Monday evenings are usually STAN nights. However, the place I picked to go was only open Tuesday – Friday. So, we had a STAN lunch on Tuesday. They also serve dinner, but we opted for a lunch instead.

The place: Texas Culinary Academy (TCA) on Burnet Road in Austin.
Location: IBM site, entrance #2, building #2

Students enroll in this Academy for a 12 month program. During their last six weeks, their class is responsible for the dining room meals. We learned that they also serve as interns at local hotels or restaurants before graduating.

We had several servers during our meal. While one was refreshing our drinks, another was serving bread and another was placing more eating implements beside our plates. One of us ordered a Caesar salad and was given a choice of having the salad prepared in the kitchen or at our table. He opted for having it done at our table, and it was educational as well as entertaining. The table settings were formal, yet the atmosphere was very relaxing. The students were all dressed in crisp, sharp attire (white button shirts/jackets and black pants), and a few with chef hats were nearby.

The food choices on the menu included Appetizers, Salads, Entrees, and Desserts and there was a very good variety of each. It was difficult to choose because each one sounded delicious. Even though we were tempted to go for the steak, we decided to try something more “adventuresome.” Terry’s grilled pork chop came with a fruity sauce and potato patties topped with another dollop of flavored topping. His comment was “this is wonderful.” Ann, Kelby (joined us at the last minute), and I had the grilled trout with green beans and finger-size potatoes. The seasoning and flavor of each item on our plate was wonderful. I don’t usually order fish, but now I am encouraged to do so more often. Nick had a crepe that was full of shrimp and covered in a cheese sauce. He also said it was delicious.

The facility, the food, the service, and the atmosphere was tops! If you get a chance to eat at TCA, do so!