FVCC’s culinary seniors serve up Italian lunch fare

Graduating students with Flathead Valley Community College’s Culinary Institute of Montana are serving Italian-inspired cuisine during their pop-up restaurant Divina Trattoria.

The restaurant will serve lunch beginning Wednesday, April 13. The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for guests every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday throughout April.

Located on the FVCC campus in the Arts & Technology building, patrons can head downstairs to the instructional kitchen to order and enjoy on-site. Menu items are also available for take-out. The menu items include pastas, sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts.

“Our mission is to provide healthy, affordable meals while creating positive connections with the Kalispell community,” said culinary student Kyran Neer.

Students created the idea of Divina Trattoria as their Culinary Capstone final project. Everything from the type of cuisine and restaurant name to the business plan and marketing materials is all part of the capstone project that marks the culmination of the group’s FVCC culinary studies.

FVCC Culinary Arts Program Director Chef Manda Hudak said the Culinary Capstone class and final project allow students to put everything together they’ve learned during the culinary program and share it with the community.

“It’s an important part of their education and really challenges each student to find inspiration and passion in their work,” she said in a release.

Graduating culinary student Avery George points to a passion for food and cooking that come from family.

“I grew up around cooking and have my family to thank for inspiring me today,” George said. “My grandma specifically taught me about using food to show love — she really put the passion there for me.”

In addition to delicious food, the senior class has decided to share the love through a food drive called, “Can for a Cookie.” Divina Trattoria guests can bring non-perishable food items, hygiene products, baby food and supplies to donate to the FVCC Food Pantry available for students. In return, they’ll receive a chocolate chip cookie in exchange for a donation.

Divina Trattoria is open for lunch on April 13-15, 20-22, and 27-29. To order ahead for pick up, call/text (406) 897-0101 or email divina-trattoria@fvcc.edu, or come order and dine in at FVCC’s Arts & Technology building on campus. The restaurant’s menu is available at https://www.fvcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-Divina-large-poster-menu7217.pdf

Visit fvcc.edu/culinary to learn more about the Culinary Institute of Montana at FVCC.