NDSCS Culinary Arts students and faculty hosted the 3^rd annual Scholarship Dinner on Thursday, February 29^th.

The annual Culinary Scholarship Dinner helps raise funds to support scholarship dollars for Culinary Arts students, increasing accessibility for students to attend this program at NDSCS. This dinner is also an excellent opportunity for students to help create and serve a multi-course fine dining experience for guests, teaching important on-the-job skills and benefiting their overall Culinary education. This year’s event brought in over $9000, which will be added to the growing program-specific endowments for student scholarships!

This 6-course dinner was prepared and served by culinary students, faculty, and program alumni. Guests enjoyed a social hour with appetizers, and then soup, salad, fish, entrée, and dessert courses and wine pairings, along with great conversation and a relaxed atmosphere. 75 patrons attended this year’s event, which was the highest number of guests present at the Culinary Scholarship Dinner.

This year’s event chefs included Alyssa Burger from 84 Italian Steakhouse, Kevin Roller from NDSCS Dining Services, Summer Peterson from Bernbaum’s, Joe Brunner from Mezzaluna, Mark Schmidt from Bix Produce, and Grace Lamberson from the Toasted Frog. Our guest chefs are not only helping create dishes and teach our students, they’re also getting future employees! At least 3 Culinary Arts students typically get job opportunities because of the event. The businesses who invest in the program are able to attain much needed manpower.

After the event, Chef Kyle Armitage, the Culinary Arts program coordinator recalled, “The success of the 2024 Culinary Scholarship dinner is not just a celebration of fundraising, but a demonstration to the shared belief in the power of education to transform lives. Each person there, and those who support the event by donating, are helping our future students pursue their dreams. An event like this shows that there are limitless possibilities when a community comes together.”

The Culinary Arts program would like to include a special thank you to donors to the event: Brew Restaurants, Bix Produce, Sysco Foodservice, Mezzaluna, Bernbaum’s, 84 Italian Steakhouse, Toasted Frog, NDSCS Dining Services, NDSCS Alumni Foundation, ND Beef Commission, and the many others who donated wine for our Wine Wall Raffle. The Culinary Arts program is hoping to expand the wine wall next year, and appreciates donations to that portion of the event.

Chef Kyle Armitage remarked, “As a program, we can’t thank our guest chefs enough for sharing their talents, time, and knowledge with our students and community. As we reflect on the incredible success of this year's event, we eagerly anticipate the culinary delights and cherished moments that await us at next year's gathering.”

Photo courtesy of Haley Frost Creative.

NDSCS Culinary Arts students and faculty are scheduled to host the program’s 4th annual Scholarship Dinner on Thursday, February 29th in the Hektner Student Center at NDSCS Wahpeton.

The annual Culinary Scholarship Dinner helps raise funds to support scholarship dollars for Culinary Arts students, increasing accessibility for students to attend this program at NDSCS. This dinner is also an excellent opportunity for students to help create and serve a multi-course fine dining experience for guests, teaching important on-the-job skills and benefiting their overall Culinary education.

The schedule of events includes a guest social and multi-course meal. The 6-course dinner with wine pairings is prepared and served by culinary students, faculty, and program alumni and will be followed by a new feature – a wine raffle! Guests can purchase a cork for $25, and each cork matches with a bottle of wine, ranging in value up to $150!

Guest chefs for the 2024 Culinary Scholarship Dinner will include:

• NDSCS Culinary Arts Alumni:
  • Joe Brunner from Mezzaluna in Fargo
  • Alyssa Berger from 84 Steakhouse in Fargo
  • Summer Peterson from BernBaum’s in Fargo
  • Grace Lamberson from the Toasted Frog in Grand Forks
  • Kevin Roller from NDSCS Dining Services
• Friend of the NDSCS Culinary Arts program:
  • Mark Schmidt of Bix Produce

Tickets are available online at NDSCS.edu/Culinary-Dinner for $125 per person. Thanks to the guest chefs and other supportive partners in the Culinary industry, much of the food and supplies are donated for the Scholarship Dinner. That means most of each ticket price goes right back to the program in the Culinary Arts Endowment Fund, and is a tax-deductible donation.

The 6th Street Eatery, located within North Dakota State College of Science’s Hektner Student Center, kicked off its 2024 season with a full house and an ample menu.

