Top Chef Brings Pop-up Dining to HCCC
October 9, 2018
HCCC Culinary Arts Institute alumnus from 17 Summer to prepare five-course meals; proceeds benefit HCCC students.
October 9, 2018, Jersey City, NJ – Diners can enjoy top Italian restaurant cuisine at Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Foundation’s new Dinner Dining Series. A celebrated chef, who is also a HCCC Culinary Arts Institute (CAI) alumnus, will prepare a five-course meal which mirrors cuisine offered in his restaurant and which includes wine pairings.
Joseph Cuccia began his culinary training at HCCC when he was just 16 years old and still attending St. Joe’s High School in Montvale. The 2008 HCCC graduate – and owner and executive chef of 17 Summer Restaurant in Lodi – will prepare Italian fare on November 30, providing a taste of the specialties that earned him a 2016 James Beard Foundation “Rising Star” semifinalist award. Committed to classic technique and made-from-scratch cooking, Chef Cuccia cooks the food he grew up eating as well as classic cuisine that has a story and a soul. He believes in the simplicity of food and that each ingredient should speak for itself.
“This very successful chef exemplifies the valuable training that has earned the College’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management program recognition as one of the nation’s top ten programs,” said Dr. Chris Reber, HCCC President. “At this new Foundation Pop-up Dining event, diners will be able to savor his cuisine and advance the important work of the HCCC Foundation.”
The Foundation Pop-up Dining event will be held on Friday, November 30 at 7 p.m. in the College’s Culinary Arts Conference Center at 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City. The cost is just $75 per person. Proceeds provide scholarships to deserving HCCC students. Reservations are a must and may be made by calling 201-360-4006.
Service at the dinners will be provided by the professionally trained students of the HCCC Culinary Arts Institute, which is ranked the number-eight culinary program in the United States.
The HCCC Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 corporation providing tax-exempt status to contributors. Founded in 1997, the HCCC Foundation is dedicated to generating financial support for the College and its students by developing needs-based and merit scholarships. The HCCC Foundation also provides seed money for innovative faculty programs and contributes to the College’s physical expansion.