Art institutes?

I attended Ai up here in Minneapolis, and because this is a nationwide chain of Culinary schools, each location has different methods of teaching and (obviously) different instructors. It really depends on your instructors. I had the pleasure of learning under Chef instructors who have worked in some of the finest kitchens in the U.S. However, as good as Ai is, it pales in comparison to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Unforunately, that school is in the New York City area, and I did not have the resourses to move to New York and attend that school. However, you WILL learn alot at Ai. But you will have to work hard and take it VERY seriously. Remember, this a very expensive private school and if you fail a class by not taking it seriously (which is very easy to do), you will have to take it over again and pay for it again. If I can give you any advice, it is this: one of your first courses will be Basics. It is a cooking lab, and this is where you want to pay VERY close attention. Don't pretend to be Iron Chef America and try to impress your Instructor by showcasing your creativity. You will have many opportunities down the road to do so. If your instructor tells you to make chicken stock, prepare as instructed in the textbook. Don't add a pinch of this or a pinch of that to it. Master the fundamentals first and then go your own way with it. Ai is a good school and you'll have a lot of fun, but just take it seriously. Remember, this is college, not just a few cooking classes. As a former Ai student I wish you the best of luck. If you need any other tips or advice about Ai, feel free to contact me.

Why did you choose AI? What other schools did you look at in your area?

Well, up here in Minneapolis, we only have a handful of culinary schools, and most of them are public community colleges. Not that that's a bad thing, I chose Ai because it is a private school and I knew the cost of attending would be worth it. Basically everyone of my instructors trained at the CIA, so even though I never attended the CIA, technically I did. But the Ai staff really care about you and your success. Just like any other college, they can't guarentee you a job after graduation, but they have a very good job placement rate. I got my job as an executive dessert chef BEFORE I even graduated. That says something about the school. So, yeah, you'll friggin have a good time at Ai. I don't know if you have already got your Chef's Kit and Books from Ai yet (I'm assuming so), read up on that On Cooking book before classes start. I read it cover to cover before classes started, and it will gives you a head's up on what your Instructors will be teaching you. The better prepared you are before classes start, the easier it will be for you to achieve success in the cooking classes. The chapter you want to focus most on is Chaper 7 Mise en Place. Your instructors will drill this into your head, and you WILL be graded on your practice of this technique. So be forewarned. Anyway, its midnight up here in Minnesota and I have to crash because I have to be at work tomorrow at 6 am and make 15 gallons of Coconut Rum Gelato. Anyway best of luck and stay in touch--I'd love to hear back from you on your first experiences in Culinary School.

Chef Sultan
tigersushiusa.com

Hmmm...I asked the question to the other guy "robbz" but you responded to it. Are you shilling for AI under different accounts?

The appropriate thing to do when you see suspicious posts is to report them and a moderator will take care of it. No need for confrontational posts here.

Thanks for the advice Greg. Since you are a moderator, do I need to contact you about that or are you looking into it? I could be wrong and will gladly apologize since you read it as an inflammatory post. I can see how one can read it with intended animosity but it was more playful questioning.

Thanks again.

For any suspicious post, use the "report" icon on the top right of the post. It's better to do that than PM just me; the report icon will alert admin and the other moderators as well.

If it turns out sultan is shilling, I will call kuan and we will go down to Tiger Sushi and say mean things about his gelato.

my God!!

I was just trying to give out some advice. Like I said before, Art Institutes isnt the BEST culinary school out there, but for the money, its pretty good. And what exactly does "shilling" mean, anyway?

Jeez.....see what you get for trying to help somebody........good LAWD!!

:P

Shilling, at least on forums, is when someone poses as just a regular person and endorses something, usually pretty enthusiastically. In reality, they work for what they're endorsing.

Back to topic, I'd say best value for money can be found anywhere. In the Twin Cities, I'd go with Saint Paul College. It's really up to the student, though. If you want a good indicator of the truth in that standard reply, let me tell you about 2 grads of Saint Paul College I know. One is the Executive Chef at Luci Ancora and was invited to cook at the Beard House in NYC a few years back. The other believed for the longest time (and may still) that beluga caviar comes from beluga whales.