The Bluffs residents served as guests at the campus soup tasting event.
In Mark Molinaro’s Kitchen Operations class, students are learning principles, procedures and techniques for managing a professional kitchen. This involves both back-of-house (where the food is prepared) and front-of-house (where staff interact with guests) experience.
Normally, this class includes hosting several tasting events for members of the NAU community. Several years ago, for example, it hosted nurses from the Health and Learning Center as a way of celebrating their critical work related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the first hosted event this semester, Molinaro, HRM’s interim executive director, and the class decided to reach beyond the borders of the university and invite The Bluffs. “We’re trying to blur the lines of the classroom and point what the students are doing out into the community.”
Molinaro says this decision was in response to NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera’s “Elevating Excellence” roadmap for NAU’s future. “President Cruz-Riviera wants us to think differently about higher education and how we can really impact our community. This is our interpretation though HRM.”
For the class, students learn how to plan, prepare, present and work as a team. “But we’re doing it for the community,” he said. Part of the preparation involved working with the food team at The Bluffs to understand the nutritional needs of the residents.
Class of 2024 student Michael Buckner served as host for the Feb. 15 Bluffs tasting. The Phoenix native felt a special connection with the group. “I still have all four of my grandparents,” he said, “so I kind of gravitate toward elderly people. I know they like to get a flash from the past type of thing and interact with youth again.”
The Eugene M. Hughes Hotel and Restaurant Management building was abuzz as The Bluffs residents arrived. Under the direction of J.T. Anter (Class of 2024), of Las Vegas, who has worked in restaurants for several years, one team of students put the finishing touches on a chef’s salad, three types of soup and two desserts.
“This experience was good for me because I had the chance to lead a team of people who didn’t really know from the beginning how it is all supposed to run,” said Anter. “Even with my experience, I learned a lot.”
Another team of students tidied up place settings, laid out menus and prepared for the guests’ arrival in the dining room. Sofia Sweiss (Class of 2024), of Phoenix, served as assistant front of house manager. “We were able to come up with a pretty good plan for the event and I was happy to see it all come off so well,” she said.
The ultimate judges of the tasting were the guests. “I enjoyed the experience very much, and hope we can do it again,” said The Bluffs resident Eveline Eddy. “The interesting part was where my tablemates and I would discuss the different ingredients and what we thought was in the soup.”
“The food was good, and everybody was so nice,” said Judy Martin of The Bluffs. “This was a great experience for both the students and us.” FBN
By Kevin Schindler, FBN
Photo by Kevin Schindler: Bianca Little and David Leach put the finishing touches on vanilla coconut pound cake.