***MEDIA EXCLUSIVE***
About The Art Institute
The Art Institute of California-Orange County is a design, media arts and culinary arts school providing career-focused Bachelor’s and Associate’s degrees in Advertising, Culinary Arts, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interactive Media Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation and Visual & Game Programming; as well as two diploma programs in Culinary Arts. Located in the heart of Orange County’s South Coast Metro region, The Art Institute is ideally situated in close proximity to Orange County’s thriving business community, cultural attractions, shopping, entertainment and its famous beaches. The school is one of The Art Institutes, www.artinstitutes.edu, with 34 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals.
Academic Programs
Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to continue to work uninterrupted toward their degrees. Academic programs are carefully defined with the support and contributions of members of the professional community through Program Advisory Committees. Curricula are further reviewed periodically to ensure they meet the needs of a changing marketplace to qualify graduates for entry-level positions in their chosen fields. We offer degrees in:
Advertising, B.S.
The Art of Cooking, D
Baking & Pastry, D
Game Art & Design, B.S.
Graphic Design, B.S. & A.S.
Industrial Design, B.S.
Interactive Media Design, A.S. & B.S.
Interior Design, B.S.
Media Arts & Animation, B.S.
Culinary Arts, A.S.
Culinary Management, B.S.
Visual & Game Programming, B.S.
Student/Instructor Ratio
Approximately 20 to 1 (largest Winter ‘07 class 35/1, smallest 10/1)
Student Population
1, 700 students enrolled Winter 2007 Quarter.
Faculty
The Art Institute is comprised of more than 120 faculty members who are working professionals in their respective fields. By tapping industry professionals, The Art Institute is able to bring a real-world, perspective, work setting and industry standards into the classroom.
Licensing and Accreditation
The Art Institute of California-Orange County is accredited as a branch of The Art Institute of California-Los Angeles by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools to award the Bachelor of Science and Associate of Science degrees. ACICS is listed as a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education. Its accreditation of degree-granting institutions is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Art Institute of California-Orange County is granted approval by the Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education as a California private postsecondary degree-granting institution....click for less ...click for more
Culinary Arts/Culinary Management Backgrounder
America’s love affair with food grows every year. Not only are we dining out more often, but also our tastes and expectations have become more discriminating. Dining is more than just eating; it’s the full experience of taste, aroma and presentation. Few occupations offer the creativity, excitement and opportunities for growth found in the culinary arts.
Launched in 2001, The Art Institute of California-Orange County’s culinary arts associate of science program emphasizes hands-on training from basic food preparation skills and progresses to advanced food techniques, including garde manger, a la carte preparation, international cuisine, and baking and pastry. The seven-quarter associate of science program also includes a solid foundation in sanitation, safety and nutrition studies.
In addition to cooking and food preparation, culinary arts students learn kitchen and dining room operations, catering management and other business skills, such as cost control and supervision of food service personnel. Through The Art Institute of California-Orange County’s student-run restaurant, 50 Forks, students demonstrate the skills they’ve learned and apply their experience in this real-world restaurant environment. The restaurant is a final passage prior to graduation for final-quarter culinary arts students.
In April 2004, The Art Institute launched a culinary management bachelor’s of science program that builds upon the associate’s degree program, providing a more expansive and in-depth curriculum in food preparation, customer service, human resources, technology and marketing. The program prepares graduates for entry-level, foodservice-related management and supervisory trainee positions.
The Art Institute’s facility includes four professional skills kitchens, purchasing and storage room laboratory, learning resource center, classrooms, faculty and staff offices, student lounge and locker rooms and a teaching dining room.
Industry veteran and Academic Director Paul Yarmoluk has brought together some of the region’s most creative and respected professionals in the culinary arts field to comprise the award-winning faculty. The team of professional chefs brings a wealth of industry real-world experience and expertise to the classroom.
Southern California continues to offer a wealth of opportunities for graduates trained in the culinary arts. Graduates of The Art Institute’s culinary arts and culinary management programs are qualified for entry-level positions – such as line cook, prep cook, first cook, baking trainee, catering assistant, assistant dining room manager and garde manger – in restaurants, luxury resorts, and contract food service companies. With some professional experience, a graduate may become a sous chef, head chef, pastry chef, executive chef or food and beverage director – or may open a restaurant or catering business of their own.
