By JoANNE VIVIANO

By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- They started with a mandarin tomato salad.
Next came the mango salsa balsamic chicken and broccoli & amp; carrot lasagna.
Topping it off was the double-chocolate strawberry shortcake.
It might sound like the menu of a world-class chef at a chichi restaurant, but this feast was prepared by the restaurateurs-in-training of the hospitality and lodging management program at Youngstown State University, and it carried the small price of $6.50.
The students operated the one-day "Cahoots" restaurant from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday as the dining area in Room 3112 Cushwa Hall filled with diners tasting the fare and students wriggling between tables with trays held high.
"I loved it," said Kelly Eddy of Canfield, a senior in the program. "We had the best time because it was a hands-on learning experience."
What they learned
After the customers returned to work or class, the group of white-coated workers sat down to breathe.
"I thought it was fun, much more fun than biology lecture," said Cindy Sebulsky of Canfield, a dietetics major, adding that the restaurant received good reviews.
So what did they learn from the experience?
"Teamwork," said Matt Pecorelli of Warren.
"Preparation is the key," added Merriam Fields of Youngstown.
"The biggest challenge to me was getting past the tables," added Bret Jones of Brookfield.
Ashley Channell of New Waterford learned how to whip cream.
And dietetics major Shannon Burt of Berlin Center was just happy she didn't spill any coffee.
How they prepared
Students had six weeks to plan and prepare the event, said Dr. W. Bruce Neil, who is in his first semester as program director of hospitality management at YSU and is the copyright holder of the "Cahoots" name and logo.
The students chose the menu, found recipes, tested and revamped some and learned how to expand the recipes to feed 100. Then they determined how much ingredients they would need -- no more, no less -- and headed to Sam's Club.
Their entire budget -- $434 -- came from the pre-sale of 70 tickets (sold out in 38 minutes); money not spent on food went toward decorations, such as lollipop-and-M & amp;M centerpieces and new salt and pepper shakers. The $21 remaining will go toward the next project.
Before they started the endeavor, the students scrubbed and sanitized their kitchen and dining area, including the walls. And Thursday, although students were instructed to arrive at 8 a.m. for preparation, they were there at 7:30 a.m., waiting for Neil to unlock the door.
What's next
Neil said his students prepared a meal that would be expected of seniors at the Culinary Institute of America, and one that would carry a $16.50 price in any local restaurant. Another luncheon is planned for Nov. 6. Call (330) 941-1784 for ticket information.
"The whole field of serving, hospitality -- from start to finish -- I've learned a lot of it here," said Jeanette Necastro of Austintown. The best part, she added, was "working together and seeing people's smiling faces."
Justin Boone of Dayton, a hospitality management major, was pretty calm; he's done this before at jobs at restaurants and a hotel.
But fellow student Dawn Woodworth of Youngstown said she was a bit nervous as the clock inched toward the 11 a.m. opening time.
The jitters evaporated quickly as she realized the group worked well as a team.
"The only challenge I think any person faces is, 'He's telling me I can do this. Can I really do it?'" Neil said. "When you're dealing with hotel/restaurant individuals, you need to pull out that spontaneity and imagination and, at the same time, pull out that self-esteem."
And, according to the students, Neil, with his wife Judy, was successful in that exploit.
"It takes dedication and interest in students to do an event like this. They had faith in us and we did it," Eddy said.