Outstanding service

In January and even February, many of us are still recovering from the hustle and bustle of the holidays. If you host your family or friends for gatherings at your home during the holiday season, those festive parties probably took a toll on you and your house. As much fun as it is to throw a party or prepare a big holiday meal for loved ones, all of that cleaning, planning, grocery shopping, and cooking can have you thinking, "Bah humbug!" 

For the people who live at Linden Ponds, entertaining is much easier because they have access to private dining rooms and other party spaces as well as a full-service catering department. While residents certainly can host meals and parties in their spacious apartment homes, many opt to reserve a space in the common areas on campus for their gatherings. That means community members have the option to outsource the cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, and cleanup, leaving them free to enjoy their parties along with their guests. 

"This is their new home, and just like the entertaining they used to do for the holidays, family gatherings, and reunions, as well as special events, residents want to know that it won't change when they move here," explains Sales Director Christine Hansen says. "They can still cook and entertain in their apartment homes, but more importantly, residents have access to much larger social spaces to entertain. "Having two 65,000-square-foot clubhouses is a big plus when it comes to hosting."

Elegant evening

Marty Kovick is one of the many residents who enjoys entertaining at Linden Ponds. Two years in a row, he has bid on a silent auction item at the community's annual gala to host an elegant dinner for eight in one of the private dining rooms. Last year, Marty worked with the catering staff to create a custom menu. 

The evening began with an artisan cheese board with fresh fruit and crackers, along with bacon-wrapped scallops and crab cakes with lemon aioli. The salad course featured Boston Bibb lettuce with endive, avocado, goat cheese, candied pecans, and a citrus vinaigrette. Guests could choose entrées of either seared halibut with fresh corn, asparagus, tomato, and pea risotto with beurre blanc or a filet with roasted potatoes and asparagus. The decadent meal ended with strawberry shortcake and chocolate marquise cake with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries. 

But it wasn't just the expertly prepared food that made the dinner such a memorable experience. Marty says everything from the fresh flowers on the tables to the attentive service delighted him and his guests.

"The service was outstanding, it was really what you would expect in a fine restaurant," Marty says. "Management even checked in with us to make sure everything was going well."