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Technique’ is a student-operated restaurant maintained by Boise State’s Culinary Arts Program.
It is located at 1310 University Dr., located on the corner of University Drive and Euclid Avenue.
Technique’ is open from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
According to the menu, students take theory classes in the morning and “practice those skills during service times.”
The students work under Boise State full-time faculty and adjunct faculty, as well as chefs from the Boise area.
The cheapest thing on the menu, a cup of soup, is $1.50; the most expensive thing, gingered beef, is $10.25. The average cost per meal is $7.
Every four weeks Technique’ brings in a new guest chef.
This chef then constructs a new menu and develops the recipes to go with it.
“We network around town and find people with experience,” Julie Kulm, a certified executive chef and Boise State professor, said. “Essentially, we are kind of a new restaurant every four weeks.”
This round’s menu varies from grilled chicken pizza to pan-seared snapper.
Joyce Doughty, a graduate of the program, was chosen as guest chef this month. Doughty used to run Doughty’s Bistro.
“This [working in Technique'] fills my need,” Doughty said.
Doughty said she has been a guest chef four or five times. It’s the students that keep her coming back.
“It’s fun to work with eager young minds,” Doughty said.
Chris Zahm, who works full-time as a pastry chef at the Arid Club, is enjoying the opportunity to work with students this semester.
Zahm, who is a 2006 graduate of the program, is teaching the dining room course.
This includes instructing the students on everything from which side to approach a customer to how to fold a napkin 10-15 different ways.
“Being able to explain to the students who don’t understand [is what I like to do],” Zahm said.
Morgan Patterson is currently one of Zahm’s students.
This is her fourth semester at Boise State, but her first in the Culinary Arts Program.
This means that Patterson is classified as a “first semester” student. Because the program is only four semesters long, students spend three semesters taking culinary courses and working in Technique’.
Students spend the last semester as interns and complete credits in other, non-culinary arts courses.
After taking three semesters as an undecided major, Patterson decided to transfer into the Culinary Arts Program.
She warns that students should be sure they want their degree in culinary arts if they enter
the program.
“Everything is so fast-paced,” she said. “They told us the first day we came in, ‘this is a concentrated course; you have to stay on top of your homework.’”
Patterson said she loves the program because “it’s so hands on.”
The same building that holds the Technique’ dining room also includes a deli run by staff and students.
It is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
According to Kulm, the Culinary Arts Program has been around since about 1977 and is part of the Larry G. Selland College of Applied Technology.
Upon completion of the program, students receive an associate of applied science degree.
Degree requirements include theory courses and working in Technique’ as a lab course.
On average, the program has 40-45 students.
If students want to get a degree beyond what Boise State offers, Kulm said, they can get a certificate for work experience through the American Culinary Federation.
Although the program does well on campus, it will only be here for another five to seven years.
The College of Applied Sciences will then move to the College of Western Idaho in Nampa.
Technique’ will move as well.
For menu options and more information, visit culinary.boisestate.edu or call 426-6368.
COLBY STREAM
News Writer
