Business of Food

New York City Restaurant Guide: Fall 2024

csale — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:21:18 +0000

New York City Restaurant Guide: Fall 2024 csale Fri, 09/27/2024 - 15:21 Whipped feta with pistachio cilantro, labneh and French fries from Shuka. The first of many recommendations from the ICE team September 30, 2024

By Cory Sale

Cory Sale is the Senior Public Relations Manager at ICE and an alumna (Culinary Arts '22). She enjoys writing about seasonal produce almost as much as visiting NYC’s greenmarkets, where she finds new flavors to add to ice cream. When she’s not cooking (or eating), you can find her on the frisbee field chasing down a piece of plastic.

The diversity and vibrancy of New York City’s restaurant and hospitality industry make it one of the culinary capitals of the world.

From dollar-slice pizza to Michelin-starred fine dining, culinary experiences abound in New York City. There are flavors to sip and savor from all over the globe being shared by home cooks and highly regarded chefs and sommeliers alike. Feasts can be found for $20 or $200+ no matter the borough — you just have to take a seat at the table.

Here at ICE, the faculty is made up of experienced chefs, restaurateurs, mixologists, and foodies who are passionate about dining out. We’ll be sharing their recommendations to help you find the best bites all over the city, be it from a bodega, a diner, an upscale eatery and everything in between. For this round-up, we spoke to ICE's Director of Industry Relations, chefs, and an admissions representative to get their top spots in the city.

Some of the chefs and entrepreneurs running these establishments have come to ICE to speak to students and demonstrate culinary techniques. Plus, at many acclaimed NYC spots, ICE externs and graduates are gaining real-world experience in the kitchens in their externships and careers.

We hope you’ll enjoy these restaurants, which have been thoughtfully curated by ICE staff and faculty members. Cheers!

Francie

Dry aged crown of duck from Francie.

Francie is a Michelin-starred restaurant with a laid-back, comfortable vibe. The food is high class but the atmosphere is welcoming — you may even see some staff members rocking vintage band tees. Francie is known for their duck: one of their specialty items is a dry-aged crown of duck that they carve table-side for an incredible presentation. Don't sleep on the duck mortadella appetizer either.

- Samantha Barr, Senior Admissions Representative

Szechuan Mountain House

Swing Pork Belly at Szechuan Mountain House.

This restaurant is popular with students from China, which is always a good sign of authenticity. While many assume all Szechuan food is spicy, that's not the case here. One of my favorite dishes, the Swing Pork Belly, is a perfect example of a dish that defies expectations. Served cold and sliced razor-thin, the pork belly has a unique texture that stands out from what most people are used to. The dipping sauce is nuanced and flavorful without being spicy, making it an elegant way to start the meal.

Every dish I've ordered here has been well-seasoned and expertly prepared, offering a memorable dining experience. It's a great place to go with friends or a date.

- Chef Albert Nguyen

Shuka

The fattoush salad at Shuka.

Shuka is my absolute favorite spot for a lovely lunch in New York City. Start the meal with at least two dips and a pile of fresh pita bread - the whipped feta with pistachio cilantro is good enough to eat by the spoonful. I’m also fond of the labneh, served with seasonal fruit and honey. It’s an effortlessly sweet, salty, and creamy dish that will disappear in seconds.

If, like me, you secretly judge a restaurant by the quality and variety of their lettuces, Shuka will not let you down. The fattoush salad is both luxuriously indulgent and fresh and light. Large, crispy hunks of halloumi adorn a bed of beautiful mesclun greens, a ton of chopped herbs, and crunchy za’atar pita chips. Get it with a side of fries.

- Chef Ann Ziata

Alumni Highlight: Ayesha Nurdjaja, the executive chef and partner of Shuka is an ICE graduate (Culinary, ‘07). Her other restaurant, Shukette, made the New York Times' 2024 "100 Best Restaurants in New York City." Read more here!

The Corner Store

The Wagyu French Dip at The Corner Store.

The Corner Store is a Soho newcomer. Owned by the same restaurant group as Catch in the Meatpacking District, The Corner Store replaces what used to be Dos Caminos for many years. The room has a club-like atmosphere with steakhouse vibes, but the venue serves a diverse clientele in the main dining room, as you would expect from this restaurant group. It’s definitely a trendy "see and be seen" restaurant.

