Events
An Italian Feast for Study Abroad
RALEIGH, N.C. (February 27, 2025) – The Wake Tech Culinary Arts and Global Education programs are inviting guests to share in an amazing fine dining experience to support Culinary Arts students studying abroad in Italy.
A "Ciao Down" gourmet dinner is planned for March 24 at 6 p.m. in Flavors, the college's student-run restaurant on the Southern Wake Campus. Tickets are $75 per person.
The meal, presented by the Marco Polo Institute, will be prepared by a top Italian chef. Seating is limited, so the public is encouraged to purchase tickets as soon as possible.
Wake Tech Culinary Arts students will assist in the preparation, and students in the Global Connections Club will be on hand to talk about the benefits of studying abroad. Proceeds from the fundraiser will help cover expenses for an 11-day trip across central and northern Italy in May 2026.
"This will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Culinary Arts students," said Program Director Chef Aaron Stumb. "We greatly appreciate the community's support to make it possible."
The trip will give students the opportunity to study the cuisine and culture of three distinct regions of Italy, including Piedmont, Emilia Romagna and Lazio. The focus will be on the many key ingredients that make Italian cuisine known worldwide, including olive oil, wine, pasta, cheese, charcuterie, bread and coffee.
Local chefs will lead cooking classes, and staff at Lavazza's headquarters will show how their coffee goes from bean to cup. Students will tour a winery, see how balsamic vinegar is aged, watch as prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese are made and possibly even hunt for truffles.
For more information about the trip or the fundraiser, email Chef Aaron Stumb at [email protected].
