After being on this campus for four years, I’ve heard a lot about Café Laura dinners. Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management majors have to partake in a semester-long class where they are given real-world experience on how to successfully plan and execute their own themed dinner for guests of all ages.
Dinners range in a wide variety of themes from Asian to Caribbean to Greek and are a reasonable price, so everyone is able to enjoy the students’ finished work. Menus include appetizers, salads, entrees, side dishes and, of course, dessert. You can even bring a bottle of wine to enjoy if you are over 21 years of age.
My roommates and I decided to attend a themed dinner called “Stix: An Asian Occasion,” and we were pleasantly surprised at the outcome. The students put together an experience that made you forget that you were actually still eating on Penn State’s campus. The food was brought out in a very timely manner, and they made sure to accommodate any dining issues, if needed.
We decided to order Sriracha Shrimp Lettuce Cups with Thai Peanut Slaw as an appetizer, which were delicious and very fresh. This was followed up by a house salad with a homemade ginger dressing.
As for entrees, we all tried something different. All together, we tried Seared Sweet and Sour Chicken and Pineapple Skewers, Seared Black and White Sesame Crusted Teriyaki Salmon, and Mongolian Glazed Beef Rolls. Each of these entrees included the option to pick two sides out of the five total including stir-fry, fried rice, lo mein and others.
There were two options for dessert including Dark Chocolate Strawberry Dumplings and Fried Sweet Dough served with Green Tea Ice Cream. Both were delicious and they gave you great portion sizes that were enough to enjoy on your own or share with friends.
“It was a great fine-dining experience by students, and I would definitely love to go again and experience completely different types of food,” says Kelly Deane, a senior here on campus.
Overall, Café Laura dinners are definitely something that every student should try.
These themed dinners are offered throughout the semester, and it’s super easy to make reservations on Café Laura’s website at any time.