About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 2020)
Nick Bowman Features Editor | 770-718-3426 | life@gainesvilletimes.com S'hc Srtttes gainesvilletimes.com Wednesday, February 19, 2020 Photos by SCOTT ROGERS I The Times Clay Mashburn grills Italian sausages Friday, Feb. 14, as he and other culinary students at The Oaks prepare for lunch service at The Bistro. From student to head chef Ex-Bistro worker shares her recipe for success BY KELSEY PODO kpodo@gainesvilletimes.com When Erika Castaneda tells her culinary students that she was once in their shoes, many don’t believe her. Before she became the executive chef at The Bis tro, a student-run restaurant at Lanier College & Career Academy, she was a wide- eyed high school student learning how to make soup. “I remember my very first time I had gone into the kitchen,” Castaneda said. “It was very overwhelming at first. But, ever since that first soup lab, I just took off. Now I’m here.” She started cooking in The Bistro during her sophomore year, then quickly realized her dream of becoming a chef. But she had some obstacles. “My counselor told me to my face that I’ll never find a career,” Castaneda said. “That broke my heart. She said money wise, you prob ably won’t have enough to go to culinary school.” Castaneda said her par ents, who immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. before she was born, also advised her against becoming a chef because they thought she should seek better opportunities. However, one person believed in Castaneda. Chris Mitas, former exec utive chef of The Bistro, encouraged Castaneda to participate in cooking com petitions and apply to culi nary school. By recognizing her poten tial, Castaneda said her teacher helped bolster her confidence. “I’m very driven,” Cas taneda said. “If I want to do something, I’m going to do it. I just ignored (my counselor) and went for it.” Castaneda said she was shocked at the amount of acceptance letters that flooded her mailbox. She decided on the Art Institute of Atlanta, where she spent the next three years earn ing an international culinary degree. Even with the first stage of her dream achieved — entrance into a respected culinary school — the trials weren’t over. Those three years weren’t easy on Castaneda. She worked two different night shift kitchen jobs to pay her way through college. “It was hard work,” she said. “I will never forget those days when I’d go to the financial aid floor and pay The Bistro at LCCA Location: 2723 Tumbling Creek Road, Gainesville Contact: bistro@hallco. org or 770-531-2330 More info: Icca.hallco. org/bistro my tuition with pennies and quarters.” The day after she finished college, Castaneda received an unexpected call from her favorite high school teacher, Mitas. He asked her if she wanted to work as his assis tant chef at The Bistro. “I still remember that call,” Castaneda said. “I was so happy.” Soon after starting her job in 2018, Mitas left his position to become a dual enrollment teacher at LCCA. Castaneda seized the oppor tunity and became the res taurant’s executive chef. She now teaches high school students of all grades and cooking skill levels. Cas taneda said many enter her class not knowing how to cut a lemon, then leave with the experience to create a menu. On a typical school week, her students spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday prepping for Thursday and Friday, which is when The Photo courtesy Hall County Schools Erika Castaneda teaches high school students of all grades and cooking skill levels. She says many enter her class not knowing how to cut a lemon, then leave with the experience to create a menu. Culinary students at The Oaks prepare for lunch service at The Bistro Friday, Feb. 14. Bistro serves lunch or din ner to the public. Castaneda said coming up with the rotating menu can take up to two weeks of plan ning with her students. Each month all of their efforts culminate into a giant dinner with a theme. On Feb. 14, The Bistro’s students served up a five- course Valentine’s Day din ner. The menu kept to an Italian theme with a char- cuterie board, arancini, rolled lasagna, lemon grilled asparagus and coffee choco late cake. All of the items were prepared and served by students. During special dinners like the one on Valentine’s Day, Castaneda said she reg ularly works from 6 a.m. to midnight. She helps her stu dents get a taste of working in a busy restaurant by hav ing them work until all the guests leave in the evening. “I try to show my students that in a real restaurant dur ing a holiday, you’re going to work at least 16 hours,” Castaneda said. “There’s no working five hours. On any big holidays or events, you’re going to work your butt off.” In her little time leading The Bistro, Castaneda has already witnessed success stories like her own. Some of her students work in local restaurants and apply what they’ve learned into their jobs. Castaneda has also seen students who come from “harsh backgrounds” find their calling through her class. She said she’ll never forget one student who transformed from a kid who would curse and disrespect her in class, to becoming one of her top pupils. “He had a lot of family problems,” Castaneda said. “After one year here, I saw him completely flip around. He took responsibility for his station at The Bistro and has worked hard.” If her students take away one thing from her class, Castaneda said she wants them to know how to make connections and work well with people of different backgrounds. “You can be the best at cutting an onion, but if you don’t make relation ships with other people, you’re never going to have a career,” she said. “If it wasn’t for my relationship with Chef Mitas, I wouldn’t have this job right now.” 1 ! ,v.y. ■ ■IvK; a | - 1 — t ! J I t ■ im* ■ 0 ] l Far left: Gainesville’s newest restaurant Shane’s Rib Shack opens Monday, Feb. 17, at 610 White Sulphur Road in New Holland. Left: In addition to their rustic decor, Shane’s Rib Shack pays tribute to local sports teams in Gainesville and Hall County. Photos by SCOTT ROGERS The Times Shane’s Rib Shack fires up smokers in Gainesville BY KELSEY PODO kpodo@gainesvilletimes.com As soon as the clock struck 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 17, people burst through the doors of the Gainesville Shane’s Rib Shack for its grand opening. Mariah Babich, the fast-casual restaurant’s director of opera tions, floated around the space as customers lined up at the front counter to order their Southern- style meals. When people dine at Shane’s Rib Shack, Babich said they can expect all of the food to be cooked in the store. The kitchen staff smoke the restaurant’s pork for 12 hours each night and hand- bread the chicken tenders daily. Babich said a lot of love goes into the food, but the cuisine isn’t the core of what Shane’s Rib Shack offers. “It starts as just a meal,” Bab ich said. “But, at the end of the day, we want our guests to be a part of our family.” In addition to the rustic decor adorning the walls, the restau rant pays tribute to local sports teams in Gainesville and Hall County school districts. Babich said Shane’s Rib Shack intends to make customized partnerships with the schools. The relationship might involve bringing meals to teams before games or cheering on students at sports events. The restaurant also recently hired employees from Gainesville High School, East Hall High School and Lanier New Shane’s Rib Shack Where: 610 White Sulphur Road, Gainesville Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily More info: 678-696-5567 College & Career Academy. “We’re here to make a great impression in the community and make those connections,” Babich said. “There used to be a Shane’s in Gainesville, and we just felt like it was really time to bring it back to the community. We’re corporately owned, so we know we’re here to stay.” The restaurant, located at 610 White Sulphur Road in Gaines ville, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. A plate of pulled pork goes out to a customer at Shane’s Rib Shack Monday, Feb. 17.
