I learned something new at Culinary Cafe and made a new friend….well a couple of new friends actually.

Incase you don’t know what Culinary Cafe is…let me explain.  Each semester the students in the Hospitality program at SFA plan, prepare and cook a meal, from a different cuisine, twice a week.  They also decorate the tables and serve the meal.  You can buy tickets online and they usually sellout within a day or two of posting, that’s how delicious the meal and lovely the experience is.  Every meal we have had has been pleasing to the eye and palate,  top-notch and enjoyable.

Well, I learned why a Chef’s jacket is double-breasted.  So when he cooks, if he gets messy and splatters or drips something on the front of his jacket, he just unbuttons his dirty “side” and moves it to the back and then presents his “new” clean side to meet and greet his customers.  Pretty smart idea, very handy and is quickly done.

One new friend was our waiter, Duy Nguyen.  He did a wonder job of taking care of us, filling our drinks, presenting our courses with polish and answering our questions about the delectable food we were eating.  Our second friend is Mario Figueroa and he is our scholarship recipient for this year.  He was working the cafe in the kitchen area, he prepared the Jambalaya Grits.  He was able to sit the first course with us, Seafood Gumbo with White Rice, so we could visit with him.  He enjoys baking, is from Houston and graduated this month.  He already has a job at a Marriott Hotel in downtown Houston, in the bakery.  He had a unique opportunity this past May.  Through a hospitality program he was selected to go to the Cannes Film Festival in France.  He worked in the food service/hospitality area, met people from all over and saw a few Stars too.  He would like to experience that event again.  He is a well spoken young man and we enjoyed meeting him, learning about his life, goals and dreams and wish him all the best.

Suzanne, Mario Figueroa, Bryan