San Diego Places Third in National ACF Competition

Art Institute of California — San Diego culinary students earned national recognition by placing third in the Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl National Competition held at the American Culinary Federation’s 2010 National Convention at Anaheim, California in August 2010.

The first-time student competitors from San Diego’s International Culinary School are ACF Western Regional Champions. They recently competed with three other regional championship student teams from across the country in this popular double elimination jeopardy-style contest.

San Diego’s student team members Carlos Esparza, Lorian Koller, Megan Leppert, Evan Rossman, Virginia Vermeulen and coaches/Ai Chef Instructors Kelly Funes and Michael Zonfrilli, CEC participated in the intense competition.

“The school is very proud of our culinary student team’s national accomplishment,” said Art Institute of California — San Diego President Liz Erickson. “Our students rose to the occasion by studying their craft, challenging the other teams and earning a spot in a highly esteemed national culinary competition.”

“Our students study vigorously - many hours on their own time, while maintaining a full work and school schedule. They study from many texts including the classic text book “Le Guide de Culinary” by A. Escoffier who is considered the ‘Chef of Kings and the King of Chefs’,” said Culinary Academic Director Chef Laird Livingston, CEC, CCE, AAC.

The Art Institute of California, San Diego is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitute.edu), a system of over 45 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.