Cheese sizzles atop a tinfoil-covered pan of enchiladas. Pans clatter as they are washed and dried in the dish pit. Music hums underneath bits and pieces of lively conversations. Bright colors mix in a salad or rack of spices. Stepping into the school’s commercial kitchen—run by Dolly Victorine’s Bistro class—is a surefire way to activate the senses.
“It’s experience in the culinary industry. I like that we have a rotating menu, so we get to make new things every week,” junior Henry Zinck said. “And… I like the people. The environment is really great.”
Bistro, also known as Culinary 4, is an exclusive class that students apply to join in their junior or senior year. It functions differently than any other culinary class at West, operating as a restaurant that services parents, teachers, and other staff at the school. Each week, the restaurant takes orders over the weekend, where patrons can select one of three unique entrees for the week. The students will then prepare enough dishes to serve everyone who ordered, along with making a signature beverage, various sides, and dessert. They get an opportunity to work as a head chef, a line cook, a dishwasher, or a waiter depending on the schedule. Above all else, a deep bond is created between the students in the class.
“I think I really like teamwork, and the amount of effort that everyone puts in together,” says senior Jett Miller. “Everyone’s really nice to each other, even if we bully each other sometimes.”
Throughout the process, the students are forced to work alongside each other on a common goal, which allows them to become better friends with the class, more so than if they were working individually.
“I like being able to try out different recipes and see how well I work under pressure,” says senior Macy Bornheimer. “And I also really like working with a bunch of people that I never thought I would work with. It builds a really nice family and I appreciate all of the friendships.”
On the first day of class on any given week, or second if there are three Gold days, the class prepares for Bistro by chopping vegetables, mixing dough, and doing whatever they can to be ready for the hectic events of Thursday or Friday. During the week of Nov. 1, the entrees were chicken enchiladas, ‘Day of the Dead’ tortilla soup, and flank steak fajitas. All of these options came with a side of tomalito, and a dessert of chocolate dipped churros. Different groups of three to five students were put in charge of the separate food items and had to determine in advance what to prepare on the first day and what to save for the day of Bistro. On the final day of the week, class becomes a little more intense.
“The prep days… they’re pretty fun, and you’re focused, and it’s like ‘okay, this is going to be alright,’ and then Bistro day happens and everything is insane,” joked Rouse. “You don’t know what’s going on, and then you have to clean up.”
During the days of Bistro, it can be a struggle to coordinate work so that the food comes out at the correct times. However, the work done by the students is rewarded with many repeat customers, most of them being their relatives or teachers and staff.
“I love coming to Bistro every time.” said teacher and customer Jeneveve Winchell. “It feels like a really great way to support our students and the culinary program, but also, it builds community and I feel much closer to my colleagues having the time together and talking while we share a meal.”
The Bistro experience has been a part of West’s culinary curriculum for seven years now, surviving the pandemic as well as multiple changes to the format of the class. Throughout all of this, Bistro has been led by culinary teacher Dolly Victorine.
“My favorite part of running Bistro is probably working with the students side by side and creating the food, helping out in the dish pit, and just interacting with them,” said Victorine.
