ECC gourmet dinner coming May 6

Diners can taste the best dishes of Elgin Community College’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Program at the annual Gourmet Dinner Friday, May 6, at the college, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.

An hors d’oeuvre and champagne reception begins at 6 p.m. in Safety-Kleen Gallery One in the ECC Arts Center, followed by dinner in the Culinary Arts Center’s Spartan Terrace Restaurant.

The meal offers students in the program’s culinary arts, pastry arts and hospitality management classes an opportunity to execute their skills before graduating from ECC. Under the supervision of award-winning culinary faculty, students plan, prepare and serve the meal.

Proceeds from this dinner benefit the culinary program and adds to the funds for the 2012 ECC culinary team that competes and studies abroad in Austria. The team is announced at the dinner.

A $1,000 Donald A. Beresford Memorial Scholarship, established by the parents of a culinary arts student in memory of their son, is awarded at the dinner. Also, a $1,000 Mike Zema-SYSCO Food Service Scholarship is awarded. Zema, a former culinary program coordinator, retired in December 2008.

Tickets for the dinner, which will include wine, are $100 per person and can be purchased by calling the ECC box office at (847) 622-0300. For information about other culinary events at ECC, call (847) 214-7382 or visit elgin.edu/spartanterrace.