By Rochelle A. Shenk , Special Features Writer
Lancaster Sunday News,
February 12, 2012
This article appeared in Progress 2012

Dining and meal service are an integral part of our society. Many holiday traditions focus on family dining. Restaurants offer diversity informal from cafés and bistros, casual yet elegant, and fine dining.

The numerous retirement communities throughout the county all have their own dining venues and options — some formal, others more casual. Landis Homes, Lititz, recently revamped its dining services. The main dining area is known as the Garden Room.  A new look was unveiled for this area two days before Thanksgiving, and a grand opening was held in January.

“Our new dining room is more of a bistro style. You no longer follow a service line with a tray. We don’t want people to start at one end and continue through — it’s more flexible and a more casual, less structured experience. Hours are more flexible as well — previously we served breakfast and lunch at specific times. Now the dining area is open 24 hours. If someone would like coffee, a scone and ice cream at 2 p.m., he or she can have it, “explains Greg Henning, dining services director.

There’s an area on one side that offers full-service dining, and another area has more of a café serving style. Both offer a warm, relaxed atmosphere with laminate flooring and upscale finishes such as glass tile inlay and solid surface counters. Even the area where trays and silverware are stacked has a more upscale, less utilitarian look.

Chefs (rather than cooks) have been hired. Henning said, “While we have always had very good cooks at Landis Homes, our chefs bring greater experience and training to the mix. All chefs are cooks, but not all cooks are chefs — chefs traditionally have training in food preparation, years of cooking experience as well as an under-standing of the ‘chemistry of cooking’.

“In searching out chefs we looked for a higher level of experience, education and someone who could direct and train a staff of cooks to prepare and present food at a higher level. In addition to knowledge of special cooking and preparation techniques, the chefs we employ have been trained in cost controls, menu planning, food pairings, team building and management, along with an understanding of nutrition, food safety and kitchen sanitation. We believe our residents deserve the ‘fine dining’ experience that our chefs bring to Landis Homes.”

The menu has been re-vamped, too. New items such as panini’s, wraps, stir-fry and vegetarian options have been added. Tags indicate health-conscious items such as “super-fruits”.

Henning says that the menu items have been added in consultation with the resident food committee. “Before, lunch was traditionally a hot meal. If someone wanted a sandwich, it was more difficult to do that. Now the whole concept is choice, and we took the opportunity to expose people to new food items. We also have a number of people who already enjoy these items and have asked for them,” he says.

Deb Laws-Landis, Landis Homes’ director of community relations, says that Landis Homes has always been known for good food, but it was primarily Lancaster County fare. “We now offer a much broader experience, “she says.

Additionally, Landis Homes offers a variety of cooking demon-stations featuring many health-conscious alternatives and hosts dinners with the Lancaster Vegetarian Society. Henning attended one of the dinners at another location and says she felt that residents would enjoy the experience. Both campus residents and the community at-large are invited to these periodic dinners.

Henning has found that the expanded dining choices have led to an increased demand for takeouts. Take-out containers and the dining service itself have a “green” aspect. One of Landis Homes’ guiding values is stewardship — “faithful and responsible use of resources entrusted to our care”.

Staff member Maggie Nemeth prepares carrots and parsnips in the prep area at Landis Homes. Chef Don King serves freshly baked breading the new dining area at Landis Homes.

He adds “Being ‘green’ goes hand-in-hand with being good stewards of our natural resources.  Every opportunity we see, we try to think ‘green’.”

As a result, takeout containers are recyclable and are compostable; meeting rooms are stocked with china, flatware and cups instead of throw-away products; meeting rooms also have coffee makers with reusable coffee filters rather than paper ones. 

The kitchen itself not only includes state-of- the -art equipment but the dishwasher now has a low-flow water connection.  A special software program is used to reduce organic waster in the kitchen and prep areas.  Coffee grounds and vegetable waste are composted locally.  Bags used to hold the waste had been biodegradable, but now are compostable. 

“There is a difference between biodegradable and compostable.  Biodegradable does break down, but it may take a long time to do so., whereas compostable bags degrade quicker,” Henning explains.

Some of the fresh herbs used in cooking are grown in an herb garden on campus that has its own rain barrel for water storage and use.  Flowers that a volunteer group cuts and places on tables are also grown on campus.  Cage-free eggs are also purchased locally.

Seasonal vegetables including corn are purchased from Harvest View Farm, which is adjacent to Landis Homes.  Although Harvest View’s farm stand is located nearby (along E. Oregon Road), several times a year a vegetable cart will be setup near the dining area with fresh produce for residents to purchase.  “It not only adds a festive touch to the area, but we can encourage residents to purchase fresh, local produce,” Henning explains.

Landis Homes also makes baked goods in-house and they’re now displayed in a case in the dining area.  “Everything in that case looks so good,” Laws-Landis says.  “Having the baked goods is a really convenient for our residents and staff—if someone is hosting a luncheon or special part, they don’t have far to go for a really great cake.”

Henning says that the new “green” dining concept not only offers some health-conscious choices and opportunities to reduce the community’s carbon footprint, but also provides an example to campus residents of some choices they can make.

©Lancaster Newspapers, 2012