Hats off to the Chef

When families move their parents or loved ones when they get older, it’s usually common for them to worry about if their loved ones are in the right hands. Lodge at Cold Spring residents need not worry though, at least in terms of food. The Lodge’s Executive Chef, Nick Mastracchio, was recently a recipient of Holiday Retirement’s Touch of Excellence Award, in recognition of the hard work and dedication he puts forth every day.

For those that know and work with Nick, it’s easy to see why. Nick prepares meals from scratch for residents and guests each day he works. If he sees something on the menu he knows his residents won’t like, he’ll change it to something he knows they’ll enjoy. If there is a special event going on at The Lodge on a given day, he’ll go out his way to make a nice snack platter and/or a tasty punch bowl.

Once a month, Nick hosts a cooking demo, either at The Lodge or a community senior center nearby. Recently, he went to the Wethersfield Senior Center to share some of his best summer food recipes, and this month he showed all in attendance at The Lodge how to make a healthy breakfast. Chef Nick received his award in front of a full dining room, as Community Manager Richard Restiano read a letter sent personally from Holiday Retirement CEO Jack Callison. It wasn’t only Nick’s skills that won him this award; it was also his great personality and dedication to his job and residents. After he received the award, one resident jokingly said to him: “I wish you were my personal chef.”