Start your culinary career today in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia has become one of the most popular "restaurant cities" in the United States. It doesn't offer as many eating establishments as its neighboring city to the north, but it does have some of the best food on the East Coast.
Going to culinary school here has its pluses. Because of Philadelphia size, you'll find it more accessible than New York City and the cost of living is cheaper. You still get the big city feel but on a smaller level.
Below is some basic information about The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College and its programs, but because they are no longer offering the Reluctant Gourmet an information form, I highly recommend you check out another top Philadelphia culinary school, The Art Institute of Philadelphia.
The Art Institute of Philadelphia was founded in 1971 and has created a creative environment to allow you to bring your innovative culinary ideas to life. Their culinary courses are taught by industry professional who will provide you insight and experience.
The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
4207 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
About the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
This school is about a block away from where my daughters went to preschool in Philadelphia. In fact, I used to go there all the time for my coffee and croissant after dropping them off in the morning. The school is located right next to the Penn Campus in University City. The main building of the school is called Allison Mansion and is where you'll find the kitchens, lecture halls, computer labs, library and the four theme restaurants that are open to the public.
The school has been teaching culinary arts for over 25 years and has received national acclaim for its approach to teaching cooking skills. The school has an incredible graduate success rate with most of the graduates entering the culinary and hospitality fields in upper level positions.
Programs Offered at The Restaurant School
There are four areas of learning at The Restaurant School. Each is specially designed to give you the tools and skills to go out and find a career in the area you are most interested in. Not only does the school want you to be successful in your career choice, they want you to be able to make an impact.
Culinary Arts
You will be immersed in classes featuring the techniques of master chefs to learn the skills needed to participate in the challenging internships as part of your program. You will start with the basics and build a foundation in the latest cooking techniques and move on to discover the world of international cuisine.
Part of your culinary education will include recipe development, menu planning, kitchen management, wine selection and dining room service. And one of the great features of going to school at the Restaurant School is the weeklong, tuition-paid gastronomic Tour of France where you will explore great dining and have the opportunity to study with international professionals.
Pastry Arts
In the classic European tradition, you will study the field of Pastry Arts where you will blend experiences in pastry arts, food purchasing, kitchen management, marketing, and retailing. It's one thing to know how to prepare great pastry, but another to market them. By the time you leave the school, you will be able to participate in pastry internships at restaurants, hotels, or pastry shops.
Hotel Management
Here you will learn every aspect of the hotel management industry by focusing on the fundamentals of culinary arts, dining room service and wine and bar management. When you graduate from this program, you will have the skills you will need to work here in the US or with International Companies.
You will learn how to negotiate room rates for large conventions, interview applicants for housekeeping and read profit and loss statements. With a hands on philosophy, you will spend your days on campus working as Hotel Managers developing the skills needed to have a successful hotel management career.
Restaurant Management
As one of the country's first schools to focus on restaurant management, the school teaches every aspect of restaurant business and management. By the time you graduate, you will have a vast skill set in culinary arts, sanitation, nutrition, accounting, marketing, purchasing, and supervision.
As part of the Restaurant Management program, you will participate in a week long, tuition-paid management tour of Walt Disney World in central Florida and a cruise to the Bahamas.
Going to School in Philadelphia, PA
Well you know I am going to be a little biased here since I live in the area but this really is an amazing place to live. I would compare it to a smaller version of New York City where it has everything New York has but on a smaller scale. What I like about Philadelphia as compared to New York is accessibility. It is so easy to get into and out of the city to go to restaurants, theatre or sporting event.
In the area of the school you will find all sorts of restaurants at various price ranges, coffeehouses, museums, theatres and you are just minutes away from Center City where you will find everything you would expect to find in a major city. If you are into great markets, there is nothing like the street markets of South Philly or the Market Street Terminal.
The school is an ideal location for college life especially since you will be going to school near some of the nation's most prestigious colleges including University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
What Do You Need To Know to Get Into Culinary School?
As the Reluctant Gourmet, I have never been to cooking school, but I keep telling myself it's never too late. The best way for you to learn more about becoming a chef is to visit my new Culinary School Resource Center. Here you will find articles, books, school resources and many other useful resources.
Also, try reading as much as you can about going to cooking school and what it is like to be a professional chef. One book I highly recommend to anyone thinking about culinary school is, The Making of A Chef, by Michael Ruhlman. It will really help you understand what you may be getting yourself into. For a complete list of Books For Cooks.
More Pennsylvania Culinary Schools
