When The Sinclair at Port Washington set out to redefine what senior living could look and taste like, they started in the kitchen. Their first major step in a sweeping $28 million redevelopment was recruiting a chef who has cooked for presidents, traveled the world, and led culinary programs on some of the biggest stages on the planet.
Chef Dan Lopez, the newly appointed director of culinary arts at The Sinclair, has spent the past six months transforming what was formerly The Harborside into one of the region’s most ambitious senior dining programs.
With decades of global experience, including feeding dignitaries at the United Nations and overseeing dining operations during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Lopez is bringing world-class cuisine and a new philosophy to Long Island.
“This is a great opportunity to give back to the senior community,” Lopez said. “I took care of my mother for many years before she passed, so I understand the dynamics and the challenges seniors go through. The Sinclair pitched this idea of a fine-dining institution, and I thought, ‘Why not bring this level of cuisine here?’”
Lopez’s path to The Sinclair began far from senior living. Born in Manhattan and now residing in Rego Park, Queens, Lopez recalls developing his culinary passion not in his father’s short-lived restaurant, but behind the counter at a Blimpie sandwich shop during high school.
That early spark eventually led him to the Culinary Institute of America and a career that took him around the world.
For 14 years, Lopez worked at the United Nations, where he cooked for four U.S. presidents, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and prepared meals for dignitaries whose expectations reflected their home countries’ culinary traditions.
“Mimicking what their mothers used to make back home was always the challenge,” he said. “You don’t always have the exact ingredients they’re used to. But it was a wonderful experience.”
His résumé includes time as a corporate executive chef for Elior, a France-based global food service company, and teaching at his alma mater. At the Beijing Olympics, Lopez oversaw operations that served 36,000 meals per day.
“It was incredible to see how they had it down to a science,” he said. “Cooking under those circumstances, under strict HACCP guidelines, one mistake can affect thousands.”
His culinary travels have taken him through Paris, London, Belgium, Germany, Rome and Napa Valley, the last of which he calls one of his most formative trips.
“I was pleasantly surprised to see how far the U.S. has come with wine and cuisine,” he said. “You can go to Napa and expect the same level of food and experience as Paris or London.”
Lopez’s decision to join The Sinclair was personal as much as professional. After years of travel, nearly 80 flights and more than 220 hotel nights annually, he said he was burned out.
“I wanted to sleep in my own bed,” Lopez said. “And I was looking to plant a stake somewhere. This opportunity came along, and the idea of elevating senior dining really resonated with me.”
Six months in, he’s fully immersed in the community, and residents have noticed.
The Sinclair’s culinary reboot is the first major project of its forthcoming redevelopment, set to roll out in 2026. Lopez began by rebuilding the kitchen from the ground up.
“We basically opened up a brand-new kitchen,” he said. “We threw out a lot of old equipment, spent about $330,000 on new technology, upgraded the hoods and Ansul systems, and rewrote menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week.”
Among the most significant upgrades are three advanced pieces of equipment Lopez specifically requested, including Rational iCombi Pro and iVario systems, designed to improve consistency, efficiency, and cooking times.
“We also spent a whole day in Manhattan selecting new plateware and flatware,” he said. “It sounds small, but every detail matters. The residents loved the new wine glasses, plates, bowls, everything.”
So what’s on the menu? Pretty much anything a resident can dream of.
“We’re serving Chilean sea bass, halibut, red snapper, rack of lamb, filet mignon, you name it,” Lopez said. “If we’re going to bring a fine-dining concept to The Sinclair, we’re pulling out all the stops.”
Dinner rotates on a five-week cycle, allowing residents to revisit favorites without repetition fatigue. Staples like chicken noodle soup, matzo ball soup, grilled cheese and pasta remain fixtures.
“They’re not big on rice,” Lopez said. “But they love their potatoes and pasta.”
Lopez has also implemented a resident comment-card system and reads each submission daily. The cards help guide menu adjustments and give residents a direct voice in the dining program.
“It keeps me in tune with the community, what they want, what they don’t want,” he said.
Beyond cooking, Lopez says one of his greatest joys at The Sinclair is teaching.
“The staff is hungry for knowledge,” he said. “Teaching cooks new dishes, ingredients, how to plate, and teaching waiters everything from wine service to nine-course tasting menus, that excites me.”
Residents’ reactions excite him even more.
“The glitter in their eyes when they say they loved a dish, that’s the reward,” he said.
As The Sinclair prepares to roll out broad renovations, including a new dining room, deli, and steakhouse concept, Lopez says the culinary program is only the beginning.
“We want to be a destination,” he said. “A place people want to live because of the food, the service, the experience.”
With Thanksgiving approaching, he already has plans for an expansive holiday menu: turkey, ham, green bean casserole, challah stuffing with prunes, and more.
“We’re not holding back,” he said. “It’s going to be wonderful.”
For Lopez, who has cooked for the world’s most powerful leaders, the mission at The Sinclair is simpler and more meaningful.
“We’re cooking great food for a great community here on Long Island,” he said.
