J-term Scenes: Late Night Gourmet [video]

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — The sweet and savory smells wafting from the Gamut Room over the past few weeks have a distinctly J-term flavor to them. Jeremy Alben ’18 teamed up with Benjamin Gleekel ’17.5 over the four-week Winter Term to open an after-hours kitchen they called Late Night Fiasco. Unlike what its name suggests, the venture has been very successful, serving up dishes like Salvadoran pupusas and burritos with slow-cooked pork and homemade kimchi. A warm and comforting apple pie completes the menu.

“I drew a lot of inspiration from a restaurant I grew up going to called Rancho Bravo,” said Alben, a Seattle native. “What really captured me about it was this aspect of fusion that doesn’t feel forced, but includes flavors from different cultures in a way that makes sense — just small things that maintain the integrity of the dish.”

In the final J-term Scenes installment for 2016, Alben, who also took a drawing course during J-term, describes the inspiration and process for his gourmet venture.