’s life.
Summitt Hills is one of 10 senior living communities with 2,500 residents and 2,000 employees owned by the Maxwell Group of Charlotte, N.C. As part of its strategy to boost the quality of life, the “Every Menu Has a Story” program has been adopted by each Maxwell Group community. In illustrating one successful event, at Maxwell Group’s The Stratford in Carmel, Ind., staff put together a dinner that revolved around residents Dick and Sue Hall, who were married for 57 years and began their relationship as grade-school sweethearts.
For the event, the chef wanted to recapture the feel of the Hall couple's first date and kiss by having members play spin the bottle to choose their hors d'oeuvre. Servers passed around brie and raspberry as the flavors were reminders of the warm embrace associated with young love.
The dinner had four courses: Pan-seared sea scallops with micro greens and a roasted corn and red pepper ragout served in a box to mimic the surprise Sue Hall had when she opened the box that contained her engagement ring.
The two entree courses of chicken and waffles and bacon and gorgonzola stuffed meatloaf symbolized their early married life in which they lived modestly while Dick Hall completed optometry school at Indiana University.
Servers wore Indiana shirts and memorabilia was placed around the room to recreate the college days. For dessert, members were treated to chocolate spaghetti, which was inspired by the Hall couple’s weekly spaghetti dinner date at a restaurant.
“These dining experiences do not simply spark conversation -- people related to the story theme are able to recall their own memories and emotions,” Fargis said.
Fargis said Summit Hills takes great pride in its dining room, which serves up everything from burgers and fries to filet mignon, salmon, and scallops.
Ana Vareza is director of dining services.
Head Chef Roland Tucker -- a native of Baltimore whose specialty is a secret crab cake recipe -- said the "Every Menu" event is unlike any other special food preparation he’s seen in his career, which began in the 1970s.
One recent "Every Menu Has a Story” event in Spartanburg celebrated the life of a 104-year-old female aviator, whose flying took her to many countries around the world. Food associated with each country she visited was served.
Tucker said one such event last year celebrated the life of a couple who met while in the Marines in the 1950s. When they dated, they enjoyed going to sock hops and eating small hamburgers. Employees staged a Marine Corps ball and served up red-eyed grits and gravy and couscous with scallops that he became fond of while serving at Camp Pendleton. Active-duty Marines sat at the head table. The couple also enjoyed Eggs Benedict.
When not serving up a special event, the dining room at Summit Hills serves more than 600 meals a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The Clubhouse dining program uses a menu system like at any fine dining restaurant. There are regularly more than 12 entrées on the Clubhouse dining menu plus daily specials. Members are allotted flexible dining dollars each month to spend on dining and the dollars roll throughout the year.
Menus throughout the community also include wellness menu options. These entrees are prepared to meet the American Heart Association’s criteria.
http://www.goupstate.com/special/20171222/summit-hills-chef-describes-menu-as-edible-encyclopedia