Last week, my fellow interns and I went on a short trip to Schenectady to visit and experience Schenectady County Community College’s Casola Dining Room. The Casola Dining Room is run by SCCC’s Department of Hotel/Culinary Arts/Tourism as a way to give their culinary arts students training in the hospitality industry. The students participate in all parts of running the dining room, from cooking and baking in the kitchen to serving the guests in the dining room. Each week the menu changes to offer a variety of cuisines. The menu consists of three appetizers, three entrees and three desserts. Guests can choose one appetizer, one entrée and one dessert for a very reasonable fixed price. The Dining Room serves both lunch and dinner. Reservations are required.
To give you a better overall view of our experience at the Casola Dining Room, we have each written a brief review.
Becky: When we first arrived at the Casola Dining Room, I was very impressed with the atmosphere and professionalism of the front of the house staff. Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable and overall the service was quite fast for a fine dining experience. The menu last week was Southwest France. I ordered escargot with ham and garlic as my appetizer, sautéed chicken Basque style as my entrée and the tart tatin as my dessert. All of the dishes were delicious and beautifully presented. My experience at the Casola Dining Room was fantastic and I would highly recommend it.
Emily: The first thing I noticed about our recent trip to the Casola Dining Room at Schenectady Community College was the décor and ambiance of the room. It seemed worlds away from the busy streets outside. The room was bright and spacious, with plenty of tables to accommodate the hungry lunch crowd. French music played softly on the speakers, only adding to the atmosphere. While this kind of dining experience would be out of place on many college campuses, it was striking as a first-time diner. Like Becky, I was impressed by the wait staff and the student manager. Both were personable and knowledgeable about the meals and the program. My meal solidified my liking of the restaurant. I ordered the frisee salad with a poached egg and bacon as an appetizer. For someone who just started to like bacon within the past year (I can be a picky eater), the salad was wonderful. It had lots of textures and layers of flavor to keep it enjoyable. I also ordered the sautéed chicken Basque style and found it filling and flavorful. For dessert, the lemon Napoleon was light and refreshing. I will definitely be going back for more!
Megan: After my visit to SCCC with my co-workers I couldn’t wait to share all about the experience. As Becky and Emily already mentioned, the service was pretty impressive and our server did a stand-up job. I’ve worked in the restaurant business before and I know it’s no easy task. Although all three courses were delicious, I’m going to highlight my main entree, the grilled trout filets. There were two large filets with a red wine cocoa sauce, served with creamed leeks and gratin d’auvergne= fantastic. The fish was cooked perfectly and although apprehensive about the description of the sauce it far exceeded my expectations, the dish was awesome and I would have licked my plate if acceptable. I also indulged in a potato, leek, and white bean soup to start and a lemon napoleon to finish. Every bit of the meal was delicious and I would highly recommend the Casola Dining Room to anyone interested in a fun, unique dining experience with an appetite for out of the ordinary fare. Kudos to the students and staff, your work is very impressive and I’m happy to see such a successful program! (Did I mention I also hit up the on campus bakery for a loaf of the delicious bread from lunch to bring home for only $3)