A Worthwhile Holiday Buffet

A Worthwhile Holiday Buffet Monty Tech restaurant offers fine food and valuable lessons

+ click to enlarge News staff photo by Doneen Durling Jazrielle Bruno of Fitchburg, left, and Amanda Kozloski of Baldwinville are hostesses welcoming all to The Mountain Room for the holiday season. Doneen Durling News Correspondent FITCHBURG  The tables in the Mountain Room Restaurant were filled for the annual Holiday Buffet with multiple colorful dishes such as baked seafood casserole, chicken picatta, and roasted pork loin with pan gravy. The aroma emanating from the laden buffet was filled with spices, and the room was filled and busy with talk and laughter. Writer Virginia Wolf once said, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well.” It is the charge of students at Montachusett Regional Vo­cational Technical School to make sure all who enter the Mountain Room Restaurant leave satisfied and believing they have been well served. Mountain Room instructor Nancy Despres is one of four instructors overseeing the bustle of waiters, cooks, hosts and bakers making sure all are satisfied at the Monty Tech restaurant. Ms. Despres said the Mountain Room has three holiday buffets during the school year. “We have a buffet at Thanks­giving, one just before Christmas, and one for Valentine’s Day,” she said. Student Sydney Crocker of Fitchburg was cashing out at the Mountain Room bakery. Though her job for the holiday buffet was cashier, her favorite job is baking. Danielle Caron of Fitchburg was also a cashier at the Mount­ain Room Bakery. She said her favorite job in rotation is decorating the restaurant. The Mountain Room is set up like fine dining restaurant, and was decorated for the event with evergreens and reds. Huge poinsettias were surrounded by silver serving chafers filled with vegetables and meats. Waiters fill water glasses as soon as they empty, and stand by to offer coffee and refreshments. Hostess Jazrielle Bruno of Fitchburg welcomes all who enter, and shows them to a seat. Ms. Bruno said that of all the jobs in the rotation, she likes waitressing the best. “I like talking to everybody and getting to know different people,” she said. Hostess Amanda Kozloski of Baldwinville said she loves baking the best. “You learn a lot and it’s just good to know how everything works,” she said. Clients left the Mountain Room more than pleased. “My God that was good! I’ll see you again tomorrow,” said Gary Candelet to the students as he finished and was leaving. Mr. Candelet is a former guidance counselor who said his favorite dish of the event was the baked seafood casserole. “That was awesome,” he said. “It was filled with shrimp and scallops. They may have had lobster in it too, but it was awesome. This is the place to come,” he exclaimed. It appears that the baked seafood casserole was the favorite dish of more than one satisfied client. Richard DeCesare said he has been coming to the Mountain Room since it opened in 1973. He said he knew the original chef, and the program has grown. “It’s like good wine. It improves with age,” he said. For desert, Mr. DeCesare said he liked the pumpkin pie best. Becca Mackie of Winchendon was at the table slicing from a prime rib roast. Her favorite job is cook-side. “I love cooking,” she said. Charles Nelson said he went up twice to the buffet. “I ate a lot.” “This is an important school,” said Mr. Nelson. “The community should support this school. In fact there should be more of these schools. They are learning life skills and go out the door and go right into the job market.” The Mountain Room Restaurant is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunches but will be closed for holiday school breaks. It will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 10, and from Friday Dec. 18 to Jan. 1.