What’s special about it?
Chabot and his staff put a gourmet spin on the average hospital meal by cooking up dishes like penne gorgonzola, bayou chicken and shrimp, and a chicken fried steak that has people lining up, he said.
The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and according to Chabot’s calculations, served about 125 people on a Wednesday in June—more than a person a minute. Chabot credits this efficiency to his staff and their teamwork.
“We carve our own meat, we tenderize it, we do everything from scratch here,” Chabot said. “Which is unusual for most hospitals.”
They have daily specials and a constantly rotating menu, with new offerings and flavors that the staff plans.
“I've got a lot of longevity with the people that work for me,” Chabot said. “They've truly become family.”
Chabot has been working at the hospital for 23 years. He brings experience from training under a French chef and opening his own Italian restaurant.
“I said, ‘I don't know a thing about hospital food,’" Chabot said. “And [former CEO Dennis Jack] said, "We don't want hospital food."
The inspiration
Chabot said he and his staff take a personalized approach to feeding patients. Ascension Seton Smithville has eight beds. Staff goes to each room and asks, “What do you feel like eating today?” in order to prepare a customized meal to fit every person's dietary needs.
“I’ve got a passionate staff,” Chabot said. “Their goal is to make people happy, and there's one way of doing that, and it's with food.”
He emphasized serving high-quality food with fresh ingredients to uplift patients.
“They're going to get woken up in the middle of the night,” Chabot said. “They're going to get prodded and poked and I said, ‘Let's let them look forward to each meal.’”
