Fine dining is one of life's greatest pleasures, and as Steve Martin, the great comedian once said, “The older I get the more important every meal becomes.” The staff at each Sterling Estates community knows how important it is for them to serve great tasting meals, while at the same time provide a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere conducive to engaging conversations among fellow residents ensuring pleasurable dining experiences every day.

“It’s very rewarding for me to have the freedom to create interesting and inspiring dishes that also meet our residents’ nutritional and dietary needs,” Chef Ismael Gonzales (East Cobb) explained. We learned that the nutritional benefits he was talking about included increased mental acuity, resistance to illness and disease, higher energy levels, faster recuperation times, and better management of chronic health problems.

The superior quality of the food was first known only to residents, their friends and families; but today most of us in the greater Marietta area and Cobb County are aware, as two of the last three years Sterling Estates has won first place in the esteemed “Taste of East Cobb” competitions, eclipsing many favorite, local restaurants.

When developing the award-winning communities, the local partners gave a lot of time and consideration to not only serving chef-driven, nutritional food, but also to deliberately creating a ‘dining experience’ for the residents. They envisioned friendly and relaxed dining areas arranged to encourage socializing among the residents. This included interior design and furnishings in the dining areas which would ensure residents could enjoy this “dining experience” everyday, with every meal - not just on special occasions and holidays.

Within the West Cobb community, residents may choose between the main dining rooms and The Sterling Grill, which is a 55-seat casual bistro featuring an open grill and meals cooked to order within view. This June, the community will open the doors to a new clubhouse, The Club, which will feature indoor and outdoor patio dining areas, as well as a full-service pub.

Holiday and seasonally themed dinners are lively and well-attended, Executive Director (East Cobb) Ann White said and smiled. “Our residents can ‘party with the best of them’. A community favorite dining and themed event is an annual fashion show involving local retailers. We also plan elegant tea parties for the women, steak nights for the men, as well as musical performances often during lunches and dinners.” 

Both communities present “Chef Chat” each month, which provides an opportunity for residents to speak directly with the chefs and to communicate dining preferences. Chef Michael Payne (West Cobb) pointed out, “Before moving into the community, our residents had been accustomed to dining well, so “Chef Chat” is always an enlightening time for me because I learn what does and doesn’t taste good to them. Our mission includes satisfying their taste buds, so “Chef Chat” helps us fine-tune our dishes and continue to please our residents’ palates.”

It seems like the folks at Sterling Estates Senior Living Communities follow the mantra, “Great food is one of life’s greatest pleasures” 

We just heard! Sterling Estates was awarded “Best Retirement Community” as well as “Best Assisted Living Community” by readers of MDJ and Cobb Life in the 2019-2020 ‘Best of Cobb’ recognitions. 

For two of the last three years Sterling Estates of East Cobb has won first place in the esteemed “Taste of East Cobb” competition, eclipsing many local, favorite restaurants.