A New Face to CCHS Food

BY SABRINE BRISMEUR

Cooper City High School’s gray brick cafeteria walls and cardboard food trays may seem a long way from the soft wooded walls and hand-made calzones of Pembroke Pines’s beloved [Bru-sket-ta] Italian Caffé, but CCHS’ new cafeteria manager, Modestina Cariati is looking to change all that.

Cariati was born in Cosenza and raised in the mountainous town of Rota Greca, Italy. It was here in Europe where she met her husband and had two daughters before moving with her family to the United States in 2000. Though her husband opened two restaurants after their move to Florida, Cariati has never fully been in the restaurant business, preferring to work with children at public schools around Broward County while her husband managed restaurants.

“I was never in the restaurant business,” Cariati said. “I make pastries at Brusketta, which is my second job. I’m a wedding planner, too,” she added, laughing.

Her history as a cafeteria manager is extensive: Cariati graduated from Miami’s prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts school in 2008, before making the drastic switch to work at Weston’s Falcon Cove Middle School. She worked at the middle school for eleven years before pursuing a manager position, where she interned as a sub-manager at various high schools, before getting the cafeteria manager position at Indian Ridge Middle School in Davie three years ago. But it didn’t take long before Cariati developed a love for high schoolers after interning around Broward.

“When I was an intern manager, I worked at high schools — you can have a little freedom. The age of the kids is great, and operating the whole thing is rewarding,” Cariati said. “They’re more grown up, you can talk to them, and you can relate to them better than the little kids.”

Subsequently, when a spot at Cooper City High opened up, Cariati was there — but only with the assurance that trusted assistant cafeteria manager Denise Agostini would run Cooper’s massive cafeteria operation alongside her.

“She’s done a fantastic job the first month here, and all the employees and staff like her,” Agostina said about her coworker. “She’s looking to make the food more presentable and appealing, and she always works with a smile.”

With Cariati’s vast experience in the food services industry and over qualifications, she has no qualms about mixing things up. This year, she reopened Sweet Treats, the outside food bar, where she serves specialities such as vegan sandwiches, hummus and chips, and ice cream. While drinks such as Gatorade and Naked Juice smoothies are also available, Cariati isn’t stopping there.

“I plan on opening another stand for tea and other drinks — it would alleviate the line for the kids who come around just to get water,” explained Cariati, outlining her current plans for CCHS’ cafeteria. “And I know some of the [cafeteria] food was not particularly appealing… We have great food, so we just need to be on top of people to make sure they’re preparing it the right way.”

Though transforming Cooper’s cafeteria is a work in progress, Cariati’s passion for food has not gone unnoticed by neither students nor faculty, who have noted a change in the quality of cafeteria food. Her work ethic, dedication, and management skills have had a clear impact on Cooper City High School.

“I’m excited about the changes Ms. Cariati has been making in the cafeteria,” Spanish teacher Lindsay Roberts said. “It’s especially nice to see that she’s offering some vegetarian and vegan options. The hummus wrap is very good!”

Unsurprisingly, some have questioned her decision to work as a cafeteria manager at a high school with such qualifications as hers. But for Cariati, the motivation is clear: more than anything, she values the freedom and reward that working as a cafeteria manager brings. Wearing black sneakers and her hair pulled into a bun, Cariati is reminiscent of an active bird, preferring to dart around the cafeteria instead of merely walking. Her enthusiasm for her job is contagious.

“I love this job because it gives me time for my kids. I’m home with them whenever there’s no school. You can’t do that with other businesses,” said Cariati. “I love Cooper City. I mean, I’m here for every event, and my best friends live here.”

Seventeen years in the foodservice has brought both challenges and accomplishments to Cariati. In working as a cafeteria manager, she has found that her favorite part is dealing with people. Citing one of the best moments of her day as being able to turn a student’s day upside with her food, Cariati isn’t shy about how much she enjoys her work.

“I respect everybody, and they respect me back and work better because of it,” said Cariati. “But the job is very difficult when someone is missing, because you need to step up and do theirs too, and do it right. It doesn’t matter how many people are missing that day.”

PHOTO BY BEN MILGRAM.

And though Cariati’s pizza may be among favorites of students and restaurateurs alike, she has a very specific favorite food in mind: something surprisingly far from her Italian roots.

“Sushi. Definitely sushi,” said Cariati. “I like pizza, but I don’t eat it much.”