Culinary school: who needs it, right? Charlie Trotter dropped out; Thomas Keller never went. Some see it as an ivory tower that’s no substitute for the frying-pan-to-fire skills learned in a real working kitchen. Even Anthony Bourdain, a Culinary Institute of America grad, has said he’d rather hire an experienced dishwasher than a culinary school graduate. But faculty, administrators, and students across the city argue that there’s no better way to get a well-rounded education in a such a short period of time–two years on average. And with the food-service industry growing at warp speed (the National Restaurant Association predicts 61,100 new jobs in the field in the next ten years in Illinois alone) culinary school might just be a better investment than that English degree. In addition to a mess of classes for the home cook at places like the Chopping Block and Sur la Table, enrollment at the city’s cooking schools is booming. Which one’s right for you?
DEGREES Associate of Applied Science in culinary arts and baking and pastry with a Le Cordon Bleu diploma; night school track available.
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WHAT THE STUDENTS SAY Students have high praise for the “fantastic, well-trained and approachable” faculty, but some complain about crowded entry-level classes and other administrative issues.
FAMOUS ALUMS Ron Bilaro, assistant to Oprah’s chef Art Smith; Denise Norton, owner of Flavour Cooking School in Forest Park; Marilyn Pocius, author of The Cook’s Guide to Chicago
DEGREES Certificate of completion
FAMOUS ALUMS Sarah Levy, owner of Sarah’s Pastries & Candies; Michelle Garcia, owner of Bleeding Heart Bakery
DEGREES AAS in culinary arts and Bachelor’s in Applied Science in culinary management; certificate in baking and pastry
