While the sun set over the Caribbean Sea on Friday, students from the St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center took center stage on Frederiksted pier to serve samples of dishes they prepared showcasing their talents at the annual St. Croix Food and Wine Experience Sunset Barbecue.
Facebook chef Dean Spinks said he worked with the students all week and they were amazing. “I can relate to the kids,” Spinks said. “I had a few people help me now it’s my duty to give to the students and keep the wheel turning.”
Spinks said the chefs spent the last three days in the food management culinary classroom and kitchen at CTEC working with the students.
“We gave the students the recipes for tonight and were teaching them techniques while they prepared the dishes,” Spinks said. The students prepared apple smoked pulled pork sliders and Brussels sprout slaw.
Carmen Lopez, a senior serving sliders, said she enjoyed working with food and cooking is her favorite thing to do. She added she had fun working with the chefs. 
The scent of a barbecue smoke was intense at the tent where celebrity chef Billy Desimone and students were grilling chicken, red pepper and pineapple shish kebobs.
Makayla Peterson, a junior at CTEC serving the kebobs, said it would be nice if Billy Desimone noticed her potential.
Sam Choy, author and James Beard award-winning chef, helped the students fry battered mahi wrapped in seaweed that was served drizzled with a honey mustard sauce on a bed of seasoned rice.
The lines got to be long at a number of the tents. The line for another Facebook chef, Tony Castellucci’s Vietnamese grilled duck breast, was a long one.
Chef Anton Doos, culinary arts instructor at CTEC, said with a grin it was good to have someone else in the kitchen yelling at the students. He said there were 30 students that took part all week and cooking for different events.
Cruzan Rum employees mixed up a great liquid chocolate cake made with Cruzan Black Cherry Rum, chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
The desert table by Sandy Sweetz Unique Cakes was fabulous and stocked with sweets for everyone.
The folks from the local vegetarian restaurant Ital In Paradise served a tasty barbecue tofu along with lentil balls with a passion fruit dipping sauce.
Charrene Gregoire and Eleanor Murphy, both locals, thought it was a wonderful idea for the students to apprentice under the celebrity chefs.
“This gives the students a positive step forward,” Gregoire said.
“We’re happy to support the students,” Eleanor Murphy said while taking a break on the one of the many seats available on the pier. “The students looked like they were really enjoying themselves.” They both agreed it was an excellent event and the food was tasty.
Maasejah Browne, a junior, said it was exciting and a great experience to participate in the barbecue.
People socialized and danced to the music of Fyah Train as the moon rose over Frederiksted.
Sandy Josephat, coordinator of the barbecue, said they sold 362 tickets and they expected to have around 600 people including volunteers on the pier.
The St. Croix Food and Wine Experience proceeds go toward the Culinary Internship Fund.
Major sponsors of the events include Cruzan Rum, Innovative, Banco Popular, FirstBank, Marshall and Sterling Insurance, The Buccaneer, Bellows International, U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism Department, Choice Wireless, Reliable Rentals and more.
