CIA at fifty

Nation's Restaurant News, Jan 8, 1996 by Amy Zuber

The founders of a storefront cooking school in New Haven, Conn. probably could not have imagined how much things would change in 50 years.

What began as a local training ground for World War II veterans in 1946 has grown into an influential academy where some of the nation's premier chefs have cultivated their talents.

Known today as The Culinary Institute of America, or "the other CIA," it is no longer just a cooking school, but a 150-acre complex in Hyde Park, N.Y., along the banks of the Hudson River that operates on a sizable annual budget of about $40 million.

"The quality of food in America has improved tremendously over the last 50 years, and we have been instrumental in that change," said Ferdinand Metz, president of The Culinary Institute. "The quality of our graduates increased tremendously as the quality of food increased, and vice versa."

The school's alumni can be found at many of the nation's top restaurants, from New York City's Aureole to San Francisco's Postrio and even at the White House.

"It is the Harvard of cooking schools," said Oliver Saucy, chef-owner of Cafe Max in Pompano Beach, Calif., who graduated in 1983. Saucy, whose father was an instructor at the institute, said he remembers that until he started school his father tried talking him out of a career in foodservice.

David Burke, who is executive chef and co-owner of Park Avenue Cafe in New York and a 1982 graduate, said 50 percent of his staff comes from the institute. "I constantly hire [CIA] graduates," he said.

To celebrate a golden anniversary this year, the institute is planning a lineup of festivities -- a Founders' Day Weekend in May, the New York chili cook-off in June and a wine auction in September.

In its 50-year history, the private, nonprofit institute has educated some 28,000 graduates. The school's current enrollment has grown to more than 2,000 with a complex that includes professional kitchens, a nutrition center and four student-staffed restaurants, open to the public.

The restaurants are St. Andrew's Cafe, which features wood-fired pizzas, grilled entrees and vegetarian selections; Caterina de Medici Dining Room with regional Italian specialties; American Bounty Restaurant with seasonal menus emphasizing the country's regional ingredients and preparations; and Escoffier Restaurant, which features modem interpretations of classic French cuisine that is prepared tableside.

Every three weeks 73 students enter the 21-month associate degree program in occupational studies. Their classes emphasize basic skills, including menu plans, ingredient identification, knife work, cooking techniques, cost control and sanitation. In addition, the students gain technical skills by cooking in all four of the institute's on-site restaurants as well as completing an externship at an off-campus restaurant.

"It was a great time for me," said Susan Feniger, co-chef and co-owner of Border Grill in Santa Monica, Calif., and a 1977 graduate of the institute. "I had been working in restaurants, but it really opened my eyes to all there was to be learned as a profession - more than just cooking. It brought a level of professionalism to my passion for cooking. "

The school recently enhanced its curriculum by adding a baccalaureate program. In December the CIA awarded its first group of bachelor's degrees in culinary-arts management and baking and pastry arts management to about 50 students.

While the associate program focuses on cooking skills, the baccalaureate program is centered on management, with classes that include ethics, leadership, foreign languages, history, marketing and finance.

"The world is becoming a more sophisticated place, " Metz said, explaining the demand for a bachelor's degree program. "Culinary arts has changed from a trade to a profession. The business climate has become more competitive. To be successful, graduates need more qualifications. "

During the 17-month baccalaureate program, the students spend a month in California, visiting such places as oyster farms, strawberry fields, cheese producers and vineyards to learn more about food production.

The academy here began its reach westward in 1994 when it opened its Greystone campus in St. Helena, Calif.

"I'm delighted to see them immersing themselves into the West Coast food scene," said alumnus David Gingrass, who is co-owner and co-chef of Hawthorne Lane in San Francisco with his wife, Anne, who also graduated from the institute. "I think their primary influence has been from Manhattan and Europe. It is tremendous growth for the school to immerse itself in what is happening on the other side of the country."

Many credit the institute's advancement to Metz, who worked at Le Pavillon and The Plaza hotel in New York and as a senior manager for Heinz U.S.A. in Pittsburgh before joining the school in 1980. Since he came on board, the institute has added -- in addition to the baccalaureate program and the West Coast campus -- a greater variety of associate classes, three of the four public restaurants and a nutrition center.