On Monday, March 10, the Coral Gables Senior High culinary program hosted its annual fundraiser, the Gala Night, which turned out to be an epic success of mouthwatering proportions. It was held in the The Dome, a classy restaurant on Miracle Mile. The restaurant closed for one night and allowed Gables’s students full control over all its facilities. The students did everything from cooking the food, to serving the meals, to cleaning up at the end of the event. The four-course meal that they served was exquisite, delicious, and nothing short of miraculous; not one person in the room left feeling hungry. The best part of the evening was when Gables’s very own culinary program, led by Ms. Vera, received a generous contribution of $10,000 to continue to maintain a standard of excellency.

The doors opened at 6:00 PM, and guests began to arrive. Attendees ranged all the way from doting parents to young children. As the sun slowly set, more people began to pour in, until the restaurant was full of hungry guests. There were several of Gables’s teachers, faculty, and alumni who attended, such as Mrs. Diaz and Ms. De Paola. They enjoyed a pleasant, welcoming, family friendly environment. Once the food was served, the room was filled with the warm sound of pleasant conversation, and the lustful ding of cutlery on plates, punctuated by vivacious laughter. The servers all eagerly attended to the needs of the patrons, happily refilling empty glasses and replacing empty plates for ones filled with delectable food.

“It was my fist time serving, and I am very happy I was part of it. Ms. Vera has been working towards it all year long to make it exceptionally good. We actually did pretty well. The best part was meeting the attendees of the event, cooking, and serving them. People loved Gala Night, everybody ate all the food and it was amazing; they enjoyed the night socializing,” server and sophomore Joshua Zambrano said.

The highlight of the evening was Ms. Vera proudly accepting a giant check, worth $10,000, to continue to uphold the high standard of culinary excellence at the school. The funds will go to paying for competitions, new equipment, and whatever else the culinary program may need. The Dome Restaurant and the Doctors Hospital provided all of the food for the meal, which the students dutifully turned into culinary masterpieces. The first dish served was a fresh salad with finely sliced roasted beets in a tangy lemon dressing . The second course was slightly spicy scallops stuffed with chorizo, served with edamame and corn ceviche. This was followed by a double-wammy of short ribs and churrasco, accompanied by yucca mash-and Fufu Fritters (a fried, crispy plantain mash). The meal ended on a high note, with three adorable, tiny deserts: key lime pie, tiramisu, and a chocolate delight were all served. The entire experience was fruitful for the students as well; they got hands-on experience in working in a kitchen and serving food. Many of these students will go on to get jobs in the culinary industry.

“I was in the kitchen the whole time. It was a lot work, but it was a lot of fun. Everything was very hands on, so if you were lost, you were in the way. You had to be doing something at all times. I enjoyed making the deserts — putting the pastries together for the patrons. It was an excellent experience for me,” chef and junior Daniela Rodiguez said.

The fundraiser proved to be a wild  success. If you did not attend this year, then you can happily look forward to stuffing yourself with delicious food next time. Overall, the evening was great. Patrons all enjoyed a night of fine dining in a wonderful restaurant, and the culinary department enjoyed one of its most successful fundraisers to date. If you want to spend a great night out, and support the school, then attend Gala Night next year, and have a meal you won’t forget!