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The FCI is more than one of the world's finest cooking schools. It's also a launching pad. Thousands of stellar careers and countless culinary stars have taken off from our New York City location, powered by the incomparable training, credentials, connections, and career placement of The FCI. What are some of our grads up to? Just check out these latest happenings.

>> Wylie Dufresne (Culinary '93) WD-50 received a three star review from Frank Bruni. He states that most of the dishes he "tried over the last few months were knockouts." Read the full review at the New York Times.

>> David Chang (Culinary '01) has opened Momofuku Ko. The 14 seat space offers a prix fixe menu that Ruth Reichl described as starting quietly but "building to a crescendo of flavor as the dinner unfolds." Enjoy the rest of her observations at Gourmet.com.

>> Anne Khoobiar Heap (Pastry '05) opened her speciality cake shop, Pink Cake Box, in Denville, New Jersey in late 2007. Her cakes have been featured in Modern Bride, People Magazine, In Style Weddings and NJ Brides. As a testament to her success, Anne and her bakery were featured on CNN Headline News and CNN.com in one of their Small Business Success segments. To view the segment, please visit CNN.com.

>> Michael Cappucci (Culinary '90) was featured in the Staten Island Advance on January 16, 2008. The story outlines the great menu options offered by Cappucci's Trends Restaurant. Read the full story at SILive.com.

>> David Chang (Culinary '01), Lawrence Knapp (Culinary '03), and Christian Pappanicholas (Culinary '01) are featured in the New York Times 10 Best New Restaurants list. David Chang (Culinary '01) is in the #1 spot for Momofuku Ssam Bar. Lawrence Knapp (Culinary '03) is Chef de Cuisine at Park Ave and Christian Pappanicholas (Culinary '01) is part owner of Resto. Check out the full list at the New York Times.

>> Margaret Noon (Culinary '00) was featured in New Jersey's The Star-Ledger. The story explores her active involvement in the growing slow food movement in New Jersey. To read the full story, please visit nj.com.

>> Dorina Yuen (Pastry '00) had her grand opening of Oro on January 21, 2008. Oro, which means gold in Spanish, features fresh pastries, coffee, sandwiches and soups. Oro was featured in the New York Times Online with a great write-up of her opening. Read the full story at the New York Times.

>> Brett Greenberg (Culinary '05) was chosen as a finalist in a cooking competition for a limited run Food Network series called "The Ultimate Recipe Showdown." He will be competing in the category of Comfort Foods with his delicious “French Onion Soup Mac & Cheese.” He will compete against eight other challengers.

>> Vitaly Paley (Culinary '90) and his wife Kimberly received a great review from The Strong Buzz on January 14, 2008. Andrea Strong, who wrote the piece, called Paley's her "favorite restaurant in Portland"! Read the full review at The Strong Buzz.

>> Emma Feigenbaum (Culinary '05) is co-hosting "Everyday Food" on PBS. Emma joins the cast which also includes: Sarah Carey, Allie Lewis, Margot Olshan and Lucinda Scala Quinn. READ MORE

>> Seth Kirschbaum (Culinary '05) has moved to Florida and was recently made Executive Chef of Sublime Restaurant & Bar in Fort Lauderdale. Sublime specializes in natural and organic cuisine and Seth is currently revamping the menu. Visit the Sublime website here.

>> Jerome Chang (Pastry '04) wanted to find a way to offer luxurious desserts at affordable prices. The Dessert Truck which can usually be found parked in the Village just outside of NYU’s Weinstein Residence Hall was a unique way to offer quality desserts at reasonable prices. READ MORE

>> David Chang (Culinary ’01) was named the James Beard Rising Star Chef at the James Beard Foundation Awards on May 7, 2007.

>>Christian Pappanicholas (Culinary '01) is mentioned in New York Magazine for his recently opened restaurant, Resto.

>>Andrew Robinson (Culinary '00) has opened a new restaurant, Tree which was recently reviewed by New York Magazine. 

