The hospital’s food service rating soared, said Marydale Debor, a former vice president of external (affairs) at New Milford Hospital and a (co-founder) of Plow to Plate, a grass-roots effort to bring local food and agriculture to the hospital and the community. Ms. Debor also (established) the cafe’s daily Senior Suppers, which became so popular with senior citizens that a second sitting was added.
“We started off changing the hospital food to set an example for our patients,” Ms. Debor said. “But the cafe has become a real fixture in the community.”
“I never anticipated we’d wind up faxing our (menu) to Home Depot, the post office or the mayor’s office,” Ms. Debor said.
Word got out that Mr. Gold — a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America trained in classic French cuisine — was cooking up lunch menus featuring specials like (grilled) pork topped with polenta and accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed kale at the bargain price of $5. Diners began (trickling) into the hospital, which is just opposite the Village Green, and near a catering business and a few restaurants.