City: Scottsdale, AZ

Category: Education

Telephone: (480) 990-3773, (888) 356-6666

Address: 8100 E. Camelback Rd.

Description: With its many resorts, hotels, and fine restaurants, the Valley is a natural location for training chefs. The institute, in operation since 1986, offers an Associate of Occupational Studies degree in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts, a 15-month program, and the Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking Certificate Program, which lasts 9 months. The school also offers certificates in Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality and Restaurant Management and Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Management. All programs provide intensive, hands-on learning, and the school’s graduates have gone on to great jobs, locally and elsewhere, as sous chefs, pastry chefs, and banquet managers. The Institute’s L’Ecole Restaurant, which boasts a four-star rating on Yelp, is a classroom, laboratory, and public restaurant. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Friday. Call (480) 990-7639 for reservations. The institute has a second campus, Sky Bridge, in downtown Scottsdale, with additional classrooms, kitchens, and new student-run bistro-style cafes, L’Ecole and L’Academie Cafe, both of which are open for lunch and dinner Monday to Friday.