The following companies have hired culinary arts graduates from The Art Institute of California-Orange County: Aubergine, Four Seasons Hotel, Hilton Hotel, Hyatt Regency, Beau Monde, Cheesecake Factory, Corner Bakery Café, Five Star Catering, La Palma Hospital, Maggiano's, Mile Square Golf Course, San Luis Rey Officers Club, Soiree Catering, The Lazy Dog Café and Vie de France....click for less ...click for more
- Executive Chef Peter Striffolino
Culinary Arts Instructor
Subjects:
-International Cuisine
-Hiring the right caterer
-Organic cooking
-Cooking demonstrations
-Purchasing and preparing seafood
-Purchasing and preparing poultry
-Creating homemade soups
-Entertaining with food
-Knife skills
As a first-generation American, Chef Mattos grew up with the culinary influences of his parents’ home in mainland Portugal. Home-cooked meals, a seasonal garden in the yard and natural quality and freshness were part of his everyday life.
From his first job as a dishwasher in a restaurant at age 15, Chef Mattos knew that culinary was the life for him. He fell in love with the clanging of the dishes, the nightly excitement of working in a restaurant and toying with basic flavors.
Chef Mattos received an Associate’s degree in the Culinary Arts and a business degree in Food Service Entrepreneurship from the top-ranked culinary program at Johnson & Wales University.
He started his culinary career in the pastry department at the four-star, four-diamond Park Hotel Kenmare in Ireland, followed by a stint as a sous chef at the Crown Plaza hotel in Atlanta, and later at a hotel in the San Francisco Financial District.
He then went on to prepare Asian cuisine for an American Asian restaurant before returning to the East coast and taking on the responsibility of sous chef at the four-star, four-diamond Stanhope Hotel in Manhattan. He was later asked to help open The Bisque, a fine dining restaurant in New Jersey. Within six months he had worked his way up to Executive Chef and helping the Bisque climb one and a half stars to become a four-star restaurant.
Eager to expand his career experience, Chef Mattos eventually decided to enter into the culinary world of teaching and catering. He now currently leads a multi-faceted and rewarding career, instructing future culinary leaders at The Art Institute of California- Orange County. ...click for less ...click for more
- Chef Daniel Mattos
Culinary Arts Instructor
Subjects:
-International Cuisine
-Hiring the right caterer
-Organic cooking
-Cooking demonstrations
-Purchasing and preparing seafood
-Purchasing and preparing poultry
-Creating homemade soups
-Entertaining with food
-Knife skills
As a first-generation American, Chef Mattos grew up with the culinary influences of his parents’ home in mainland Portugal. Home-cooked meals, a seasonal garden in the yard and natural quality and freshness were part of his everyday life.
From his first job as a dishwasher in a restaurant at age 15, Chef Mattos knew that culinary was the life for him. He fell in love with the clanging of the dishes, the nightly excitement of working in a restaurant and toying with basic flavors.
Chef Mattos received an Associate’s degree in the Culinary Arts and a business degree in Food Service Entrepreneurship from the top-ranked culinary program at Johnson & Wales University.
He started his culinary career in the pastry department at the four-star, four-diamond Park Hotel Kenmare in Ireland, followed by a stint as a sous chef at the Crown Plaza hotel in Atlanta, and later at a hotel in the San Francisco Financial District.
He then went on to prepare Asian cuisine for an American Asian restaurant before returning to the East coast and taking on the responsibility of sous chef at the four-star, four-diamond Stanhope Hotel in Manhattan. He was later asked to help open The Bisque, a fine dining restaurant in New Jersey. Within six months he had worked his way up to Executive Chef and helping the Bisque climb one and a half stars to become a four-star restaurant.
Eager to expand his career experience, Chef Mattos eventually decided to enter into the culinary world of teaching and catering. He now currently leads a multi-faceted and rewarding career, instructing future culinary leaders at The Art Institute of California- Orange County.
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- Paul Yarmoluk - Academic Director
Academic Director of Culinary Arts
Subjects:
-Culinary management
-Opening a restaurant
-Chain restaurants
-Restaurant commissaries
-Restaurant management
-Menu development
-Themed restaurants
-Food cost analysis
-Food and beverage planning
-Restaurant research and development
-Menu engineering/pricing strategy
-Restaurant marketing
-Restaurant bankruptcy recovery
Paul Yarmoluk has 35 years of experience in corporate and entrepreneurial sectors of the hospitality and restaurant industries. He is a strong decision maker known for his ability to analyze multi-unit or independent operations and develop and implement new plans to solve problems and improve overall profitability.
