“Dining at Pine Run is more than just a meal,” says Dave Fogel, Senior Director of Senior Living Dining Services at Pine Run Retirement Community. “It’s an experience,” continues Fogel. “We offer many different options to please any palate both in terms of venue and menu.”
As the winter weather begins to break and the beauty of our campus comes into bloom Pine Run residents look forward to the start of a new Spring/Summer seasonal menu featuring more of a focus on plant based selections. “We pay careful attention to what is trending both in senior living as well as in other areas of the culinary landscape and the demand and appetite for plant based entrees as well as sides is exploding,” says Fogel.
The menu development at Pine Run take place several times a year with the help of our corporate partner Flik Hospitality. It is focused on providing outstanding senior living dining services by incorporating seasonal items and selections with an emphasis on health, nutrition, and of course taste. As with most decision making at Pine Run, Residents have an important voice through our resident dining committee and are welcomed and encouraged to provide ideas and suggestions – and even recipes. Pine Run considers new recipes that have been tested and deemed popular at a variety of locations across the country. As the Pine Run population continues to grow and change, they bring along new ideas, wishes, and suggestions.
The spring menu will focus on fresh composed salad, cold platters, and cold soups. A Pine Run favorite is cold strawberry soup on a warm spring day! But newer to Pine Run are plant based entrees, which increase in popularity every day.
Two new featured selections are lentil sloppy joes and black bean chipotle cauliflower tacos with avocado. “Tested, tried, and approved by vegetarian and vegan associates and residents, both of these entrees have received high marks and we are excited to roll them out to the Village,” says Fogel.
“When offering dining experiences to 325 residents for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, 365 days a year, it’s critically important to have options,” says Fogel. “We need to be mindful that we have a wide variety of tastes and preferences in our community and we try to offer creative, healthy, appealing, and appetizing meals for all residents.” On any given day, residents and guests will be able to find options to please any palate, from plant based entrees, gluten friendly items, to the more traditional proteins, and certainly favorites like surf and turf, a perfectly grilled cheeseburger, or a simple slice of pizza made in our own pizza oven.
Learn more about dining options at Pine Run>>
The exciting variety of menu options is available in several venues that offer very different ways to dine: Pine Run offers Restaurant-style dining with a traditional sit-down venue for lunch and dinner. Casual dining in the Grille and Pub for breakfast, lunch, and dinner offers a less formal option in a casual bistro dining experience. The Pub offers an inviting bar featuring beer, wine, and cocktails and a popular place to socialize. Pine Run also offers a Private dining room for resident use for celebrating a special event, birthday, shower, or anniversary with guests. Residents can reserve the private dining room and have the culinary team put together a special menu.
Grab and go options add another layer of convenience. Residents can take out any menu item from the Grille, with juices, yogurts, and other items available, ideally taken out in the environmentally friendly green reusable and washable containers. This allows residents to grab a quick snack or lunch before heading off to their next activity, or the convenience of a home cooked meal in their cottage or apartment – without the cooking. Groceries such as fresh produce, bread, eggs, and deli items are also available with a 24 hour turn-around time. Pine Run also added Cooking demos, or Cook-Alongs, with Chef Doug during the COVID-19 pandemic where the Pine Run culinary team sent meal kit ingredients packaged and portioned 
to resident’s homes for them to cook along with a cooking demo video on the in-house TV channel. This remains a popular way to learn about a chef’s food philosophy and favorites, as well as pick up dinner suggestions and a few cooking tips.
“It’s all about options,” concludes Fogel. “The Pine Run dining experience, whether residents are seeking food that promote heart or brain health, or come to dine to indulge the senses, is about community. Clean plates at the end of the night are satisfying, but seeing residents gathered in the dining room, Grille and Pub, or on the deck enjoying a good meal, a glass of wine and one another is yet another way that Pine Run promotes healthy living.”
Learn more about Independent Senior Living at Pine Run>>
Pine Run is part of the Doylestown Health network, which includes Doylestown Hospital and has served the Bucks County community for nearly 100 years.
