Two teams from Lorien Assisted Living took home top awards in the LifeSpan Network’s ‘Taste of Senior Living,’ as the cooking competition marked its 10th anniversary with a record-breaking celebration on March 18, 2025. Originally conceived by Lisa Fichman and her Lifespan team, this event included more than 400 guests who gathered together and honored the best in senior living cuisine.
The Lorien Encore culinary team won the Silver Spoon award for their dessert, the Pot de Crème, while the Harmony Hall team took home the People’s Choice award for the Harmony Bowl.
“The level of culinary skill is off the charts and our entire Lorien community congratulates the incredibly talented chefs at Lorien Encore, Harmony Hall and Lorien Elkridge,” said Lou Grimmel Sr., CEO of Lorien Health Services. “All three Lorien teams showed high-level cooking skills and innovative menus that our residents enjoy every day.”
Lorien Harmony Hall Chefs accepting thier “People’s Choice” award (left to right, Dining Services Director Brian Kelley, Executive Chef Frank White, and LifeSpan President Kevin Heffner)
Lorien Assisted Living served up a three-course meal for the judges, with entries in the appetizer category; Lorien Elkridge’s Seafood Charcuterie, the entrée category; Lorien Harmony Hall’s Harmony Bowl, a Korean inspired dish to show Harmony Hall’s dedication to Korean Senior care, and the dessert category; a Pot de Crème chocolate mousse from Lorien Encore.
The Lorien chefs who participated in the competition included:
Waldon Smith and Jorge Rodriguez of Lorien Encore; Brian Kelly and Frank White of Harmony Hall, and Juwuan Nixon of Lorien Elkridge.
The competition showcased culinary talent across various categories, culminating in the presentation of five awards. Additional information about all of the winners can be found here: https://lifespan-network.org/taste-senior-living-2025 .
About Lorien Health Services
Lorien Health Services is a family-owned and operated Assisted Living and Nursing Home organization that was founded on strong family values. Lorien continues to conduct itself in accordance with those values which also extend to our residents, their family members, and our dedicated employees. Our goal is to exceed the expectations of the people we touch by providing patient-centered care utilizing the latest in healthcare technology to attain the finest outcomes for our residents. Lorien Health Services was founded in 1977 by the same family that continues to lead the company today. Their mission and vision remain as they did then. For more information visit https://www.lorienhealth.com/about-lorien.
