In the interest of being helpful to the student chefs, I'll lay out the bad with the good, but I really do want it known that all in all, the food taken on it's own merit was good and well received. 

We started with an amuse-bouche of chilled foie gras atop crostini with (I think) a pomegranate syrup. The foie gras warmed up quickly when it hit the tongue and melted just as you'd wish. The sweet syrup hit just the right note with it. I would have preferred that the foie gras be warm instead of chilled, and honestly it was a bit too large. Anything in an amuse-bouche should be a single bite. Now you might have 2-3 of them there, depending, but each should be a single bite. This was 2-3 bites, but it worked. 

Our first actual course was a five layer dip with cilantro salad and tortilla chips. The layers were constructed well enough that the chips didn't just disentegrate and fall apart after a single bite (which I had feared they might). It was also very tasty and fun to eat. The odd man out was the cilantro salad. If there had been no cilantro in the five layer dip, I could see it. However it had it's own cilantro. And just a salad of raw cilantro with a very light dressing is a bit overpowering for most people. The other drawback, this appetizer didn't "fit" the rest of the menu. I brought along a Chilean Chardonnay (Marques de Casa Concha 2007), and I had to remind myself not to drink it with that appetizer, because the two didn't go together at all. 

Next we had a corn chowder, garnished with bit of pork confit in the center and drizzled with a red chili oil. The red chili oil drizzle was a brilliant idea. It brought a bit of depth and just a touch of heat to the corn chowder. Also the pork confit (which I later had a chance to try more of...I'll explain), was very nicely done. I thought it an odd touch at first, but after trying it, I was sold. The corn chowder itself was rich, creamy and thick...but just a tad underseasoned. A bit more salt would have brought out those flavors more. 

Our main course was the Student Chef de Cuisine, Betty Gomez's take on Lobster Thermador. A langostine had been split down the center, rubbed in a Parmesan cheese coating and baked. It was propped on a bed of al dente vegetables (green beans and red bell pepper -- very colorful, slightly crunchy, excellent), the plate was drizzled with a pomegranate gastrique (likely the same used with the amuse-bouche). The gastrique was very strong (sweet), but also quite good. A warming from the service staff to use the gastrique sparingly would have been nice. As stated, the vegetables were excellent, color and texture are always welcome. The lobster itself was good and flavorful, but mine was just a tad overcooked. All in all, not bad though. My only other thought would be that the parmesan coating wound up staying in the shell mostly, so it took a concerted effort to remove it. As nice as an in-shell presentation is, this particular dish might function better were it prepared/presented differently (sans shell). 

Our desserts were a delightful surprise. We had two from which to choose. One was a Vanilla Panna Cotta topped with a raspberry and balsamic vinegar reduction, along with three fresh raspberries and whipped cream. The other was a thin slice of lemon cake atop fresh blueberries, topped with a white mousse and garnished with a single fresh blueberry. Both desserts were excellent. The flan like texture of the Panna Cotta had several people talking.

As to service, it was a bit obvious that the service staff (drawn from amongst the student chefs) were a bit more comfortable on the other side of the kitchen door. They did an admirable job, but nerves were showing. I would advise them to save up and make a point of dining at some excellent restaurants and just taking note of the "little things" that experienced, capable service staff do to improve a diner's overall experience. 

We (my fiancee, Julia and I) stuck around afterward to talk a bit more with the other foodies. I definitely wanted to send a shout out to "Thelma and Louise" -- we had name tags -- who sat beside us during the meal and proved to be excellent dinner partners. Thelma brought along a Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc, which was crisp and tart, quite tasty. Meanwhile Louise had a Yellow Tail Chardonnay which, unfortunately, turned out to be flawed slightly. The bouquet and taste were practically overrun with this smoky quality, as if it were oaked in charred oak. But we knew this wasn't indicative of a Yellow Tail Chardonnay, and it was still drinkable, just odd. 

Another wine oddity (unfortunately, I missed the name, but believe it was a Spanish white) had a distinct aroma of day old fish. I wasn't the only one who called this, others agreed. However, it tasted great, go figure. 

My own wine, the Chilean Chardonnay, was crisp, citrusy and carried just a bit of vanilla from it's own time spent in Oak (no smoke though, thankfully, hehe). Jules and I enjoyed it, and with the exception of the 5 layer dip, it went really well with the meal. 

As the evening was closing down (after some of the poor, unfortunate souls had already left, thus missing this), one of the instructors brought out a plate of Pork Confit they had been working on. It still had a few more steps to go to be completely finished, however it was cooked through and ...it was outstanding. Tender strands of melt in your mouth pork, swimming in pork fat. Just wonderful. 

Snekse, of the Gastronomic Fight Club, asked about the Omaha Foodies possibly meeting once a quarter. I'm definitely for it. I would love to meet other Omaha foodies and with luck we could grow this event and get more and more people roped in.