>>Amy Taylor (Pastry '05) travels to New Orleans to help fellow alumni, Christine Carroll (Culinary '07) with her organization CulinaryCorps as reported by the Coshocton Tribune. READ MORE

>>Wylie Dufresne (Culinary '93) discusses his egg obession with New York Magazine. READ MORE

>>Melissa Murphy (Culinary '95) is featured in an article in Crain’s New York Business on the success of her business. READ MORE

>> Bobby Flay(Culinary ’84) In the Bahamas on March 27, 2007, Bobby Flay ‘84 opens Mesa Grill, his first restaurant outside the US at The Cove Atlantis on Paradise Island. Better pack your sun block and book reservations now! For more information, click here.

>> Christine Carroll (Culinary ’07) is the founder of Culinary Corps, a most worthwhile volunteer organization currently seeking young alumni chefs interested in interning in New Orleans’ fine restaurants, which are struggling to survive in the wake of Katrina. The way we see it, she’s offering mutual benefit: the interns gain exposure and experience in the city’s culture and cuisine; the restaurants gain from interns’ long-term expertise and short-term free labor. For more information about Culinary Corps, please click here.

>> Raymond Mort ’06 wins "The FCI Dedicated Commuter Award" hands down. Already a graduate of our Saturday Wine, La Tech and Essentials of Pastry courses, the intellectual property legal expert returns to The FCI in February to study Chocolate, than again in March for Bread. And he does this by flying here every weekend from his home in Austin, TX!

>> Flip and Dylan Schaffer (‘03). Once upon a time, there was a father and a son, who were estranged from each other for thirty years. But then, the father was dying of cancer, and the son was living with anger, and they both had to heal through the tears... How? Where? When? By learning to bake bread together. At The FCI. Three and a half years ago...That’s the story of Flip and Dylan Schaffer ‘03, as told in son Dylan’s funny, sad and enlightening new book, Life, Death & Bialys, published by Bloomsbury and available online and in bookstores everywhere. Buy this one; it’s full of insight, intelligence, humor and compassion; not to mention little anecdotes about our school, the location of a certain Mecca for rice pudding and Dylan’s own favorite bialy recipe. A good read!

>> Lee Anne Wong (Culinary ’00) recently sat down with ASIANCE Magazine where she dishes on her favorite dish, her most respected chef and her most admired cast member on Bravo’s Top Chef!

>> Kelsey Nixon (Culinary ’05) is Martha’s new apprentice.
This FCI alum is currently interning at Martha Stewart’s company and has used her experience on the job and at The FCI to develop her own cooking show. Her show and website highlight easy and quick recipes that anyone can prepare. Check out her latest mention on New York City’s WB station.

>> Will Andrew Schumacher (Culinary ’04) be The Next Food Network Star?
Watch this FCI alum as he competes for a six-part cooking series on the Food Network starting March 19. Check out his profile and read his diary of his Food Network Start experience.

>>Food Network is premiering its first web-only program starring up-and-coming Food Network star Dave Lieberman. On his show "Eat This" Dave travels the country searching for the hottest food trends. In the premiere episode, Dave tackles "spiced chocolates" and FCI alumni Kee Ling Tong is featured among the chocolatiers! Check it out

>>Lauren Braun Costello (alum and chef/owner of Gotham Caterers),was on WNBC's (channel 4) "Today in New York" on Thursday morning, November 24, between 5 and 7am It's her third Thanksgiving live on "Today in New York". Click here to read more.

>>"Mexicana Mama - N.Y. gem is a great place to visit before an MSG event" Check out the review for chef and Alum Julietta Ballesteros, Mexicana Mama restaurant.

>>Daisy Martinez (Culinary '99) Read about the first Latin American cooking series for PBS and its host, FCI alum, Daisy Martinez. Read more

>>Alisha Lumea (Pastry '04) and Avril Pendergast-Fischer (Fundamentals of Wine '04) have opened Cocoavino.com. They specialize in organic, sustainable and fair trade products. Click here

>>Christophe Poteaux (Culinary '00) is the executive chef at Aquarelle at the Watergate Hotel. Click here to read a review of the restaurant.

>>Luciano Lunkes (Culinary '00) discusses his job as a private chef in The New York Times magazine. Click here to read more.