That’s not to say the food wasn’t delicious. Standout dishes include the Wagyu French Dip with a fantastic horseradish sauce and au jus for dipping and the French fries, which were worth the visit. The cocktail list, though classic and simple, is well executed.

- Rick Camac, Executive Director of Industry Relations

New York City Restaurants

Add new comment

Business of Food

Michelin Announces the 2024 California Guide Picks

abaker — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 15:36:14 +0000

Michelin Announces the 2024 California Guide Picks abaker Thu, 08/08/2024 - 11:36 August 8, 2024

By ICE Staff

On Monday, August 5, Michelin released the 2024 edition of its California red guide. There are now 85 starred restaurants in the Golden State, 10 of which are seeing stars for the first time.

New additions to the two-starred restaurants include Chef Justin Cogley’s Aubergine in Carmel-by-the-Sea, new Nordic-inspired Sons & Daughters in San Francisco and Chef Jordan Kahn’s contemporary stunner Vespertine in Culver City.

The City by the Bay also sees three new one-starred restaurants: Kristina Liedags Compton and Rachel Sillcocks’s hip Hilda and Jesse; John Wesley and Julianna Yang’s Kiln; and Chefs Serena and David Fisher’s sleek 7 Adams.

Holbox, Chef Gilbert Cetina’s Mexican eatery in Mercado La Paloma, Chefs Yoshitaka Mitsue and Shingo Kato’s Uka and Jordan Kahn’s Meteora (where ICE Culinary Arts alum Keita Suzuki serves as Sous Chef), all in Los Angeles, also received one Michelin star. R | O-Rebel Omakase in Laguna Beach was also awarded a Michelin star.

Congratulations to all restaurants acknowledged in the 2024 edition of the Michelin Guide California. View the full list here.

Awards and Honors

Add new comment

Business of Food

Can a Restaurant Do Well and Do Good at the Same Time?

ajohnson — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:06:54 +0000

Can a Restaurant Do Well and Do Good at the Same Time? ajohnson Mon, 07/01/2024 - 15:06 July 2, 2024

By Cory Sale

The MAD Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by René Redzepi, the Chef and Owner of world-renowned restaurant Noma, recently hosted a panel discussion questioning if a restaurant can do well (meaning be profitable) and do good (meaning do right by their staff, community and the planet) at the same time.

Sharing their experiences and ideas were panelists Mark Bittman, food journalist and founder of Community Kitchen; Edward Lee, chef of 618 Magnolia and co-founder of The LEE Initiative; and Erin Wade, author and founder of Homeroom restaurant.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MAD (@themadfeed)

So, can a restaurant do well and do good? All of the panelists said they believe it is possible, but acknowledge the road to get there isn’t easy and is filled with obstacles.

Here are some highlights from the conversation.

What does “doing good” look like for a restaurant?

When asked if he could make a restaurant that did everything right, Bittman said it would have to be a nonprofit. He’s in the process of creating Community Kitchen, a non-profit restaurant that aims to have positive community relationships and a sliding scale for payment, which would entail offering a discount to low-income customers and a tax on high-income customers.

Chef Lee’s idea of success added a focus on sustainability. He envisioned a future with zero gas and plastic pollution — or at least significant waste reduction.

Wade added equity and fair working conditions to the mix. Her hope is to see more restaurants led by people of color and by women. She said she wants businesses to focus on being collaborative, cooperative and meaningful, which, in practice, looks like employees being treated well, with open book policies in place to promote transparency within the business. She also supports restorative justice instead of discipline.

The list of ideal ways to "do good" is nearly endless. Some additional points mentioned by the panelists are:

Proper work-life balance for employees
Reducing a business' carbon footprint
Advocating for social justice
Providing physical accessibility to all customers
Meeting environmental sustainability goals

The big question is how to implement these progressive changes while still making a profit.

Learn More: Restaurant & Culinary Management at ICE

Chef Lee acknowledged that restaurants have run the same way for over 80 years and trying to get independent businesses to implement change is hard and takes time. For an owner to confront the challenge of doing right by their employees, community and the environment is an enormous task.

