Students at Leo A. Palmiter High School today celebrated the opening of the Capital City's newest restaurant: their own restaurant, the Culinary Café. Their first guests included Dr. David P. Meaney, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools, who greeted fellow diners with a hearty welcome before announcing, "Soup's on!"
On the menu: green salad, choice of herb baked salmon or beef shish-kabob, dilled rice and baby carrots, followed up with cranberry tiramisu for dessert.
The Culinary Café—located in the former cafeteria at Palmiter High School in the Arden Fair area—is now serving a gourmet luncheon every Tuesday and Thursday at Noon. Seating is limited to 30 people and reservations are required. Cost is $5 per person. Call (916) 566-2039 for reservations.
Under the tutelage of chef Steven Moe, students ranging in age from 15 to 18 years have been working to develop their food preparation and service skills since last fall. The 30 students are participants in the recently established Culinary Arts course, presented by the Sacramento County Regional Occupational Program at Palmiter High School. Palmiter High School is operated by the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) to serve special student populations.
Moe, former chef at Garbeau's Dinner Theater and Bay Area restaurants, is instructing students in food preparation, health/safety, cleanliness, supply/warehousing, the cost/profit margin of restaurant operations, and the essentials of different food service jobs such as cook, waitperson, host/hostess, cashier, and table busing. Students attend specialized classes each day and on Tuesdays and Thursdays actually put into practice—for the benefit of the community—what they have learned. Funding from a variety of job training programs makes it possible for students to be paid for actual work in the Culinary Café.
Staff at Palmiter High School consider the Culinary Café a "school-to-world" program, offering students valuable entry-level job experience, connections with food service professionals, an opportunity for immediate use of their new hands-on skills, and an active way to learn social skills.
The Sacramento Regional Occupational Program offers a similar course, Food Services and Hospitality Operations, at sites throughout the Sacramento area. Spring semester classes begin January 25 at Estrellita High School in Galt, McClatchy High School in Sacramento, Rio Vista High School in Rio Vista, San Juan High School in Citrus Heights, and Valley High School in South Sacramento. Details about these and other Regional Occupational Program course offerings are available by calling (916) 228-2233.