Northern Michigan University students had an opportunity to design and prepare original dishes that they recently presented to their professor and a team of alumni representing the Delft Bistro in downtown Marquette. The restaurant is running select creations as a special feature menu Dec. 1-28, and students whose dishes were chosen will receive a complimentary dinner at the Delft for themselves and a guest to celebrate their achievement alongside classmates.
Each student in the introductory professional cooking class was assigned to one of three categories: soup/salad/appetizers, entrees or desserts. Under the guidance of Assistant Professor Alden MacDonald, they spent several weeks learning what it takes to design a dish suitable for an operating restaurant.
“We emphasize the business aspects of the hospitality industry,” MacDonald said. “Students had to cost out their ingredients, write requisitions and think about saleability. They needed to come up with a dish that not only tastes great and highlights their own style, but fits the Delft brand and aesthetic, and can also be produced by the Delft's chefs efficiently and cost-effectively. Through real-world experiences like this, they will be ready to roll into management by the time they graduate.”
The new collaboration with the Delft was initiated by three hospitality leadership alumni who are employed there: Chefs Orion Ingmire and Nate Brodeur, and General Manager Kelsey Weeder.
“It feels good to give back to the NMU program that gave us so much,” Ingmire said. “It's a tangible way to support the next generation of hospitality professionals.”
“This project mirrors the challenges of the industry,” Brodeur added. “We make everything in-house at the Delft, so we're looking at flavor, feasibility and how well a dish fits our menu. Also, can we prep it for 100 or 200 covers a night? We wanted students to be as creative as possible, but also realistic.”
“I love seeing how this program has grown and the opportunities it provides,” Weeder said. “These students showed incredible adaptability in applying creativity within real-world constraints. Their dishes were awesome.”
First-year student Adam Cunningham demonstrated the adaptability Weeder referenced. He originally planned to submit a sushi dish, but had to pivot when told it wasn't practical for the Delft's kitchen. After receiving feedback, he redesigned his submission entirely.
“They recommended something like an onigiri or arancini,” said Cunningham, who is pursuing an AAS in food service operations. “I've had arancini in Italy—they're one of my favorite snacks—so it worked out great. It had to be something the restaurant could prep days in advance, something workable. It definitely felt like pressure, but it was a great learning experience that will better prepare me for working in the industry after graduation.”
Cunningham made the right choice. His Onigiri Arancini was the Delft chefs' top "Bites" selection and will be included on the special menu this month. The other featured dishes, all created by students in the bachelor's degree program in hospitality leadership, were: Small Plates-Korean Fried Chicken by Aidan Dooley; Entree-Hummus Platter by Sarah Barton; and Dessert-Tiramisu by Alex Gooch.
MacDonald said the timing for this collaborative project could not be better because it prepares students for their major task next semester: running the university's teaching restaurant, The North Fork.
“These students are only in their 13th week,” she said. “Getting them in front of real business concepts now means they will be thinking at that level from day one in January. We really appreciate our alumni at the Delft for helping to build a bridge between the classroom and industry. It was a valuable experience for our students.”
Learn more about NMU's hospitality leadership program here.
