Celebrity Chef Heads up Dining Program at Homestead Hills

June 25, 2010
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Winston-Salem, N.C. - Mike McCabe is used to serving demanding clients. In fact, the new executive chef of Winston Salem, N.C.-based Homestead Hills retirement community has served more celebrities than seniors during his career.

McCabe began cooking when he was only 10 years old, and supper was always ready and waiting for his parents when they came home from work. Later in life as a sous chef at Warren Hotel in Spring Lake, N.J., McCabe served the likes of Yogi Berra and Ray Liotta, but it was his passion for heading up a kitchen of his own that eventually led him to the Triad … and Homestead Hills.

After he was offered a position as executive sous chef at Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI) in Mooresville, N.C., McCabe packed up his family and moved from New Jersey to North Carolina. During his time at DEI, McCabe served a slew of celebrities – from country music singer Brad Paisley to racing legend Richard Petty. But the laidback chef says they were just like anyone else, particular about some things but satisfied as long as the food was hot, filling and served with a smile.

McCabe became sous chef at Homestead Hills in April 2009 and has quickly risen up the ranks of the community’s dining services department. During his first year at the luxury retirement community, McCabe worked in healthcare, focusing on delivering restaurant-quality dining services to members living in assisted living and memory care. The challenge of meeting specific dietary needs while avoiding the maligned "cafeteria food” concept prevalent in the long-term care industry was difficult, yet rewarding.

"As we age, our taste buds and nutritional needs change,” McCabe says. "We believe our dining services in healthcare should be more sophisticated than the old hospital or cafeteria model. That means the food is hot when it arrives, members can choose flexible dining times and most importantly, it tastes great!”

McCabe thrives on challenge and diversity and he never likes to do the same thing twice. He says Homestead Hills’ members can look forward to their favorite traditional dishes, with a twist. His favorite food is sushi and he is a trained pastry chef, so the opportunities for interesting dishes abound, and McCabe is hopeful that community members will respond to his new approach.

"When I started, the most surprising thing about the community to me was how young and vivacious the members were,” McCabe said. "I thought retirement communities were a one-size-fits-all approach where everyone ended up in long-term care, but our members fully expect to remain independent and in their own home for the duration of their lives. It’s my job to make sure that Winston-Salem’s best restaurant is in their backyard.”