News

Move over, Jamie Oliver, there's a new group of restaurateurs in town! On February 2, several industrious High School students debuted  Landmark's Mock Restaurant in the Murphy Prep Building, serving a delectable, mouth-watering five-course meal to a dozen students and faculty members.  

The menu included a bread course; a choice of Caesar or arugula salad (with or without chicken); penne ala vodka or pasta or olive oil and garlic; a variety of homemade pizzas, with toppings that included mozzarella and vegan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni, prosciutto, olives, basil, and buffalo chicken; and decadent chocolate cake and ice cream.

Patrons were greeted at the door by hosts Charlie B.'23 and Sabine N. '22, who seated guests at a beautifully appointed table. Oona G. '23 served water and freshly squeezed lemonade and took orders, which were relayed to an app on an iPad in the kitchen. At the back of the house, chefs Marco B.'24 and Derek C.'24 worked methodically—and feverishly—assembling salads, rolling out homemade pizza dough, and making and attending to the sauces. Meanwhile Oona, under the direction of faculty advisor—and experienced chef—Bayron Contreras topped the dough with custom orders. They cooked the pizza outside, in a pizza oven. Sabine, seamlessly shifted from host to server, running pizza up two flights of stairs to serve guests. The atmosphere captured the secret sauce essential to any successful restaurant: enthusiasm, energy, and a small dose of chaos.

A Labor of Love

The evening required hours of planning, prep, and time management.  Remarkably, none of the students have prior experience working in a restaurant. Derek loves cooking and pursued his hobby more in-depth during the pandemic, and Marco takes pride in his cooking skills. Both exhibited a passion for cooking—and for perfection.

"I'm thrilled that the guests and the restaurant staff all had a great time and enjoyed the food. They all appreciated our efforts," said Derek. "There were definitely some bumps in the road, but everyone worked together to get the job done."

It was a learning experience for Marco. "I learned about timing and how to plate food for a large group. We all worked together to get the job done. I can't wait until the next one!" The group plans to open the restaurant once a month.

Rave Reviews

The guests were impressed, not only with the cuisine but also with the execution and professionalism.

"I know that working at a restaurant is no small feat, but building one (menus, food sourcing, staffing, service, dishwashing, etc.) from scratch is a different kind of amazing!  I can't imagine the time, energy, and effort that went into the planning of this evening," said Lauren Torres, a faculty member. "They worked together beautifully to create a lovely ambiance, a friendly and helpful atmosphere, and delicious food! The Mock Restaurant was one of my favorite Landmark experiences in the 10 years that I've been here."

Bayron was equally impressed. "The outcome of the dinner last night was incredible. Our students showed immense amounts of dedication and hard work. We were faced with many challenges, but the students kept their composure and worked together to keep the service running smoothly. Working as a team and having strong communication skills is key to many things, like running a mock restaurant, which was exactly what was seen last night from our students. It's truly inspiring when students put forth effort into following their passion to create dreams into reality. Can't wait to see what's next on the menu for the Mock Restaurant Club." 

"The quality of the cuisine and the attention to detail (centerpieces with floating candles, superbly plated dishes, and professionally dressed mock restaurant staff) was IMPRESSIVE!," said Adam Craig, another faculty member.

The restaurant was anything but mock—a name change might be necessary for the next offering.