Chef Lee's non-profit, The LEE Initiative, tackles one of these issues at a time. They first create models using data, which allow restaurant owners to see how these systems work, with the intention for business owners to adopt the changes if they can. If everyone addresses a different problem, or even just part of one, Chef Lee envisions this knowledge and experience continually being shared and built-upon.

The panelists also emphasized the importance of thoughtful conversations, like this panel, and the power of using writing to create change.

Who can help restaurants?

Wade advocated for increased government regulation and support in areas from healthcare to education and environmental standards. She said if the US government offered universal healthcare for each citizen, then restaurants and other employers wouldn’t have to. She also cited wooden cutlery’s prominence in Europe after the E.U. banned disposable plastic cutlery as an example of how the U.S. government could take a stance to create and enforce environmental standards.

Wade also suggested that increased education around financial literacy would help anyone trying to start their own business in the restaurant industry and otherwise.

What can consumers do?

A restaurant owner in the audience expressed frustration with their experience trying to do well and good. As part of a bigger capitalist system, they cited how their impact would be a fraction of what McDonald’s impact would be if they both stopped purchasing plastic straws. And in the same vein, the owner spoke about how consumers aren’t motivated to go to good restaurants, as they want to go to "cool" restaurants.

Chef Lee’s response? You can’t lecture, yell or shame consumers or business partners into doing good. You need to find an incentive, not a disincentive. And you have to start somewhere.

As an example, Chef Lee shared an anecdote:

Realizing they had an excess of plastic spice containers, The LEE Initiative asked their supplier if they could return the plastic containers to be reused. The supplier declined. Chef Lee’s team contacted multiple spice companies to see if any would create a new system to reduce plastic. After multiple conversations, they found one small company open to working on their terms.

While this isn’t moving the needle right now, Chef Lee says he plans to promote what this spice company is doing and hopes other restaurants will take note. And in the future, he says their old supplier may start losing accounts, wonder why and then rethink their business practices.

When it comes to consumers, the panelists agreed that people should support the restaurants doing good in the industry and promote them.

Big thanks to MAD for such an interesting discussion!

Read MAD's official recap of the panel

Special Events Demos & Lectures Guest Lectures Restaurant Management

Add new comment

Business of Food

Discover 5 New LA Restaurants to Dine In This Summer

abaker — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 19:50:20 +0000

Discover 5 New LA Restaurants to Dine In This Summer abaker Thu, 06/27/2024 - 15:50 June 28, 2024

By Abbe Lewis

Abbe Lewis is a writer, editor, Emmy nominee and extreme nacho enthusiast with over a decade of experience in food and beverage media. Always on the move, Abbe can be found running long distances on the weekends to new restaurants or her favorite hangouts.

We made it — we’re officially in the summer season, which brings long summer days with ample opportunities to dine out.

The City of Angels has seen its fair share of new kids on the block. Here are five new restaurants in LA to check out this summer.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Benjamin Hollywood (@thebenjaminhollywood)

The Benjamin Hollywood

The founders of the streetwear brand The Hundreds are expanding into the restaurant industry. Ben Shenassafar and Bobby Kim's new restaurant The Benjamin opened on June 25 in Hollywood. Housed in a 1920s art deco building on the corner of Melrose and Formosa, The Benjamin is “a contemporary homage to classic restaurant hangouts,” per the restaurant’s website.

Executive Chef Johnny Cirelle drives the menu, which sees items like deviled eggs, roasted branzino, and The Benjamin Burger, which features a house blend of meat, American cheese, hickory sauce, grilled onion and house pickles. (It’s enough to make even the biggest burger connoisseur come a-runnin’.) Cocktails, too, by Jared Meisler are not to be missed.

Marelle

The people of Santa Monica are now privy to another all-day eatery with the opening of Chef Raphael Lunetta’s Marelle in the stunning Sandbourne hotel.

