by Rob Kinch
It’s amazing what can be accomplished when a community joins forces to achieve a goal. Now, every day of the week, Rahway High School French students are devoting their afternoons and evenings to work under the tutelage of the owners and staff of Rahway’s Rail House so that they may learn every aspect of running a five star gourmet restaurant. From preparing, cooking, and serving food to making sure that all their guests are enjoying flawless service, the students have been working feverishly since January to learn everything necessary to ensure that all will run smoothly on their very special upcoming spring evening.
On Monday, April 25, to culminate Rahway’s ‘Restaurant Week’, owners Larry and Bobbie Fishman have graciously agreed to have their charming townhouse restaurant turned into a veritable Parisian bistro by the high school’s French students who are offering a sumptuous five course prix-fixe French dinner, complete with strolling violinist and requisite cabaret ‘chanteuse’! The entire event will be hosted and run by the students who have set a very important goal for themselves (besides being revered for their myriad culinary capabilities). They have dedicated themselves to raising $10,000 for donation to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital Cancer Research Center. And Rahway has shown itself quite eager to ‘help its kids help kids.’
Rob Kinch, Rahway High School French teacher and advisor to the French Club and High School History teacher Joseph Mudrak brought the idea to Rahway’s Creative Arts Committee. The Fishman’s offered their townhouse, their help and the help of their head chef Manny Salas to train each student. In reaction to receiving the kindness, the students decided that all proceeds should be donated to charity.
Interest in the students’ goal and in the scope of their endeavor subsequently blossomed from the local to the national level. Through the support of United Foods Corp., all the food for the event will be provided to the students free of charge, thus helping them more readily to realize their financial target. The Federal Express Corp, which students thankfully learned did more than ‘deliver packages,’ also showed its support through a substantial grant to the Rahway High School French Club to subsidize future learning programs and activities.
Talking with the students, one finds it incontrovertible that this experience has had a special significance for each. Asa Coleman offers that it has afforded her “an opportunity that I never would have had the initiative to pursue on my own.” Oliver Pierre is grateful for the chance “to see how the real world works while still being a high school student.” However their ‘lessons’ have gone even deeper, providing moments of self discovery and understanding of the true meaning of community. “I feel a sense of pride when patrons come back and say they like something I made,” shares Alisha Griffn. Xavier Lighten affirms, “I’m happy to give up my Friday nights if it can help someone who really needs it.” Brandon Krutzler admits, “I never knew that my town cared that much about my future,” while Sean Akande admits, “This whole thing has allowed me to see the good in the world instead of all the bad shown to the public.”
Reservations for this memorable evening may be made, for either the 6:00 or 8:00PM seating, by contacting the Rail House restaurant directly until April 5. The cost per person for the gourmet five course French dinner is $50, with all proceeds going to help the children of St. Jude’s.
(above) An enjoyable meal served by Peter Quinones.
(above) Xavier Lighten reviews the evening’s reservations.
(above) Gelsey Pierre suggests one of the restaurant’s specialties.
(above) Larry and Bobbie Fishman’s The Rail House.
