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Newsletter Archives
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For Hospitality Professionals and Food Connoisseurs Issue #50 February 17, 1999
http://www.restaurantreport.com
** Special Issue - Culinary School Discussion **
* Editor's Note
Re: Culinary School Discussion As mentioned in Monday's issue, today we are sending out a special issue featuring a collection of responses dedicated to the ongoing culinary school discussion. For those new to the list, the initial post which sparked this conversation is included below. Additional feedback on this topic was included in issues 47 and 48 which are archived on our site at: http://www.restaurantreport.com/newsletter/issue47.html http://www.restaurantreport.com/newsletter/issue48.html
**Original Post My son is a senior in high school and wants to prepare for becoming a chef and opening his own restaurant. What schools are considered the best by restaurant chains and hotels? What is the difference between schools like Cornell and Michigan State (traditional universities) and culinary schools like Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales, and Kendall College? What kind of school would serve him best?
Thank you, **Next Post Until now, I have resisted the urge to add my comments to the thread about culinary schools, because I have a hard time being objective, since I am on the faculty of the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. For three decades, we have had a highly regarded Hotel College, and a year and a half ago, we added a culinary degree in cooperation with the Community College of Southern Nevada. It is a four year Bachelor of Science degree that includes both the hands-on technical instruction and the more conceptual management, financial and marketing components that are essential. Knowing how to cook is only part of what makes a successful chef in today's environment. Knowing how to manage people and resources, as well as how to plan strategically is critical. Being located in the most vibrant hospitality market in the world provides our students the opportunity to work and be exposed to every type of food concept imaginable. With all of the new restaurants being opened by celebrity chefs in the new hotels, such as Rio, Bellagio, Paris, Venetian and Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas is no longer the mecca for cheap buffets - although they still exist.
http://www.unlv.edu/Tourism/culinary.html By the way, our web site is loaded with food and beverage resources. Just click on the site map and scroll down to the bottom half of the page.
Patti Shock - UNLV - Las Vegas **Next Post I encourage anyone who thinks that the life of cuts, bumps, bruises, late nights and a lot of stress is great. My husband and I are recent graduates of AIS School of Culinary Arts. Yes, It was a hard, stressfully education but it was not our only education. Go to school take some classes get a part time job and think about the life you wish to embark on. The only thing holding me back from beginning school was money. I saved and swindled the student loan system to loan me a little over $14,000 in loans and paid $400.00 month out of pocket - all the while working full time and going to school full time - What a rewarding experience! Do it if you ever get a chance to follow a dream - but remember my husband and I haven't had a day off together - we work our ^%$^# off.
C&S Greenawalt Chefs **Next Post I was once a Pre-Vet student. I had 2 years to go to graduate before I decided to transfer back home (Puerto Rico) for various reasons. From medical to personal, one being I was not happy with what I was studying. Food and cooking had always been something I enjoyed since I was in elementary school. I was always the "cook" among my friends and roommate, so I decided to pursue this love of mine and see where it lead me. This was almost 2 years ago. I have spoken to dozens of chefs. I have read books on 'becoming a chef' and cooking schools and anything else. I have more cooking books than I can count and have tried recipes from them all. From making puff pastry (not an easy task in this tropical weather), to making meringues by hand (without a Kitchen Aid mixer) to making homemade pasta (without a pasta machine). I have visited various of the well-known culinary schools. I have taken some 'enrichment courses' in the culinary arts. And most importantly, I followed the best piece of advice I got from each and every single chef I spoke to: I got a job in a restaurant. Not a fast food place. A fine-dining restaurant where everything is done from scratch daily. If there is one thing I have learned from my vast and intensive research of the culinary field, and what I have to do to pursue my dream of dedicating my life to this (becoming a Chef), is the fact that work experience in a restaurant is just as valuable as any education you can get in culinary schools. My boss, a graduate of one of the nation's top culinary schools, would agree with me. Besides, most of the top schools ask for previous work experience before entering the school. I started like many others: volunteering. This means, no $$$$$. Fine with me. After all I had gone through I knew that I was willing to do ANYTHING to get a job in this field. I worked up the courage to ask the top chefs here in PR for a job. I got a job with one of, if not, THE best chef in PR: Chef Marisoll Hernandez (CIA grad). Someone I had read about and admired for years. Like she said, "You'll be doing a bit of everything. From peeling potatoes, to washing dishes, to whatever comes your way." That was almost a year ago and I am currently being paid, in charge of everything and anything having to do with desserts, and assisting the chef on the line or helping/being the garde manger for the night. I still wash dishes, peel potatoes, and take out the trash. ;o) But I have learned that I truly love it. After all the long work hours, the lack of sleep and social and family life, the back pain, the swollen ankles, the yelling and screaming, I've realized that I found my calling in life. Or I'm simple masochistic. ;o) All the 'pains' disappear when people say "ooh", "ahh", "that is DELICIOUS!" And when my boss compliments me on my work...forget it! I smile and walk on air for days. I am currently in the process of applying to culinary schools. So far I am applying to the CIA, NECI, and J&W. Visiting the schools helped me see what would be ahead of me and I STRONGLY recommend it to those who are interested. I had a chance to speak to students and teachers of the school, and at times be in "class" with the students. Some of the school have programs where you spend a day or a week at the school and see what it's like. It has really influenced my decision as to which is my first choice. Visiting the schools is not a cheap thing to do, but it's WAY cheaper to see what you're getting into before paying the big price tag that comes with culinary school. I'm sorry this post has been so long. If any other student wants to compare notes or anyone interested in getting into the field has any questions, feel free to email me. I'll help with what I can. To close off I'd like to recommend a site which has info. on all culinary schools in the world (and good links) and some books that I think are a great read and help in deciding what to do. "Becoming a Chef: With Recipes and Reflections from America's Leading Chefs" - by Andrew Dornenburg, Karen Page "The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America" - by Michael Ruhlman "Peterson's Culinary Schools" Take care and be good!