Most significantly, Paul served as Director of Concept Development for the El Torito Group for more than five years. He developed the El Torito Grill in Newport Beach, Calif., a prototype for future company expansion with $5 million annual sales. He also coordinated and executed the first Mexican dinner house in Tokyo with the Kasumi Corporation.
Paul was also instrumental in implementing a next-generation strategy for Fuddruckers. This strategy influenced numerous creative food and beverage changes, design upgrades and new marketing programs and led to the merger between Fuddruckers and Dining and Kitchen Administration (DAKA) creating DAKA International, a public company.
In 1991, Paul started his own consulting practice. He has consulted for various companies including Restaurant Enterprises Group, El Torito Group, Fresh Choice and La Salsa. He developed two world class steakhouses: Vic Stewarts in San Francisco and Prime Time Steaks in Marina del Rey, Calif.
Paul has been involved in projects in Indonesia and Thailand, positioning a coffee concept, developing the Canyon Lodge American Grill in Laguna Beach, Calif., and the repositioning of Portofino on Pine, an Italian Grill in Long Beach, Calif. Currently, he is the Academic Director of the culinary arts program at The Art Institute of California-Orange County.
As Academic Director, Paul assembles and oversees the team of professional chef faculty, manages the curriculum and engages and directs an advisory group of culinary industry professionals to gain validation and ongoing assessment of the Institute’s industry- and market-focused curriculum. He directs the student-run restaurant 50 Forks and is responsible for all food and beverage purchasing for the department. Paul also focuses on creating mentoring relationships and new opportunities for students to experience the industry and hone their skills.
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Community Outreach Backgrounder
The Art Institute of California-Orange County prides itself on the important role we play in Orange County’s thriving arts and business scene. As such, we understand the value of building deep roots into the community. We are a dynamic community partner who has worked with various people and organizations across Orange County through adjunct faculty working in the field, industry leaders speaking to our students, placing students in internship roles, community partnerships with meaningful non-profits and organizations, having the industry validate our curriculum and feeding our neighbors in our on-campus restaurant 50 Forks. The Art Institute is committed to building a solid foundation and long-term relationships to be a vital resource for the Orange County community for many years to come. Examples of our work in the community include:
- Participation in annual events such as the Taste of Newport, Taste of Fullerton and Orange County Fair.
- Sponsoring the 2005 Orange Unified School District State of Education address
- Participation in and donations to Share Our Serves (SOS) Celebrity Chef Dinner to benefit the working poor and homeless of Orange County
- SuperChefs Live! cooking demonstrations at Mission Viejo and Brea malls
- Assisting a local artist in painting a mural in the cafeteria of Anaheim Village, an independent and assisted living facility
- Building homes with Habitat for Humanity
- Volunteering design services to fulfill a child’s wish for the Make-A-Wish Foundation
- Donating design services to organizations such as the Philharmonic House of
- Design and Legal Aid Society of Orange County
- Volunteering our time and talents on numerous efforts with the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Orangewood Children’s Foundation and the Joyful Child Foundation in memory of Samantha Runnion
- Offering workshops for high school educators
- Participation in the Newport Beach Film Festival
- Hosting the Legoland master builder search
CARE
The Community Arts Resource Exchange Program (CARE) has served more than 100 local nonprofits with design services they otherwise couldn’t afford. The Art Institute of California-Orange County provides senior-level students with opportunities to apply their talents to projects that support the needs of the community, exposing them to the value and reward of charitable work, while at the same time advancing their educational progress and career goals. The school carefully selects community outreach projects that are a good fit with its educational programs and goals and students work with selected non-profit agencies in the classroom, under the guidance of their instructor. Past CARE clients include:
- The All American Boys Chorus
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Placentia - Yorba Linda
- Community Alliance Network
- The Costa Mesa Fire Association
- Legal Aid Society
- Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) of Orange County
- The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County & Inland Empire
Mercy Airlift
- Orange County Human Relations Council
- Orange Unified School District School Readiness Program
- The Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra
- Santa Ana Community Development Agency
- United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County
- Volunteer Center of Orange County
- The Williams Institute
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Best Teen Chef
SANTA ANA TEEN WINS 2007 BEST TEEN CHEF REGIONAL SEMIFINALS
SANTA ANA, Calif., March 13– It was pressure cooking at its finest when Uriel Loaeza, of Santa Ana, a senior at Calvary Chapel High School, won the Orange County regional semifinals in The Art Institutes 2007 Best Teen Chef competition held today at The Art Institute of California-Orange County. Loaeza whisked the competition, winning a $5,000 tuition scholarship and advancing to the National Finals at The Art Institute of Dallas on May 5 for a shot at a full-tuition scholarship worth more than $40,000 and the title of “Best Teen Chef.”
