Robert studied hotel administration at Cornell before launching his New York City restaurant career with Restaurant Associates at Rockefeller Center. He went on to work with restaurateur Dr. Joe Santo at Arizona 206 and Bolivar, where he met his now-partner, Chef Andy D’Amico. Robert opened Marseille in 2001 with Simon Oren, where Chef Andy later joined. The the three partners went on to open Nice Matin in 2003 and Nizza in 2007. In 2008, they introduced 5 Napkin Burger, which by 2013, was voted Zagat’s 12th most popular restaurant in NYC and one of the 50 Break Out Brands in Nation’s Restaurant News. Robert’s expertise in casual fine dining concepts extends to Playa Betty’s and Schmackary’s, where he is the managing partner. He’ll share insights about his approach to restaurant food, beverage, design, service and team management.
You will work in teams to execute the class menu. At the end of class, participants gather to enjoy the food they have prepared. Wine is served with meals in most classes. All class menus are subject to change. While a snack platter is offered in both morning and evening classes, you may want to consider a light snack before joining us for class. Students are encouraged to bring a light lunch or dinner to all pastry classes.
You will work in teams to execute the class menu. At the end of class, participants gather to enjoy the food they have prepared. Wine is served with meals in most classes. All class menus are subject to change. While a snack platter is offered in both morning and evening classes, you may want to consider a light snack before joining us for class. Students are encouraged to bring a light lunch or dinner to all pastry classes.
Learn to prepare mouthwatering versions of fresh seafood dishes, along with a range of universally useful cooking techniques. From grilling to frying to stewing, you can't go wrong with these dishes (including sides) that you might otherwise only find in restaurants. We'll even make cioppino, the mouthwatering Italian-American seafood stew that originated in San Francisco in the 1800s. Your seafaring menu includes: fried calamari with a spicy avocado dipping sauce; grilled salmon with tapenade and smashed potatoes; and cioppino (seafood stew of clams, shrimp, scallops, mussels, fish and tomatoes).
One of the world's oldest cultures, China has a complex cuisine, with a range of regional dishes often not found anywhere outside of the country. Some techniques, ingredients and dishes are similar throughout all of China; this Essentials class focuses on those, giving you a well-rounded overview of Chinese food and culinary culture. From stir-frying and braising to steaming and red cooking, you will learn to use traditional Chinese techniques to make a menu that includes: scallion pancakes with dipping sauce; red-cooked chicken with rice; dan dan noodles; and Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce.
A flaky, sweet, buttery crust can separate a professional tart from an amateur one - and after this class, your tarts will certainly stand out from the rest! Let experienced ICE pastry chefs guide you through creating the perfect tart crust from scratch. Learn the same techniques used by ICE career pastry graduates as you make and work with pâte sucrée, then combine it with pastry cream and fresh fruit toppings to make tarts that will impress guests, family and friends alike. We'll make: pâte sucrée; pastry cream; and fresh fruit toppings.
Ranked as America’s Best Culinary School (USAToday 2019), our roster of Chef-Instructors have run top kitchens around the globe.