>>Read about Matthew Kenney's (Culinary '90) latest venture. After a three-year culinary journey, he and his partner opened a raw food restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, in New York City. Click here to read more.

>>MJ Adams (Culinary '89) strikes gold with her acclaimed restaurant, Corn Exchange. Popular with Gourmet and Elle magazines, read about how the Corn Exchange is part of what's putting Rapid City, SD on the fast track. Click here to read more.

Think all grads from The FCI go on to become chefs in NYC? Only the ones that want to do! Many head to other locales, open their own shops or patisseries, or blaze new trails in careers as food writers and editors, stylists, tasters, caterers, food retail professionals, and countless other lucrative positions in the expanding world of food. You can do it all with an education from The FCI. Read below to meet some of these adventurous alums.

And please remember to keep us apprised marketing@frenchculinary.com of your own career progress - we are always happy to know of your accomplishments. Perhaps soon we will see you featured on these pages.


>>FEATURED CULINARY GRADUATES
>>FEATURED PASTRY GRADUATES
>>FEATURED OPENING AND RUNNING A RESTAURANT GRADUATES



Geoff Kruth - From software to glassware in a year - As assistant wine director of Balthazar, Geoff tastes between 5 and 50 wines a day. READ MORE

Patrick Sheerin - Bertolli® Sous Chef Winner - Chef Patrick was named one of the top 10 Sous Chefs from around the country by Bertolli® Olive Oil. READ MORE

Yukari Pratt Wine and Washoku - The FCI's French cooking classes have helped Yukari/Karla marry the sensibilities of the Midwest and Mid-Japan. READ MORE

Deborah Kim Morning Glory - She woke up declaring she wanted to be a chef. In just six months, she became one. READ MORE

Nicole Cabrera and Andrew Mills Some Enchanted Training - Two culinary students found more than a love of cooking at The FCI. READ MORE

Peter Loria The Second Time Around - How cuisine - and life - become love and art. READ MORE

Maile Carpenter Wins Beard Foundation Award - Trolling for tourists or dining with a hero, Maile Carpenter covers the scene for one of the world's great culinary capitals. READ MORE

For Tim Shaw, It's Personal - Chef Tim Shaw has found his niche at last as a personal chef. READ MORE

Cutting To the Edge with Joshua Skenes - Healthy Food/Heady Drinks. Ancient/Modern. Lounge/Not Lounge. Sleep, Fresh, Clean/Noisy, Beatnicky… Teaspace. READ MORE

Steve Bonasia - The Chicken Comes First - A typical week might find Corporate Chef Steve Bonasia just about anywhere - from Laurel, Mississippi to Puerto Rico. READ MORE

Tyler Hawes The Big Cheese - Inspired by his passions, one graduate finds his perfect career at the Artisinal Cheese Center. READ MORE

Harry Baker Harry Baker (’03) came to The FCI with no restaurant experience, aside from a short stint waiting tables in college. Uninspired by his “dry” hospital accounting job, Harry decided to pursue his longtime interest in food and restaurants by enrolling in Opening and Running a Restaurant. As a career changer, Harry chose The FCI because the program was “thorough and quick.” And, as a finance guy, he thought the caliber of the instructors made it an especially good value. READ MORE

Milton Guzman Chicagoan and business school grad Milton Guzman (’04) wanted to open his own restaurant in Chicago, but he felt the best place to prepare himself was at one of the best culinary schools available—at The FCI—where he studied Opening and Running a Restaurant, as well as Classic Culinary Arts and Fundamentals of Wine. Milton also got hands-on experience at two of NYC’s brightest new restaurants, thanks to The FCI’s career placement assistance. Now, he’s back in Chicago finalizing financing and scouting locations. READ MORE

Pat Soto Pat Soto (’03) works as an administrator at NYC’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. Earlier this year, she and her husband (who runs a lodging-only motel in Vermont) bought The Village Inn, a historic inn located in Lenox, Massachusetts. While the purchase made sense for the couple’s long-term plans, they didn’t know the first thing about food or restaurant management. While Pat has an MBA, she knew she needed to understand the dynamics of the industry. What attracted Pat to The FCI was the faculty—the Cornell professors and industry experts. READ MORE

