What Does the Culinary Institute of America Have to Offer? Quite a Lot.

An afternoon drive up from New York City to Hyde Park brings you to the culinary oasis that is the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

The school is located on one extensive campus, set against the Hudson River. The campus features a stunning view, and is filled with trees of many different colors; those who visit are greeted by a fountain at its entrance. It is separated into two areas: the student dorms and halls, and the restaurants. The institute offers a selection of three restaurants. The Bocuse Restaurant  specializes in French cuisine. The Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici serves Italian food of staggering quality. Finally, the American Bounty Restaurant is quintessentially American, featuring many classic favorites. All three eateries won the 2023 Diners’ Choice Award. 

The Culinary Experience

The Bocuse Restaurant has an extensive menu. The lunch and dinner menus are separated into first, second, and third courses, the final course being the desserts. The Bocuse Restaurant’s menu is entirely in French. The menu offered a variety of salads and vegetables, as well as different meats. There were unique dishes, such as, “Les Cuisses De Grenouilles,” better known as frog legs. The dessert menu included Bavarian cream, flourless chocolate cake, and a cheese platter, to name a few. The restaurant also provided a wine list. Finally, the dinner menu included more fish based options, such as caviar and sole filet. The dessert menu for dinner offered an additional option, otherwise, the menu did not change drastically. Overall, the menu presented many vegetarian and vegan options. However, the menu did neglect to add children’s options, which is likely to disappoint at least a few parents.  

The Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici lunch and dinner menus included the primi, secondi, and dolci dishes. The primi had everything from margarita pizza to a burrata dish with melon, pistachio, prosciutto, and balsamic. The primi had two salads that were vegetarian friendly. The secondi menu offered risotto, scallops, and chicken, among others. It also had a vegan option of chickpea fritters. Lastly, the dolci menu included tiramisu, gelato, and olive oil cake, as well as a few other dishes. The dinner menu had more fish options and overall had a wider selection  of vegetarian options. The dinner menu also had an additional section: antipasti. The dinner menu’s dessert option offered an additional option of a cheese board. In general, the menu had a few vegetarian and vegan options, and had the most children-friendly options out of any of the restaurants.

The American Bounty Restaurant differed in that it had a lengthy lunch menu consisting of over ten appetizers, ranging from dishes of fig salad to fried quail. The main courses offered the same variety of fishes and meats while the dessert menu included not only dessert but also coffees, teas, wines, and cocktails. In addition, it offered diners the choice of a blueberry corn sundae, chocolate mousse, banana pudding, and even pavlova. All in all, the menu was not vegetarian friendly — there were only a few appetizers and no main courses that accommodated vegetarians or vegans. However, the dinner menu offered a couple more choices, such as charred eggplant and cucumber salad. The menu also did not offer options for children, so this restaurant is less family-friendly oriented.

It is important to note that all of these establishments change their menus seasonally.

Behind the Scenes

Walking into each restaurant and tasting the delectable food, one wouldn’t expect them to be run by students. However, as a part of their learning experience, the students work together to run each eatery as preparation for their future jobs. The students act as waiters, chefs, and maître d', supervised by a teacher who is available at any time to provide instruction. While the students are performing jobs, it is all part of the learning experience. This is why the school bars students from receiving tips. The school does, however, place a 20% Student Support Surcharge on each check.

The CIA is a very prestigious school for chefs, which is why students come from all over the world to learn from the best. The school prepares them for real-life scenarios when they place them in customer-facing positions. The classes that are taught strengthen each student’s culinary abilities. After their time in school, many students take jobs in restaurant management because of the managing abilities they attain through their rigorous training at the CIA. 

Clearly, the students are imperative to the unique experience that each restaurant brings.

The Institute Has a Rich History

The CIA was not always the world renowned cooking school that it is today. The organization first opened its doors in 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut, according to its official website. It was all thanks to Frances Roth, a Connecticut-based attorney, whose dream was to create the “culinary center of the nation.” The school, known then as the Restaurant Institute of Connecticut, was first opened to train WWII veterans in the culinary arts. The initiative was a huge success and after just four years, 600 veterans graduated. By 1970, the school had enlisted 1,000 students and moved to its current location, in Hyde Park, New York.

In the 1980s the school appointed a master chef as its president, a move that contributed to its popularity. This was also the same year that the CIA became the first school authorized to give exams for aspiring master chefs. In the year 1990, the school opened a facility for bakers and pastry chefs. In 1993, the school was accredited as a college of higher education, offering Bachelor of Professional Studies degrees (BPS). Within 15 years, the school had three official campuses: in New York, St. Helena, California, and San Antonio, Texas. In 2010 the school also opened its first international school, in Singapore.

By 2020, the school offered degrees in food business leadership, wine and beverage management, and hospitality management. The CIA, to this day, offers a wide variety of courses for students to learn from that opens them up to many different job opportunities. 

To conclude, the CIA has so much to offer, from student interactive restaurants with a delicious menu, to a school filled with many great opportunities for students from around the world. It is truly a special experience that would please food connoisseurs of all stripes.