New York and food are a classic combination that rivals peanut butter and jelly, chicken and waffles, and that oh-so-dreamy pairing, mac and cheese. In other words, New York and food are magic when they come together.
NYC has been a port for the world to enter and embark on their American dream and as a result it has no end to different cuisines to try.
A person can visit just one of the city boroughs and they will find Jamaican, Filipino, Pakistani, Ukrainian, Haitian, and Chinese restaurants lining the busy city streets.
Outside of the city is some of the most beautiful country in the New England states. From the snowy Adirondacks to the rolling farms of central New York, the state not only offers international cuisine in big-city restaurants, but sustainable farms that offer organic and homegrown produce and meat.
Whether in the city or out in the country, New York is the place to experience and learn about the beauty and possibility of cuisine. That is why New York is one of the best places for those who wish to pursue an education in food and hospitality.
Students who come to New York to attend culinary school will come away with an education that is strong in technique and rich in diversity. Below are some of the best culinary schools New York has to offer.
Monroe College- The Culinary Institute of New York (Bronx, NY)
The Culinary Institution of New York (not to be confused with the Culinary Institute of America) is part of the private, for-profit Monroe College school system. At CINY, students will get expert training in real-life situations.
Whether students pursue a pastry concentration or stick with culinary arts, they will have training from instructors who are fellows of the American Academy of Chefs.
The program is also fully accredited so that students who graduate from the Institute will be eligible for certification as a Certified Culinarian or Pastry Culinarian.
Students will have the opportunity to display their skills by working in the student-run restaurant The Dining Lab.
This restaurant trains students in fine dining and allows New Yorkers and tourists to experience the creations of future top chefs.
CINY also provides plenty of opportunities to showcase skills at the state and national levels. Students of CINY compete in a variety of competitions, including the American Culinary Federation competition.
Students from CINY have won over 1,000 medals at the ACF for many delicious classic and contemporary dishes.
At CINY, students will gain the expertise they need to join the competitive culinary job. To learn more, students should visit the CINY information page.
The Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY)
Alma Mater to the legendary Anthony Bourdain, the Culinary Institute of America is a special fixture in the New York culinary world.
CIA offers students a unique culinary education experience that combines the best of college life with professional culinary training.
One of the few culinary schools to have its own athletics department, CIA knows students need to have a life outside of the kitchen to unwind. The Institute offers a variety of competitive options, including basketball, volleyball, cross-country, soccer, and tennis. For students who want more of a health focus instead of competition, they can access fitness classes at the Student Commons.
CIA knows that students also need to build more than just their culinary skills in the kitchen. Working in the food industry requires a wider understanding of business management, food handling, food sourcing, and nutrition.
Through the Culinary Institute of America’s Leadership programs, students will be able to participate in seminars, networking events, and retreats to learn all about the inner workings of what it takes to be in the world of food service.
Visitors who want to see the kind of quality work that comes out of the Institute can visit one of the four student-run restaurants covering French, Italian, and American cuisine for dinner and a pastry café for dessert.
By visiting the restaurant, visitors will get a peek into the kind of food that is possible with the instruction of CIA’s expert instructors.
Students who attend CIA will be following in the footsteps of some of the greats. To learn more about how to apply, visit the CIA admissions information page.
Culinary Tech Center (New York, NY)
The Culinary Tech Center wants to give students the right tools to succeed whether in culinary pursuits or in the higher education experience.
Some of these supports include financial aid resources, special Veteran’s opportunities, and externships.
Paying for school is always going to be the most challenging part of attending any program, so CTC tries to help students understand all their options.
Students can check the Center’s financial aid literacy page to learn about the different loan, grant, money management tools, and financial advice that is available to them.
Veterans who are looking to start a new career will be happy to know that CTC takes the G.I. Bill. The Culinary Tech Center believes in preparing veterans with new skills as they navigate what can often be a challenging transition back into civilian life.
Veterans who want to learn more about the CTC can attend annual events the Center hosts. At these events, CTC honors veterans through what it does best – food!
Veterans can register for events like the Memorial Day special event and participate in a cooking class with CTC’s instructors.
The desire to equip students with skills for the workplace extends to all students and is most obviously seen in the externships that CTC provides.
Students who attend the school will be paired with local restaurants to develop their skills through hands-on experience.
SUNY Delhi (Delhi, NY)
Rated an Exemplary Program by the American Culinary Federation, SUNY Delhi’s culinary school is one of the best.
This “Exemplary Program” status extends to both SUNY Delhi’s academics and the culinary experience students gain.
SUNY Delhi students can take advantage of on-campus facilities at home, including an ice carving lab, a butcher shop, a pastry kitchen, and a beverage lab. Students will also be able to work at the university’s Bluestone Pub & Restaurant to practice all their hard-earned skills in the labs.
Outside of NY, students can take advantage of the university’s partnership with the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida! The Walt Disney College Program allows students to gain credit by working for six months at the resort.
SUNY always has something going on, whether it is hosting a Master Chef, sending students to cooking competitions in Paris, participating in Ice Carving, and even having alumni appear on Food Network shows like Chopped.
With this much to do at SUNY Delhi, students will gain the experience and expertise they need to pursue their culinary careers. Students can visit the SUNY Delhi culinary school information page to find out more.
Paul Smith’s College (Paul Smiths, NY)
Up towards the New York-Canadian border is 14,000 acres that sit along with the Adirondacks. Here, a hidden gem can be found at Paul Smith’s College.
This small private college has a thriving culinary, baking, and hospitality program with some unique features students won’t find at other schools.
Students who are into the beer scene will be pleased to know that one of the unique offerings at PSC is its craft beer minor.
Students will learn all about the craft beer industry and how to incorporate best practices into their own culinary endeavors.
Another highlight is the A.P. Smith’s Student Bakery. Students will be able to taste and create delicious baked goods under the instruction of ACF-certified chefs.
The bakery is open to the campus community and to the locals that make their way on campus.
To burn off those baked goods, students can join one of the most unique athletic departments in New York.
Being out in the country makes PSC the perfect place to participate in unique outdoor sports like timber sports, winter sports, and even fishing.
Most recently, a PSC woodsman team won first place in the UCONN Competition. And if trying to saw a log as fast as possible doesn’t seem exciting enough, students can also try out for skiing or bass fishing teams.
A private culinary school in north New York may sound unaffordable to students, but a unique opportunity that PSC offers students is a guaranteed $10,000 in scholarships a year. This deal extends to first-year in or out-of-state students.
PSC is a true breath of fresh air for those who worry that they can only get a culinary education in the busy city.
SUNY Cobleskill (Cobleskill, NY)
SUNY Cobleskill is another culinary program that will take students away from the busy city, though with less of a commute if they still want to get the NYC experience.
Three hours north of the big city, SUNY Cobleskill is the only SUNY campus that has a functioning farm.
The SUNY Cobleskill farm includes a hydroponics lab and a meat process lab for beef, pork, chicken, and fish.
The meat processing lab is USDA approved and gives students direct experience with understanding proper meat handling and butchering techniques.
The hands-on experience at SUNY Cobleskill goes beyond the kitchen and students are instilled with a respect for where food comes from and how it is prepared for consumption.
This respect even takes students to international places like Spain and France where they can immerse themselves in the origins of many of the classic dishes and techniques they will learn in the classroom.
SUNY Cobleskill is part of the SUNY school system and students who attend Cobleskill can expect the same high-quality education the main SUNY campus is known for.
