Chef Cy Ensures Love at First Bite
Making Dining Experiences Memorable
Things are cookin’ at Encore at Wilmington in Wilmington, Delaware, metaphorically and literally, with Chef Cyril (Cy) Stewart at the helm. His responsibilities as the food and beverage director at the senior living community, are “to ensure that the residents’ dining experiences are memorable,” Cy says, adding, he is committed to “providing great food and service with a smile.”
Cy has worked in senior living for almost ten years. Having been in hospital and restaurant settings before then, he says he was surprised and pleased to learn that dining programs in senior living are vastly superior to how it was in previous generations. Residents now, he says, expect and deserve great restaurant-quality meals, and that’s what he and his team deliver. The added challenges, he says, include the fact that he abides by strict dietary restrictions but refuses to sacrifice taste in the process. “You have to be flexible and use different flavorings,” he says. “It’s an exciting challenge.”
The other significant test in working in senior living is that you’re creating meals within the customers’ homes. In restaurants, he says, “you might rarely if ever see the customer again. In senior living, I see and visit with the residents every day.” That adds some accountability to deliver great meals every day because you’ll hear about it if you falter. “You have to be versatile, change the menu regularly, and create fresh, delicious food from scratch,” he says.
Cy is proud of the fact that the residents at Encore at Wilmington “love the food. We get a great compliment at least once every day. They tell us how good the food is here,” he says.
Showing What He’s Got
Not content to keep his talent within the confines of the kitchen, Cy has honed his skills as a great showman, launching chef demos and themed buffets weekly for the residents. “Food brings people together. I love to entertain and showcase my culinary skills,” he says.
Tasteful Creations Demonstrations
The demos, called Tasteful Creations include hands-on participation on the part of the residents as well as the favorite part…taste testing of the finished product. Either Cy, or Executive Chef Asha lead the demo, with the other, helping. The residents suggest specific demos they’d like to experience, and Cy also likes to observe national food days. Therefore, demos include celebrations of National Meatball Day and National Clam Chowder Day. They also honored National Waffle Day by preparing crabcake waffles. “We’ll prepare the dish step-by-step, and the residents get to sample it,” says Cy. If the residents love the item, they’ll often ask him to incorporate it into their menu.
Quick Fires Themed Buffet
“Encore at Wilmington’s Quick Fires themed buffet might be for Greek night or French night. The residents drive it,” Cy says. “A couple of weeks ago, we did a burger bar. We had beef patties with fried onions and different toppings, including chorizo, avocado, different cheese, and more. They really enjoyed that.”
Cy says his efforts, both in and outside of the kitchen, are “all about the residents. This is fun and cool for them. Who wouldn’t love having a chef come to their house and show them how to make something! I love the residents. And I have the ability to make their meals and dining experiences wonderful every day.”
Encore at Wilmington Nestled in a vibrant neighborhood in Wilmington, Delaware, Encore at Wilmington is a full-service, rental, continuing care retirement community offering carefree independent living, the helping hand of assisted living, and comprehensive skilled nursing. Encore at Wilmington is managed by Life Care Services®. For additional information, visit encoreatw.com or call 302/387-4832.