Dine without reservations at The Bristal. Chefs at every community serve nutritious, creative, and delicious meals every day. We work with each resident to ensure our offerings match their needs and preferences. There’s an option for everyone at The Bristal.
Alluring Eats
Our award-winning chefs at The Bristal are committed to making every meal a scrumptious and memorable experience with flavorful, fun, nutritious, and creative dishes served daily. We collaborate with the Recreation Department to hold festive food tastings, competitions, demos, and themed lunches and dinners, such as Italian Night, Oktoberfest, Summer BBQs, and more.
Enjoy prepared-to-order meals at our Chef Action Stations, spend a special evening of elegant dining at The Executive’s Table, or enjoy delicious munchies, desserts, and drinks. The choice is yours. There’s something for everyone when it comes to dining at The Bristal.
Taste of Home Program
With our Taste of Home program, share your favorite recipe with your peers. Simply fill out a recipe card and return to your Director of Food Service. The Director may then serve the dish at mealtime or hold a demonstration and tasting event with residents.
Residents at The Bristal also influence what’s on the menu at their community. Through monthly Food Committee meetings, a group of representatives meet with the location’s chef and discuss likes and dislikes, and offer ongoing feedback for the menu.
All in all, we have fun with food, and we are conscious, of course, to comply with all religious holidays and observances.
SmartChoice: Healthy Ingredients
A vital part of healthy living, of course, is a commitment to healthy eating, and we educate residents on how smarter eating promotes better health and well-being.
The chefs at The Bristal have made it their mission to present our residents every day with more nutritionally-conscious choices by creating recipes focusing on “clean foods” – foods that promote healthy brain function and improve cognitive ability.
At The Bristal, you’ll also find heart-healthy, sugar-free, and no-salt-added options available at each of our communities.
The Bristal’s Culinary Leadership Team
We offer residents an array of appetizing meal choices each day, along with special events, action stations, and culinary programs to always keep the dining experience fresh and fun. The importance of having delicious and nutritious chef-prepared meals within an assisted living community simply cannot be overstated. That’s why here at The Bristal, we have a solid team of leaders who ensure consistency in expectation and standards across all communities. The team includes hardworking Prep Cooks, Servers, Sous Chefs, Executive Chefs, Dining Room Managers, Regional Teams, and more – all who love what they do. At the helm is Randy Tremble, Vice President of Food and Beverage. Learn more:
Meet Randy Tremble
Vice President of Food & Beverage
Randy Tremble oversees the dining experience at all communities of The Bristal. Few resumes come as solid and comprehensive as his, culminating in over 30 years of experience in the culinary arts. Formally trained in the U.S. Air Force, Randy has served the private sector now for decades, and has worked alongside some of the world’s best chefs, both nationally and abroad. This massive talent and global expertise all translates into a consistently exceptional Resident Dining Program for the residents we serve. His uncompromising attention to detail, his understanding of senior nutrition and his love for the culinary arts have all been instrumental in making The Bristal second-to-none when it comes to dining and cuisine.
Farm to Table
The Bristal partners with local farmers and providers to ensure that no matter the time of year, we include fresh and in-season ingredients in the delicious meals that we serve.
Much of our produce comes directly from farmers in the tri-state area. And local meat and seafood are often on the menu as well. Fresh, nutritious food is important to us and our residents – and you’ll find plenty of it here.
Modified Diets
In addition to regular meals and snacks, The Bristal is able to accommodate modified diets as needed. Therapeutic diets include no salt added (NAS), no concentrated sweets (NCS), lactose free (LF), and gluten free (GF). Mechanically altered diets include soft to chew, chopped, ground and pureed.
We believe that meals should always be appetizing and well-balanced. Ask us for more information about our modified diet options.
A Note About Nutrition
Here at The Bristal, we know that good nutrition is key to feeling your best. Especially as we age, nutritional and dietary needs can change. We staff a full-time Registered Dietitian to not only ensure that meals and offerings are well-balanced, but to offer more options for those who may need a modified diet. The Bristal is well-versed in offering therapeutic diets like no salt added, no concentrated sweets, or perhaps lactose or gluten free options. In special cases, we are also able to accommodate mechanically altered diets, sometimes referred to as a mechanical diet. These include pureed or ground foods or those which are soft to chew. With Alaina Hoschke on board, residents at The Bristal can feel confident that their nutritional needs are met no matter what. Learn more about Alaina:
Meet Alaina Hoschke
Registered Dietitian
A registered dietitian with a master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition, Alaina Hoschke, MS, RD, CDN adds more than just a dash of expertise to our Dining Services team. She has a solid background in clinical nutritional therapy covering a range of specialties – including geriatrics – allowing The Bristal to better serve residents with special dietary needs. Her responsibilities include menu planning for regular and modified diets throughout The Bristal communities, as well as conducting ongoing education for staff and residents. She also spearheaded The Bristal’s Taste of the Season program, which encourages residents and staff alike to try new and interesting ingredients.
Favorite Recipes, Chef Highlights and More!
Eating well is so important for our overall health – no matter our age. At The Bristal, we know a thing or two – not only about nutrition, but also the importance that food plays in our everyday lives as well as our family traditions. On The Bristal Blog, we highlight our talented chefs, share some of their favorite recipes, and touch on important topics surrounding nutrition for seniors. Here are the most recent entries from our food and dining category.
