Sowela Technical Community College will host a Taste of Lake Charles to celebrate the city’s sesquicentennial 5-7 p.m. today, Aug. 24, at the campus, 3820 Sen. J. Bennett Johnston Ave.

Guests at the event, which is sold out, will be able to taste dishes from nine area restaurants, along with dishes prepared by culinary arts students. Food will be served at the H.C. Drew Nursing and Allied Health Building, the arts building and the Regional Training Center.

Marianne White, Sowela’s executive director of institutional advancement, said the dishes will be served in “tapas-sized portions.” Guests can sample a selection of wines that pair with the dishes.

White said Sowela officials wanted to use the school’s culinary program to celebrate the city’s anniversary. She served on a planning committee that decided which events would best celebrate the sesquicentennial.

“Our culinary program is well-known in the community,” she said. “The committee thought it would be a good fit.”

Sowela has provided higher education training for more than 70 years. White said the school has added training 

programs based on the industrial needs over the years.

“We’ve touched a lot of lives,” she said.

Participating restaurants include BBQ West; Cypress Grill at Graywood; Bill’s Bar and Burger at Golden Nugget Lake Charles; Harlequin Steaks and Seafood; L’Auberge Casino Resort; La Cucina; Olive Garden; Pioneer Club; Pronia’s Deli and Bakery; and Sweets and Treats. 

Saxophonist Marcus Davis, the steel drum band Caribbean Krewe and singer-songwriter Justin Martindale will perform during the event.

 

For more info: www.sowela.edu.

(Special to the American Press)