A passion for food and the right education can turn your culinary dream into a reality. Top culinary schools offer state-of-the-art facilities, world-class instructors, and a variety of unique learning opportunities to help you reach your career goals. To determine the best culinary school for you, consider factors such as campus locations, academic programs, student-staffed restaurants, internship opportunities, and career support services.
Culinary schools that have the highest student satisfaction scores often offer a mix of hands-on training and classroom instruction. They also offer student-staffed restaurants, relevant course offerings, and a strong emphasis on practical experience. A quality culinary school should be accredited by a respected national organization and offer student-centered instruction with small class sizes to ensure you receive personalized attention throughout your studies.
One of the most prestigious and influential culinary awards is the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, which honors restaurants with a deep sense of place. The restaurants on the list have a clear focus on what’s indigenous to their local environment and feature ingredients sourced from within that region, which can elevate even the most humble dishes into gastronomic masterpieces.
The list is voted on by 1,080 judges that include chefs, food writers, and well-traveled gourmands from around the globe. The judges are required to remain anonymous and are prohibited from voting for restaurants in which they have a financial interest or if they’ve dined there in the past 18 months. This approach to awarding restaurants is more comprehensive than many longstanding culinary awards, and it focuses on the whole dining experience rather than just the individual chef’s talents.
Whether you’re looking for an enticing recipe to try or simply want to understand the science behind cooking, the best culinary books will make it easier to achieve your kitchen dreams. From the classics that made Julia Child a household name to contemporary memoirs from culinary stars, these must-reads will help you perfect your craft in the kitchen.
In Kitchen Confidential, Bourdain doesn’t shy away from the less-than-pleasant side of life in the restaurant business. But his candid account of what it’s like to be a professional chef will have you laughing out loud as you work up the courage to try that vichyssoise yourself.
This cookbook combines modern techniques with the best of traditional French cuisine. It’s a must-have for home cooks and restaurant professionals alike, with more than 2,000 recipes and a helpful glossary of essential culinary terms.
Known as the Harvard of culinary colleges, the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is an ideal choice for students who are serious about becoming chefs or restaurant owners. With small class sizes and expert instructors, this top culinary school offers a wide variety of professional and recreational cooking classes, a 4-week online culinary series, team-building events, and more. The school also has a student-staffed restaurant, an internship program, and robust career services to help you land the job of your dreams.