If food is your passion, culinary school may be for you.
Charlotte, North Carolina, is full of options if you want to receive culinary training. Along with the degree-granting cooking schools, there are also informative cooking classes for the amateur chef. You won't starve for inspiration outside of the classroom, either. Charlotte has some of the best Southern food in the United States; and although the city is most know for its unique take on Southern cuisine, you can explore the recent emergence of Mexican restaurants around town as well.
Johnson and Wales University
Johnson and Wales University, located in downtown Charlotte, offers more than just a culinary education. This culinary program differs from others in that students will have the opportunity to experience traditional college life as well. In a survey conducted by CookingSchoolsCompared.com, Johnson & Wales' College of Culinary Arts is ranked in the top 10 culinary schools in North America. The program offers state-of-the-art kitchens and instructors with experience in the field that work on an individual basis with students. You can learn classic techniques, as well as pastry, baking and meat-cutting specialties. The school offers two-year associate or four-year bachelor's degree programs in culinary arts.
The Art Institute of Charlotte
At the Art Institute of Charlotte, you can choose from four degree or certification programs. Two certificate programs, baking and pastry or the art of cooking, take a few months to complete, the culinary arts associate degree takes two years and the culinary arts bachelor's degree program takes up to four years. You'll have the opportunity to develop your culinary skills with hands-on practice and a seasoned faculty.
The Charlotte Advanced Culinary Center
Located on Lindbergh Street in the Westerly Hills area of Charlotte, The Charlotte Advanced Culinary Center has been offering culinary training since 2004. The school is operated by Morrison Management, which also has a center in Tampa, Florida. You can expect to have hands-on training in food preparation and the development of complex dishes in the center's modern kitchens.
Cooking Classes
If you're more interested in enhancing your cooking skills to use in at-home food preparation, then cooking classes are a useful option available in Charlotte. Food Love, a privately owned company, offers cooking classes at your convenience. A chef from Food Love will come to your home as many times as you'd like to offer demonstration-based and hands-on cooking classes. Another option is the Gallery Restaurant Cooking School located inside the Ballantyne Resort and Spa and taught mainly by Executive Chef Kirk Gilbert. Here you can take a monthly cooking class, at $65 per person, that lasts three and a half hours and then enjoy a four course meal afterward.
Tags: cooking classes, culinary arts, Johnson Wales, Advanced Culinary, Advanced Culinary Center