The Cardinal

Students Serve Students at the Cardinal Cafe

Elisa Telidetzki
Staff Writer

At SVC we all know where the cafeteria is, right? But on the 30th of September, the culinary department opened something a little different … their very own café! It’s called the Cardinal Café, and it is run by student chefs.  Chef Gilbert Rodriguez says, “We’ve had the café for years, but marketing hasn’t been too good.  We changed the menu and rearranged the place.  It looks great now.”
Tyler Murphy, an SVC student says, “I love it and I didn’t even know it was already here a couple weeks ago.  This is amazing.  I wish I heard about this place a long time ago.”
The Cardinal Café is open to everyone--the whole community.  The most popular entrée is the sage roasted chicken flatbread sandwich.  “We sold ten yesterday,” said Rodriguez proudly.
Joe Weeks, a culinary student, says, “My favorite entrée is the Honey Dijon chicken.  The service is nice.  They’re doing a good job.  Their deserts are superb!”
The chefs figured they would serve around 25 customers a day.  The numbers are slowly increasing. It’s open Monday-Thursday, 11:30am-1:30pm. The Cardinal Café just serves lunch.  The Café promotes local and organic food, and cooks vegan and vegetarian dishes.

Chef Rodriguez suggests the grass-fed beef burger, and welcomes everyone, “Come and check it out!”
Lisa Forst, a visitor, says, “The service is very nice.  I never had a grass-fed burger before.  It sounds cool.”
Machel Hill, one of the servers, explains, “Part of the Culinary Arts program involves doing some customer service.  We don’t get paid.  All of the money, including the tips goes back to the Culinary department.”

Mark Kiele, a student at SVC, comments, “The food is awesome here and the plates are well designed.”

While having lunch at the café, I enjoyed the classy ambience.  As I munched on my bread, which was smothered with garlic butter, I couldn’t help but feel relaxed.  Frank Sinatra was playing, creating an atmosphere of utmost serenity.  I stared out the windows, watching students walk by, and I almost forgot I was on campus.  The dim light and professional service reminded me of a first class restaurant.  The wild mushroom gnocchi melted in my mouth. The price range is excellent, with salads starting at $2.50, and the most expensive entrees priced at $8.00—just right for a student’s budget. 
Christopher Clatterbuck, a  student at SVC, says, “I’ve been here before.  The food is always good.  Good price range.  It’s good for students and customers.  Students are making food for students.  It’s great.”