Start your culinary career today at L'Ecole Culinaire - St. Louis, Missouri
St Louis sits on the Mississippi River, and is called the “Gateway to the West.” Many explorers, including Lewis and Clark, and wagon trains went through St. Louis on their way west, and considered it to be their last stop before entering the wilderness.
If you ever thought about going to cooking school in St Louis , here is one of the better cooking schools you should look into.
Below is some basic information about the school and its programs, but if you really want to learn more, you should fill out the short questionaireand someone will contact you to talk about how to apply, time requirements, costs and just about anything else you may need to know.
L'Ecole Culinaire - St. Louis
9811 South Forty Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63124
Le Cole Culinaire is a unique culinary arts school in St. Louis. Instead of the usual quarter or semester college schedule, the curriculum is taught in 10-week “phases.” Students take one course per phase, allowing them to concentrate completely on that one topic. Class sizes are small to facilitate instructor-student interaction and intensify learning, but the phase structure allows Le Cole Culinaire to start new classes every ten weeks. It’s intensive, focused, hands-on training that prepares students for professional culinary arts careers.
All classes are practical, combining classroom instruction with kitchen practice, and general education requirements are integrated into culinary classes, allowing students to focus exclusively on career preparation. The first five phases are the core curriculum for both the diploma and associate degree programs. Two cover baking and pastry, two cover culinary arts and one is a capstone class that integrates everything students have learned thus far.
The only requirements for admission to Le Cole Culinaire are a high school diploma or equivalent and a passion for food. Financial aid is available for qualified students, and career placement services are available for graduates.
Culinary Programs
Culinary Essentials is a 60 week program leading to a diploma. The curriculum covers culinary terminology, cookery, communication skills, baking, restaurant management, food preparation, culinary skills, customer service and hospitality. Prior to graduation, you complete a 10-week externship, which prepares you for transition into your professional role and gives you experience to put on your resume. Graduates are employable as station chefs, line cooks, apprentices and bakers.
Culinary Arts is a 90 week associate degree program that continues where the Essentials program leaves off. Additional course content includes food business and management, international cuisines, advanced techniques and quantity preparation, technical writing, interviewing, and additional cuisine preparation techniques. Associate degree students also complete an externship and are ready to work in entry-level positions, but their additional skills give them more employment opportunities.
Accreditation
Le Cole Culinaire is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
Facilities and Faculty
Le Cole Culinaire has a new, modern campus with classrooms, culinary and baking laboratory kitchens, a demonstration kitchen and a simulated restaurant. The school has an international staff and advisory committee that include restaurateurs, executive chefs, patisserie chefs, sommeliers and other culinary experts.
Financial Aid
Le Cole Culinaire students may qualify for state and federal student aid under Title IV programs. Students who desire financial aid should contact the Financial Aid Office and complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as early as possible.
Going to School in St. Louis, Missouri
When you attend Le Cole Culinaire in St. Louis, you’ll always have plenty to do. St. Louis is Baseball City USA because everybody loves to watch the Cardinals play. It’s the “Best Sports City” in the country. The St. Louis Art Museum is world-class, with impressive collections of modern art, European masters and ancient Native American artifacts. The Missouri History Museum has fascinating exhibits about Lewis and Clark, the Westward migration and the World’s Fair. Union Station has delightful shops and restaurants. The old Fox Theater has been restored, and is a popular venue for concerts and off-Broadway musicals. St. Louis has over a hundred parks, including Forest Park, which is the largest urban park in the world.
Although St. Louis is definitely a modern city, it is divided into neighborhoods, which give you the friendliness of small communities within the sophistication of an urban center. Neighborhoods are distinctive, from areas of working class houses to neighborhoods of mansions to loft districts. Some, like the Italian Hill, are ethnic and some are well-integrated. As a student at Le Cole Culinaire, you’ll enjoy St. Louis’s famous ethnic restaurants and its cosmopolitan lifestyle. You may even decide to stay and begin your culinary career there.
What ELSE 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.
