Sue Peterson, left, hands over the fresh, hot fish to Janet Krull, right. Krull purchased and delivered the hot meal to the residents at Lakeland Healthcare and Rehab Center. (Photos by Chelsea Los)

MILFORD — For most residents in assisted living or nursing homes, favorite local restaurants are a thing of the past. Cafeteria-style food is what is expected and received on a daily basis.

And while cafeteria food can be excellent in many ways, it can never quite compare to the taste of freshly breaded fish from a favorite dine-in business.

Local health care provider Lakeland Healthcare and Rehab Center, Milford, recognizes this need in its 47 residents. Each month, the facility hosts a celebration of the taste buds with Taste of Town. On the first Wednesday of each month, the cafeteria offers a meal from one local diner in the Kosciusko County area. Carry-out ranges from anything from Penguin Point to this month’s selection, Peterson’s Fish.

Lakeland resident Victor Drapeza, left, talks fish tales from his days in Goshen while breaking bread with resident Kenny Goshert, right. Both men enjoyed the breaded fish from Peterson’s Fish.

For January, a longtime friend of the organization offered to fund and supply the fish from Peterson’s Fish in Syracuse. North Webster resident Janet Krull paid for and delivered the fresh fish from the local favorite, and stayed for lunch to enjoy chatting with the residents. Krull is a familiar face around Lakeland, as she typically visits with her two flat-coated retrievers once a week. Krull enjoys her time visiting residents, and knows most of the people by name.

Jim Bickel, marketing representative for Lakeland Healthcare and Rehab Center, said the organizations has created a “chef circle” to help decide where the meals will come from each month. The group comes together to talk about favorite meals from years past, and Bickel helps make it happen. It is something the facility has also implemented at its other location in Goshen.

The effort supports local businesses just like Peterson’s Fish. Residents may also have family or friends who visit during regular lunch hours and can enjoy the meal together. Just in case a few of the residents don’t enjoy the meal selected, the cafeteria still offers regular lunch choices as a substitute.