Granting a makeover: Starting out small, a dining room project gains support. (Food Service).

THE TABLES ARE SET WITH A LINEN PLACE MAT AT EACH PLACE setting. A decoratively folded napkin centered in a service of flatware, an inverted bone-colored china coffee cup in its saucer above and to the right, and a wine glass standing next to the cup and saucer complete the welcoming place setting. There are fresh flowers in a bud vase on each table. Under a wall of windows is a porchlike area framed in white lattice with hanging baskets of ivy. When the dining room opens at 11:30 a.m., the buzz of lively chatter over a background of big-band music will fill the room as the residents enjoy their lunch in the Garden Pavilion. Residents? Yes, residents. The Garden Pavilion is the fourth-floor dining room at Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home in Staten Island, N.Y.

Created to provide a more homelike dining experience and eliminate tray service, the …