Food For Thought: The 28th Annual Gourmet Food & Wine Gala, September 23, At St. Clair College Centre For The Arts

© Can Stock Photo/Kurhan

FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOOD FOR THOUGHT

THIS ISSUE FEATURES…

The 28th Annual Gourmet Food & Wine Gala St. Clair College Centre For The Arts 201 Riverside Drive West, Windsor

By David Clark Photos courtesy of St. Clair College

St. Clair College Culinary Management and Hospitality students, photographed in their best attire, are the real engine that drives the success at the banquets held at the centre.

After a four-year hiatus, the highly touted

28th Annual Gourmet Food & Wine

Gala is back in grand fashion on Friday, September 23, 2022, with a shiny new menu to make your mouth water and an entertainment extravaganza everyone will enjoy!

Created to support great causes, the gala takes place at the Alumni Skyline Room of the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, on the riverfront in downtown Windsor. With the possibility of 500 in attendance this year, they are raising funds for the anticipated new acute care hospital for the Windsor Essex region.

According to John Fairley, St. Clair College’s VP College Communications & Community Relations, and part of the Gala Organizing Committee: “This specially prepared gourmet five course menu has each course named to highlight three front line worker services which will be honoured during the evening. Chiefs from some of those services, including Chief Bruce Krauter of Essex-Windsor EMS; Chief Stephen Laforet of Windsor Fire & Rescue Services and Chief Jason Bellaire of Windsor Police Services, join College President Patti France as co-hosts.”

Students enrolled in the Hospitality Hotel & Restaurant program gain valuable work experience by learning and practicing food preparation service at St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, (server pictured) and Eatery 101 at the south Windsor campus.

The first course on the menu includes an Antipasto of Windsor Essex Grown and Crafted Items, Pearson Farms Wagyu Carpaccio, Marinated Summer Vegetables, Fresh Galati Cheese Mozzarella, Robbie’s Chorizo Sausage, Marinated Highline Mushrooms, Eatery 101 (the college’s teaching restaurant) Baguettes and Imported Prosciutto.

The Essex-Windsor EMS course is Taleggio and Romano Cheese Ravioli, Butter, Parmigiana Reggiano, Truffle Scented Porcini.

Windsor Fire & Rescue Services items include, Butter Poached Lobster, Sauce Cardinal, Mizuna and Arugula and Spicy Garlic Rouille.

Next up for the Windsor Police Service section of the evening, guests can enjoy Slow Roasted Wagyu Striploin, Chimichurri, Benedictine Blue Cheese Dauphine Potatoes and Baby Root Vegetables.

And for all those with a sweet tooth, the final course — The Siren — includes Vanilla Bean Bavarian Cream, Strawberry Compote, Flourless Chocolate Cake and White Chocolate Crumble.

As for beverages, all five courses are paired with local wines.

In addition to all the gourmet food and wine offerings, this is an evening that celebrates the students from many of the programs of the college, but especially those in Culinary Management and Hospitality.

The students are working behind the scenes and serving the guests for a memorable evening with several co-hosts, outlined above.

Since the students plan the annual food and wine gala when it comes to preparing and plating the dishes — such as these scrumptious desserts — the kitchen is humming with activity. After all, it’s their time to shine and impress all the guests in attendance!

“It is exciting to see the students in the Culinary Management program come downtown to our kitchen to work with us as a team,” explains Executive Chef Carmine Incitti of the St. Clair College Centre of the Arts. “The gala is one of the premiere events to fully engage our students who are part of the planning right from the beginning to the final execution of the evening. The experience derived by this event is a chapter in a student’s book of learning in their career in culinary arts. To see the faces of all of our students at the end of the evening embracing the applause from the guests is truly wonderful.”

France adds: “The college’s Gourmet Food & Wine Gala has always been an opportunity to celebrate all that is St. Clair College. From the time guests arrive, throughout the evening until they walk out the door, they will have experienced the real hands-on learning, which St. Clair College has been a part of since 1967. An exquisite gourmet dinner with entertainment from students, including the music theatre students, fashion design students and members of the St. Clair S’aints with Jeff Burrows, will also grace the stage on this spectacular evening.”

So, be prepared to enjoy the spectacle that so many are putting together for this year, support the students and a worthy community cause as well!

Doors open for a welcoming reception with wine tasting beginning at 6:15 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. The event is black-tie optional.

Tickets are $250 per person with tables of 10 available and can be purchased by calling 519-252-6579 (Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or purchased online at: ChryslerTheatre.com.