Student-Run Restaurant to Debut on Feb. 20

Published Thursday, February 08, 2024

"The Mustang Kitchen" Team

A student-run restaurant, “The Mustang Kitchen,” will open to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. This semester’s menu theme is “Twisted Pasta.”

The restaurant will be open to the public on Tuesdays during Spring Semester 2024. The dates include February 20, March 12, 19, 26, April 2, 9, 16 and 23 from 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm, with the last order at 7:30 pm. Seating is limited to 30 guests each night.

Reservations can be made online at www.smsu.edu/go/mustangkitchen. The restaurant is located at SMSU Culinology/Hospitality Dining Room in the Individualized Learning Building room 116. The price is $28.00 per person which includes a non-alcoholic beverage as well as sales tax. Espresso beverages are available at an additional charge: decaffeinated espresso shot or Americano for $2.50, latte or cappuccino for $3.00.

The students from the Restaurant Food Operations class will be involved with all aspects of running the restaurant, according to Dr. Joyce Hwang, Associate Professor of Hospitality Management at SMSU. The restaurant team includes: (photo, left-right) Jayson Teagle, Seth Young, Katie Bernardy, Hailey Bogema, Dr. Joyce Hwang, Martin Kochis, Karalyn Closs, and Cameron Peterson

Hwang said the meal will include three courses: a choice of appetizer, choice of entrée, and dessert. The appetizer and dessert items will change each week, she said, with the five entrée selections remaining the same. The Mustang Kitchen locally sources the bacon from Redwood River Farms and the shrimp from trū® Shrimp.

“We are excited to bring ‘The Mustang Kitchen’ to the community. It is entirely run by students who are Culinology or Hospitality Management majors,” said Hwang. “In addition to developing the menu items, they create shopping lists, do the prep work, and handle all aspects of the restaurant operation. They rotate being the manager, server, or chef throughout the semester.”

The Mustang Kitchen’s Spring 2024 Twisted Pasta entrée menu includes:

Bulgogi Pasta -- Tagliatelle pasta with Korean-style beef marinated in a sweet soy sauce and cooked in oil infused with garlic and green onion and finished with freshly grated Grana Padano cheese.
Kimchi Bacon Carbonara -- Spaghetti pasta and Redwood River Farms’ bacon in classic carbonara sauce twisted with kimchi, a Korean classic of salted and fermented napa cabbage, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Penne -- Penne pasta and roasted chicken thigh in a creamy sauce twisted with Asiago cheese, sundried tomato, and baby spinach.
Tom Yum Linguine with trū® Shrimp -- Linguine pasta and trū® Shrimp in a tomato sauce infused with flavors such as lemongrass, lime leaf, galangal, Thai chili, and fish sauce, inspired by Tom Yum, Thailand’s most classic soup.
Pasta with Roasted Eggplant -- Spaghetti pasta in a rich tomato sauce and roasted eggplant topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (A vegan option is available upon request.)

“It’s a learning experience for the students in the program,” said Hwang. “We ask customers to fill out a comment card in place of a tip, which will serve as invaluable feedback for our students.”

For further information visit www.smsu.edu/go/mustangkitchen or call 507-537-6223.

Note: The Mustang Kitchen will not be open for service on Feb. 27 due to precinct caucuses or March 5 due to spring break at SMSU. Thank you!