Culinary arts’ fine dining series is getting a makeover. For many years, culinary arts students enrolled in fine dining covered both back of the house and front of the house tasks. They created meals inspired by the cuisine of other countries and served guests in high-end style at each of the six dinners.
This spring, however, chef instructor Rob Hansen is taking his fine dining course in a new direction.
“The particular class that we have is a little bit smaller. … (And) there wasn’t enough students in the kitchen and in the dining room for that class. So, we had to separate the responsibilities,” he said. While the fine dining students will focus on the back of the house, students in the new dining room operations class will seat and serve guests.
In addition, Hansen has invited local executive chefs to partner with him in presenting chef dinners served banquet style rather than the traditional international cuisine served a la carte. Chef dinners allow guests an opportunity to interact with the chef. They are also typically prix fixe (set) menus. Hansen has invited five local executive chefs to create five unique dinners in BJU culinary department’s Chef Dinner Series.
- Feb. 14 — Rodney Freidank, Table 301, Greenville
- March 13 — Judi McRae, Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery, Greenville
- March 19 — Beau Owens, The Lazy Goat, Greenville
- April 3 — Russ Moore, Slightly North of Broad, Charleston
- April 10 — Greg Teal, The Avenue, Greenville
While the rest of the chef dinners will be served banquet style, the first dinner on Feb. 14 will allow tables for two. “If a couple comes in, they shouldn’t have to sit with anybody else,” Hansen said. The menu will still be the same prix fixe menu, but couples will be able to enjoy a romantic Valentine’s dinner.
Hansen believes culinary students will earn valuable experience with the new format. Students will hear the same instructions and information from another source, which he said gives “a validity to what they’ve been learning.” Students will also realize, Hansen said, that “the techniques that they’ve been learning and the foundational skills … really works to their advantage so that when they get to work with a professional chef in some other setting, they recognize (they) have a strong foundation. They may not know exactly what (the staff is) doing, but they understand the technique behind it, so they can move into it rather quickly.”
A third benefit students glean from the chef dinners is the opportunity to work with chefs who have personalities and methods other than Hansen’s. “I may do something this way because we’re in culinary school, and that’s great for culinary school. But that’s not necessarily how you’re going to do it in a restaurant. … So, understanding that, they have to be flexible. And then just understanding personalities. There are so many personalities in food service. And I have been blessed to have great friends in the food service industry, specifically here in Greenville, that will come in and work with the students. They’re not doing this for the glory; they’re doing this because they love the students,” said Hansen.
Those interested in attending one of the chef dinners should make a reservation at OpenTable or by emailing Hansen. Each dinner is $35 per person (plus tax and gratuity), and the culinary department requests that diners arrive at the Culinary Arts Building by 5:45 p.m. for dinner at 6 p.m. Options are available for those with food intolerances.
