Renovated restaurant at Panorama opens to residents, public

If you’re feeling hungry and find yourself in southeast Lacey, there is a recently renovated destination that might meet your hunger needs. It’s not only open to the public, but serves the residents at Panorama, the large retirement community that runs from 14th Avenue to the north shore of Chambers Lake.

Panorama has been home to a restaurant that has served residents and the community for some time. But the restaurant, Chambers House, began to feel dated, so Panorama embarked on a $1.8 million renovation project that started in August and wrapped up Dec. 1. The new restaurant is called 1751 Restaurant & Bistro at Panorama.

“We brought it up to modern standards-plus,” said Joseph Di Santo, president of Panorama.

What a difference a few months makes.

In addition to a renovated interior, there is a piano, a crackling hearth adorned with Dale Chihuly glass art, meeting spaces at both ends of the restaurant, a bar, a new menu and enough seating to accommodate about 250 diners.

A row of booth seating is set to be installed, said Howard Burton, director of marketing.

Windows run the length of the restaurant, providing diners with a view of the Panorama campus in the direction of McGandy Park.

The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has plans to introduce a $5 breakfast menu, said Mike Turk, chef and manager of the restaurant and bistro. Turk is part of a husband-and-wife team steeped in restaurant experience, having operated Meggin’s Restaurant in Lacey for years and before that a similar business at Capitol City Golf Club.

They also managed Chambers House before the renovation.

Menu selections include: smoked salmon fritatta, New York steak, Portabella mushroom ravioli — or, how about the grilled chicken and pear salad? It is served with mixed greens and topped with pears, dried cranberries, blue cheese crumbles, caramelized walnuts and grilled chicken breast.

“The food is great,” said Wendy Taylor, a new Panorama resident who joined fellow resident Karen Romanelli in praising the restaurant upgrades.

They echoed Di Santo’s comments by saying the restaurant has been brought into a new era, including gluten-free desserts.

The dining changes reflect a Panorama community that is getting younger, they said. The average age of a Panorama resident continues to fall as more baby boomers retire and call Panorama home, they said.

In line with the changing demographic, Taylor and Romanelli hope the restaurant’s hours are extended because not everyone eats dinner at 5:30 p.m.

This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Renovated restaurant at Panorama opens to residents, public."