Market Street Viera Chef Emmanuel Florez Showcases Culinary Excellence at Executive Chef Competition

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Dec 05, 2023, 07:00 ET

VERO BEACH, Fla., Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A day of culinary excellence was celebrated as the Executive Chefs and leadership of Watercrest Senior Living and Market Street Memory Care Residences gathered for a friendly competition of cooking, judging and culinary demonstrations.

Executive Chef Manny Florez of Market Street Memory Care Residence Viera wins Top Chef in a culinary showdown. Chef Manny has dedicated his culinary passions to the seniors of Watercrest Senior Living since 2018.

Executive Chef Emmanuel "Manny" Florez of Market Street Viera and Executive Chef Louis Neese of Market Street East Lake put their skills to the test in a head to head competition. Chef Manny dazzled with an appetizer of seared scallops over savory polenta, topped with crisp pork belly and mouth-watering brown butter, while Chef Louis stole the entrée round serving pasta in vodka cream sauce perfectly paired with sweet Italian sausage and Parmigiano Reggiano. In the dessert round, Chef Manny offered a beautiful deconstructed tiramisu, while Chef Louis delivered an original recipe maple-coffee brownie drizzled with sweet caramel bourbon sauce.

The guest judges included Watercrest Senior Executive Director James Brassard, and Watercrest Executive Chefs William Poirier and Nathan Shifflett who scored the contestants based on flavor, appearance, texture, aroma and presentation. With a slim margin, Executive Chef Manny was declared the winner with the promise of a rematch in the future.

Chef Manny has been an integral member of the Watercrest culinary team since 2018, going above and beyond to not only serve seniors in the dining room, but to nurture genuine relationships with the residents and their family members.

"Bringing our talented culinary teams together is an excellent learning opportunity and a tool to consistently elevate the dining experiences that we are offering our seniors at our Market Street and Watercrest Senior Living Communities," says Sheila Fioretti, Watercrest Dining Services Specialist. "We are committed to providing healthy and diverse options, advanced associate training and top-notch customer service."

Operated by Watercrest Senior Living, Market Street Viera is an award-winning senior living community in Melbourne, Florida prestigiously recognized by U.S. News & World Report for the past two years as a Best Memory Care Community. U.S. News awards the designation of Best Senior Living only to those communities that achieved the highest possible rating for Memory Care. The community offers world class care, multi-sensory programming, diverse culinary experiences, and unparalleled associate training honoring seniors with Alzheimer's and dementia. Market Street Viera is conveniently located at 6845 Murrell Road in Melbourne, Florida. For more information, contact the community at 321-730-2444.

About Watercrest Senior Living Group
Watercrest Senior Living Group was founded to honor our mothers and fathers, aspiring to become a beacon for quality in senior living by surpassing standards of care, service and associate training. Watercrest senior living communities are recognized for their luxury aesthetic, exceptional amenities, world-class care, and innovative memory care programming offering unparalleled service to seniors living with Alzheimer's and dementia. A six-time certified Great Place to Work, Watercrest specializes in the development and operations of assisted living and memory care communities and the growth of servant leaders. For information, visit www.watercrestseniorliving.com.

SOURCE Watercrest Senior Living Group