MARYSVILLE – Schoolhouse Cafe rocks, with gourmet food that would rival any Thanksgiving meal at fast-food prices.

The Marysville School District operates the cafe at Totem Middle School. It provides hands-on learning for local high school students, giving them that much-needed experience to get their first job.

The old brick building doesn’t look like much on the outside, but inside it looks like a nice French restaurant with romantic music of Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra playing and a sign that says, “Bon Appetit.”

Jeff Delma is in his 10th year of running the kitchen. With his experience as a chef at high-end Seattle restaurants, the students are getting top-notch instruction.

Customers notice. They especially love the real butter and hot rolls made from scratch.

“The bread is so god-dang good, it’s hard to control myself,” Liza Aguilar said, with a big smile.

Pat Maahl of Marysville added, chuckling, “The rolls are the best, and if you beg they’ll send some home with you.”

Jim Hartwell, who was sitting with Aguilar, said they had been to the cafe years before. They decided to check it out again after driving by the previous day and seeing the sign still out.

“It’s a nice, quiet atmosphere. The food is delicious. And it’s a steal of a buy,” Aguilar said.

Hartwell said the menu had been upgraded.

“It wasn’t quite as sophisticated,” he said while eating the french dish Croque-Monsieur, which goes for $6.50.

Hartwell said they also like to support the youth of today. They volunteer at the Denney Juvenile Justice Center in Everett.

“We support kids who work hard,” he said.

Maahl said he has been there 10-12 times in the past few years.

“This concept of teaching kids is smart,” he said. “It can help them when they get out of school.

Doris Hildenbrand of Lake Stevens said the service is “always friendly, and their open to constructive criticism,” unlike at most restaurants.

She said the only problem with the facility is it can take awhile to get served, because the kids are all learning. If you go at 12:15 p.m. when it opens, you can wait a half-hour to 45 minutes for your food.

To deal with that, some people come in about 1 p.m. to avoid the rush. Or you can phone is an order and stay or take out.

“Sometimes the bus isn’t on time” so they get a late start, Hildenbrand said, adding, “I’m trying to work my way down the menu.”

One of the waitresses, Cheyanne Allen, 16, a junior at Marysville Getchell High School, said initially took the class just to get an elective art credit.

“I like it more than I thought I would,” she said, but added, “I’ve always enjoyed cooking and eating food.”

Another waitress, Cailey Fahey, 15, a sophomore at MG, said she thought it would be fun to take a food class because she also loves food.

“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” she said. “I didn’t know it was a restaurant.”

Cailey is a barista for The Living Room Coffee House, so making the transition was fairly easy for her.

She said she hasn’t had any embarrassing moments yet, but plenty of others have.

“If you leave the dishwasher open the water starts pouring out” all over the kitchen, she said.

Wendy Hodgins has been supervising the eating area for about six years as a paraeducator for the Curriculum Technology Education lab class. She said there is a morning group of about 30 students that do the prep work for the food. About 20 other students come around noon to serve, cook and clean up.

She said they have loyal regular guests who support the cafe, but more would be welcome.

“We have a retired teacher who brings someone new in every week,” Hodgins said.

She said some students have gone on to culinary college, but many others have just found good jobs.

“You can live off the tips if you get a good job,” she said.

Schoolhouse Cafe

Open: 12:15-1:45 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Prices: Everything under $10. Spicy shrimp wrap is $9.50, sandwiches and burgers average $6.50, Paninis and salads average $5.

Address: 1605 7th St. NE. Phone: 360-965-0587.