CTC Patio Café serves Cajun Creole fare

This Friday's Patio Café Cuisine Nights dining experience hosted by the Central Texas College (CTC) Culinary Arts Department features a Cajun Creole cuisine. Dinner will be served Friday, March 12 from        6 – 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Reservations are required by calling 254-526-1515 by 10 a.m. Friday morning.

The dinner starts with appetizers, soups and salads: shrimp diablo – juicy jumbo shrimp filled with cream cheese and jalapenos and wrapped in crisp bacon ($5.25); chicken and andouille sausage gumbo ($8.50 or add a cup to an entrée for $2); Louisiana-style seared steak salad ($10); house salad ($3.75 or free with an entree); and honey oat rolls ($1 each or free with an entrée).

Entrees on the menu are: jambalaya ($8 – served with one side dish); Louisiana-style seared steak ($12); and fried catfish ($9). Entrees are served with a choice of two side dishes unless otherwise noted. Choose from Creole-roasted potatoes, red beans and rice, steamed green beans and fried okra.

For dessert, choose either croissant-banana bread pudding with Southern Comfort sauce or chocolate crepes with fresh strawberries for $3.50.

The Patio Café is run by students in the culinary/hospitality program. The students select the menu items, prepare the menu and serve the meals thus giving students experience in the “real world” of restaurant work. The program offers an associate in applied science degree – hospitality management with four areas of specialization. These are restaurant and culinary management, food service management, food and beverage management and hotel management. The dual credit program offers high school students the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school. To learn more about the program, visit www.ctcd.edu online.