Italian fare, welcome at any trattoria and sure to make any guest eager to mangia, is being served from 5-7 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays through Tuesday, Feb. 27. Buffet nights will be held in late March. Reservations are strongly encouraged, as the 6th Street Eatery regularly reaches its limit for dine-in guests.

“We’ve put a ton of work into this,” Chef Kyle Armitage said to 14 NDSCS culinary arts students just before the Thursday, Jan. 18, opening night. “First years, thank you for being here. Keep your eyes open. You’re going to see and pick up on what is going to be your field next year.”

Armitage shared his pride in the second year culinary arts students, the ones who have advanced to a place of leadership with the 2024 6th Street Eatery. Alexander Tubbs, Deer Creek, Minnesota, was the opening night chef, preparing to be the specialties chef for Tuesday, Jan. 23.

“The first night’s the craziest night. I’m excited,” Tubbs said on Jan 18. “I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s specials and how people enjoy them. Italian food is just great to experience.”

Armitage and Chef Benjamin Whitmore are proud of how the students behind the 2024 6th Street Eatery have demonstrated their drive and focus on a vision.

“I always talk with them about the importance of tension in making some big decisions, and they’ve dealt with that tension in a really good way,” Armitage said.

Abby Schaefer, Minot, North Dakota, was the opening night hostess.

“It’s very interesting,” she said. “This is my first time being a hostess, and it’s exciting that I get to meet everyone.”

Besides specialties, the 6th Street Eatery’s menus includes entrees like chicken parmesan and beef steak tagliata, pasta dishes including cacio e peppe and sausage lasagna and specialty pizzas. There are also side dishes including butcher boards, bruschetta and a full dessert menu of treats including tiramisu, cannoli and the gelato of the week.

“This is some of the most fun that we students get to have,” Tubbs said. “We just want to serve you good food. Come out and enjoy.”

For more information, including the numbers for reservations and take out orders, visit the 6th Street Eatery’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Article published by Frank Stanko at Wahpeton Daily News on January 22, 2024. 

NDSCS Culinary Arts students and faculty hosted the 3rd annual Scholarship Dinner on Thursday, March 9th. The annual Culinary Scholarship Dinner helps raise funds to support scholarship dollars for Culinary Arts students, increasing accessibility for students to attend this program at NDSCS. This dinner is also an excellent opportunity for students to help create and serve a multi-course fine dining experience for guests, teaching important on-the-job skills and benefiting their overall Culinary education. This year’s event brought in over $3500, which will be added to the growing program-specific endowments for student scholarships!

This 6-course dinner with wine pairings was prepared and served by culinary students, faculty, and program alumni. Chef Joseph Brunner, NDSCS alumnus and current Executive Chef at Mezzaluna in Fargo, created the entrée course for the scholarship dinner. Other guest chefs included Amber Pankonin from the Great Plains Culinary Institute; Brooke Thomas, NDSCS alumnus currently at Twin Town Villa; and Carly Beyer, NDSCS alumnus and Director of Dining Services at NDSCS.

Tickets were priced at $100 per person, and $80 of each ticket was a tax-deductible donation to the NDSCS Alumni Foundation Scholarship fund. Despite the less than ideal weather, the evening had a nearly full house. Guests enjoyed appetizers, soup, salad, fish, entrée, and dessert courses and wine pairings, along with great conversation and a relaxed atmosphere. After the event, Chef Kyle Armitage, the Culinary Arts program coordinator recalled, “The 2023 Scholarship Dinner was wonderful. This event is a great opportunity for our community, students, alumni, and friends to enjoy some great food and create a lasting impact on our future Culinary students.”

The Culinary Arts program would like to include a special thank you to donors to the event: The Boiler Room, Mezzaluna, Reinhart Foods, North Dakota Soy Bean Council, Martin Brothers Foods, and the NDSCS Alumni Foundation.

Students from the North Dakota State College of Science received a number of awards at the North Dakota SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference, which was held at NDSCS in April. By achieving gold medals at the state level, 13 of these students qualified to compete in their respective categories at the national SkillsUSA Championships, which will be held in Louisville, Ky. in June.

