CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Fine dining anyone?

The Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College offers a robust program to those interested in the culinary arts.

Chef Robert Cabreros, along with Instructional Assistant Terra Seifert and the Baking Instructor Ann-Marie Pleskaczewski, has built a strong foundation in our community for providing the area with skilled, creative, and experienced chefs, line cooks, and bakers.

From the Saw Shop Bistro to Park Place Restaurant to catering businesses such as Chic Le Chef, local establishments are hiring graduates of the Lake County Campus Culinary Arts Program year after year.

Beginning Feb. 17, Aromas Café will be open to the public to satisfy the palate from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays. This means quality, high class, sophisticated food right here in a restaurant run by students in the heart of Lake County.

However, weekly dining will only be the beginning for these young chefs in training.
   
Throughout the semester, culinary students will be taking part in a variety of events on and off campus.

At the Lake County Campus, the food served at Aromas Café is an integral part of campus events and activities.

For example, on Wednesday, Feb. 24, the campus will be hosting their annual Black History Month event. Local leaders will speak on topics relating to Black History complemented by an exquisite traditional soul food buffet lunch.

On St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, students will be cooking an Irish menu with lunch items to celebrate the holiday.

And finally for Earth Day on April 21, Aromas Café will feature a sushi lunch and select vegetarian entrées.
   
Off campus, culinary arts students will be able to mingle with local community leaders and business owners while showing off their skills.

On Feb. 6, students took part in their first community event of the semester hosted by Lake Family Resource Center. The Wine and Chocolate festival has been a huge success in the past and allows for students to mingle with the high life of Lake County building new connections and making tummies happy.

On March 19, the students will be helping to provide food at the Park Study event held at the Clearlake Highlands Senior Center.

Finally, Lake County Campus will have the privilege this year to host the Wine Alliance culinary competition. This will consist of an essay, menu development, and cooking competition where students will contend for monetary awards.

One of the most successful programs at Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College is its culinary arts program.

With Cabreros at the helm teaching his classes the importance of quality food, minimizing wasted food products and enhancing the standard of customer service in the community, it’s no wonder that Chef Cabreros has a wall of success filled with names of alumni and the restaurants that now benefit from their expertise.

You would suspect that it would take a certain level of commitment from staff and faculty for graduates to achieve such great success. Chef Cabreros embodies this commitment.

“I have never seen such dedication to one certain goal by any team I’ve ever worked with. Our goal is simple, it’s student success,” he said.

The Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College is located at 15880 Dam Road Extension in Clearlake.