A salmon scampi created by three Austin High School culinary students is headed to the summer seasonal menu at Kerbey Lane Cafe, with part of the proceeds helping Austin ISD cover student meal debt.

Austin High students Zach Borja, Josiah Peterson-Bull, and Judah Scaletta won the April 24 culinary competition between Austin High School and Bowie High School, earning a spot on the restaurant’s menu for their dish: soy-glazed salmon served over pasta with roasted summer vegetables, finished with Parmesan cheese. The team's culinary instructor was Brandon Hanna.

The live competition, created through a partnership between Austin ISD and Kerbey Lane Cafe, challenged student chefs to create restaurant-ready dishes for the restaurant's seasonal menu.

“This collaboration represents what can happen when two community-focused organizations come together with a shared purpose,” said Kerbey Lane CEO Mason Ayer in a statement. “We’re proud to support Austin ISD students by creating real-world culinary opportunities while also helping expand access to meals for families who need it.”

Students in a second-year culinary class spent the semester developing original dishes to professional standards, and judges scored entries on creativity, execution, and menu viability. The judging panel included Austin Monthly editor-in-chief Madeline Hollern, Ayer, and a student judge.

Austin ISD Executive Chef Diane Grodek shows entries from the districtwide Kerbey Kids Pancake Challenge, which drew nearly 1,600 submissions from 53 elementary schools.Kerbey Lane/Instagram

The runner-up team came from Bowie High School, where students Mateo Pitts, Evan Steiger, Jett Berlin, and Derrick Schmidt created a salmon tostada, placing seared salmon on a crisp tortilla topped with cowboy caviar, fresh avocado, and pickled red onions. The team's culinary instructor was Ricardo Howard.

Two other teams also offered sophisticated entries. From Austin High, Ellie Arntson and Harper Carlson devised cajun shrimp toastadas; from Bowie High, Lucas Flores, Sophia Hooker, Arantxa Nieves, and Mia Broccolo put together a "Can’t Marry Me Chicken" with cantaloupe and couscous.

Photo courtesy of Kerbey Lane All Day Cafe and Austin ISD Food Service

First-place winners Zachary Borja and Josiah Peterson-Bull show off their soy glazed salmon scampi.

The event is part of Kerbey Lane’s Kerbey Kindness initiative, launched in 2023 to provide quarterly philanthropic support to local organizations. Austin ISD Food Service is the current beneficiary.

Across the district, negative student meal account balances average about $16,000 throughout the school year. From April through June, a portion of Kerbey Lane's profits will help cover those balances.

Earlier this year, the partnership also included a districtwide Pancake Challenge for elementary students, which drew nearly 1,600 entries from 53 schools. Those winning pancake creations are now featured as Kerbey Lane’s Pancake of the Month.