Starting his restaurant career, at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, in a small town just south of Pittsburgh. Aaron developed a deep curiosity about wine, being exposed to a large cellar and Wine Spectator award winning list. Having had the honor of working throughout various restaurants on the property he honed his skills in fine dining.

Photographer, author and podcast host, Michael Harlan Turkell had his first acid trip at the age of 19 when famed Bostonian Chef Barbara Lynch gave him a cap full of something. He shot it back and recalls having “one of the most profound sensory experiences” of his life up until that point. That spiritual explosion of flavor – sweet, sour, sapid – became his gateway to the world of acidity.

Dining out in New York City offers some of the best culinary experiences, but with over 24,000 restaurants to choose from, eating at all can become expensive. This summer during the highly anticipated NYC Restaurant Week, you’ll find special prix-fixe menus at hundreds of restaurants in the city. From July 23 through August 17, you’ll have the chance to sample the incredible array of eateries that make up NYC’s culinary culture with prix-fixe meals at more than 380 of NYC’s finest restaurants (two-course lunch, $26; three-course dinner, $42).

After immigrating to America, Jae Lee owned and ran a successful Japanese restaurant. Over time though, he realized the need for a solid culinary education to build on and solidify his knowledge. Read the story of how Jae Lee went from 2016 California Culinary Arts graduate to Sushi Chef and General Manager of Kenji Sushi in San Jose, California.

At the International Culinary Center, we love any excuse to celebrate French food and wine — we were founded as the French Culinary Institute after all! So this March, we were thrilled to participate in the Goût de France festivities with the French Consulate as they expanded the Official Good France Day, March 21st, into a 4-day festival celebrating la cuisine Provençale all around New York.

For our first ICC Alumni Spotlight of 2017, we caught up with Professional Culinary Arts alum chef Rodrigo Schweitzer. Explaining why he felt attending the International Culinary Center in New York was the right choice to pursue his culinary dreams, the Brazil based chef elaborates on ICC’s full immersion program. Learning the fundamental techniques and skills for success in only 6 months, an international student such as Rodrigo has the potential to save thousands of dollars in living expenses and tuition when making their culinary school decision.