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Senior Living Dining Trends in 2021: Outdoor Dining, Farm-to-Table Eats, and Unique Dishes
In 2021, many senior living communities are continuing their upscale, restaurant-style experience while shifting their dining trends to include interesting ingredients and expanded options. For residents, this means more delicious, exciting meals […]
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Chef’s Table: The Bristal at Englewood’s Reese Franklin Shares His Pan-Seared Florida Grouper Recipe
Reese began his culinary career at an early age, with his siblings being his first patrons. The oldest of six, Reese assumed responsibility for preparing dinner for his brothers and sisters while his mother was at work. She taught him how to bake, […]
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Tasty Meal Kit and Food Delivery Options for Seniors
“What’s for dinner?” It is an age-old question that is repeated in homes across the world. For seniors, answering the question may be a bit more complicated and often results in poor nutritional choices. Malnutrition in older adults is […]
Seasonal Snapshot
Whether it’s this month’s Taste of the Season recipe or made-to-order flatbreads in the Bistro, we love to highlight the culinary delights from our communities. Here you’ll find the latest from our Instagram feed:
In Englewood, we love our weekly lunches at the Bistro Grille. On the menu this week was an Asian inspired meal. From homemade dumplings to noodles, residents enjoyed every bite. #thebristalassistedliving #englewood #dining
On National Eat Your Vegetables Day, The Bristal's Registered Dietitian Alaina Hoschke shares some tips about the benefits of eating vegetables. #thebristalassistedliving #dining
Marge, a resident at The Bristal at Jericho shared her special Banana bread recipe with Jericho's chef Mark for him to create as part of our Taste of Home program. Residents went BANANAS over this and Marge was kind enough to share her recipe with us. 🍌 #thebristalassistedliving #jericho #stayingactive #dining
Tuesday, May 25th was National Wine Day, so what better way to celebrate than sampling reds, whites and blushes from local Long Island vineyards! Of course, wine and cheese make the perfect pair, so residents snacked and sipped the day away. Residents voted on their favorites - Martha Clara Glacier’s End, Pindar Summer Blush, Raphael Cabernet Franc. 🍷 #thebristalassistedliving #holtsville #stayingactive #dining
The best food starts with the best ingredients. Here at The Bristal, we strive to use only the highest-quality ingredients in our dishes, like this flatbread featuring fresh strawberries, brie, and baby arugula!🍓 #thebristalassistedliving #englewood #stayingactive #dining
Today on Waitstaff Appreciation Day, we want to send a special thank you to the dining room team members across all of The Bristal communities. Here are just two team members expressing why they love working for The Bristal. We are grateful to have such dedicated people serving our residents daily! #thebristalassistedliving #wayne #woodclifflake #outstandingindividuals #stayingactive #dining
May is National Strawberry Month, so we kicked off our Taste of the Season program with a strawberry caprese salad. Residents enjoyed a chef demonstration in the bistro grille, and then were able to taste this sweet and savory dish for lunch. 🍓⠀
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Strawberries are a versatile fruit that can be enjoyed in every meal of the day: cooked, frozen, blended, or as is! In fact, studies show that strawberries are of the healthiest foods — packed with essential vitamins, dietary fiber and potassium. ⠀
#thebristalassistedliving #eastmeadow #holtsville #dining
Residents in Englewood enjoyed a beautiful lunch in the Bistro Grille this week – grilled cheese with turkey and bacon on rye bread, paired with a flavorful tomato bisque. There is nothing better than a classic grilled cheese and tomato soup combo, especially when it is chef-prepared with the finest ingredients! #thebristalassistedliving #englewood #dining
Taco Tuesday in the Bistro Grille yesterday was the perfect excuse to start the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Englewood. Residents enjoyed fish and beef tacos, salads, and freshly-made churros! It was fun-filled afternoon and we can't wait to see what today's festivities will bring. 🌮 #thebristalassistedliving #englewood #stayingactive #dining
This is your daily reminder to eat your greens 🥬
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This month, we kicked off our Taste of the Season program with 3 Ways Baked Kale Chips.⠀
The residents enjoyed a chef demonstration and later tasted this delicious, low calorie snack. The kale chips were prepared three different ways— Classic, Italian Style, and Seaside Spice. Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods— loaded with powerful antioxidants, it helps reduce the risk of cancer & cholesterol, and has more Vitamin C than an orange! ⠀
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#thebristal #thebristalassistedliving #assistedliving #thebristalatjericho #jericho #thebristalateastmeadow #eastmeadow #tasteoftheseason #dining #kale #kalechips #food #eatinglongisland #lieats #longislandfood #nationalgardenmonth #diningatthebristal
The next Taste of the Season recipe has us ready for summer! This refreshing pineapple salsa provides many key vitamins and minerals needed to keep our bodies healthy and strong. The tropical fruit provides 131% of daily vitamin C and 75% of daily manganese! From chef demonstrations to making homemade pineapple-scented (and shaped) soap, we had a great time eating, smelling, and learning about this delicious fruit!⠀
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#thebristal #thebristalassistedliving #assistedliving #thebristalatjericho #jericho #thebristalatholtsville #holtsville #thebristalatlakegrove #lakegrove #tasteoftheseason #dining
As we close out National Nutrition Month, Registered Dietitian, Alaina Hoschke, shares one final fun fact! As of January 2021, all artificial trans fats (partially-hydrogenated oils) have been eliminated from all U.S. food sources. However, trans fat is still listed on the nutrition facts label as some foods contain naturally occurring trans fats.⠀
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#thebristal #thebristalassistedliving #assistedliving #nationalnutritionmonth #dining