Meghan Nordtvedt, of Cypress, a senior at Cypress High School, finished in second place winning a $3,000 tuition scholarship. Katana Hohn, a senior at South Effingham High School, was awarded third place and received a $2,000 tuition scholarship to attend The Art Institute of California – Orange County Culinary Arts program.
After a preliminary round, semifinalists were invited to compete in a regional semifinals cook off heat at each of the 23 Art Institutes where Culinary Arts programs are currently offered. Ten semifinalists competed today in the regional semifinals at The Art Institute’s Santa Ana campus while 19 other regional competitions took place across the country at other Art Institute locations this weekend. The remaining Orange County Regional Semifinalists were: Scott Buchert of Newport Beach; Toni Ann Carrillo of La Puente; Tiffany Frett of Huntington Beach; Traci Frumkin of Anaheim; Brian Moore of Ridgecrest, CA; Sebastian Silva of San Diego; and Andee Williams of Las Flores.
The Art Institutes Best Teen Chef Scholarship Competition is an annual event designed to spotlight and recognize the nation’s most promising young chefs. In its eighth year, the competition awards more than $200,000 in scholarships annually to students who choose to attend The Art Institute of California-Orange County or one of the other 22 Art Institutes school locations where Culinary Arts programs are currently available.
The top winner at each location will receive an expense-paid trip plus one guest to The Art Institute of Dallas for the national finals on May 5 and a minimum $5,000 scholarship.
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The Business of Culinary Tip Sheet
While your readers are enjoying a sumptuous feast at their favorite restaurant, many of them probably don’t realize the months, and sometimes years, of long hours, hard sacrifices and uphill battles that were fought behind the scenes so that they could enjoy the meal that is in front of them. But anyone who has ever attempted to open a restaurant knows exactly the risk of branching out on your own, in an industry where the vast majority of business ventures fail. Paul Yarmoluk, Academic Director of Culinary Arts for The Art Institute of California-Orange County will share with you the wisdom of his 30-plus years managing, and advising on, the business-side of culinary. Please review the following story ideas and contact Kim Jones at 714-830-0221 or kdjones@aii.edu to arrange an interview with him.
So You Wanna Open a Restaurant
Starting a restaurant is much more than picking an empty building in a convenient part of town and coming up with a name for the joint. The success or failure of a restaurant depends on many factors that most first-time proprietors don’t even think about. Yarmoluk can share with you common pitfalls to avoid and what to make sure you know before taking the leap.
Secrets to Restaurant Success
According to Yarmoluk, most restaurants fail due to lack of effective positioning or, more specifically, the owner’s lack of knowledge of what constitutes effective positioning. “It’s not that hard, if you know a few key marketing principles,” he says.
Menu-Development
This is an important part of the “effective positioning” concept. Your restaurant IS your menu and it’s important that your menu is appropriate to your restaurant’s location and customer-base. “In other words,” says Yarmoluk, “don’t try to sell pig’s feet in Fashion Island.”
The Word of the Day
The hot-button word to remember when planning your restaurant is “price-value,” according to Yarmoluk. A restaurant patron defines price-value as the feeling they get, upon leaving your establishment, that they got their money’s worth. Price-value means something different to various groups of people. Yarmoluk can share with you the many ways in which price-value is defined as well as offer tips for maximizing this for the customer and the owner.
The WOW! Factor
According to Yarmoluk, the future of restaurants is in something called “the WOW! Factor” and it’s an important part of the price-value package. With so many choices of restaurants, patrons are becoming increasingly discerning in where they dine. They are looking at not just menu, location and atmosphere but their overall dining experience. They want to be Wowed! The WOW! Factor includes everything from making perfumes and cloth towels available in the bathrooms, to specialty drinks, fun uniforms on the wait staff and unique dining room entertainment.
Fortune 500 or Ma & Pa
Should you open a quaint little Italian bistro and serve recipes your grandmother made in the old country or should you buy a Pizza Hut franchise? There are advantages and disadvantages to both these options. And many of them are not what you would think. Yarmoluk can share with you the ups and downs of both chain restaurants and the Ma & Pa joints.
