Master Chefs

Back (San Bernardino) – Aspiring chefs have had the opportunity to master their craft without leaving the Inland Empire since the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire began its culinary arts degree programs in January 2007.

The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an associate degree in culinary arts and a bachelor’s degree in culinary management.

The Associate in Culinary Arts program is seven quarters (77 weeks) of hands-on training combined with classroom instruction. Under the accelerated schedule used by Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, it takes about a year and a half to complete this degree.

Near the end of their education, students run Season’s Restaurant, located in the the International Culinary School itself. Before then, they have many opportunities to create culinary masterpieces, first during in-class demonstrations, and later by catering events for their campus and other community organizations.

“The Associate program is well-rounded,” said Chef Eyad Joseph, director of the International Culinary School. “It allows future culinarians to work in all areas of culinary arts, such as American regional cuisine, Asian cuisine, baking and pastries. They can decide what they want to do after they learn about all these areas, plus aspects of restaurant management such as purchasing products and budgets.”

Many students come into the Art Institute of California’s culinary arts program with dreams of owning their own restaurant. The program will show them how to do that, not just by teaching them how to create culinary masterpieces, but also how to deal with the less glamorous aspects of restaurant management.

Some students will then decide owning a restaurant isn’t their goal, but rather it’s focusing on creating great cuisine as a chef at a fine restaurant.
“It is one thing to own your own restaurant,” Chef Joseph said. “It is another thing to concentrate on what you want to do, such as becoming a master chef. Sometimes it is better to just take the mission statement of a company and follow it.”

In the future, the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire will host two concentrations within the associate degree program. A second concentration will focus on creating pastries and other forms of baking.

For those who want to focus on the business of owning a restaurant or bakery, the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers a bachelor’s degree in culinary management. This is important for future restaurant owners, and also those who seek management positions in the hospitality industry, for instance as a hotel concierge or a food and beverage director at a fine hotel or restaurant.

This program begins with the seven quarters of the associate degree program, but then adds five more quarters (55 more weeks) of classroom instruction in management practices.

As do all directors and instructors at the campus, Chef Joseph brings vast experience in his field to Art Institute of California – Inland Empire.

His accomplishments before joining the Art Institute of California as a culinary instructor at its San Diego campus include serving as the regional executive chef for the Romano’s Macaroni Grill chain, and as executive chef at several other fine dining restaurants in both San Diego and Scottsdale, Arizona. In Arizona, this includes the Fairmount Scottsdale Princess Resort, a five-star and five-diamond hotel.

He also appeared on culinary shows in both of these cities.

In 2003, the Art Institute of California – San Diego surprised him with an invitation to teach culinary arts at its campus. Chef Joseph, then only 34 years old, had not thought he would leave the corporate world to teach culinary arts until he was much older, but decided to accept the teaching offer.

“I didn’t know it would be this rewarding,” he said. “It was a new step in my life, but now I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

But Chef Joseph’s expertise isn’t the only one students can draw upon. He has recruited other master chefs and an expert in sanitation to share in the teaching duties.

And, to make sure they’re offering a curriculum that’s relevant to the needs of Inland Empire culinarians, the Art Institute of California – Inland Empire has put together an advisory committee, which will includes some of the top chefs in the area. One is Victor Juarez, who served as an apprentice to celebrity chef Joseph D. Cochran, and is executive chef at the Mission Inn. Another is Adriane Robles, a registered dietician and director of nutrition for the San Bernardino City Unified School District.