No industry was safe from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the kitchen at 10 Wilmington Place was no different. 

Amid supply chain issues, drastic changes in pricing and more, our extremely qualified kitchen staff worked hard to maintain a high level of quality while responding to residents’ desires and continuing to evolve our menu. 

As markets have rebounded and supply chains have recovered, our menu options for residents are better than ever. 

Our 10 Wilmington Place team and residents are excited about upcoming theme nights, menu updates and special treats we've added to give residents a memorable dining experience. We thought it was a great time to chat with our Certified Executive Chef, Keith Davis, about what's new, what's on the horizon, and how he keeps things fresh:

Our Executive Chef, Kieth Davis

Q: Tell us about the recent dining changes at 10 Wilmington Place.

A: We've gone back to our pre-COVID menu, when we had a red meat, fish and chicken item available every night for dinner for our Independent Living residents. We also extend that to our second floor, which includes our Assisted Living dining room.

We also had to scale back on some desserts because of supply chain issues due to COVID, but now we’re getting back to normal and introducing some more fresh fruit items that we hadn’t had access to before the pandemic. 

We’re also doing a special night each month with a themed meal for residents, along with different activities in our food and beverage program. 

What are some of the special theme nights? 

We had our first theme night last month and we did a cruise ship theme. We had talked to our residents and heard that they wanted a lot of different things, so we gave them a little bit of everything. We had ham and beans with cornbread station, a pasta station, a pizza and caesar salad station — and it was well-received! 

We heard residents wanted a tour of the kitchen, so we’re doing that this week, taking 45 minutes to walk everyone through the kitchen. In March, we’re working on putting together an Irish-themed buffet for St. Patrick’s Day. We’re excited to come up with new things each month. 

Where do you get your inspiration for meals at 10 Wilmington Place?

I try to get inspiration from a lot of different places. I do research online, I pull from my years of experience in kitchens and I speak to my friends and colleagues in the industry to hear some different perspectives on what they’ve seen or what has been successful in other communities.

How has the food at 10 Wilmington Place evolved over time?

Since COVID, I think we’re back and better than ever, and our menu is always changing.

We always try to improve our dining program, and people’s tastes change over time, so we’re always talking to residents. What was popular five years ago may not be popular now. A good example is liver and onions — five years ago, there was a real demand for it from our residents. Now, there’s not much. 

How do you ensure you’re listening to residents’ opinions?

Our residents’ wants are always a topic for discussion, and we tell them to let us know if they want something. We have regular town hall meetings where they share their thoughts on our menu and what they would like to see. 

We’re different from other retirement communities in the Dayton area. Our menu is written and changes every week; we don’t have a cycle menu where we rotate the same meals over six weeks. We’re able to adjust our menu based on feedback more easily than other communities with a more rigid cadence. 

And our residents also have a meal each day included in their rental package, so it’s not like they come down from their room and are charged restaurant prices. It’s already included! 

Do you ever get tired of cooking?

No! There are days where the job is challenging, but I don’t get tired of it. 

I joke to my friends that it’s almost like working on a dairy farm, where it never stops operation. It just keeps going. Whether it’s staffing or supply chain or anything else, there’s always something going on. And since COVID, there are a lot of strange supply chain issues. In December, for example, one of the rice plants had a fire, so rice was hard to find. It’s always very interesting. 

Do you cook when you’re at home, too? 

Yes, I cook at home for my family. I have family members that tell me they're “culinarily challenged.” I don't really have a favorite thing to cook; I try to stay well rounded. I like to try to figure out anything that people want us to make. And when I’m at home, it just depends on what kind of mood I’m in. 

What are some of residents’ favorite meals or items?

It really varies from person to person; they all have different tastes!

Popular things go in cycles. Right now, we're in Lent, so fish is popular. And with this generation, meatloaf and spaghetti with meatballs or meat sauce are very popular. I’ve never been able to figure out why that one is so popular, because it’s really not a hard meal to fix. But people like it!

And of course, during the summer, ice cream is very, very popular