Students Learn the Menu for Success in Restaurant Program

These are the kitchen kids, the ones who stayed inside watching grandmothers, mothers and even fathers work magic with food.

These are the ones who chose to spend their time with the pie makers and the turkey bakers and others who could teach them their spells.

And now that they are older, these are the ones who can cook--more than bologna sandwiches and microwave popcorn.

“I can cook anything from curry chicken, red beans and rice, to collard greens,” Teddy Williams, 17, declared. “Anything.”

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“I learned from my grandmother,” said Shadonna Jones, 15. “You know how grandmothers are. They cook really good. They try to teach you what they learned in their days.”

With that kind of confidence and love for the kitchen, it was a small step for Teddy and Shadonna to don black pants, crisp white shirts, and go to work at the Culinary Collage, a restaurant set up at the 12th annual African Marketplace and Cultural Faire at Rancho Cienega Park in the Crenshaw district.

The two Dorsey High School students are among 50 youths participating in the program, a joint effort among the marketplace, Lawry’s Foods and local restaurants. The Culinary Collage restaurant serves fine food to those attending the marketplace, but also serves healthy lessons to youths on the finer points of the culinary arts and on how they have been enriched by contributions of the African diaspora.

James Burks, executive director of the African Marketplace, said the restaurant also fits with the event’s long-term goal of attracting tourists.

“The Culinary Collage is part of our effort to create a [permanent] food pavilion and at the same time promote cultural hospitality and tourism as a way to revitalize inner cities,” Burks said.

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At the marketplace, a three-weekend celebration that continues through Monday, the restaurant is an island of cool and comfort, a place where visitors can eat and rest after exploring endless rows of vendor booths as well as dance and music stages.

The restaurant is in a huge white tent in the food court area, near the park’s tennis courts. Student hosts and hostesses welcome guests with smiles and a polished greeting: “Welcome to Culinary Collage.”

Shadonna helped train some of the younger students who had come with fun and games and tips on their minds--not hospitality.

“We had to explain it’s not about playing,” Shadonna said, in a no-nonsense voice. “You come in here with a nice, positive attitude and be ready for business.”

The first weekend, students were trained in serving food. Guests ordered from the menus of the food vendors in the food court. Students then took the order to the vendors, picked up the food and served it to the patrons.

The next weekend, Dulan’s Restaurant in the Crenshaw district was the featured establishment. Under the tutelage of Dulan’s staff, students worked as assistant chefs, helping to prepare and serve meals, and as waiters, waitresses and busboys.

“I learned how to season the food, how to get the best quality out of it,” said Teddy, who helped cook fried chicken.

This weekend, Uncle Darrow’s Creole/Cajun Eatery on Venice Boulevard is the featured restaurant.

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Of all the lessons learned, the value of courtesy and a smile is at the top of the menu, students said.

“They instruct us [that] when the people come in, you smile,” Teddy said. “Ask them if they want a drink of water, sit them down, be very, very courteous. We get a good reaction. People smile back at us. They’re very kind. When they leave, they leave us a tip sometimes.”

“You’re going to have people who walk in with an attitude,” Shadonna said. “Once they see you’re respecting them, they’ll try and give you a little respect and be patient.”

For their work, students receive free meals and a share of the tips.

The restaurant was the idea of Los Angeles Sentinel food editor Libby Clark, who wanted to educate youths about careers in culinary arts and hospitality. Lawry’s sponsored the restaurant because of its own goals of educating young people.

“A lot of kids think food service is flipping burgers,” said Brett Scallan, spokesman for Lawry’s. “It goes well beyond what most people think, especially children.”

There are food scientists, chefs, marketing people and more, Scallan said.

“The whole idea is to give kids a reason to think ahead--think to their future--and get excited about it. There’s opportunity everywhere we look.”

The restaurant is a real-life illustration of Lawry’s Menu for Success, a creative approach to teaching the culinary arts. During the school year the curriculum is used at six campuses in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

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Shadonna and Teddy are already convinced of the value of a well-prepared meal served with courtesy. Both participate in the culinary arts program at Dorsey High, and both hope to one day own restaurants of their own. Working with veterans in the field, they said, gave them a good idea of what to expect.

“You have to be very responsible and you have to be very organized to be able to do that type of work,” Shadonna said.

But she and Teddy can stand the heat. Being in the kitchen, serving good food, is what they consider fun.

“It makes me feel good to see people happy,” Teddy said. “That’s one of the main points. It’s a good feeling when you can make people want to come back.”