Professional Culinary Programs

[cookingteach]

Does anyone know of non-Community College based professional culinary programs in the Oakland/Berkeley area? I'm thinking more of a 6-12 month intensive program, not a 2 year Assoc. program

Thanks!

[wolfe]

I don't know how this fits your preference but how about Baumann?
http://www.baumancollege.org/programs/natural-chef.html
http://www.baumancollege.org/pdfs/Min...

[vulber]

This has been discussed before on this board, and my comments on it weren't well received, but you'll save yourself a lot of money (and gain a better education) by just finding a restaurant that's willing to take you on for free, and I speak from personal experience. If you talk to chefs at most restaurants here, you'll find they either never went to culinary school, or went and found it to be completely useless. One of my friends who works as a sous chef at a high-end restaurant in Seattle and hires many cooks has said that a year full-time in a restaurant kitchen is the equivalent of a culinary school degree; and you'll be a lot more of an attractive hire if you have restaurant experience, especially as so many restaurants get burned by hiring culinary school grads who have no experience and step into a kitchen and want to do things their way.

[cookingteach]

Thanks much. I'm not looking for me (I actually work in restaurants and teach cooking already). I'm just trying to explore what exists out there. Thanks for the input!