The Tiger Den, the Mount Pleasant High School campus restaurant, is opening for business! Under the guidance of Chef Rhiannon Vose, Practicum in Culinary Arts students operate an actual working restaurant located at the front of Mount Pleasant High School. The restaurant is open for business every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

The new menu includes a Nashville “Hot” chicken sandwich topped with jalapeno pimento cheese paired with chips, a Caesar salad with house made dressing and house made croutons and the optional addition of grilled chicken, or a chicken fried steak meal that comes with gravy, green beans, and mashed potatoes. In the future the menu will add a Meal from Around the World representing the region the students will be studying. Dessert options include Crème Brûlée, German fruit cake, or a warm chocolate chunk brownie served over vanilla ice cream. Beverages options are water and sweet or unsweet tea. The total meal price varies from $5.50-$9.00 depending on the entrée. Drinks and taxes are included in the price of the meal.

Students in the MPHS Culinary program begin in Introduction to Culinary Arts designed to provide training opportunities in the food service and hospitality industries. Instruction includes training in the fundamentals of basic food production, nutrition, sanitation, and restaurant management and services. From there, students can continue into a two-period Culinary Arts course that begins with the fundamentals and principles of the art of cooking and the science of baking. As a third-year student, they can continue into a two-period Advanced Culinary Arts course that extends content and enhances skills introduced in Culinary Arts. The Advanced Culinary Arts students prep the ingredients that are served in the restaurant. Finally, fourth-year students can complete the program in a three-period Practicum in Culinary Arts class that combines classroom instruction with actual business and industry career experiences. The Practicum students are responsible for all aspects of running The Tiger Den from cooking and plating, to taking orders, to serving, and finally, cleaning at the end of the day.

To dine at The Tiger Den, park in the front of Mount Pleasant High School and the restaurant is located on the far-left side when looking at the building. For more information about the MPHS Culinary Arts program, contact the MPISD Career and Technology Director, Jay Silman, at 904-434-8769.