Open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., the food at Marelle is by no means fussy, showcasing local and seasonal ingredients. Breakfast items include lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry butter and shakshuka while the dinner menu includes dishes like roasted mushroom arancini and pan-roasted Ora King salmon with white wine-brown butter emulsion.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Leopardo (@leopardolosangeles)

Leopardo

Chef Joshua Skenes of Saison fame is giving Angelinos what they want with the wildly anticipated opening of his Leopardo. Housed in the former La Brea Bakery space on S. La Brea Avenue, the wood-burning hearth is at the heart of the restaurant, which delivers delicious pizzas that Chef Skenes and his team worked tirelessly to perfect.

Pies include a classic margherita and the “Hello Satan” with spicy tomato sauce, chile, salumi, wildflower honey, garlic and herbs. Other menu items on the dinner menu include ocean tilefish crudo, elk tartare and marro, wild boar parmesan and whole-grilled whitefish “in the Lord’s water.”

Sirena at The Georgian Hotel

California-meets-Coastal Italy at this stunning new restaurant with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Sirena, which is owned by BLVD Hospitality, is open daily for brunch and dinner. Menu items from Chef David Almany include buttermilk pancakes and an Italian Benedict with rosemary ham for brunch, while dinner options include sheep’s milk ricotta mezzaluna chicken Milanese and jumbo scallops alla piccata.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by burgette (@burgette.restaurant)

Burgette

Summertime is for burgers, and if you haven’t made your way to Chef Sean MacDonald’s Burgette in Santa Monica, now’s the time to make moves.

As the sister restaurant of Bar Monette (which slings pizza pies) Burgette brings forth burgers of all kinds. Burgers include the restaurant’s namesake, a smash burger of wagyu beef, cheddar, Parisian sauce and pickles, as well as a salmon belly smash burger with gribiche aioli. A selection of cheese, charcuterie and small plates like fries and haricot verts are also on offer.

Los Angeles Restaurant Culture Food News Restaurant Management Restaurants

Add new comment

Business of Food

All Ģ��Ƶ Aging Wine

abaker — Tue, 07 May 2024 18:45:46 +0000

All Ģ��Ƶ Aging Wine abaker Tue, 05/07/2024 - 14:45 And whether or not you can try it at home May 7, 2024

By Cory Sale

Saving a bottle of wine from a special occasion literally bottles up some of that joy for a future date. It can be a wine served at one’s wedding or a vintage from a child’s birth year. But is aging wine really as simple as leaving a bottle on the shelf?

With my wedding coming up, I’m thinking of how to extend the special day for years to come. Dean of Wine Studies and Master Sommelier Scott Carney, who teaches Intensive Sommelier Training at ICE’s New York campus, helped me dive into this ancient art to understand the benefits of aging wine and some tips to keep in mind during the process.

Related Read: Know Your Wedding Cake Math

Why Age Wine?

“Wine is thought to gain in complexity through its life, shedding the immediate attractiveness of youthful fruit and bringing about secondary and tertiary flavors and aromas that develop through the slow but sure ingress of oxygen through the bottle’s cork,” Scott says.

Aging wine doesn’t preserve the exact flavors and aromas of a wine, instead, it’s an opportunity to see how the wine changes from exposure to oxygen.

“One reason wine became so famous was its ability to change, and often improve, over time,” Scott says. "One of the joys of collecting wine is to, say, buy a case of wine and check in on it through its evolution. I like to say that when you've opened one and believe the wine has reached its 'peak,' that’s when you throw a dinner party, [and] open six bottles. But you also want to keep a bottle or two to witness its dignified decline as the wine wanes into old age."

How to Age Wine

Don’t just leave a bottle of wine on your shelf and call it aging. Scott recommends purchasing a wine refrigerator to have the most control over a wine’s storage conditions.

“A constant storage temperature of roughly 55°F with say 70% humidity is optimal for protecting a wine through its developmental stages.,” he says.

Even if you don’t have much space, Scott says there are small wine storage units available for apartments that can store 25-30 bottles.

As for how to physically store wine, Scott advises laying red and white cork-formatted bottles on their side. This will keep the wine in contact with the cork, ensuring that the cork stays moist, and does not dry out and shrink. Corks allow a very small controlled amount of oxygen to be exposed to a wine, which as Scott mentioned above, is a major part of the aging process. If a cork shrivels, you lose some of that control and the wine may over-oxidize.

