HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The SCS Board, Staff and Faculty wish all of you a very happy new year filled with good health, prosperity and many culinary delights!
THINKING OF A CULINARY CAREER?
ALUMNI PROJECT
Steve Doyle | Class of 2003
For lifelong Stratford resident, Steve Doyle, the path to Stratford Chefs School wasn’t immediate. Having graduated high school and pondering next steps, Steve was invited by a friend to join him working with the kitchen team at Pazzo Pizzeria. “I remember tasting food there that wasn’t like anything I was brought up with. I liked the energy and the camaraderie, and it was gratifying to look out into the dining room and see people enjoying what I created.”
His stint at the pizzeria set Steve’s professional culinary journey in motion. After spending a winter in the pizzeria he was invited by then Head Chef, Dean Elieff (Class of 1993) to join him in the newly minted Pazzo Ristorante where he gained valuable kitchen experience and further interest in becoming a chef. “Being from Stratford I was familiar with the school, and I had a number of friends who had become alumni. Through these connections and after researching other culinary institutions in the area I decided that SCS was where I wanted to study.”
Steve admired the model SCS was founded on: ”I thought that having chef instructors at the top of their game was a big draw. The chefs school had small classes with lots of one-on-one instruction, and was one of the only places offering this style of education.”
After graduation Steve had an opportunity to travel and cook in the Caribbean; but it was his return to Stratford a few years later that charted his present career as a Sommelier. Moving back to Stratford, Steve was unable to find a head chef position at any Stratford restaurant – a stark contrast with the job market in hospitality today. Friends Bronwyn and Aaron Linley (Class of 1996) asked him if he would consider working front of house at their celebrated restaurant Bijou. “Bronwyn was completing her CAPS sommelier program and I was exposed to a lot of really great wine and invited to taste many alongside her,” Steve says. “They were devoted to good wine and I developed my palate in the same way my experience tasting a sweet, ripe tomato sparked my interest in cooking.”
Steve was hired back to Pazzo, but this time as the manager of the Taverna. He completed his WSET Sommelier training and has been fortunate to travel and taste delicious wines throughout his career. “I like the academic side of wine and my passion has allowed me opportunities to travel and taste great wines. Sometimes I miss cooking, but I always enjoy pouring wine for my customers. I like to make people happy.”
Photo: Terry Manzo
What’s For Dinner? **
“A remarkable evening – memorable food and staff and students. Perhaps some of the best food I have experienced from anywhere in the world. Bravo!” -Jennifer C., Dinner Guest, December 18, 2021
Student Designed Menus
TUESDAY, JANUARY 11
MENU: Noah Geene’s Evening in Italy
Focaccia with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
Artichoke and Radicchio Salad
Pumpkin Tortellini with Sage and Butter Sauce
Lamb Stew with Polenta and Grilled Peppers
Ricotta Cannoli with Lemon Confit, Amaretti, and Amaretto Ice Cream
Student Chef Noah Geene
Chef Instructor Scott Roberts
$55 per person Dine In
includes coffee or tea
Add Wine Pairings Package (15 oz)
$20 per person
Dinner To Go SOLD OUT
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12
Liz Lagerwerf’s Seinfeld-inspired Menu:
“The Rye” – Marble Rye
“No Soup for You” – Shrimp & Lobster Bisque
“The Big Salad” – A great BIG salad
“The Chicken Roaster” – Roast Chicken, Crushed Potatoes, Carrots & Cornbread
“The Dinner Party” – Chocolate Babka (the better babka), Caramel Jam, and Iced Coffee Double Cream
…and to finish, a Black and White Cookie
Student Chef Liz Lagerwerf
Chef Instructor Jonathan Kemeny
SOLD OUT
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13
MENU: Daniella Dafonte explores her family roots from Portugal to Sicily
Pane Consato – Toasted Focaccia with Herbs and Olive Oil
Arancine di Riso – Classic Sicilian Arancini with Ragù
Mussels Steamed with White Wine, Garlic, and Parsley
Piri-Piri Chicken with Crisp Potatoes, and Braised Collard Greens
Cassatelle (pastries filled with ricotta and chocolate) with Stracciatella Ice Cream and Sicilian Sabayon
Student Chef Daniella Dafonte
Chef Instructor Randi Rudner
DINE-IN SOLD OUT
Dinner To Go $45 per person
Add Wine Pairings Package (15 oz)
To Go $20 per person
“It is always a pleasure to be at the Chefs School, delicious inventive food painstakingly prepared and presented. Makes one feel like royalty.” -Rosemary D., Dinner Guest, December 1, 2020
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14
MENU: Rudy Ménard’s East Coast Extravaganza
Newfie Poutine Bread with Gravy Butter
Salt Cod Fritters with Tartar Sauce
Smoked Split Pea Tortellini in Broth
Jigg’s Dinner – Corned Beef with Cabbage, and Root Vegetables
Baba au Rhum and Coke
Student Chef Rudy Ménard
Chef Instructor Mike Booth
$55 per person Dine In
includes coffee or tea
Dinner To Go $45 per person
Add Wine Pairings Package (15 oz)
to Dine-In or To Go $20 per person
SATURDAY, JANUARY 15
MENU: Taylor Carde’s Cozy Winter Night
Seeded Sourdough with Whipped Herb Butter
Grilled Endive Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese Ranch
Butternut Squash Soup with Parsnip Chips and Basil Oil
Slow-Roasted Brisket with Root Vegetables
Warm Salted Brownie with Cookies n’ Cream Ice Cream and Candied Cocoa Nibs
Bubble Gum Cotton Candy
Student Chef Taylor Carde
Chef Instructor Randi Rudner
DINE-IN SOLD OUT
Dinner To Go $45 per person
Add Wine Pairings Package (15 oz)
To Go $20 per person
“The high quality food and diversity of the menus is like visiting a whole new restaurant each time! A lovely evening.” – Dinner Guest, February 27, 2020
**IMPORTANT: In compliance with Government Protocols, all guests must show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination and personal identification before being seated in our facility. Guests must also wear masks when not seated at their assigned table. Capacity is limited to 30 seated dinner guests (50% capacity) at physically distanced tables. Click for more info / FAQ
QUESTIONS? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page or email Admissions at: admissions@stratfordchef.com
Administration Office Holiday Hours:
Working remotely by EMAIL December 30: admin@stratfordchef.com
Closed December 31-January 3/22
Open January 4-7: 1-5pm
Photography by Terry Manzo (SCS Class of 1985)