Of memories of brown-bagging it in the school cafeteria take your appetite away, forget them. At Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago
(C.H.I.C.), mealtime is as inviting as the sight of a substitute teacher walking into math class.
No cafeteria lines here. Student waiters bring the goods to you. Instead of stern-looking teachers patrolling the tables, the dining room manager roams the room asking after your needs. If you see toqued heads peeking around the corner, they belong to the students. They`re watching for your reactions to their edible assignments.
C.H.I.C., barely three years old, offers bartending courses and cooking programs for the hospitality graduates of tomorrow. To give students more hands-on experience in cooking and serving, the institute opened for lunch two months ago. The sun-bathed dining room with soft jazz background music is a far cry from most institutions.
There`s one menu, one seating and one price. For $7.95 you get appetizer, soup or salad, entree with starch and vegetable. For lighter appetites, there`s a soup/salad special ($4.50). Beverage and dessert are extra. Alcohol isn`t served.
For those used to lunching on yogurt or salad, the portions will seem dinner-size. The menu changes daily. On this visit, the appetizer, crepe cup Florentine, looks like a spinach quiche. It hits the mark nicely with a moist, eggy filling. The consomme was passed up in favor of salad nicoise, a hefty melange of tuna and marinated veggies made strictly by the book.
The entree, slices of grilled pork tenderloin, came up a bit dry. But the good charcoal flavor and the vinegary bite of the piquant sauce made up for the oversight. Sauteed fresh mushrooms with basil and hunks of cheddar cornbread rounded out the feast.
The dessert, orange-flavored cannoli, would make an Italian grandmother proud. The crisp shell passed the splinter test; the ricotta filling was just sweet enough.
Menus revolve every 10 weeks; so if you want to know what`s for lunch today or a month from now, phone the school. Since there`s only one seating, reservations are suggested. For groups of 10 or more, breakfast will be served.
COOKING AND HOSPITALITY INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
858 N. Orleans St. Phone: 944-0882. Hours: Noon seating only, Mon.-Fri.