Store bottles with their labels face up for easy identification, “but, more importantly in the case of red wines, any sediment precipitated over time will fall to the back side of the bottle and be decanted away from the wine that will be drunk,” Scott says.

Additional storage tips from Scott include avoiding placing the bottles around any bright lights as these rays can damage wine. He also notes that there shouldn’t be “any constant or even occasional vibration near the storage unit as the agitation can unduly act upon the wine’s development.”

Related: How to Choose a Wine Glass

Selecting Wines for Aging

Some types of wine are better suited for aging than others.

“Not all wines are intended to be aged,” Scott says. “Many are ‘drink the current vintage wines,’ [which]…are prized for their immediate attraction of fresh vivacity and fruity charm.”

This means many wines won’t benefit from aging. Though they won’t degrade after a year, these wines should be consumed within a reasonable amount of time.

One varietal that Scott says is traditionally good for aging is Cabernet Sauvignon.

According to Scott, when you want to age a wine, “you are looking for a structural dimension — a constellation of tannins, alcohol and acids — that forecast staying power. To simplify, Pinot Noir is a thinner-skinned grape than Cabernet. Thicker skins are where you find the tannins that would bring about aging capacity. So, while Pinot Noir is certainly ageable, it is not thought to be as long-lived as wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon.”

You can also ask your local wine store for a recommendation for a bottle that can benefit from aging.

How Long Should Wine Be Aged?

According to Scott, “Wines that are expected to improve over time are frequently given estimated ‘drink ranges’ by wine journalists.”

For example, a wine journalist may recommend consuming a specific bottle between 2030-2035.

“In this way, different wines have different drinking windows," Scott says. "These recommendations are rough estimates that first pre-suppose perfect storage and second are only educated guesses.”

The best way to fully evaluate wine is by opening a bottle to taste and smell the wine itself. Use the wine’s color, aroma and flavor to determine how it’s aged, or if it was aged past its prime.

“In the case of an aged red wine, one that is over the hill will have lost much of its ruby color and would appear garnet or brown. On the nose, the fruit would be dried out or disappeared with some vinegary notes and earthy sometimes fecal unattractive smells,” Scott says.

The topic comes up in ICE's Intensive Sommelier Training course. Scott says that trying over-aged wines let students contrast the traits against well-aged, pure wines so they can learn to distinguish between the two.

A major takeaway from my conversation with Scott was the importance of caring properly for wine. While, I don’t think a wine fridge is in my future, many of the storage tips above are applicable to the wines in my home (which are currently standing upright, directly beneath a light). Thanks to his achievable, small changes, my storage setup will definitely be changing soon.

Want to Cook with Wine? Try our Coq Au Vin recipe.

Wine & Beverage Sommelier Training Drinks

Add new comment

Business of Food

What is Food & Beverage Management?

abaker — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 14:00:00 +0000

What is Food & Beverage Management? abaker Thu, 02/08/2024 - 09:00 February 8, 2024

By Pamela Vachon

Not every culinary career is destined for the kitchen, and many culinary school graduates pursue front-of-house positions, including those in food and beverage management.

Many students from both culinary programs and hospitality management programs go on to successful careers in food service management.

The Ģ��Ƶ also offers a Dual Diploma program, with a tuition discount offered when students pursue more than one course of study, such as Plant-Based Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts or Culinary Arts, plus a business-focused program such as Restaurant & Culinary Management.

What is Food and Beverage Management?

Food and beverage management involves the operation and administration of establishments such as restaurants, bars and hotels that provide food and drink services. Other businesses that have food service operations on site, such as hospitals, schools, churches or even corporate environments might also employ food and beverage managers.

Dr. Katie Chamberlain, Director of Online Education and Dean of Hospitality Management at ICE, says the primary functions of food and beverage management are multi-faceted.

“The goals are to efficiently deliver high-quality food and beverage services, optimize profitability, and enhance overall customer satisfaction,” she says. “The food and beverage management role encompasses various responsibilities including menu planning, procurement of ingredients, cost control, staff management, customer service and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations."

