CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) – The culinary arts students of the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center are back from break and ready to serve. They run a restaurant at the school — and it’s quite popular.
The kitchen was busy Tuesday at MCCTC — chefs everywhere along the line, preparing items on the menu. It was showtime for the culinary arts students, particularly the seniors.
“They get to execute it all, like, it’s their show now. So it’s kind of like a buildup from the junior to senior year,” said Chef Matt Putzier, culinary arts instructor.
Putzier was keeping a close eye as the students prepared and served a variety of dishes, showcasing their skills and creativity.
The Bistro Restaurant only opens for certain portions of the year and this is one of them.
“They’re getting thrown right into the fire, so to speak, right into the kitchen environment. So, you know, it benefits everybody, the community. They get to learn about the school and then the students are obviously learning plenty about the industry, too,” Putzier said.
The menu includes steak, fish, salads, sandwiches and, yes — desserts.
“It’s a regular, full menu and then they have to prepare everything, knock everything out, and then they’ve got to clean up before they go home, too. So there is a bit of a rush, urgency and everything that’s built into the restaurant industry as well,” Putzier said.
It’s real-world restaurant experience for the students who will be the chefs and hospitality professionals of tomorrow.
Lunch was served until 12:45 p.m. Tuesday because the students had to have the kitchen all cleared by 2 p.m. — the end of the school day.
The Bistro is also open Wednesday and Thursday for lunch, which is at 11:15 a.m. and noon.
It’s open three more days in December, then seven days in January. Call for reservations — they fill up fast.
