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925.252.1900
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GraphicLee Yours |
615 Railroad Ave.,
Pittsburg, CA
925.252.1900
June 15, 2010
Restaurant 615 brings class act to
Pittsburg
by
Samie Hartley
 There
are plenty of places to eat in East
County, but there is only one
restaurant in the area that holds
the distinction of being a school as
well as a restaurant.
Restaurant 615 in Pittsburg is more
than meets the eye. While the rustic
façade creates a warm and welcoming
atmosphere, the energy in the
kitchen is unlike anything you’ll
find in East County. In a
partnership with Contra Costa
College, Restaurant 615 is a place
where customers enjoy enticing
international cuisine prepared and
served by students pursing their
dream of a career in the restaurant
business.
As the students learn about cuisines
from different regions, the
restaurants menu rotates, and the
students rotate their positions in
the restaurant as well so that
everyone gets a turn in each role.
 Owned
by Mark Bolourchi and managed by
professor and executive chef Patrick
Robertson, Restaurant 615 has been
winning over customers for nearly a
year, and last month, nine students
graduated from the program.
“It’s a unique concept to have a
class working in a functioning
restaurant, but the students get to
do everything from cooking, hosting
and serving to cleaning, purchasing
and receiving orders,” said
Robertson. “This is a difficult
program. It’s a college-level
course, which means it’s physically
and mentally challenging, so
students need to know what they’re
getting into. It’s tough. You have
to evaluate your passion and figure
out if this is really want you want
to do. If this isn’t your passion,
there are a lot of other ways to
make money.”
School is out for summer, but
Robertson makes a point of hiring
students as staff when he can in
order to give them even more
real-world experience. During the
nine-month program, students learn
about restaurant management as well
as how to cook a variety of
cuisines, including European and
Asian. Part of their job is to
describe to the customer the dishes
served as Restaurant 615 such as
bouillabaisse, a classic seafood
stew from the Provence region of
France, featuring fish and shellfish
in a broth flavored with garlic and
saffron, served with the garnishing
sauce rouille and grilled bread.
 “When
you travel to places like Italy and
France, people always come back and
say how great the food was,”
Robertson said. “Well that’s because
all of the ingredients are fresh.
They buy the produce at the market
next door and buy the chicken from
the butcher down the street. The
freshness is what makes the flavor.
Here, we make everything ourselves
when possible, from the ketchup to
the hot sauce. It makes all the
difference in the final product.”
Robertson knows a thing or two about
producing a high-quality,
fine-dining experience after working
in restaurants such as The Dining
Room at the Ritz Carlton in San
Francisco and Mezze in Oakland.
While Pittsburg might not be a Mecca
of dining, Robertson’s students are
benefiting from training that will
prepare them for jobs beyond
Restaurant 615.
“This program gives students real
restaurant experience that will be
helpful once they start looking for
jobs,” Robertson said. “When I was
in school, we put together about 10
plates a week, but here, students
are producing five to six plates a
day – this is a more real-world
environment, so they’re more
prepared for the job market after
they graduate.”
Restaurant 615, located 615 Railroad
Ave. in Pittsburg, is open for lunch
Monday through Saturday from 11:30
a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner is served
Thursday through Saturday from 5:30
to 9 p.m. or until the last guest is
served. Closed Sundays.
Where
student
exuberance
meets
culinary
expertise!
Open Lunch Mon-SAT ( 11:30 to 2:00 pm)
Dinner Thur-Sat (5:30pm - 10:00pm)
615 Railroad Ave
Pittsburg, Ca 94565
Reservations (925) 252-1900
E-mail |