What topics are typically taught in Food and Beverage Management programs?

“Food and Beverage Management programs cover a range of topics to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed for managerial roles in the hospitality industry,” Dr. Chamberlain says.

The Restaurant & Culinary Management program at ICE encompasses topics that break down into nine primary core functions, including:

Concept Development and Menu Design
Culinary Marketing
Food Safety
Purchasing and Cost Control Supervision
Staff Management
Legal Issues
Service Management
Finance and Accounting
Beverage and Wine Management
Facilities and Design

According to Dr. Chamberlain, “These topics collectively provide a comprehensive understanding of managing food and beverage operations, from kitchen efficiency and culinary creativity to business acumen and customer satisfaction.”

Besides floor manager and general manager positions in a restaurant, bar or hotel setting, there are a number of food service management roles that specialize in a particular aspect of restaurant or hospitality administration, such as service director or beverage director, which can be lucrative career paths for Food and Beverage Management graduates. Additionally, many restaurant groups have higher-level food and beverage management roles whose function interacts with numerous properties within the parent company, such as director of operations, director of restaurants or director of bars.

Should aspiring chefs also study Food and Beverage Management?

Studying both food and beverage management and culinary arts is beneficial both for those who intend to pursue kitchen roles as well as those who intend to pursue management roles, as the functions of both are inextricably intertwined.

“Studying food and beverage management is crucial for aspiring chefs seeking to advance into leadership or managerial roles,” Dr. Chamberlain says. “This education provides essential business acumen, enabling chefs to contribute to menu development, pricing strategies and operational efficiency. Chefs with management skills are better equipped to enhance customer service, adapt to industry trends and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities.”

Culinary programs are obviously crucial for learning cooking techniques for those aspiring to be chefs, but those who will eventually go on to be executive chefs will also frequently be involved with the administrative and operational functions of their restaurants. Studying food and beverage management early also helps to signal ambition to prospective employers.

Do career changers with previous management experience still benefit from studying Food and Beverage Management?

Many people attend culinary school as career changers, whose previous experience might have already included various management functions. Even if a student has non-hospitality management experience, Dr. Chamberlain still recommends food and beverage management programs in most cases.

“Food and beverage management provides industry-specific knowledge, insights into culinary operations and networking opportunities,” she says. “This education [helps facilitate] a smooth transition into the dynamic culinary and hospitality sector, offering a deeper understanding of menu planning, customer service, industry trends, and regulatory compliance. Additionally, the program enhances leadership skills in the context of culinary operations, providing a unique and tailored skill set for managerial roles in the food and beverage industry.”

Related: How I Used My Culinary School Education Outside of the Kitchen

Beverage Management Restaurant Management Culinary School Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Management

Add new comment

Business of Food

Understanding Restaurant Food Safety

abaker — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Understanding Restaurant Food Safety abaker Tue, 10/24/2023 - 11:00 October 24, 2023

By Pamela Vachon

Keeping a clean workspace and the appropriate handling of various types of food are principles that are emphasized throughout culinary school, but they aren’t just common sense practices. Food safety also has legal and ethical implications if you plan to work in a restaurant or other foodservice setting.

“Food safety is fundamental to all areas of professional culinary arts,” says Lachlan Sands, President of the Ģ��Ƶ's Los Angeles campus. “From a philosophical perspective, we are asking our guests to trust us with something very personal. We are asking them to place their faith in us that the food that they are about to consume is safe and healthful.”

Restaurant food safety guidelines are emphasized throughout culinary school, and students who go on to work in restaurants or other foodservice settings should expect to deal with aspects of restaurant food safety throughout their careers.

“Whether you work in fine dining or fast food, the credo is always the same,” Chef Lachlan says. “Food safety is paramount.”

Here we explore several aspects of food safety in restaurants whether you are considering culinary school, already enrolled or just want to feel secure in the choices you make when dining out.

What is Restaurant Food Safety?

Restaurant food safety consists of various guidelines, maintained by both the national and state governments, that inform not only how food should be handled, but every aspect of cleanliness and hygiene when it comes to a professional food preparation environment. While food safety for restaurants has public health implications, these guidelines are also good practices when it comes to preparing food at home. Developing good habits where food safety is concerned is valuable for both professional chefs and home cooks alike.