About Paul Yarmoluk:
Paul Yarmoluk has 35 years of experience in corporate and entrepreneurial sectors of the hospitality and restaurant industries. He is a strong decision maker known for his ability to analyze multi-unit or independent operations and develop and implement new plans to solve problems and improve overall profitability.
Most significantly, Paul served as Director of Concept Development for the El Torito Group for more than five years. He developed the El Torito Grill in Newport Beach, Calif., a prototype for future company expansion with $5 million annual sales. He also coordinated and executed the first Mexican dinner house in Tokyo with the Kasumi Corporation.
Paul was also instrumental in implementing a next-generation strategy for Fuddruckers. This strategy influenced numerous creative food and beverage changes, design upgrades and new marketing programs and led to the merger between Fuddruckers and Dining and Kitchen Administration (DAKA) creating DAKA International, a public company.
In 1991, Paul started his own consulting practice. He has consulted for various companies including Restaurant Enterprises Group, El Torito Group, Fresh Choice and La Salsa. He developed two world class steakhouses: Vic Stewarts in San Francisco and Prime Time Steaks in Marina del Rey, Calif.
Recently, Paul has been involved in projects in Indonesia and Thailand, positioning a coffee concept, developing the Canyon Lodge American Grill in Laguna Beach, Calif., and the repositioning of Portofino on Pine, an Italian Grill in Long Beach, Calif. Currently, he is the Academic Director of the culinary arts program at The Art Institute of California-Orange County.
As Academic Director, Paul assembles and oversees the team of professional chef faculty, manages the curriculum and engages and directs an advisory group of culinary industry professionals to gain validation and ongoing assessment of the Institute’s industry- and market-focused curriculum. He directs the student-run restaurant 50 Forks and is responsible for all food and beverage purchasing for the department. Paul also focuses on creating mentoring relationships and new opportunities for students to experience the industry and hone their skills.
The Art Institute of California-Orange County
The Art Institute of California-Orange County is a design, media and culinary arts school providing bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in Advertising, Culinary Arts, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interactive Media Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation and Visual & Game Programming. Located in the heart of Orange County’s South Coast Metro region, The Art Institute is ideally situated in close proximity to Orange County’s thriving business community, cultural attractions, shopping, entertainment and its famous beaches. The school is one of The Art Institutes, www.artinstitutes.edu, with 34 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals.
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Cuilanry Diploma Programs
Accelerated professional chef and pastry
diploma programs launch in Orange County
SANTA ANA, Calif. March 13 – Wanna-be chefs ready to jump-start their career, as well as current culinary professionals who are eager to expand, or brush up on, their skills can enroll in one of two new, fast-paced diploma programs at The Art Institute of California –Orange County. The Art of Cooking Diploma program teaches fundamental skills and cooking techniques, as well as food science while the Baking & Pastry diploma programs caters to students with a passion for the sweeter side of culinary. The four-quarter, 48-credit programs are now enrolling for the Spring 2007 Quarter, which begins April 2.
“Our market research shows that Orange County’s culinary industry is craving an accelerated program that provides quality training in these specific culinary niches,” said Culinary Arts Academic Director Paul Yarmoluk. “We’ve worked hard to design a curriculum that caters to both new and veteran culinary professionals.”
Students in The Art of Cooking diploma program will develop skills in all the various aspects of the culinary field. This program will focus on cooking skills, baking, pastry and American regional cuisine. Students will learn everything from cost control, knife skills and safe handling and preparation of food to ingredient mixing methods and plating and presentation.
The Baking & Pastry program prepares students to create the inviting comfort foods-from warm, oven-baked breads to sinful treats with layers of sweet decadence-that make the culinary field so exciting. These students will be introduced to the tools and techniques used by professional bakers and pastry chefs, with an emphasis on developing the skills, coordination and teamwork required to succeed in the demanding baking and pastry industry.
Baking & Pastry students will learn everything from basic culinary skills development and basic pastry and dessert fabrication to the finer arts and skills of making Artisan breads and baked goods, European cakes and tortes, as well as advanced patisserie, beautiful display cakes and restaurant desserts.
Graduates of both programs are prepared for entry-level employment in various aspects of the food service industry, such as prep-cook, short-order cook and line cook for the Art of Cooking or pastry cook, production baker, decorator or assistant bakery chef for Baking & Pastry.
