THE LUNCHBOX

BY BRIAN BUXTON

The Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center is a beautiful campus located just east of Highway 41, at 1901 Lynch Road. It’s a career and technical school that offers a plethora of learning opportunities for local high school students. The SICTC opened in 2006 and has since been named one of the top 5 schools of its type in the US. Students from five surrounding counties have access to over 22 different programs and 10 courses of hands-on study in subjects ranging from veterinary sciences, criminal justice, manufacturing & welding, auto collision repair, business marketing, graphic design, broadcasting, health sciences and more. And last but not least - culinary arts. Which brings us to “The Lunchbox.”

The Lunchbox isn’t a restaurant. It’s a part of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation culinary program, and one of the best places in town to grab a value packed lunch. It’s a true local hidden gem.

Headed by Chef Sam Wagoner, local high school students study from a textbook in a classroom setting and also enjoy handson real-world experience in food service. The course studies range from food safety and creating recipes, to nutrition, food presentation & garnishment, calculating food costs and menu pricing, learning tools, equipment and cooking techniques, washing dishes, doing laundry, and even customer service. They learn how to run a kitchen and work together to create a great experience by preparing and serving lunch to the public 3-days a week. Students could go from this program directly into a career, although many choose to continue with higher education. But either way, their hands-on training will set them up for some varied and amazing career options.

The culinary program itself has been around since the early-1980's, initially being offered only at Bosse High School. In fact, Chef Sam himself is a previous graduate. After the new facility was built in 2006 by the EVSC, Chef Sam was given the opportunity to lead the program. He relates, “I knew back when I was in high school that I would eventually want to teach this class, so my senior year I told Chef Ed (the previous culinary arts teacher), “hey when you’re ready to retire let me know because I want this job.”

Each week the new menu is posted on both the SICTC website and Facebook page. Lunch includes the entree of the day, two sides (soup & salads are considered a side), a dinner roll, a dessert, and your choice of beverage (unsweet tea, lemonade, or water). The cost is $8.00 / person (cash only), and available for dinein or carryout. Lunches are served Tuesday – Thursday from 10:15am - 1:00pm.

Some of the favorite lunches served include fried chicken, smoked pork with spiced apples, grilled Hawaiian chicken, fried catfish, baked spaghetti, and a build your own taco bar. Popular sides include ham & beans with cornbread, roasted red potatoes, buttered corn on the cob, mashed potatoes with turkey gravy and country style green beans. Desserts include cheesecake, bread pudding, chocolate cream pie, peach cobbler and more!

Some quick facts about the program:

- 165 students apply for the program each year, and only 24 are accepted

- Students from over 20 high schools in 5 counties come to SICTC to learn various trades & industries.

- Upon completion, students will earn 12 credit hours for college

- 15 months after high school graduation over 75% of SICTC students are enrolled in 2- & 4-year colleges, and 84% are employed.

- The Lunchbox will sometimes close for private catering, and groups of up to 20 people can reserve the entire dining room

1901 Lynch Road, Evansville, IN Please enter through the main entrance at SICTC, and the restaurant is located at the third door on the left.

(812) 435-8438 https://sictc.evscschools.com/

Reservations: Requested for groups of 6 and larger.

Tues- Thurs: 10:15am - 1:00pm