Restaurant food safety guidelines fall into a number of different categories, including things such as handwashing, food storage, cooking temperatures, hot and cold holding parameters, equipment, infrastructure and even water requirements.

How is Restaurant Food Safety Taught in Culinary School?

Students will deal with issues related to food safety throughout their culinary school curriculum, from specific lessons that focus on restaurant food safety guidelines to the day-to-day practice of maintaining these guidelines.

“We discuss it in all forms,” says Chef Joshua Resnick, Lead Chef and Operations Manager for ICE New York. “From personal hygiene and uniform to proper internal cooking temperature for proteins, and ways to prevent cross-contamination of different products.”

In addition to various cooking techniques, restaurant food safety guidelines will be some of the most important lessons that students are required to master in culinary school.

What Are Some of the Most Intuitive Guidelines When It Comes to Restaurant Food Safety?

Students will often begin culinary school with a decent idea of certain restaurant food safety principles just based on how they operate at home in the kitchen.

“Students know intuitively that you should wash your hands here and there, that raw food should not sit out, and that things that fall on the floor are potentially hazardous,” Chef Lachlan says. “There is no five-second rule.”

“I think that most students coming into the program know more than they think they know about food safety, especially in a post-COVID world,” Chef Joshua says. “Things like washing hands when walking into the kitchen, coughing or sneezing into the crook of your elbow and not touching your phone while cooking are all things we do normally."

Chef Joshua says students often start with at least an idea of proper internal cooking temperatures for certain proteins, whether that’s from reading recipes or learning from food media where cooking thermometers are often utilized.

What Aspects of Restaurant Food Safety Are More Difficult to Learn?

While certain aspects of food safety in restaurants can be intuitive, there are other aspects that can take students by surprise, or that may take longer to master when it comes to developing good habits. Even with intuitive things such as hand washing, “the stringency and frequency of the rules,” may be new to students, according to Chef Lachlan.

The steps to preventing cross-contamination, in particular, are more numerous than one might expect.

“I don’t think students are aware of just how much of what they do in the kitchen has one or multiple elements of food safety that goes into it,” Chef Joshua says. “Even the idea of fabricating a chicken: you have to ensure that you are working on a clean board that is safely anchored to the table, there is a container of sanitizer solution, a towel completely submerged in the solution while using gloves to handle the chicken before transporting it to your board in a vessel. Skipping any of those steps can lead to issues down the line, which is why we stress the importance of food safety all of the time.”

Chef Lachlan also notes the undoing of certain bad habits as being an area where students may struggle.

“Fighting your cultural tendencies, which usually has to do with family habits [can be challenging,]" he says. “Hand washing, cleaning vegetables, proper storage and everything else all have different rules at home. My mother, for example, used to thaw frozen ground beef on the roof of our house. Just because a dangerous habit works at home a few times a year does not mean it is safe when scaled up to hundreds of meals a day in a commercial environment. Also, you are less likely to be sued by family members if you make them sick; not so in a restaurant environment.”

Infractions of food safety regulations can not only lead to litigation but can also lead to restaurant closure, which isn’t a risk you should be willing to take with a restaurant or any foodservice business.

“The health department can close you instantly and severely damage your reputation,” Chef Lachlan says.

Is a Food Handler’s License Important for Food Safety?

Food safety regulations for restaurants and food handling licenses are different from state to state. (See here for a breakdown of different food safety certifications available by state.)

Not only is a food handler’s license important when it comes to restaurant food safety, but depending on your role it may be required.

“From a legal perspective it is required in most jurisdictions,” Chef Lachlan says. “From a business perspective, it is also important to learn how to keep your guests safe. We rely on repeat business and the day you make a guest sick is the day they don’t come back.”

Additionally, mastering food safety and pursuing certification can also be a savvy professional move on a student’s part.

“Every restaurant needs someone who is certified on-site at all times that the restaurant is open,” Chef Joshua says. “I always tell my students that if you can earn your certification before leaving school, it also shows future employers that you are dedicated to your craft, and can make you a more attractive candidate.”