A few years ago, I had the privilege of serving as a judge for the Rhode Island Hospitality Association Education Foundation’s statewide culinary competition.
The local tournament is a qualifier for the National Restaurant Association high school competition known as ProStart. The National ProStart Invitational is the country’s premier secondary school competition focused on restaurant management and culinary arts.
Annually, nearly 400 student competitors put their skills to the test in front of industry leaders with hopes of earning coveted scholarships from the nation’s best culinary and restaurant management programs.
In Rhode Island, the annual event – known formally as the Rhode Island ProStart High School Culinary Arts, Foodservice and Hotel Management Competition – brings together the state’s top high school culinary students to compete in three categories: culinary, restaurant management and hotel management.
I think the level of expertise shown by these students would be an asset to any restaurant or hospitality company’s operation. And one of the leading restaurants in the state agrees. Gregg’s Restaurants and Taverns has now put on its menus the winning dish from this year’s contest, which was held in April.
The dish comes from a team of four students at the Exeter Job Corps Academy. Under the direction of chef Mark Bennison, who has led winning teams at the competition multiple times, students Sabina Ulysse, Jacquline Ambler, Isabel Uzosike, and Kiant’e Warren won the culinary portion of the Rhode Island competition this year. Their dish featured a full rack of lamb that was “Frenched” – cut into small chops or lamb “lollipops.” These were then grilled with rosemary, thyme, Dijon-pistachio encrusted and served with wild mushroom risotto topped with sautéed vegetables.
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THE WINNERS: Steve Trabucco, left, director of kitchen operations at Gregg’s Restaurants and Taverns, and Dale J. Venturini, right, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, pose with the winners of the Rhode Island ProStart High School culinary arts competition. From left are Exeter Job Corps Academy students Sabina Ulysse, Jacquline Ambler, Isabel Uzosike and Kiant’e Warren. / COURTESY GREGG’S RESTAURANTS AND TAVERNS[/caption]
Chef Steve Trabucco, director of kitchen operations at Gregg’s, modified the dish to feature it on the restaurant’s seasonal menu. For $22.99, guests can enjoy “The Winning Dish”: four pieces of bone-in lamb rack with a Dijon mustard and a pistachio, panko, thyme and rosemary crust, served with asparagus, mashed potatoes, and soup or salad.
“Gregg’s is proud to support Rhode Island’s ProStart division and the students at Exeter Job Corps Academy,” said Trabucco, who also served as a judge at this year’s competition. “Featuring ‘The Winning Dish’ on our menu is our way of acknowledging and rewarding the hard work of the culinary team at Exeter Job Corps Academy and brings their combined vision to life.”
Dale J. Venturini, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association and the association’s education foundation, said she was “thrilled” by Gregg’s support of the “industry’s up-and-coming talent.”
“These students will never forget the feeling of seeing their dish come to life and served to their family, friends and neighbors,” Venturini said.
In early May, the Exeter Job Corps students represented Rhode Island and competed for $250,000 in scholarships at the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s National ProStart Invitational competition in Washington, D.C. A team from Caesar Rodney High School in Camden, Del., won.
Trabucco says some of the team members have visited Gregg’s with family members to sample “The Winning Dish,” and the reviews from the creators have been positive. He had high praise for the young chefs and told me he would not hesitate to hire any of them. With staffing challenges still at the forefront as the summer season begins, perhaps this is the beginning of a “farm team” approach to attracting and maintaining a high level of creative cooks in the state’s restaurant kitchens.
Bruce Newbury’s radio show and podcast, “Dining Out with Bruce Newbury,” is broadcast on WADK 1540 AM and several radio stations throughout New England. Email him at Bruce@BruceNewbury.com.