partners with class
at Sandburg School
Class meets unique
culinary challenge
A Tavola restaurant
partners with class
at Sandburg School
BY JOLENE HART
Staff Writer
FARRAH MAFFAI staff Michael Joseph does some serious cooking with help from chef Claudette Herring at A Tavola restaurant in Old Bridge Tuesday.
OLD BRIDGE — The culinary pursuits of Paula Eisen’s students are more than just delicious. They’re food for thought.
Eisen, a teacher at Carl Sandburg Middle School, continues to craft her well-rounded students with a series of unique hands-on learning units that make up the eighth-grade Challenge Class experience.
This spring, Eisen’s students acquired nuanced tips on the restaurant trade from a seasoned professional: Claudette Herring, chef and co-owner of A Tavola, an Italian restaurant on Route 9 in Old Bridge.
The restaurant was closed to the general public Tuesday as it gave Eisen’s class special access. Dressed head-to-toe in black and white, with the refinement of professionals, the class prepared to serve parents, teachers and past Challenge Class instructors at a celebratory dinner.
FARRAH MAFFAI staff Jaime Crupi turns a piece of chicken while Herring looks on.
Herring and her restaurant became the heart of the learning unit almost accidentally, when Eisen stopped at A Tavola for dinner one evening.
"I saw this beautiful, open kitchen and a female chef, and I was so impressed," said Eisen.
"She asked me if I would be interested in this," recalled Herring, joking that she only half expected the offer to be serious.
Herring’s work with the class took the students much deeper into the restaurant business than they expected.
FARRAH MAFFAI staff Sandburg student Nidhi Saraiya finishes setting a table at the Route 9 restaurant.
Breaking into teams, the students set out to create a hypothetical eatery, first selecting an ethnic theme that would characterize the cuisine. The ideas came in — Spanish, Mediterranean, Asian, Hawaiian — and the true work began.
From decorative themes to menu ingredients, menu pricing to grocery orders, Eisen’s class was responsible for every detail, albeit imaginary, of their restaurant endeavor.
When it came down to finding a chef and choosing kitchen equipment, the class looked desperately to Herring for professional guidance.
"They could choose a famous chef or someone that is up-and-coming," explained Herring. "Their work was phenomenal."
Eisen stressed her gratitude for Herring’s willingness to visit the class regularly at Sandburg.
"She has been exceptional with the students," Eisen said.
"I’ve just tried to teach them to use their resources. Look at what we have in our backyard," said Eisen, motioning around the bustling restaurant kitchen.
"When we were choosing stoves for our kitchen, I said to get the biggest one. Then I realized how expensive the stoves are," said Nidhi Saraiya.
When Saraiya and Erin Mugan’s group couldn’t decide between Creole and Polish fare, they opted for fusion.
"We call it Creole-ish," Saraiya said of their unique restaurant theme. "We serve both crab cakes and pirogies."
"And rich French desserts," Mugan added.
Nick Klubeck, San Chung, Varesh Prasad and Herman Singh envisioned an Asian restaurant that incorporates Japanese and Chinese meals.
Chung researched feng shui decor to occupy their restaurant space. The group admitted that one of the most difficult aspects of the project was the calculation of dietary information for each of their menu options — a tedious task, but important for many customers.
And the project may have even piqued future interest in the restaurant business.
"Asian food is cool," said Klubeck, "and you have so many choices with it."
The class spent weeks learning the ins and outs and daily trials of the restaurant business — and that’s before they set one foot in the kitchen.
"It was much more work than we thought. It took us so long to get here," said Kacie Frey, looking around at the finished place settings that were finally ready for parents and other guests to arrive.
"This was much less stressful than the plays," Brittany Kadin admitted, referring to the class’s recent theatrical experience.
Eisen’s class will follow up the dinner with presentations on their restaurants in the coming weeks. The students can expect to be immersed in a musical unit before the year is over.
As for the Challenge Class idea, still in its inaugural and experimental year, the success has been staggering but poses a unique challenge for Eisen — how to top the experiences in years to come.