Tomorrow's food

the ceiling from the entrance hall

Last week was reserved to go scouting the culinary schools around the area. Before I even did any research, I knew that there were only two real contenders. In the red corner we have The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), and in the blue corner we have Le Cordon Bleu. The former is all the way in Napa valley (hi there 2+ hour drive), while the latter is in the heart of San Francisco...you can see that at this point I'm a little biased.

CIA wine tasting room

We drove up to Napa valley on Friday to give CIA a look. The campus was gorgeous. Literally like Hogwarts for culinary students! They have these great big halls with chandeliers that hang from the towering ceiling, cobble stone walls and paths, and gardens that stretched into the horizon. They also had a bakery by illy where the patisserie students get to work, a wine tasting room, and a temperature controlled kitchen for special chocolate and patisserie classes. I thought I might melt into a puddle on the floor and get moped away! Still. I tried to keep my mind open for the next day's tour of Le Cordon Bleu. My entire family (yeah, they ALL came along) however, was pretty much convinced that this was where I was going to be going to school next year. I mean sure, I liked the place, but they were all in love and wanted to move in.

Temperature controlled pastry kitchen <3

cool glass stone thingy at Le Cordon Bleu

The next day we got up early to go and check out Le Cordon Bleu. (I wasn't allowed to take photos so this is pretty much all I've got) (top and bottom). Found out a few things. One. They are technically an affiliate school of Le Cordon Bleu, but are otherwise known as The California Cooking Academy. Two. They do not offer any associate degrees in any of the California campuses. They just do certificate courses. (this is where a red light went off in my brain). Three. If you pick a baking and patisserie course, you learn that exclusively and vice versa with a culinary course. Aha. Not quite what I thought it's be.

So it appears we have a winner.

In door kinda forest in Le Cordon Bleu

The truth is, I was almost certain I'd pick Le Cordon Bleu. I had this almost perfect picture in my head of what life would be like a year from now. I'd be learning the thing I love most in a city I've been in love with since I was seven. But plans change. I think I was upset about it for a total of four minutes. But soon forgot about it, and then proceeded to be excited for plan Napa. Geeez. A year seems really far from now, even though I know it'll prolly breeze by. Least I hope it does.