(Northvale, NJ—May 30, 2014) After organizing their own French café at High Tech, Dr. Laje Gashi’s French II class experienced the connection between projects and real life by indulging in professionally prepared French cuisine at Madeleine’s Petit Paris, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech. The absolutely stunning restaurant resembles an elegant French country inn. From the moment one arrives at Madeleine’s Petit Paris, he or she receives a warm welcome from Chef Gaspard Caloz, his wife, Madeleine, and their son, Francois. As people walk in, a waiter greets everyone with “Bonjour.” The High Tech French II students employed their linguistic skills by ordering their entrées in the lingua franca of the restaurant’s owners.
“This project allowed us to get in touch with French cuisine, but it also provided a lesson in responsibility and management,” says Yenibal Almanzar, a resident of Jersey City. “Just like in a real French restaurant, we had to determine our menus, produce the food, advertise our cafes, and manage a successful working café.”
Traditional French dishes such as poulet français, ratatouille, gratin dauphinois, soupe à l’oignon, and soupe aux champignons and desserts like mousse au chocolat and crème brulée met with unanimous approval from the students.
After dessert, Chef Caloz and Madeleine serenaded students with traditional French songs and even gathered some of them to sing along, too.
“Not only did we get to enjoy French Food, but this trip has made me want to learn French language and culture even more,” says Jessica Zhu, a resident of Harrison. “I really hope our French class can experience this trip next year and, hopefully, in Europe as well.”
