Moorings Park at Grey Oaks is happy to welcome Chef Kenneth Young as Executive Chef. Chef Kenny has successfully served as Executive Chef at Trio Restaurant at Moorings Park for several years, so he is sure to be a strong asset to the Moorings Park at Grey Oaks team.
“Chef Kenny is no stranger to Moorings Park; he has done incredible work at both the Park Grill and Trio Restaurant at Moorings Park, so we are enthusiastic about his promotion to our Moorings Parks at Grey Oaks campus, to deliver enticing flavor in unique cuisine to our food-savvy residents,” said Vice President of Moorings Park and Senior Living Specialist, Tom Mann. “Additionally, Moorings Park will be in great hands as Chef Laverte Mathis will transition from Executive Sous Chef to Executive Chef of Trio.”
Journeyed Background Experience
Prior to joining the Moorings Park family, Chef Kenny spent six years working for Palm Island Resort in Cape Haze, Florida. Originally from Rhode Island, the distinguished chef once operated as a chef in Newport and owned his very own restaurant in Narragansett.
Additionally, his resume includes 15 years of culinary experience in Vail, Colorado working for some of the top resort operations in the world. In short, he’s seen almost every corner of the country.
Conversation is a Tasty Appetizer
Chef Kenny’s job doesn’t solely take place in the kitchen. He finds great joy in learning and connecting with his guests face-to-face. In fact, Kenny often ventures around the restaurant to introduce himself to the guests. He inquires about their likes and dislikes, and what they wanted to see on the menu moving forward, bringing a new meaning to “personal chef.”
The cook, who has been with Moorings Park Communities for five years now, knows the ingredients that go into delivering such a tasteful experience, in more ways than one. “I know almost all the residents by name, and what their likes and dislikes are,” he notes of his members at to Goodlette-Frank location. Moorings Park at Grey Oaks members are in for a treat as they will have the pleasure of having such an involved, personable chef.
Pairing fresh, exquisite food with extreme hospitality is the main ingredient of every Moorings Park dining experience.
Chef Kenny notes how friendly guests are, acknowledging that they become almost like family. After all, he is known to speak to most tables on a nightly basis.
Expert at Exclusive Dining
So, what makes Moorings Park Community restaurants some of the most exclusive dining locations in the city? Well, whether you’re craving a simple salad or a memorable seafood dish, you can find it all made from scratch and derived from the freshest ingredients. Though, nothing at our restaurants is truly simple.
“The menus have a full change every week,” reports Young. “I have, right now, close to over 200 different menus that I’ve done [for Trio].”
That explains why Moorings Park members continually choose to make the exclusive campus restaurants a part of their weekly routine. Chef Kenny successfully makes the menu options new and unique to guests who choose to dine with him so often.
Thoughtful, Inclusive Menus
The ever-changing menus feature delicious vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, and health-conscious meals. Even Blue Zone entrees are an option. And that goes for all Moorings Park’s beloved dining locations.
Catering to every person and their needs is not only a priority but a pleasure that Chef Kenny and his new staff take pride in. “I engineer the menus to be much healthier – to not just appease the people that want [something] health-conscious, but for everyone to make it a regular way of eating,” notes Young. He’s proud to say that he also works hard to buy 100 percent organic vegetables.
Just a few months ago, Chef Kenny incorporated the beautifully unique fiddlehead fern into a dish. The curled, violin-shaped vegetable, as he describes it, is only available during the spring and was wild-caught, so he was happy to add it to his toolkit of ingredients.
Wondering what his personal favorite food is to whip up? A Southwest Florida staple, of course: seafood. Luckily, lobster tails happen to be a member favorite as well.
“The fresh seafood we get here is some of the best in the country. From Tripletail to Hogfish from The Keys. Fresh Black Grouper, Yellowtail Snapper, American Red Snapper - it’s hard to beat!”
Members of Moorings Park are welcome to invite friends and family to dine with them, where they will find elegant table settings and a fully stocked bar (not to mention the wine selection is nothing short of impressive at each eatery.)
Specialty drinks are a sweet part of the evolving menu. For instance, you can enjoy various dessert cocktails such as an espresso martini, Irish coffee and “Not Your Father’s Root Beer” float.
Though, what are dessert cocktails without some baked goods? Chef Kenny shares that all bread, pastries, and sweet treats are made from scratch and vary weekly, just like the savory appetizers and entrees themselves. Whether you’re a chocolate devotee or a fruit fanatic, there’s always a mouthwatering dessert to tickle your tastebuds; options in the past have contained free-form peach tartelette and chocolate peanut butter crème brûlée.
Overall, Chef Kenny is proud to admit that his hungry, food-savvy guests trust him. He has successfully incorporated a multi-ethnic kitchen concept at Trio Restaurant, with various cuisine types constructing each menu, and will continue to do so at Moorings Park at Grey Oaks.
When asked what he personally prepares when his workday finally ends? Well, let’s just say he appreciates the simple art of grilling and dining out.
