Imagine being able to travel across America using only taste buds.

That is exactly what guests did while attending the student-run Fine Dining Dinner: Contemporary American Cuisine in the Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom on Wednesday.

As part of the hotel, restaurant and institution management major (HRI), students planned, created and served a dinner to guests. The event was a part of the HRI 478 Fine Dining Management undergraduate course and the HRI 587 Fine Dining Management graduate course.

Students invited guests to attend the event at a cost of $35 with wine or $30 without wine. The contemporary American cuisine dinner was the first of four fine dining experiences planned and run by students this semester.

Every role from the head chef to servers was filled by a student. Throughout the dining events, students will rotate so they are given the opportunity to play different roles within the restaurant.

Sangwook Kang, the instructor for the HRI 487 course, said that his job was to motivate the students.

“The students develop and create the menus,” Kang said. “They prepare the entire event including the marketing, advertising and delivering the dinner to the customers.”

Kang explained that once the menu was developed, they tested the various menu items on customers during previous weeks. If menu items were not well-liked, students had to change the item or get rid of it altogether.

Anousith Macvilay, senior in culinary science, was the head chef for the contemporary American cuisine event. Macvilay played a part in creating the menu for the evening.

“In the first couple weeks we were brainstorming what to put on the menu, and then we started developing recipes,” Macvilay said. “It’s a leadership position for sure.”

The final menu for the contemporary American cuisine event consisted of five courses. The appetizer placed guests in the west with a coastal mango shrimp taco. Guests then crept north as they tasted northwest butternut squash soup, followed by Prairieland beet and balsamic salad.

The main dish, Iowa pork belly, brought guests back home to Iowa. Dessert followed the main dish, ending the guests’ tour on the east coast with a New England pumpkin cheesecake. Three different wines were served throughout the five courses: Beringer Sauvignon Blanc, Parducci Pinot Noir and Harvest Riesling.

Bob Bosselman, chair of the department of apparel, educational studies and hospitality management, was in attendance at the fine dining event. Bosselman has attended several of the previous fine dining events.

“I thought the shrimp taco was very creative,” Bosselman said. “The mango played nicely against the bean flavor.”

Jessica Weaver, a graduate student in apparel, events and hospitality management was the front of the house manager at the event.

The front of the house manager was in charge of ensuring every guest was taken care of throughout the night, the servers were well-informed and that the food arrived on time.

Weaver said this event was similar to a banquet at a wedding because of the preset menu. Weaver said that one of the most important aspects of preparing for this event was good communication. 

“It was important to see the big picture,” Weaver said. “Meeting once a week to plan a restaurant was very difficult. There were a lot of standard procedures that needed to be followed.”

Once the dinner was completed, guests wrote on comment cards to give students feedback. The comment cards enabled guests to rate their experience based on questions such as the quality and timeliness of service, the quality of food and wines and the overall value of the experience. The students will review the comment cards and will work on what they lacked for the following dinners.

The Fine Dining Management class is preparing for three more fine dining dinners, the next being European Cuisine at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Individuals interested in the event are encouraged to contact Ashley Moyna as reservations are required.