International Culinary Center

I had the pleasure recently to visit the International Culinary Center in Campbell (ICC.) The ICC is a sister branch of the French Culinary Institute (FCI) in New York, where I attended. I was really excited to check out the facilities and have dinner at the school's restaurant, the Monte Bello room. The school is still figuring out some kinks since opening, and is inviting people in for complimentary lunch and dinner so the students can get practice. The Monte Bello room is a student run restaurant. In the last couple levels of the culinary program, the students work entirely for the restaurant. It's an excellent opportunity to get real life practice working on the line in a restaurant. Guests are given comment sheets to provide feedback for the students. I think it's a crucial aspect of the curriculum for culinary students  and a chance to apply everything they have learned. I loved my experience at FCI so was more than eager to do my part to help the ICC succeed. Unfortunately, the ICC doesn't have the same ambiance of the FCI, but I can understand that they have to work with the limitations of the space--the ICC took over a different culinary school. They're slowly improving and finding their own personality so make a reservation for lunch or dinner and help them along! Really, it's a free meal! Donations (tips) are accepted and the restaurant is currently BYOB until they can obtain the proper liquor license. No excuse to not go check it out!

Now on to the ridiculous amount of food that came with dinner! Clearly some dishes were better presented than others....but it was fun to try and critique them all!