Table Hoppin

TABLE HOPPIN’

Bay Path culinary program offering curbside lunch service

BARBARA M. HOULE

At the bottom of the hill leading up to Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School in Charlton there’s a sign with the message that the school’s Hilltop Restaurant is open for curbside pick-up.

Students in the Culinary Arts program with instructors operate Hilltop Restaurant, which before the pandemic was open to the public during the school year. The restaurant is now closed to guests.

The plan for the restaurant’s online ordering and takeout curbside service was implemented for the first time earlier this month, according to Mark Sansoucy, a chef instructor in the Culinary Arts program. He said the public has been “super supportive.”

Bay Path is among schools that opted for a hybrid-model, in which students get some time in the classroom for academics and hands-on training.

The pandemic created unique challenges that the school has successfully met, said Sansoucy. “As teachers, we have to be both innovative and creative,” he said. “We’re fortunate to be hybrid, with students alternating between classroom and remote learning. I’m really happy about it.”

Sansoucy said the restaurant follows state guidelines for its new services and has been checked out and approved by the Charlton Board of Health. Culinary students earned online ServSafe certification for participation in the program, he said. The ServSafe certificate program offering food safety training is administered by the National Restaurant Association.

One big operational change for the restaurant was to switch from cash only to credit cards only, said Sansoucy. The process for online guests to pay for meals (and tips) with a credit card has worked well, he said. “We could consider continu-

Student Kyra Stevens carries an order to a customer’s vehicle outside Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School’s Hilltop Restaurant Jan. 14.

RICK CINCLAIR

ing credit card payment when the restaurant reopens,” said Sansoucy. “Of course, we don’t see that happening soon.”

The Bay Path menu is posted by 9 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with curbside pickup from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Visit www. baypath.net for a link to the menu. Call-ahead orders must be placed by 9:30 a.m. for early lunch and 10 a.m. for all other lunches. Call (508) 2485971, ext.1178. Note: The menu is not available Wednesdays, or when the school is closed. The curbside pickup location (not far from the school’s main entrance) is very accessible and clearly marked.

Menu selections change daily, with exceptions such as customer favorite Prime Rib featured Thursday and Friday. The slow-cooked prime rib served with a side of au jus, potato and vegetable of the day costs $10.99.

Last week, entrees included Yankee Pot Roast (roasted and top with a natural pan gravy, served with mashed potatoes and vegetable), $6.99; Pan Seared Salmon Teriyaki (salmon filet pan seared basted with teriyaki topped with a pineapple salsa, served with rice and vegetable), $9.99; Veal Parmesan (lightly breaded and fried veal medallions topped with sauce and mozzarella cheese, with a side of pasta and garlic bread), $6.99; BBQ Pulled Pork Dinner (slow-cooked pulled pork with barbecue sauce, homemade baked beans and au gratin potatoes), $5.99; Homemade Lasagna (meat and cheese lasagna topped with a zesty marinara sauce, served with a side sausage and garlic bread), $5.99.

Also, soups, appetizers, salads and Soup and Sandwich of the Day are menu options, ranging in price from $3.50 to $6.99.

Chef instructors in culinary arts are Sansoucy, Derick Henrickson, Marcie Wood and Giacomo Armata. Carol Perkins is dining room manager.

Sansoucy said with the closing of the Hilltop Restaurant students have not experienced the essentials of good table service, and there also are fewer internships at local restaurants and cafes as the coronavirus continues to devastate the restaurant industry. “The way I look at it is that we win some and lose some,” he said. “We learn to deal with it.”

On a sweet note: One Bay Path culinary student currently has a baking internship at Francesco’s Italian Bakery in Charlton.

Bay Path’s culinary students have taken home the gold in many competitions, and students and instructors host annual fundraisers, such as chili and chowder cookoffs, at the school.

A lot is off the table in 2021, but we’re happy to share news that students continue to learn the basics of the fine art of cooking and baking, training to become future chefs, cooks and restaurateurs.

Count us in for takeout!

New hours at Wayland farmers market

The Wayland Winter Farmers Market held Saturdays at Russell’s Garden Center, 397 Boston Post Road (Route 20), Wayland, announced new hours and guidelines.

The market is held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through March 13. Fifty-six vendors are expected to participate either weekly or in rotation, with most vendors located outdoors in open air greenhouses or under the tent. There will be 30 outdoor vendors weekly and an additional seven inside Russell’s Garden Center.

Most vendors this season offer preorders, available for pickup at the vendor’s Saturday site. Visit https:// www.russellsgc.com/farmersmarket for more information. Mask wearing and social distancing are required throughout the market and all areas of Russell’s Garden Center.

Desserts to go at Jenkins Inn

The Jenkins Inn & Restaurant in Barre continues with “desserts to go” this winter, offering pies and cakes by the slice only.

Visit www.jenkinsinn.com for weekly menu of four or five desserts, $6 by the slice. Beer and wine also is available.

To pre-order, call (978) 355-6444 or send email to jenkinsinnbarre@ gmail.com. Pick-up time for desserts is from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays.