Seniors America Miramontes (middle) and Rosario Garcia enjoy instructor Kevin Fuller’s menu tips in the all-new Serendipity Restaurant on the Mt. Diablo High School campus. The restaurant is part of the Concord school’s International Hospitality and Tourism Academy. Fuller explains that students learn more than only skills for the hospitality field. Garcia talks about becoming a movie director and Miramontes—in her fourth year in the Academy—a kindergarten teacher. (photo: Tamara Steiner)
Serendipity cooks up restaurant fare as students digest culinary, life skills
“Serendipity has a great tradition, but we now have an opportunity to start afresh with a new look, new energy and begin a new tradition,” Mt. Diablo High School principal Lorne Barbosa said last week as the school prepares to unveil its all-new Serendipity Restaurant next month.
Part of the school’s International Hospitality and Tourism Academy, Serendipity is on East Street on the back side of the campus facing John Muir Health, Concord Medical Center.
The program at Mt. Diablo to teach students skills in the culinary and food service industries began after the closure of adjacent Williams Elementary School 30 years ago. Initially, it was held in the Williams School cafeteria until all the equipment and furnishings were moved across the street when the former metal shop building became available on campus.
That same equipment has been used ever since.
Serendipity went on hiatus all of last school year for a million-dollar redo funded by a California Technical Incentive grant received by the school district.
Instructor/chef Kevin Fuller, part of the program for 23 years, showed the Pioneer the near-finished product that includes all-new equipment in the kitchen as well as furnishings in the restaurant and adjoining classroom, technology, contemporary décor and the brand-new Cyber Café.
Fuller and Debbie Allen have nearly 50-years combined experience at the school and collaborate with relative MDHS “newcomer” Cindy Gershen to instruct several hundred students — freshmen to seniors — in the International Hospitality Academy. Allen is in charge of the bakery, Fuller the front of house and Gershon instructs students in nutrition and sustainable practices.
Former Serendipity student Joe Clair returned to the school as an aide last year and runs the kitchen. Clair graduated in 2007 and has been a Sous-chef and executive chef at local restaurants, including E.J. Phair.
Last week, Allen led 37 seniors and five teachers on a field trip to Morro Bay State Park where they camped for three days and two nights. The group visited Hearst Castle and met the venue’s concession general manager from Aramark, the international company that provides food service in 19 countries with 270,000 employees.
They also toured the Cal Poly SLO campus and senior Jackie Swayne liked Cal Poly’s motto of “Learn by Doing.”
“They used their culinary skills from Serendipity for their own off-campus catering, making a kitchen with a minimum amount of equipment we brought along,” Allen said.
Senior class president Aztrid Nunez explained, “We learned how to work together as a team along the trip, which also allowed us to get closer as an academy.”
Serendipity plans a mid-October grand reopening after putting the finishing touches on the renovation and getting all the required fire and health department approvals.
They will be open for public seating from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday lunch. The new Cyber Café will serve coffee drinks and bakery items the same days from 8:30 – 9:45 a.m. with free WiFi service.
Students do all the food preparation, cooking and baking, taking orders, serving customers and bussing tables.
Fuller says they are still working on the final menu but many Serendipity favorites like poached salmon, chicken club sandwich and duck brochette will be available. The menu features appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, entrees and desserts.
“We make everything from scratch and to order. We use all fresh ingredients, including many vegetables and spices from the on-campus garden,” Chef Fuller adds. He was delighted to show us around the venue and was especially pleased to display all the modern kitchen appliances and equipment, which will be similar to what MDHS students will encounter in today’s food service workplace.
The Hospitality & Tourism Academy along with Digital Safari, Medical Bio Tech and Architecture Construction Manufacturing & Engineering are under the California Partnership Academies umbrella. The school added a fifth academy, Newcomers, which is for students new to the country. About 10 per cent of the Concord school’s 1500 students are in the Newcomers Academy.