If you ever worry about our future in the hands of the generation coming up behind Millennials (Gen Z), I encourage you to head to Garland ISD’s newest campus. Specifically, head to The Bistro at Gilbreath-Reed Career and Technical Center in Garland, Texas for lunch. Afterward, take a tour of the campus. Not only will this experience squash any qualms you may have about this next generation, but it will give you immense hope for our future — and make you wish you could go back and attend high school THERE!
And if you aren’t worried, I recommend you head there anyway for a delicious lunch at their Bistro, which is run by the students in the culinary arts and hospitality programs.
The Bistro at Gilbreath-Reed Career and Technical Center
I was recently invited to attend a 6-Course Mardi Gras Luncheon at the school, an event created to showcase their Bistro, which is now open to the public for lunch Wednesdays through Fridays (call ahead, just in case they’re booked for an event). It has previously been open to students and staff, but now they’re opening to the public!
The entire lunch was prepared and hosted by students, with direction and supervision from their instructors. The culinary arts program participants handled the “back of house” duties, planning the menu and preparing our 6-course meal from scratch (keep reading below for details on our mind-blowing meal!). The hospitality program students handled all the “front of house” duties and details, including the decor, greeting us, serving us and making and serving our drinks.
Our six-dish meal was served in an ingenious way. A small (but plentiful) portion of each menu item was placed in one part of a 6-cup muffin tin and served together to each guest.
Mardi Gras Menu
The menu included 5 Mardi-Gras inspired entree samples plus a dessert:
- Seafood gumbo
- Chicken and sausage jambalaya
- Crawfish cake with sauce piquant and smoked pineapple relish
- Blackened snapper with lump crab meat and citrus sauce
- Creole shrimp
- King cake bread pudding
Mardi Gras Beverages
But I’m getting ahead of myself. And drooling a little as I type this … because, seriously – look at that menu! However, let’s talk about beverages first …
As each guest arrived (which included NBC’s Deborah Ferguson, Dr. Phillip Gilbreath, reps from Garland ISD, reps from the city, the principal, the assistant principal and other media and food bloggers), we were warmly greeted by students at the entrance and then quickly offered one of the specialty drinks they had created for the occasion. Between the decor, the music and the smells, it felt like I had entered a Cajun Creole restaurant!
The two Mardi Gras-inspired drinks offered were a Smokin’ Jamba Juice (which bubbled and smoked, thanks to some dry ice) and a Mardi Gras Smoothie. I opted for the smoking drink, which was made with sweet tea, peach tea, lemonade and ginger ale. It was sweet, refreshing and fun as it continued to bubble.
Culinary Tour
Next, we were offered a behind-the-scenes tour of the culinary program’s facilities by the principal, Dr. Erika Crump, which I gladly accepted. From the pastry kitchen to the line area to the main teaching kitchen, the whole thing put the best of any bygone Home Ec. setup to massive shame. During the tour, we learned more about the program, met several students and experienced just a wee bit of kitchen-equipment envy!
Most of all, I envied the students, who are getting real-world, hands-on learning in a field where many of them plan to pursue their careers. My envy was tamed when I learned that they offer adult culinary courses in the evenings. Who wants to go with me!?
Lunch at the Bistro – a Restaurant Critic’s Viewpoint
Back to the food now. First of all, everything was delicious. Knowing that it was all made from scratch by high school students made it even more enjoyable, but putting that aside for a moment and putting my restaurant reviewer hat on: how did it taste without taking their age into consideration? Honestly, much of it tasted like I was at a high-end restaurant.
The ingredients tasted fresh, each dish’s flavors were balanced, and several of them made me (and those around me) “ooh,” “mmmm” and “ahh” out loud. My favorite was the jambalaya (bottom right below), and I am picky about my jambalaya! If I can make it back next week (when all 6 dishes will be on the Bistro’s menu, individually), I will order a big bowl of it. Made with chicken, sausage, rice and a thick homemade tomato sauce, it was comfort food at its finest with just the right amount of spicy heat. Several of the guests around me loved this dish as well.
I actually had two top favorites. The crawfish cake with sauce piquant and smoked pineapple relish (top left in the picture above) was equally amazing and another crowd favorite. When I dug into this, I couldn’t believe they could fit so many flavors in one small cup … but they did. If I can return next week, I’ll either order two lunch entrees (this and the jambalaya) or take one of them home in a to go container for dinner.
I also enjoyed the creole shrimp with peppers and rice and the snapper with lump crab meat served on top of red beans and rice (this was a favorite of another attendee). The gumbo wasn’t my favorite, but I’m always team jambalaya more than I am team gumbo.
King Cake Bread Pudding
Oh baby, let’s talk about this dessert! It was a traditional bread pudding topped with a praline crust, FOUR sauces, whipping cream, a sugar crisp … and a plastic baby to add to the Mardi Gras fun! Because of my dairy allergy (which isn’t life-threatening, but it can make my sinuses miserable), I had to control myself with this one. My plan was to give it a small taste, minus the whipping cream.
That plan failed miserably after I took a small bite, and I ended up eating more than half of mine (but wanting to eat ALL of it). This dessert was a sweet (but not too sweet) and satisfying end to our feast. They even served us good, fresh coffee after we all devoured our meals.
I’d like to extend a big THANK YOU to all the students, the instructors/chefs and administration for hosting all of us.
Head to the Bistro for Lunch
If you’re in or near Garland on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday at lunchtime, I highly recommend you head to The Bistro at Gilbreath-Reed Career and Technical Center. They’re open for lunch Wednesdays – Fridays but ask that you call ahead (972-487-4588) just in case they are booked up for a special event. The Mardi Gras entrees and dessert we sampled will be on the menu the week of February 25th.
Typically, the Bistro has a regular menu, with specials added, depending on what the students are working on that week. Most entrees cost between $7-$10.
Address: 4885 N President George Bush Hwy, Garland
NOTE: make sure to take your driver’s license; you will have to stop into the main office, sign in with your driver’s license and get a temporary guest badge to enter the building
More About this School
I could write an entire second article (and maybe more) about the different programs offered at this center and what I learned from the tour of the school after our luncheon, but I will limit myself to a brief overview here.
The Gilbreath-Reed Career and Technical Center opened in August 2017 and has 1200 students, 35 different programs and offers over 90 advanced level classes. The programs include everything from culinary arts to dentistry to cybersecurity to architecture, fashion design, marketing, engineering, graphic design, logistics/supply chain management and so much more.
As Assistant Principal Clinton Elasser led us on our tour, we met one classroom of kids (pictured above) in the logistics/supply chain management program. Without being prompted, each one of them walked up, shook our hands and introduced themselves. Something tells me we weren’t the first group to visit their classroom. Next, they each told us what their job was (from operations manager to forklift operator) because not only are they learning and studying their chosen field, but they are DOING it. For example, they handle supply chain management for the Bistro. Asked if they want to go into the field after taking their courses, every single one of them gave an enthusiastic yes.
We also visited and spoke with students in the motorcycle program, where they are the ONLY high school in the nation participating in the upcoming Harley Davidson bike “build-off” called Battle of the Kings 2019. If they do well, they’ll go on to the international competition.
Learn more about the Gilbreath-Reed Career and Technical Center at https://www.garlandisd.net/content/gilbreath-reed-career-and-technical-center-0
And don’t forget to visit the Bistro for lunch!