Richard Eng When veteran chef Richard Eng (’04) started getting burned out on cooking, he saw restaurant management as the next logical step. With aspirations of opening his own restaurant, Richard chose The FCI’s Opening and Running a Restaurant. He was impressed by the seriousness of the curriculum and The FCI’s dedication to professionalism and, knowing the value of networking in this industry, he knew he’d benefit from access to all the lecturers, speakers, and Cornell University professors. READ MORE

Frank Vivolo Frank Vivolo (’03), creator and co-owner of NYC’s bar.vetro, is a fourth-generation restaurateur who grew up above one of his father’s restaurants. But Frank didn’t intend to go into the family business. Instead, he got a degree in Information Systems and landed a job at Bloomberg right out of college. A year-and-a-half into it, he found himself thinking about the restaurant business but he didn’t want to just go to work for his father. As Frank explored the possibilities, he considered taking a course in restaurant management. READ MORE

+ The Palms, Turks & Caicos + 21 Club, New York, NY + Per Se, New York, NY + La Fleur de Sel, Brest, France Bobby Flay, Chef-Owner Mesa Grill, Bolo, New York, NY + The Spotted Pig, New York, NY + TV Food Network, New York, NY + Chillingsworth, Brewster, MA Wylie Dufresne, Chef-Owner wd~50, New York, NY + StarChefs magazine, New York, NY + Country Living magazine, New York, NY + The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, MA + Union Square Café, New York, NY + Mizuna, Denver, CO + Four Seasons Hotel, New York, NY + The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, St. Thomas + Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, NJ + High seas yacht management,     Fort Lauderdale, FL + Balthazar, New York, NY Dan Barber, Chef-Owner Blue Hill, New York, NY + Smith & Wollensky, New York, NY + Balducci's, New York, NY + Aria, Fairmont Hotel, Chicago, IL + St. Regis Hotel, New York, NY + Le Cirque 2000, New York, NY + Grandover Resort, Greensboro, NC Marc Vetri, Chef-Owner Vetri, Philadelphia, PA + Balducci's, New York, NY + Marriott Las Vegas Resort, Las Vegas, NV + Wesley Snipes' Personal Chef, New York,NY + Equinox Resort, Manchester, VT + Saveur, New York, NY + Private Yacht, Florida

+ 20o21 (Wolfgang Puck), Minneapolis, MN + Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, New York, NY + Babbo, New York, NY + ESPN Zone, Burbank, CA + BLT Prime, New York, NY + Spice Market, New York, NY Richard Ruskell, Executive Pastry Chef Montage Resort and Spa, Laguna Beach, CA + Hotel Savelberg, Voorburg, Netherlands + Café Gray, New York, NY + davidburke & donatella, New York, NY + Disney World, Orlando, FL + Jacques Torres Chocolate, Brooklyn, NY + Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY + Martha Stewart Living, New York, NY + Fauchon, New York, NY + Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY + Le Cirque 2000, New York, NY + The Herbfarm, Seattle, WA + Cipriani, New York, NY + Country Living magazine, New York, NY + Mercer Kitchen, New York, NY + Carratie, Beziers, France + Canyon Ranch Resort, Tucson, AZ + Chocolate Garden, New York, NY + Knipschildt Chocolatier, Norwalk, CT + DB Bistro Moderne, New York, NY + The River Café, Brooklyn, NY + Star of the Sea, San Diego, CA + MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV + Buttercup Bake Shop®, New York, NY + Sheraton Hotel Seoul, Seoul, Korea + BR Guest Restaurant, New York, NY + Dean & DeLuca, New York, NY + Deer Head Inn, Delaware Water Gap, PA + Egypt Star Bakery, Allentown, PA + Sel de la Terre, Boston, MA + Sweet Melissa, Brooklyn, NY + Restaurant Mestico, Sao Paulo, Spain + Montrachet, New York, NY + Amy's Bread, New York, NY + Saint Basil Restaurant, Fairfax, VA + Via Matta, Boston, MA + Jackson & Wheeler, Pleasantville, NY + Bayard's, New York, NY + Silver Moon Bakery, New York, NY