The most wonderful little dining spot opened this fall and it’s worth the trip from wherever you are on the shore. The Pines Cafe, in the TidalHealth medical complex in Ocean Pines, is run by the students from the Worcester Technical High School Culinary & Arts Pastry Program and it’s a fantastic spot to grab a bite to eat and do a little gift shopping, too.
The venture, unique in Maryland, was piloted by the program’s instructor, Phil Cropper. He noticed the space last year and came up with the idea of a student-run cafe, explained Anna Butler, one of two café managers and herself a graduate of the Worcester Tech program. Cropper put the wheels in motion for the Worcester school system and TidalHealth to collaborate, and the cafe opened in September. The café has limited hours, from Monday – Friday, 7 am. – 3 p.m. – which are ideal times for both students and those who have appointments at the medical complex, and the café is open to the public. They are holding an open house next week, though on Satuday, Nov. 9, so put that on your calendar as you’ll no doubt want to do a little holiday shopping.
The cafe sells food to order – breakfast items, sandwiches, soups and salads – and has a full coffee bar. They also have a grab-and-go cooler, and to make it even easier, you can order online. Breakfast offerings include avocado toast, paninis, quiche and southwest wraps, just to name a few choices, and lunch features things like chicken pomodoro paninis, Cuban paninis, peppered ham and Swiss sandwiches, and Tuscan chicken noodle soup.
The students who work at the café are all seniors, Butler explained, and this is their internship while still taking classes. They needed a high GPA and had to show initiative to be selected, she continued. At the café, the students are making sandwiches, doing all the prep work, preparing orders, serving coffee drinks, and learning customer skills as well as sanitation skills. They are doing it all, she said. “I wish this program was here when I went to school,” said Butler, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of Virginia. She said she views herself as more of a mentor than a manager because the students are involved in every aspect. They are pricing, cleaning, ordering, you name it.
Students from Worcester’s other tech programs contributed to the café as well. The engraved wooden sign with The Pines Cafe name was made by students, and they also put together shelves and trash cans as they worked to get the shop open.
While the café is being run during the day, culinary students back at the school are prepping food to then take to the café. Every Tuesday, the grab and go case is restocked with rotating specials, from chicken and pasta salads to dinners including pork tenderloins and rockfish with a jumbo lump crabcake.
Their best-selling sandwich since opening has been chicken salad. “We sell out of that like crazy,” Butler said. The turkey and brie sandwich is another big seller. Check out their menu here.
Besides offering food, the café carries spices, sauces, jams and a few other items, all recipes created by the culinary students and private labeled for the school. Other items for sale include products made by students from the other vocational programs, such as wooden cutting boards with school imprints, ornaments and shirts and sweatshirts. They have a new bread-baking section featuring the same products using in the culinary classes, including sourdough starter kits, bread lames and proofing baskets.
There are all kinds of treats and treasures and they are getting in new items regularly. Whether its food or gifts, stop by The Pines Cafe soon. Support local business and young entrepreneurship. It’s a win for everyone.
The Pines Café is located at 11101 Cathage Road, TidalHeatlh Campus Building #1, Berlin. (The address is listed as Berlin but it’s in Ocean Pines, just off Route 589 and Route 90.)