The NDSCS students who received gold, silver or bronze medals at the state competition include:

NORTH DAKOTA
Bismarck: Morgan Berg, Welding, Silver; Charlie Jacobson, Welding Fabrication, Gold; Tanner Klein, Motorcycle Service Technology, Gold; Summer Peterson, Culinary Arts, Gold; Kolby Wetch, Diesel Equipment Technology, Gold
Dickinson: Jakob Ohl, Automotive Service Technology, Gold
Fargo: Dylan Erdmann, CNC Turning Specialist, Bronze; Bryan Sholts, Power Equipment Technology, Gold
Granville: Chase Brodehl, Plumbing, Gold
Jamestown: Dillon Bischoff, Diesel Equipment Technology, Silver; Nate Klose, HVAC, Silver; Jason Schulte, HVAC, Bronze
Lidgerwood: Daniel Novotny, Automotive Service Technology, Bronze
Mandan: Trae Bennett, Welding Fabrication, Gold
Rolette: Tanner Anderson, Diesel Equipment Technology, Bronze
South Heart: Oliver Kelly, Plumbing, Silver
Wahpeton: Drew Bajumpaa, HVAC, Gold
Williston: Steven Fixen, Electrical Construction Wiring, Gold

MINNESOTA
Barnesville: Jalen Plath, Power Equipment Technology, Silver; Tyler Stage, Power Equipment Technology, Bronze
East Grand Forks: Nick Jundt, Welding Fabrication, Gold
Fergus Falls: Jack Jacobs, Welding, Gold
Frazee: Ryan Roble, Electrical Construction Wiring, Silver
Hallock: Carson Thorsteinson, CNC Technician, Gold
Ortonville: Travis Kellen, Welding, Bronze

MONTANA
Glendive: David Rennie, Automotive Service Technology, Silver

WISCONSIN
Durand: Mike Burda, CNC Milling Specialist, Silver

Students from the North Dakota State College of Science received a number of awards at the North Dakota SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference, which was held in Bismarck this spring. By achieving gold medals at the state level, 14 of these students qualified to compete in their respective categories at the national SkillsUSA Championships, which will be held in Louisville, Ky. in June.

The NDSCS students who received gold, silver or bronze medals at the state competition include:

COLORADO
Evans: Jessica Starkey, Motorcycle Service Technology, Silver

MINNESOTA
Cottage Grove: Alex Johnson, Welding, Silver
Fergus Falls: Jared Christenson, Electrical Construction Wiring, Silver; Richard Grimm, Welding Fabrication, Gold; Mason Tell, Automotive Service Technology, Bronze; Jared Wick, Culinary Arts, Bronze
Frazee: Ryan Bade, Collision Repair Technology, Gold
Moorhead: Chantel Hamann, Power Equipment Technology, Gold
Sartell: Cole Moritz, Welding Fabrication, Silver
Spring Grove: Mitchell Anderson, Welding Fabrication, Gold
Wheaton: Brayden Lampe, Welding Fabrication, Gold

MONTANA
Sidney: Sean Lofthus, Welding Sculpture, Silver

NORTH DAKOTA
Argusville: Noah Trangsrud, Welding Fabrication, Silver
Bismarck: Tony DaSilva, Welding Sculpture, Bronze
Cando: Larry MacDonald, Automotive Service Technology, Silver
Des Lacs: Jonathan Fritel, CNC Technician, Gold
Dickinson: Shelby Kilwein, Diesel Equipment Technology, Bronze
Fargo: Joe Brunner, Culinary Arts, Gold; Chandler Rheault, Welding Sculpture, Gold
Grafton: Justin Simon, Welding, Gold
Jamestown: Kyle Schumacher, Automotive Service Technology, Gold
Lisbon: Cassie Witte, Culinary Arts, Silver
Marion: Greg Lahlum, Diesel Equipment Technology, Gold
New Rockford: Colten Schafer, Welding Fabrication, Silver
Rugby: Kurt Pfau, Diesel Equipment Technology, Silver
Strasburg: Trent Mattern, Motorcycle Service Technology, Gold
Valley City: Brandon Compson, CNC Turning Specialist, Gold
Williston: Ryan Hellen, Electrical Construction Wiring, Gold; Cullen Weigel, Electrical Construction Wiring, Bronze

SOUTH DAKOTA:
Herreid: Josh Orth, Motorcycle Service Technology, Bronze