New Chefs Have All the Right Ingredients
Carlos Morales and Robert Aparicio and the food service team at Heritage are cooking up fresh ideas.
One chef has years of restaurant industry experience in San Francisco and Texas, specializing in a variety of cuisine from French and Mexican to Japanese and American.
The other has worked as a head chef at a country club and managed the kitchen at a senior care facility, averaging 15 years of service at each location.
Together, the new chefs at Heritage at Falmouth are bringing fresh ideas and all the right ingredients to elevate the menus and sprinkle a little magic into the dining experience for the 50 residents at the assisted living facility located next to Falmouth Hospital.
Executive Director Christine Davidson explains chefs Carlos Morales and Robert Aparicio are more than just cooks. They bring a lot of love, attention and care to the residents of Heritage and the local community. “At Heritage, we strive to offer residents a fine dining experience with impeccable service,” says Christine. “After many years of working in the assisted living arena, I have learned that our residents value the ability to have choices and access to a pleasant dining experience.”
Chefs relish new opportunity and adventure
As in life, especially in the kitchen, timing is everything. Carlos and Robert, who didn’t know each other prior to coming to Heritage, were each looking for a new adventure and opportunity. Four years ago, Carlos moved from Texas to Cape Cod with his wife and landed a job at the upscale Windfall Market in Falmouth, where he worked as the assistant manager in the prepared foods department. But after long days and burning the candle at both ends, he was ready for something different. “There’s a point where you hit your limit,” says Carlos. “You stop learning and you get bored. I wanted a bigger challenge.”
Robert felt the same way. He said there was a short list of places he wanted to work and Heritage was at the top of his list. He was also looking for a shorter commute, since he was driving 50 miles each way to his job in Raynham.
They both rose to the occasion and applied for the two open positions and the pair started working together last October.
In addition to cooking three meals a day for residents, Carlos and Robert create the weekly menus with Christine and converse with residents in the dining hall to get to know their likes and dislikes. “Whatever has to be fixed, we will fix it and make it better,” says Carlos. The chefs and Christine also have monthly meetings with the residents to help set the direction of the menus.
Special events, themed menus elevate dining experience
“The experience is just as important as the food,” explains Maggie Corriveau, Marketing and Community Outreach Director. To that end, Activities Manager Tayla Gold and the Heritage team place an abundance of time and energy into room décor, themed menus and special events throughout the year, including Mardi Gras, Mother’s Day and New Year’s Eve. “The special events are important to residents because it takes things out of the routine and is reminiscent of past experiences and memories,” says Maggie.
For Valentine’s Day, staff decorated the dining hall with red tablecloths topped with pink and red rose petals, pink napkins and gift boxes. Musical entertainment featuring a violinist, guitarist and singer filled the atmosphere. Later in February, the chefs and staff created a special Parisian-themed menu featuring Parisian chicken salad, croque monsieur sandwiches, coq au vin, gratin dauphinois and beef bourguignon. Music, dancing and an Eiffel Tower backdrop completed the memorable and dreamy setting.
“The residents are there from start to the very end for the special events,” says Carlos. “They want to experience it all. You can just feel in the air they are having a good time.”
Rave reviews for quality, variety and presentation
Maggie explains that the Heritage staff has always prided itself on the food service. “The food component in the assisted living environment is extremely important and has to shine,” she says.
Some of the most popular meals among the residents include seafood casserole with scallops, lobster meat, cod and Ritz crackers with lobster Newberg sauce; prime rib, and chicken cordon bleu. The chefs work together to make things from scratch, including homemade soups and sauces for meals such as chicken parmesan and chicken piccata. They text each other ideas and leaves notes about menu items and prep work to make sure everything runs like clockwork.
Resident Louise Lane raves about the quality, variety and presentation of the food. “When I have a salad, the lettuce is so beautiful. The greens are gorgeous, and I eat the whole thing,” says Louise with a smile. “You’re talking to a woman who loves food. I can’t think of anything I dislike.”
Louise says she loves the homemade soups and spaghetti with olive oil and garlic. Today, she plans to have the steamed mussels in white wine sauce for lunch. “I think things have just become more delicious than ever here,” says Louise. “The food is out of this world.”
