Posted on Wednesday, March 01, 2006
By Jeff Ostroth THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE What’s on Seabrook’s Menus Today? Chris Stewart’s job is to make sure Seabrook’s three great restaurants always have something you’ll love. Here is a sampling of the main dishes you can expect to choose from on a typical day. For Lunch at the Tides Café and Fireside restaurant Entrée of the Day: Tender Veal Cacciatore  Barbecued Pork Ribs Tuscan Baked Salmon  Baked Tilapia with Chicken Crust  Hearty Beef Burgundy ~Plus~ Soups, salads, a range of wraps and hot grilled sandwiches, and a daily burger special	Seabrook More Seabrook Stable utility bills a sure thing at Seabrook A time for thanks and remembrance Recalling the days of classic cars Collections abound Read or Add a Comment? A call to end Erie Pa.'s relationship with "sister city" Zibo, China, and all Chinese imports. No URL for Riderwood Blog Laughter Yoga Happy hour hot spots? Model yacht clubs Your thoughts on Reflexology Tools Write a Comment on Story Print Email Story Add to Favorites
For Dinner at the Fireside restaurant Enjoy full wait service. (Pick-up service also available at the Tides Café.) Roast Top Round of Beef Au Jus Tender Rack of Lamb Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu Trout Almondine Herb Roasted Chicken Quarter Also for Dinner at The Princeton restaurant Choose whatever you want at the friendly serving stations and feel free to come back for seconds! Fresh Seafood Fettuccini Petit Tender Filet Mignon Penne Primavera with Rosa Sauce Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Chicken Tender Pork Chops with Herb Stuffing

For a lot of people, the December holiday season might be a pretty good time to “ease into” a new job. But not for Chris Stewart, who joined Seabrook as its new Director of Dining Services on December 20, 2005. This is about the busiest time of the year, with special menus in all three restaurants and non-stop catered affairs.

It wasn’t exactly a “sink or swim” situation for Chris, however. With 24 years in the food services and restaurant business, Chris was able to hit the ground running. “A lot went on that first week and half,” he says. “It was very exciting.”

Recently we sat down with Chris to ask him a few questions:

Where were you before you came to Seabrook?

“I came to Seabrook from a retirement community outside of Princeton where I managed the dining operation for a couple of years. But I didn’t work for the community—I worked for a food service contract company that handles their dining. Seabrook, of  course, handles its own dining services. When this opportunity came up to work for a community and not as part of a contracted service, it was really ideal for me, “ says Chris.

“Prior to that, I spent 13 years at a four-diamondrated resort hotel in northern New York. Most of my experience comes from hotels and restaurants.”

Tell us about your duties as Director of Dining Services.

“If it’s food, it’s me! My duties encompass the day-to-day operation and supervision of managers in Seabrook’s three different restaurants; catering for community events, private parties, and events for people who are interested in living at Seabrook; and the dining services in our health care neighborhood, Renaissance Gardens.

“I’m also responsible for the food that’s sold out of Seabrook’s two convenience stores. This includes snacks, light sundries, beverages, milk, eggs, and take-out entrées, which we package in our kitchen for those who’d like to have their meals to-go.

“Mainly I’m responsible for developing the staff— which is very strong already—and working with the programs that we have in place. In the future we’ll also be developing new dining programs.”

What’s a typical day like for you?

“I park close to Renaissance Gardens, so first thing in the morning I’ll go there and check with that manager to make sure they’re all set. I try to get out a bit during breakfast, just to see that we’re serving things properly, and then I’ll go to my office to take care of purchasing, writing checks, answering e-mails, and other tasks. About noon I’ll shoot upstairs to see the Tides Café and Fireside restaurant through lunch.

“Then it’s more work in the office until dinner. Usually I’ll start off over at The Princeton restaurant and finish up at the Fireside. I like to get into the restaurants just for meeting and greeting and getting some customer interaction. I think that’s very important.”

So how do you like working at Seabrook so far?

“I love it, actually. I also love the opportunity to really get to know my clientele, find out what theirexpectations are, and work to create a great program. Hotels and restaurants are different in that every time somebody walks in the door you have to guess what their expectations are. Here, all you have to do is ask.

To find out more about Seabrook’s restaurants and other amenities, call today for your free Information Kit or to arrange a tour with Retirement Counselor Ruth Phillips: 732-918-9100 or toll-free 1-800-335-4725