Greetings from sunny Puerto Rico, **Next Post A great culinary school is Paul Smith's College in upstate New York. It is surrounded by the Adirondack mountains, 20 minutes north of Lake Placid. The program is very intense and worth looking at. The school has a four year program and has a very extensive hands on program for students. The college owns their own hotel, which is used for culinary and hospitality. They also are affiliated with a hotel in France which students may choose to do their externship. The chefs are very knowledgeable, and has a 17:1 or smaller classes. The 4 yr program for culinary arts is Culinary Arts and service management. It gives you a basis of culinary knowledge plus a strong emphasis on management. The school is in the beginning of a 25 million dollar expansion. a new library is being built. Also the culinary labs were re-done last summer, and they are working on a new a la carte restaurant and updated classrooms. Any student should check it out and look at different schools. I previously attended Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island and disliked the curriculum and the lack of knowledge when I would have graduated. Paul Smiths has a 99% placement rate in culinary arts, hospitality, natural resources divisions.
R.G. - geigerr@paulsmiths.edu **Next Post Another form of culinary education is Apprenticeship. One receives hands on learning, as well as time in the classroom. Most programs take three years, and some offer an Associates Degree. This is a valid option for those who can not afford a culinary school since it is like a work study program. I do have a few suggestions. - Learn a foreign language. Although English is my native language, I am the only one in my kitchen who speaks it. Spanish, Czech, Polish, and Russian are spoken, and we all manage to get quality work done. - Work in the Food and Beverage industry for a few years, before you go to school. You'll discover if you are really cut out for the business. Once you get to school, you will learn better. Your experience will give you a hands on background from which to draw intelligent questions. Many of the instructors are phenomenal chefs, and you need to know how to draw that extra bit of knowledge from them. I hope this helps, Susan Tait - suechef@bwn.net **Next Post To the letter about Culinary Schools. Opryland Culinary Institute is an excellent Apprenticeship program. It is in Nashville, TN. It is an ACF certified Apprenticeship. It is a three year long program that teaches classroom as well at a lot of hands on experience. They work with Volunteer State Community College to help their student get an Associate in Applied Science as well as graduating a CC. I myself am a third year apprentice who is graduating in May. I have learned so much at this school! I am very grateful for the education I have received there. We have numerous chefs that are very knowledgable hand very helpful. I would recommend Opryland Culinary Institute to anyone who is really interested in this career choice. KM **Next Post An interesting option, London is now deemed to be one of the gastronomic capitals of the world. Sir Terence Conran has been instrumental in helping achieve that standard. In order to deal with his own skills shortages in culinary personnel, he has opened the Butlers Wharf Chef School. He offers scholarships to young chefs. I would check out this option for your son, also it is an English speaking country which will help him. There are many fantastic schools here in France where all the greatest chefs in the world train. Once your son has finished this schooling, he must get an internship under a great chef. Did you know that there are a large number of fantastic French and other European chefs working at Walt Disney World in Florida who may be able to give some guidance on these issues. C Winter-Rousset **Next Post This is in reply to the education vs. work experience issue in the restaurant biz. My name is Rob Johnson and I currently attend the University of Delaware and I will graduate in the spring with my B.S. in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. I thought when I entered college I was going to be a great engineer. I was very wrong. After my first semester I did not want anything to do with engineering, science or math. I did not know what I wanted to do but after my first year of school I was broke and needed money really fast. So I went to work at a restaurant on a public golf course flipping burgers outside in 90+ degree heat. I loved the job and the money and changed my major the following year. For those people who think they know what they want to do for the rest of their lives out of high school better check themselves. You have no clue and will have no clue for at least a few years. I wish someone would have told me that. By the way, for those like me who are earning their degrees WE STILL HAVE NO CLUE about what to expect from the hospitality industry. This only only comes from work experience. I have had my doubts but I will have a degree that says that I know something. For those who are entering college, find a school that makes it easy to experience other fields. Pure culinary schools can't do that and pure business schools can't do that either. U of D is great for those who are clueless and for those who THINK they know what they want. Finally, and read this real carefully, GO TO COLLEGE IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. Stats show that people who decide to work instead of going to school or who leave school to work will not go to school or come back because of lack of time or more importantly money (It is much easier to get money for college straight out of high school than 3 years down the road). College is an opportunity, work will always be there. Rob Johnson Send newsletter feedback and comments to us at newsletter@restaurantreport.com
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