The Art Institute currently offers an Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management. The new diploma programs will be the first of their kind at the school.
Students and professionals with a passion for culinary can get more information by contacting by visiting http://www.aiculinaryarts.com/orangecounty/ or by contacting The Art Institute Admissions Department at 888-549-3055.
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All Chef Bios
Chef Katie Averill
Culinary Arts Instructor
Chef Katie Averill knew she wanted to attend culinary school two years into her college education. Upon graduating from UCLA with a degree in Mass Communication Studies, Chef Averill moved to San Francisco and attended the chef training program at the California Culinary Academy and graduated with honors.
Chef Averill continued to train under Gary Danko as a pastry stagiere at the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco. From there she was hired at Bix as the Assistant Pastry Chef and was promoted to Chef within months. Chef Averill left Bix when she was given the opportunity to hone her bread skills as Head Baker for Chef Reed Hearon of Rose Pistola. After a short stint with breads, she decided to move back to San Diego. There she became Pastry Chef at Douglas Organ’s two award-winning restaurants, Wine Cellar & Brasserie and Laurel.
For new opportunities, Chef Averill then moved to Las Vegas where several of America’s top chefs were opening restaurants. She was immediately hired to be part of the opening crew for Charlie Palmer’s Aureole in the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
It was in Las Vegas that Chef Averill was approached by famous chef Todd English, of Olives (Boston and Las Vegas), who offered her the Pastry Chef position at a future third Olives in Washington, D.C. Chef Averill moved yet again and opened Olives in November 1999. While at Olives, she was nominated for “Pastry Chef of the Year 2001” by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
After years of opening restaurants for other people, Chef Averill decided to begin construction on a restaurant of her own in Monarch Beach, Calif. She left Washington, D.C in Spring 2002 and, while her restaurant was being built, decided to take up teaching. She began her teaching career at The Art Institute of California-Orange County where she “taught one of the first group of Culinary Arts students and helped lay the foundation of the school’s entire culinary program.”
Chef Averill left teaching in January 2003 to open her restaurant, Mirabeau Bistro, where she spent 100 hours a week handling the management, purchasing and, of course, pastry-making of the restaurant.
After four years spent building Mirabeau to much acclaim, the joys of teaching (and the less-hectic schedule) started calling her back to The Art Institute. Chef Averill returned last quarter to continue training the next generation of Southern California culinary professionals.
Executive Chef Julia Elkins
Culinary Arts Instructor
A graduate of the California Culinary Academy and Epicurean Cooking School, Chef Julia Elkins’ professional experiences are as broad as they are impressive.
Honored with an Outstanding Achievement Award from Executive Chefs 2000 and the American Culinary Institute, Chef Elkins pursues food and teaching with a passion, one which began in a pizza parlor she owned and operated nearly 20 years ago. The first female chef to work at the Grill on the Alley restaurant in Beverly Hills, Chef Elkins followed up her success there as an opening chef at the Daily Grill and five subsequent restaurants in Southern California.
Chef Elkins experience includes food styling and prep food for popular movies and television shows such as Married With Children. She later committed to life on the road as co-founder of Edible Events catering, catering popular rock venues and events, including Woodstock and Lollapalooza. After “settling down” and graduating from the California Culinary Academy, she became Executive Chef at the Sheraton Suites Hotel and, later, Flemings Steak House and Wine Bar before pursuing a career in teaching.
Chef Dominique Fournier
Culinary Arts Instructor
The roots of Chef Fournier’s 30 year culinary career can be traced back to his childhood in Corsica, France and the smell of freshly baked croissants in his uncle’s bakery. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from St. Nicolas College in Paris and a certificate of culinary aptitude from the esteemed Ecole Hôtelière de Paris. He also holds certificates in Safety and Sanitation, as well as Management and Supervision.
Coming to America in 1991, Chef had every intention of opening a restaurant. When his partners backed out, however, those plans were shot down. With dreams and plans down the drain, he chose to stay put and find work rather than returning for his native France. In his own words, he said, “I’m here. I’ll stay.” From that point, he went on to work in innumerable kitchens and made his way up the ranks after putting in hours upon hours of work. His career has taken him from his hometown of Paris, France and throughout the French countryside to Africa’s Ivory Coast and from Washington, D.C. to Southern California.
