Dining at Kendal

Last night I had the best sauerbraten ever! I thought no one could make it like I did, but I found out that Todd surpassed me. I debated on what to have because I saw that Francis had made chicken pot pie and I think Francis makes the best pie. I hope I get another chance. Every night is good but some nights are special and sometimes I am not sure what I want. Then I remember back when my kids would ask me what we were having for dinner and I remember the responses I would get.

We usually have our meal in the evening, but some residents prefer to have their meal at noon. Some nights we sit with friends at a small table, some nights we gather with lots of people around a big table, and sometimes, when we are not feeling especially social, we find a spot to be alone. And when there is an Ohio State game of any type anywhere, these diehard fans box up their dinner and take it home. In the evening we often have lovely piano music wafting through the dining room, a gift from D. Ellen.

The dining staff puts great effort into seeing that the food and service are of exceptional quality and that the food is nutritious. For this reason we have comment cards on the table. I am on the dining committee and once a month I and three other residents, and the chef, the dining room manager, and the general director of services, meet to read the comments. The rule is that the cards must be signed and the cards need to be dated. Sue, the chef, needs the date so that she can check her records to see who made the dish and what recipe was used. Often we get several comments that say the same thing, complimentary or not. But sometimes one resident will say the dish was great and another resident will write the opposite. If upon occasion some dish does not turn out well, I again think back to my own cooking and admit that occasionally I had a dish not turn out as expected.

The staff accomodates people who are vegetarians, people who have diabetes, gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, or other special dietary needs. Sue, Stella, and Will are good listeners and want to please. I am most happy with our dining experience here at Kendal.