Whew! Where Did September Go?
It feels like we blinked, and suddenly, the first month of culinary school at Saint Paul College is already behind us! September always zooms by in a flurry of kitchen action. Students are back in the labs, and we’re seeing some impressive skills they picked up during their summer internships. They’re feeling confident, inspired, and ready to take things up a notch. We love the energy!

Third-Semester Shenanigans
Our third-semester students have been getting their creative juices flowing in the Restaurant Operations block. The City View Grille is back in action, offering delicious à la carte lunches every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. until early November. But that’s not all—they’ve got some exciting new challenges this semester!

Students are honing their entrepreneurial chops by creating retail packaged food for sale. They’re working in teams to research products, handle R&D, design packaging and labels, brand their creations, and market them. We’ve seen some tasty ideas so far—how about Brown Butter Bliss cookies or boxed candies? Next up: ice cream sandwiches! And if that weren’t enough, they’re also developing independent, remotely operated food stands. So far? A fresh crepe stand for the Saint Paul College community (yum!).  Street tacos, because let’s face it, tacos are always a winner.  Next?  Fresh baked, warm and goey cinnamon and caramel rolls!

Second-Semester Action
Our second-semester students have been busy, too! Every Tuesday, they sell a chef-created hot lunch outside the City View Grille—a full, scratch-made meal with an entrée, salad or soup, and dessert, all for about $13. It’s hands down the best deal in town. And on Wednesdays, Chef Ross and his students give back to the community by preparing hundreds of reheatable meals for Saint Paul College’s food pantry. These meals, created with recovered and donated ingredients through the non-profit Kitchen Coalition, have been a game changer for students, faculty, and staff in need. Fun fact: they’ve made over 26,000 meals in the past four years. Talk about making a difference!

Fall Kickoff Fun
Fall is an exciting time for us, especially because we get to welcome so many new faces to the Culinary Arts family. In early September, we hosted our All-Department meeting, where the entire department comes together to meet, network, and celebrate. This semester’s meeting featured SPC culinary alum Jim Engleking, who’s back at the college pursuing his degree in Sport and Exercise Sciences. Jim gave an awesome presentation on stretching and exercises to help prevent repetitive motion injuries in the kitchen—a must for anyone in the foodservice biz!

Students also got a chance to bond through some fun team-building activities. They were tasked with identifying 40 unnamed ingredients by sight, taste, and smell in under 5 minutes, and things got competitive with a culinary-themed game of Scattergories. The first-semester and pastry and baking cohort students got creative, coming up with team names and posters to represent them while they’re here. We wrapped it all up with our traditional pinning ceremony, where continuing students recieved their hard-earned semester pins. Collecting all three pins by the end of the program is no small feat, and we make sure to celebrate the dedication and hard work of our students!

What’s Next?
Fall is just heating up! We’re gearing up for the Chef Jack Riebel Memorial Chili Bowl, happening on Sunday, October 13th, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Ten of the best chefs in the Twin Cities will join us for a day of food, music, and a little friendly competition. And the best part? All the money raised goes directly to culinary scholarships at Saint Paul College. You won’t want to miss it!