Captain's Table Restaurant
The Captain's Table is a casual-upscale restaurant located on the Orange Coast College campus in Costa Mesa, California. Both the kitchen and dining room are run by students from the Culinary Arts and Food and Beverage Management programs, serving a variety of cuisine types from a rotating weekly menu. We offer a lunch buffet on Tuesdays starting the eighth week of the semester and lunch and dinner every Thursday beginning the third week of the semester. Please see our calendar for details regarding upcoming menus. Reservations are required.
Tuesday Lunch Buffet Price: $20.00
Thursday Lunch/Dinner Price: $25.00
Location & Parking
We are located on the second Floor of the College Center building. Parking is available off Fairview and Pirate Way in Lot A.
Please view our campus map for general directions to and on campus.
Tuesday Buffet Lunch Service
BUFFET SERVICE
The students in the advanced Garde Manger class showcase proper techniques in the preparation of canapés, hot and cold hors d'oeuvre, appetizers, salads, cheese and charcuterie, sausage, and other types of forcemeats while demonstrating contemporary styles of presenting food and preparing buffets.
The students in the Buffet Service class prepare the dining room and workstations for buffets and execute buffet service using proper service procedures, equipment, tools, and sanitation practices.
Please note that if you cannot make a reservation via Open Table, it is because we have reached capacity for that day.
Hours:
- 11:30 AM only.
- Diners will have 1 hour to enjoy the buffet. Since the service is in a class setting, students must begin cleaning and breaking down stations to prepare for the upcoming classes.
Fall Buffet Schedule:
- October 15th - High Tea
- October 22nd - Hawaiian
- October 29th - Latin America
- November 5th - American BBQ
- November 12th -CLOSED
- November 19th - Coastal
- November 26th - Moroccan/Mediterranean
- December 3rd - Scandinavian
Spring Buffet Schedule:
- March 25th - American BBQ
- April 8th - Hawaiian
- April 15th - High Tea
- April 22nd - Latin America
- April 29th - Italy
- May 6th - Coastal
- May 13th - Moroccan/Mediterranean
- May 20th - Scandinavian
Thursday Dinner Service Information
FALL SEMESTER DINNER SERVICE
During the fall semester, we offer a single 5:45 PM seating for dinner service.
The Culinary Principles III class is about banquet-style cooking serving American Regional Cuisine. The Dining Room Service course introduces students to the principal knowledge and skills necessary for professional restaurant service, including dining room setup and organization, service points, safety and sanitation, and handling guest charges.
We offer a three-course meal with options for the first and second courses. Each week, a menu featuring the cuisine of a distinct part of the country is provided.
Please note that if you cannot make a reservation via Open Table, it is because we have reached capacity for that day.
We ask that our guests please arrive punctually as service begins promptly at the time listed below.
FALL Hours:
- All Seating 5:45 PM
FALL Schedule:
- Sep 12: New England
- Sep 19: The Mid-Atlantic Region
- Sep 26: The South
- Oct 03: Florida
- Oct 10: Louisiana
- Oct 17: The Great Lakes & The Midwest
- Oct 24: The Great Plains & Rocky Mountains
- Oct 31: Texas
- Nov 07: The Southwest
- Nov 14: The Pacific Northwest
- Nov 21: Hawaii
- Dec 05: California
SPRING SEMESTER DINNER SERVICE
In the Spring we teach the "à la minute" cooking class. The class is one of the last classes students will take before graduation. It emphasizes a restaurant-style service of World Cuisines with food items being cooked to order throughout the meal period. We offer a three-course meal with choices for each course and the menu changes to examine a different country each week. Guests may make reservations at the times listed below.
Spring Hours:
- Dinner: Reservation times 5:30, 5:45, and 6:00
Spring Schedule:
- February 27th - Germany
- March 6th - Italy
- March 13th - France
- March 20th - Spain
- March 27th - Greece
- April 3rd - NO SERVICE
- April 10th - China
- April 17th - Japan
- April 24th - Thailand
- May 1st - India
- May 8th - Mexico
- May 15th - Africa
- May 22nd - Cajun/Creole