Skip to content
quotationscoffeecafe

quotationscoffeecafe

Welcome to the Food

Primary Menu quotationscoffeecafe

quotationscoffeecafe

  • Food & Cooking
  • Food Delivery
  • Recipes Food
  • Italian Food
  • Junk Food
  • Best Food
  • About Us
    • Advertise Here
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Sitemap
  • Italian Food

Fresh Italian Food Featured at FVCC Pop-Up Restaurant

2 weeks ago Jaime E. Love

The first day of Divina Trattoria’s full opening on Wednesday, April 13 went better than expected. About 120 people placed orders, which is double what the college students behind the pop-up restaurant had anticipated.

Divina Trattoria, which serves fast, fresh Italian food, is the capstone project for students in Flathead Valley Community College’s Culinary Institute of Montana program.

While the plan had been to continue service until 1:30 p.m., by 1 p.m. staff at the pop-up restaurant were turning people away. Evan Steckler, a senior who is the kitchen manager for the restaurant, said that the opening day turnout might have set a record.

“After not being able to eat out for so long, and people avoiding restaurants for the last two years, once they see that we’re open to the public they flock to us,” Steckler said.

Related Posts:

  • Charlotte's food scene: Will COVID-19 destroy or enhance it?

There will be plenty of opportunities in the coming weeks for people to work their way through the menu at the restaurant. While last week marked its opening, Divina Trattoria will continue to operate Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through the end of April. The restaurant can be found in the culinary kitchen located in the basement of FVCC’s arts and technology building.

Bolognese prepared by Flathead Valley Community College culinary program students running a pop-up Italian restaurant on campus as part of their capstone class on April 13, 2022. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

 Students designed a menu, workshopped a mission statement, tested recipes, worked up a marketing plan, and went through cost and profit propositions. After the restaurant closes students will present in front of a panel of local business owners and investors and discuss the profitability or losses the business incurred. Chef Manda Hudak, the program director at the FVCC Culinary Institute of Montana, said that Divina Trattoria emerged after students in a world cuisine class were drawn toward the ideas of the slow food movement, which she said was born in Italy.

The restaurant’s name is a nod to a Tuscan culinary concept of harmony and restraint in food, according to Hudak. “The food in that particular southern part of the country, and actually all through Italy is really fresh. It’s like from the garden to the table,” Hudak said. “They really liked that harmony and restraint because the food is not necessarily complicated, but incredibly delicious.”

“We’re shooting for under five minute fire time. So by the time you order, within five minutes you should have your food hot and in your hands. You sit longer in a Taco Bell drive-thru than you do for handmade Italian food right here,” Steckler said. “We’re cheaper and quicker than fast food with better ingredients and classically trained chefs cooking your food.”

A meatball sub prepared by Flathead Valley Community College culinary program students running a pop-up Italian restaurant on campus as part of their capstone class on April 13, 2022. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

The restaurant does offer dine-in service at tables in the kitchen, but Steckler said they aim to also accommodate takeout orders. The popularity of takeout is something learned from the industry shifts the pandemic has caused. Last year’s pop-up restaurant was built around the concept of the smorrebrod, which is a style of Scandinavian open-faced sandwich. Students settled on the idea in part because they needed to build a restaurant that was completely built around grab-and-go service.

One thing that diners can look forward to at Divina Trattoria is freshly made pasta and handmade bread. The pasta is being made in batches of between 60 and 70 pounds at a time to keep up with demand. Steckler pointed toward the pesto lasagna as one particular highlight on the menu. The pasta didn’t originally turn out well during testing, but after making some adjustments, Steckler gave it his endorsement.

“Our pesto lasagna is definitely a different take on lasagna,” he said. “Most people think it’s gonna be really heavy, meat-based, but we have pesto, pine nuts, arugula, and green beans. It’s definitely a different take and it’s going really well.”

The pesto lasagna sells for $9. And while the menu is geared more toward lighter fare meant to evade a post-lunch food coma, there are some more hearty offerings, including a $12.50 pasta Bolognese made with a meat sauce of simmered tomatoes, ground beef and pork. The menu also includes a meatball sub made of ground beef and pork meatballs and served on a house-made ciarolla roll with fresh basil pesto and melted provolone for $12.50.

Steckler also mentioned the restaurant’s quinoa panzanella salad, which he said is a take on a traditional warm Italian bread salad. The salad comes with dried, house-made bread, steamed tri-color quinoa, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, feta, capers and an Italian red wine herb vinaigrette. A side order is $4, and a full is $7.

Flathead Valley Community College culinary program students run a pop-up Italian restaurant on campus as part of their capstone class on April 13, 2022. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

Hudak said that for her the desserts are a highlight of the menu. She noted the baba al limoncello, which is a variation on a rum-soaked cake. In this case the Neapolitan style cake is made with limoncello syrup and lemon pastry cream. She also highlighted the panna cotta, a cooked cream dish served with layers of blood orange and coffee flavored cream. The dessert menu also includes olive oil cake made with fresh strawberry compote, almond streusel and sweet mascarpone cream.

