Dining is an important part of the senior living experience, and it’s about more than the food on the plate. A well-designed dining program provides inviting spaces to connect with neighbors and staff, as well as creative menus that surprise and delight diners. At the best senior living communities, dining can be compared to fine dining at some of your favorite eateries.
Here’s just a sampling of the ways senior living communities like Friendship Village have enhanced the dining experience for seniors:
- A Welcoming Atmosphere
Restaurant-style dining provides a social experience where residents are greeted, seated and served by our professional dining staff. Our staff serves up a refined dining experience in a friendly environment where they get to know you and your preferences. Our staff is available to provide excellent service during meal times and is always ready to help if you have questions, concerns or special requests. - Flexible Options
Today’s older adults want choice and variety when it comes to dining. With a flexible senior living dining program, residents have the freedom to choose when and where they want to dine — whether they’re in the mood for an elegant sit-down meal or casual bistro-style dining. You can choose to meet friends for dinner or invite family to join you for a meal, and you’ll always enjoy a full menu of choice to satisfy your unique tastes and preferences at Friendship Village Senior Living Communities. - Exciting Venues
Dining is always fresh and fun in a community with multiple inviting venues for dining, including comfortable indoor dining spaces as well as outdoor patio seating. Friendship Village Chesterfield has two dining venues — the Olive Leaf Bistro and our full-service Chesterfield Dining Room. We also have an ice cream parlor with plenty of flavors and toppings to satisfy your sweet tooth! Friendship Village Sunset Hills has multiple gourmet options — The Bavarian, Edelweiss, Cambridge and Clubhouse Café. - Award-Winning Chefs
A culinary team led by a professional chef elevates the dining experience and expands the menu to include sophisticated flavors for every taste profile. At Friendship Village, we offer upscale, gourmet menus prepared by award-winning chefs. Brian Menzel, executive chef for Friendship Village Chesterfield, was featured in a recent edition of National Culinary Review, a publication of the American Culinary Federation:“Chef Menzel feeds around 400 seniors for dinner daily serving five entrees that change every three days: Two of them are health-focused, such as low-sodium; one is an American classic like pot pie or meatloaf; and then Chef Menzel gets creative with the other two. These might be barbecue-rubbed chicken breast with caramelized onions and Alabama white barbecue and broccoli slaw; or broiled seafood like barramundi scampi-style topped with Russian red crabmeat and garlic butter.
“Chef Menzel even throws in the occasional plant-based dinner, partly because a lot of residents’ families come to eat with them, though some of the seniors like to eat these foods, too, he adds. Popular dishes he’s made include eggplant lasagna and portabella stack (with grilled yellow squash, zucchini, red bell peppers, spinach and fresh mozzarella, oven-baked and served on top of passata). He also serves a Beyond Burger daily and recently used plant-based Mindful Chik’n.” - Health-Conscious Dining
At Friendship Village, every meal is thoughtfully prepared with fresh, locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. Our menus feature delicious and healthy options as well as meals to accommodate special dietary needs, including vegan and vegetarian, gluten-free and heart-healthy diets.
Bringing You the Best Senior Living Dining Experience
We love bringing people together to enjoy good food, great conversations and wonderful service in our dining programs. Our senior communities in Sunset Hills and Chesterfield provide exceptional dining and an elevated retirement lifestyle with so much more to enjoy and explore. Contact our team to arrange a personal tour and learn more about the perks of our Friendship Village Senior Living Communities.