Homegrown in South Florida but with experience ranging from upstate New York to San Diego, Executive Chef Oscar Acosta brings a background in high-end cooking to the residents of Mirabelle.
A graduate of the Florida Culinary Institute and a certified chef de cuisine, Acosta began working in places like luxury hotels and country clubs, where tastes ran refined. He joined the community as Executive Chef two years ago and brought his expertise in classic and new American cuisine.
At Mirabelle, Acosta said they have various signature dishes that regularly receive positive feedback from residents. One is the Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup, which Acosta said is a lighter and balanced dish but full of flavor. It involves roasting squash, sautéing ginger and onion, and then cooking in a homemade broth. Acosta said all of their broths are made in-house so there’s no added salt, which is important for resident nutrition.
Another resident favorite is the Crab Cakes, which are baked instead of fried and have a minimal amount of bread in order to be lighter and fluffier. In addition to incorporating residents’ preferences and needs, the kitchen at Mirabelle also cooks with ingredients when they’re fresh and in season, for example, Florida lobster in the summer.
Cooking for residents makes Acosta feel appreciated, and he said one of the things he loves about working at the community is the ability to curate dishes based on immediate resident feedback. In pre-COVID times, he loved when residents took pride in hosting their family for meals because they were excited for their loved ones to taste the food.
“One thing I really enjoy about working in this environment is that we’re like private chefs,” he said. “We’re able to respond to their feedback in a quick turnaround and can react to their input. We’re chefs in their private home.”