Le Jeune Chef Offers New Menu Format for Summer

This summer, guests dining at Le Jeune Chef Restaurant operated by the School of Hospitality at Pennsylvania College of Technology will have the opportunity to enjoy a new menu concept for dinner service Wednesday through Saturday nights.

An à la carte format was put in place May 28 that will allow guests more flexibility for their dining pleasure. Le Jeune Chef has for the last several years offered a "prixe fixe" dinner menu that included an appetizer, soup, salad, fish course and intermezzo, choice of four entrées, a cheese course, and choice of desserts.

The new menu features varied appetizers, soups, salads and entrée selections that can be served alone or in many combinations to accommodate those who want a more traditional meal and those who prefer a shorter experience. The restaurant's professional pastry chef, Terri L. Farr, and baker, Sharron J. Eyer, (both Penn College alumnae), will also prepare a dessert menu featuring an assortment of traditional and contemporary desserts and breads that are prepared with the help of students.

Students under the supervision of Sous Chef Robert A. Armstrong (also an alumnus) are the featured players. The summer interns take part in all aspects of the food production and service. Each intern is responsible for contributing menu ideas, as most of the appetizer menu will change weekly and the entrée portion monthly. These student cooks also have to provide standardized recipes, purchase orders and the food-cost calculations for their dishes.

They work in the various stations in the kitchen and storeroom plus the kitchen's herb garden. Also, they have the opportunity to prepare and cook food for catered events such as conferences, wedding receptions, events at the Community Arts Center and other off-campus activities.

"Seasonal variety and the use of contemporary trends, products and techniques are what drive my menu ideas and what I present to the students who work with me on the dinner shift," Armstrong said.

He said the student interns work hard to produce food and service at the level that is expected of them. To enhance the dining experience, the students will also learn how wine and other beverages can be paired with the wide variety of food offered.

Additionally, on several Wednesdays during the summer, the restaurant will host informal, complimentary wine tastings in the Private Dining Room from 5:30-6:30 p.m., before dinner. Hosts for the events include Pedro Valdes (June 11), Carl Karaska (June 18), John Corr (June 25) and John Kollin (July 16).

More formal wine dinners, hosted by Chef Paul Mach, assistant professor of hospitality management/culinary arts, are also being offered in Le Jeune Chef this summer through Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Penn College. Visit online for registration information.

For more information about Le Jeune Chef Restaurant, call (570) 320-CHEF or visit on the Web .

To learn more about academic programs offered by the School of Hospitality at Penn College, visit online or call (570) 327-4505.