Comet Café serves annual banquet at Floyd County Fairgrounds

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

The Comet Café hosted its biggest event of the year this weekend as the student-led cooking club held its annual banquet on Friday, March 22.

“We’re very excited,” said teacher Cady Mead. “They’ve been working on this for most of the school year.”

Setting up at the Floyd County Fairgrounds, the group of 10 students offered the full food-service experience. Responsible for more than just the cooking, they handled every function of the dinner, from checking in reservations and serving beverages to collecting and washing dishes.

Anna Tatu and Camryn Hoeft added to the ambience of the evening with live instrumental music.

Serving dinner to 77 guests, the meal began with a Caesar salad and potato soup before the students brought out the main course, with guests getting their choice of honey garlic salmon or a cut of prime rib, served with a side of feta garlic mashed potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, and a dinner roll. For dessert, the meal ended with a serving of strawberry cheesecake.

Ticket sales for the meal mostly went to covering the expenses of the event, with the remaining profits going toward the club’s upcoming field trip to Des Moines, where students will be able to observe high-end restaurants in action.

The Comet Café isn’t quite done for the year though. With the banquet over, the students will be getting ready for the return of the Great Chili Cook-Off on Friday, April 5.

The first Chili Cook-Off in Charles City since the COVID-19 pandemic, eight of the students will be featured as celebrity chefs, each offering their own chili recipe to compete for the “Golden Ladle” award.