Culinary Arts Schools

Photo by Lisa E White

With over 700 restaurants in Scottsdale, a need arose for culinary training schools.  In 1984, Scottsdale Community College began its culinary program offering certificates and associates degrees in culinary arts.  They follow a college calendar, so beginning January 16th, they will open again for lunch Tuesday to Friday at the Artichoke Grill, and will open for dinner Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights at the Desert Oasis Dining Room.  See link:  SCC Culinary Program  Two years later, the Scottsdale Culinary Institute opened with a Cordon Bleu program offering many levels of training up to a bachelor's degree in restaurant management.  They also offer themed Master Chef cooking classes for the public most Saturdays.  For $99, you can have a hands-on three hour cooking class with a chef.  For example, next Saturday will be, "Hearty Soups with a Modern Twist."  There are price discounts for multiple classes.  The two campuses in Scottsdale are located at 81st Street and Camelback, and the other, Sky Bridge, is in the Galleria.  SCI also offers two dining rooms, a casual bistro style called L'Academie, and a formal dining experience at L'Ecole, but make reservations a month in advance.  Finally, in 2001 the Arizona Culinary Institute opened in Scottsdale off of 114th Street and Shea.  Their claim is small class sizes, efficient nine-month training programs, and 90% placement rates.   If you have a flare for cooking, Scottsdale is the place to learn.