LEARNING GOOD TASTE MISSION COLLEGE CUISINE TOWERS ABOVE PEERS'.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

SYLMAR - Gourmet sandwiches - the $4.95 portobello mushroom on homemade focaccia, for example, or barbecued tri-tip - are student favorites in the cafeteria at Mission College.

But at Valley College in Valley Glen, students grumble about dry $3 cheeseburgers and make do with 75-cent candy bars to tide them over between classes. Pre-packaged sushi rolls are as good as it gets at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

The difference: The award-winning culinary arts program at Mission.

``The food is delicious, it's economical, and I don't have to cook any more,'' said Mission librarian Donna Ayers, who likes exotic fish like Arctic char and ahi-ahi. ``I eat my main meal on campus, and then I go home and have yogurt and fruit for dinner.''

Rudy Garcia, Mission's award-winning chef, and the 200 culinary arts students prepare 500 to 1,000 meals a day. They also cater events outside of the college in addition to preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner on campus, which is open to the public, not just staff and students.

The program turned a $33,000 profit last year, which allows the college to buy the finest cuts of meat and freshest ingredients - from pheasant to filet mignon, Garcia said.

``I like the fact that we can get it straight from the culinary department of the school,'' added student Darya Taheri, 18, of Sylmar. ``I wouldn't expect to get barbecued tri-tip at a college.''

But campuses without culinary arts programs - which are expensive to launch - have a tough time providing tasty food at prices students can afford, said Tom Jacobsmeyer, vice president for administrative services at Valley College. The closest that students at Valley and Pierce can get to gourmet is when Mission caters an event at its sister colleges.

``The food is expensive, and we're not happy with the quality at all,'' Jacobsmeyer said. ``I eat (at Valley College's cafeteria) at least once a week, and I try to pick some different things, and some of the burgers are just dried-out and nasty.''

Both colleges are looking at alternatives.

Valley is planning to close its cafeteria in June, but will keep its small cafe and add two food kiosks at either end of campus by the end of the year, Jacobsmeyer said. As part of its $270.4 million share of the district's $2.2 billion Proposition A/AA bond construction project, Valley also will add either a small cafeteria in one of the new buildings or another small cafe in a few years.

At Pierce, where the average student cafeteria ticket runs $2, the college has discovered that students will pay more if the food comes with a recognizable brand name, said Larry Kraus, college enterprise manager, who handles all of the retail activities in college.

To that end, the college will open a cybercafe in mid-February as a ``Freudian Sip,'' the cafe founded at California State University, Northridge, under a public/private partnership. The cafe will stock upscale espresso drinks and pre-wrapped sandwiches and salads.

Pierce also is considering whether to phase out the cafeteria in favor of smaller food service areas with ``grab-and-go'' sandwiches and beverages in several locations throughout campus.

``What the students really want is branded concepts,'' like the Quizno's sandwiches sold in the new campus bookstore, Kraus said. ``They're not interested in banquet-style, cafeteria-type food service anymore.'' For community college students, many of whom are working adults with families, the campus food matters because it might be their only chance for a quick bite between work and class.

Indeed, Los Angeles Community College District officials say they're concerned about the quality of food service at the eight other campuses.

Currently, each college handles its own food service contract, but the LACCD board is looking at whether a district-wide solution would help reduce food costs and improve quality, said Lynn Winter Gross, spokeswoman for the district.

``Community college students are a transient population,'' Jacobsmeyer said. ``They're in and out, they want fast food, and they want it good. Everyone says, `Give me healthy food,' and then nobody buys it.''

Valley has the sushi packages, too, but burgers and pizza are the biggest sellers, Jacobsmeyer said. Daytime students want to spend only $3.50 on a meal, but nighttime students who want dinner are willing to pay $5 to $6 for it.

Valley College, with about 18,500 students, serves just 1,200 meals a week, Jacobsmeyer said, with the campus subsidizing about $150,000 or 30 percent of the cost. Vending machine sales generate $80,000 more.

Lisa M. Sodders, [phone]

lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Mission College student Victor Lomeli fillets salmon while preparing meals that are available for students to buy.

(2 -- color) Raquel Ravenna of Tarzana selects from items at the Pierce College cafeteria. Pierce is one of the colleges considering food service options.

(3 -- color) Mission College's executive chef and culinary instructor Rudy Garcia assists students Chris Fitzsimmons and Linda Lassiter, among the 200 students who prepare meals on campus.

(4 -- color) Daniel Lopez of Encino helps himself to a slice of pizza at the Pierce College cafeteria. Pierce might close its cafeteria in favor of smaller, more convenient food-service areas.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

Box:

COLLEGE GOURMET

SOURCE: Los Angeles Mission College 

Gregg Miller/Staff Artist