Bon appétit
Culinary students Anna Dryden and Abby Schrade work as servers recently during the soft opening of the Eclipse restaurant at the instructional kitchen at Flathead Valley Community College.
Culinary student Savannah Fraleigh cooks during the soft opening of the Eclipse restaurant at the instructional kitchen at Flathead Valley Community College. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
A variety of dishes are ready to be taken to tables during the Eclipse restaurant night at Flathead Valley Community College.
Culinary student Casey Pyskaty serves diners during a recent soft opening for one of the restaurants in the instructional kitchen at Flathead Valley Community College. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
The sautéed Jerk shrimp appetizers is served during the Eclipse restaurant night.
The jerk chicken ravioli combines Caribbean and Italian flavors through the use of spices and sauce.
Flathead Valley Community College culinary students are showcasing their talents with a pair of pop-up restaurants this fall.
As part of their capstone culinary course, the second-year students at The Culinary Institute of Montana at FVCC are opening two restaurants — Eclipse in October and Six One in November. The students have developed their initial concepts for the restaurants, created a full business plan, perfected their recipes and now they’re ready to present them to the public for a few weeks only.
Chef Instructor Manda Hudak says the project allows students to apply everything they’ve learned throughout culinary school into a hands-on experience. They get to use a combination of skills learned during their time at FVCC — culinary, service, business, budgeting, hospitality, team work, nutritional education, sourcing ingredients and leadership.
“This is the culmination of everything they’ve learned so far,” she said. “This challenges them. They get a much better understanding of the industry. They get to have creativity, use their culinary skills, but also learn marketing.”
Hudak explains a pop-up restaurant as a way for a chef to bring variety or a unique concept alive for a short period of time. The idea lends itself to helping students learn while inviting the community to the college, she notes.
The students are split into two teams and determine a sous chef to lead each group. During the nights the restaurants are open, one team cooks and the other serves diners.
The Eclipse restaurant is described as a blend of Italian and Caribbean cuisine, while the Six One restaurant serves small plates from around the world. Anna Dryden leads the Six One restaurant team and Haley Lindgren leads the Eclipse restaurant team.
“For Eclipse, we wanted to combine Caribbean and Italian because they are like flavors, but that’s also something that Kalispell doesn’t have,” Lindgren explained.
“Our concept came from our international course over the summer and using what we had learned,” Dryden explained of Six One. “We wanted to showcase smaller plates that would use our skills.”
On a recent soft opening night for each restaurant, students’ friends and family along with college staff played the role of diners sitting at tables inside the college’s instructional kitchen. The students have the chance to go live with their restaurant and get feedback to prepare them for opening night.
On the Eclipse menu, an appetizer of the coconut-based Callaloo soup flavored with crab and locally grown fresh greens has a creamy and hearty texture. The jerk chicken ravioli combine Caribbean and Italian flavors in spices and sauce.
The Six One menu includes temping options like the pincho ribs described as Spanish-style baby back ribs with a spice blend and served with a vegetable skewer. The taco trio — smoked salmon, Jamaican chicken, coconut shrimp served in wonton shells — alongside a seaweed salad also begs to be tasted.
A list of non-alcoholic beverages are also on both menus, and The Raven Brewpub will provide beer and wine service.
On restaurant nights, the students are calm in the kitchen and servers attentive to the diners.
Both leaders said that’s largely because they’ve spent a good deal of time preparing for this moment. Over the summer they worked long hours doing catering events that have readied them for this experience. They’ve also put weeks into planning and practicing to open the restaurants.
“We’ve prepared for this through the whole program,” Lindgren said. “It’s exciting to take that leadership role and help everybody do their best.”
While one team of student chefs work in the kitchen, the other serves for the evening. While the teams are competing that also forces them to work as a team.
That team atmosphere isn’t easy to achieve, notes Dryden.
“Once Haley and I were on the same page then the teams began working together,” she said. “When we were preparing we didn’t have time to talk to each other and now we are running these restaurants together.”
The soft openings changed the way the two teams worked together, Lindgren said.
“As their servers we wanted people to try many different plates,” she said. “We had to study their menu and see their vision.”
“As their service team we have to explain to the guests about the menu,” adds Dryden. “I have to trust Haley and she has to trust me that I’m doing my best.”
Lindgren said she has considered her own bakery and the pop-up restaurant experience has impacted that.
“I could actually do that,” she said. “I’m getting the experience that I need. This has made me more confident.”
Hudak says the goal is to make sure the students are fully prepared when they graduate.
“We want to put students through the rigors,” she said. “We want them to be well-trained entry level cooks when they leave.”
“I’m very proud of them,” she adds.
Restaurants
Eclipse is open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from Oct. 12-28 from 5–9 p.m.
Six One is open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from Nov. 2-18 from 5–8:30 p.m.
Both restaurants operate in FVCC’s arts and technology building. Reservations are recommended and can be made for both restaurants by calling 249-5964.