Chef Fournier has been teaching senior-level students at The Art Institute since January 2000. An accomplished veteran of his craft, he is happy to share his knowledge with his students. He holds high-performance standards for students in his class. He even keeps a plastic toilet seat in the kitchen—a seat of (dis)honor for the dishes he deems unfit to his students’ capabilities.
Chef Rick Royal
Culinary Arts Instructor
With over 20 years experience, Art Institute of California-Orange County Culinary Arts Instructor Rick Royal has a passion for pastries and chocolate that is hard to hide. Specializing in food art and sculptures, Chef Royal recently has gone so far as to create a life-sized motorcycle out of chocolate. Why, you ask? Chef Royal will tell you “because I thought it would be fun.” And that’s not all…Chef Royal and a team of his culinary students hold the Guinness Book of World Records for the “World’s Largest Crème Brulee.” Now that’s a big dessert.
Chef Royal’s reputation is large as well. He’s held holiday gingerbread decorating events for Southern California’s Children’s Hospital patients for more than 20 years, catered large-scale dinner parties for the likes of Paramount Studios, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell and has won numerous culinary awards and cooking competitions.
Prior to joining The Art Institute, Chef Royal served as Executive Pastry Chef at some of the most prestigious resorts in the country, including The Los Angeles Country Club in Beverly Hills, The Four Season Hotel in Newport Beach, Century Plaza Hotel and Towers in Los Angeles and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Atlanta.
Chef Corey Vuu
Culinary Arts Instructor
Chef Corey Vuu’s broad culinary experience makes him able to teach a wide variety of courses at The Art Institute of California-Orange County, including Asian Cuisine, many culinary business classes and Current Cuisine, in which he imparts the cooking styles of various famous chefs.
When he’s not developing the next generation of chefs, Chef Vuu keeps busy running Corey Catering, which he founded in 2004. He gained fame amongst culinary circles in 2003 when he was a partner in and executive chef of Le Jardin, a French fusion restaurant in Fountain Valley, Calif.
Chef Vuu has also worked as a consulting chef for Iron Wok, an Asian Bistro in Fountain Valley, Calif. and a banquet cook at the Hyatt Alicante in Anaheim, Calif. He is a graduate of the Cordon Bleu Program at the California School of Culinary Arts and he holds a bachelor’s of science from the University of Southern California.
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50 Forks Restaurant
Lunch: Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Dinner: Monday-Wednesday 6-8 p.m. (but not offered year-round.)
Restaurant is not open when school is not in session. Please call 714.429.0918 for reservations.
Artful Food.
50 Forks will delight, excite and satisfy you. The Art Institute of California-Orange County’s student-run restaurant, is a California bistro that draws inspiration from culinary regions across America. Students demonstrate the skills they’ve learned through The Art Institute of California-Orange County’s culinary arts program and apply their experience in our real-world restaurant environment. The restaurant is a final passage prior to graduation for final-quarter culinary arts students.
"We designed 50 Forks to be a progressive American-styled restaurant that features the freshest ingredients, friendly and knowledgeable service all in a unique environment where great food is the hero," says Culinary Arts Academic Director Paul Yarmoluk. "Managed and operated by culinary students, 50 Forks allows students to practice the theory and culinary artistry they’ve learned and honed over the past two years in an exact restaurant experience from back of the house operations in menu creation and food preparation to the front of the house in service staff, managers, bartenders and money handling."
Before they graduate, The Art Institute’s Culinary Arts students are required to run all facets of a fully-operational restaurant that’s open to the public. The restaurant is under the direction of two professional chef instructors. The chef faculty oversee every menu selection and overall food quality, temperature and timing as well as the front-of-the-house restaurant operation from customer service and traffic flow to menu pricing and managing the P & L.
50 Forks accommodates more than 50 guests in a casual, stylish setting within The Art Institute campus on Sunflower Avenue, in Santa Ana. The restaurant features comfy chairs, natural light, a fully-equipped professional exhibition kitchen where guests can view students at work and a 20-foot culinary arts mural painted by local artist Jan Le Doux.
All take a back seat to the food. "Big flavors and aromatic pairings with premium ingredients and contemporary presentations embody the cuisine of 50 Forks," says Yarmoluk.
The menu can be described as high value and quality for great prices. The average lunch entree costs $7. Menu specialties include: tortilla shrimp toast, wild forest mushrooms, seared filet of sea bass, grilled jumbo prawns, and seared filet of beef.
Click here to download the Winter 2007 Menu
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