“It’s delicious, and I’m not even a dessert person,” Hudak said.

Hudak also mentioned the soups, including minestrone and a lemon and chicken pepe soup with lemony chicken broth, zucchini, cannellini and fresh dill.

“People are freaking out on that,” she said. “I think it’s all good.”

It’s not uncommon for students in the Culinary Institute of Montana to work in the industry in kitchens or in catering while they continue their studies. For his part, Steckler said he works at Abruzzo Italian Kitchen in Whitefish.

What students do after graduation is up to them, but Hudak said that she thinks the culinary program has an entrepreneurial bent in that it teaches students not only cooking methods and skills, but also requires that they learn about the business side of the food service industry.

“A lot of people in Montana are entrepreneurially interested,” Hudak said. “They want to open up a food truck, they want to open up a bakery, so we’re giving them what it takes to do that as well.”

Tags: "Food Gift Baskets, Food Games, Food Grade Mineral Oil, Food Hall, Food Handlers, Food Handlers Card, Food Handlers Permit, Food High In Fiber, Food High In Iron, Food High In Potassium, Food High In Protein, Food Ideas, Food In Spanish, Food Inc, Food Insecurity, Food Insecurity Definition, Food Intolerance, Food Intolerance Test, Food Italy Is Famous For, Food Jobs, Food Jokes, Food Journal, Food Journal App, Food Journal Template", Food Justice, G Food Items, G Food Mart, G Food Mart Deli, G Food Names, G Food Near Me, G Food Store, G Food Truck, G Foods, H Food Express, H Food Logo, H Food Market, H Food Mart, H Food Mart Upland Ca, H Food Share Price, H Foods, H Foods Words, I Food Deli, I Food Items, I Food Near Me, I Food Real, I Food Real White Chicken Chili, I Foods, I Foods Names, I Foods Words

Continue Reading

Previous Eggs in Purgatory {Heathy Italian Shakshuka Recipe} – WellPlated.com
Next Gabbiano’s Delivers Old-School Italian American Comfort Food

More Stories

  • Italian Food

The Italian place where you don’t eat ‘Italian’ food

2 days ago Jaime E. Love
Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches
  • Italian Food

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches

2 days ago Jaime E. Love
  • Italian Food

Robots, ghosts and Mexican food

4 days ago Jaime E. Love
May 2022
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Apr    

Categories

  • Best Food
  • Food & Cooking
  • Food Delivery
  • Italian Food
  • Junk Food
  • Recipes Food

Archives

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • March 2020
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • January 2017

Recent Posts

  • This Is America’s #1 Best Grocery Store, According to Shoppers
  • This Bougie Dry Dog Food Has My Pup’s Tail Wagging Nonstop
  • AfriSam empowers local entrepreneurs | Roodepoort Record
  • Fariyal Abdullahi on Red Carpet Moments & Cooking at The Met MP3 Song Download by Emily Servodidio (Food Network Obsessed – season – 1)
  • The 11 Best Dog Food Brands

Tags

"C Food Crush San Mateo Business C Food Market C Foods List Chef Cook Cooking D Food Capital D Food Company D Food Delivery D Food Items D Food Names D Food Near Me D Food Sialkot Contact Number D Food Words eating E Food Card E Food Handlers E Food Handlers Card Arizona E Food Handlers Card California E Foods Names E Food Words finance food Food Dehydrator Food Delivery Food Delivery Apps Food Delivery Services Food Depot Food Desert Food Drive Food Emoji Food Emporium Food Emporium Nyc Food Engineering Food Events Near Me Food Exchange Food Express foods greatest Health Meals Network Recipes Restaurants

Visit Now

atlanta braves news
Intellifluence Trusted Blogger

BL

LP

TL

Related Article

  • Best Food

This Is America’s #1 Best Grocery Store, According to Shoppers

22 mins ago Jaime E. Love
  • Recipes Food

This Bougie Dry Dog Food Has My Pup’s Tail Wagging Nonstop

20 hours ago Jaime E. Love
  • Food Delivery

AfriSam empowers local entrepreneurs | Roodepoort Record

22 hours ago Jaime E. Love
  • Food & Cooking

Fariyal Abdullahi on Red Carpet Moments & Cooking at The Met MP3 Song Download by Emily Servodidio (Food Network Obsessed – season – 1)

24 hours ago Jaime E. Love
  • Best Food

The 11 Best Dog Food Brands

1 day ago Jaime E. Love
quotationscoffeecafe.com © All rights reserved. | CoverNews by AF themes.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT