The competition got hot in the kitchen. Or, in this case, it got hot in the Commons.

Fourteen culinary teams from high schools around Wisconsin were on the FVTC campus this week to compete in the Wisconsin ProStart Invitational. Hosted by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the competition was divided into two categories: a culinary contest and a front-of-house competition.

For culinary, teams of four students were challenged to create a menu consisting of a starter, entrée and dessert. They were given one hour to prep, cook and plate while working with only two butane burners. In the front-of-house competition, teams designed a complete restaurant concept and written proposal which showcased their creativity and business acumen. Top finishers in both categories advance to the national competition later this spring in Washington, DC.

As the host site for this year’s competition, it was also an opportunity for students and their fans to see FVTC’s facilities, learn more about the college's Culinary program and connect with faculty.

“It’s an easy connection for them to see it here as a high school student and then come back for school later on,” says Mike Balistrieri, department chair for Culinary Arts. “It’s also great for our students to see this as well. We have them walking around and see what the high school student are doing and helping us out today.”

Here is a list of the winners:

Overall Culinary:

1^st:  Westosha High School

2^nd: Pulaski High School

3^rd: Badger High School

Overall Management:

1^st: Pulaski High School

2^nd: Franklin High School

3^rd: Badger High School

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Check out local media coverage of the competition:

WBAY: Future chefs feel the heat in high school cooking competition

WFRV: Wisconsin high school students compete in cooking competition at FVTC

WLUK: High school students get exposure to culinary career path at FVTC