Absolutely impeccable intuitive service by the head chef, questionable service by the rest of the staff, BUT apparently, most of the staff was out on the day we visited and you also need to give each and everyone of them grace since they are learning every position needed to run a top-tier restaurant so go in with low expectations as well as patience and understanding, and you will not be disappointed! As far as the food, for the experience and the curated plates you receive it is an absolute bargain . The taste was phenomenal and the presentation was beautiful.. I was worried that there would not be something on the menu I was excited about, but they truly tried to speak to every pallet. read more

Du Jour Restaurant - Butter & sculpted sugar - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

This was a great experience! We went for dinner and the food was made and served by the night school students. It's really a great deal. For one price of dinner, you're served an amuse bouche, bread, appetizer and dinner. We really enjoyed our conversations with our server who told us about the culinary school experience. I would highly recommend! read more

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My family and I went to the Arizona Culinary Institute for my birthday to enjoy lunch at the school's fine dining restaurant, "du Jour," a practice facility for the students in fine dining restaurant setting. The menu is changed daily, and lunch and dinner is available throughout the year, during their students' semesters. We started our dining with an amuse-bouche a small bite to enhance the dining experience, followed by appetizer, choice of entree, and, of course, dessert. The food was wonderful. The service was attentive, my only complaint was that they brought dessert before we had completed dinner so we felt rushed our front waiter explained that they have to clear the dining room by 2:00 pm. Next time we will come a little earlier because we like to take our time dining but everything is great and we look forward to returning. Reservations are limited, so I recommend you try to book early to avoid being disappointed. Bon appetite! read more

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I went here with my wife for her birthday as she has always wanted to try this place and I was very impressed! It's run by the students and their teachers. Everyone was very attentive and kind. The service and the price was exceptional. I loved the food. Everything from the amuse, appetizer, my steak, and the dessert was incredible. We will definitely be back! read more

Wonderful experience in having students from culinary school plan the menu, execute the menu, and do a coordinate approach at serving the meal. Dishes were like one gets at a high-end special restaurant - not your ordinary experience. read more

Last night, myself and my sister-in-law had the unique and very cool experience of dining at Du Jour, Arizona Culinary Institute's restaurant. We were told the menu changes daily, but here's what we had last night: The meal began with an amuse bouche of chicken liver pate with apricot jam, candied bacon and a fig glaze atop a cloud-like piece of croissant. This dish was a highlight of the experience. The appetizer I chose was the Louisiana boil which was a playful stack of corn, potato, andouille sausage and shrimp with a toasted slice of bread in a spicy seafood stock. After the appetizer we were served an entrement palate cleanser of mango pineapple sorbet with fresh mint. For my main entree I had the Korean fried chicken with rice and baby bok choy, and my dining partner had the salmon with a dill pickle chip crust (so tasty!) and broccolini. For dessert, we had tiramisu and the trio dessert, comprised of a carrot cake, apple pie and German chocolate cake sampler. A final chocolate amuse bouche was served alongside dessert, I don't know what was in it but it was rich and nutty like marzipan with a crisp chocolate coating. The meal came with bread and butter and a coffee service. It was such an experience and I highly recommend it. The food was delicious! The service can be a bit slow, but I actually didn't mind at all. Lots of restaurants bring your entree before you've even finished your salad and it's just rush rush, eat and get out. At Du Jour, the relaxed pace gave me a chance to relax and savor each bite. Bring some good company and enjoy the food and conversation. read more

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What an amazing deal. Gourmet food. Convenience store prices. Hard working... Student learning... Future world class chefs serving food learning to give great service. Amazing bargains. Remember, the students work for free. PLEASE tip them well. NO EXCUSES. They deserve it. read more

This is a first class restaurant run by passionate students and teachers! The quality and presentation of the food was outstanding and I was blown away by how attentive and kind the students were, and how delicious everything was! read more

Du Jour Restaurant - Dessert trio - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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Du Jour is pretty great considering it's run completely by culinary students! The host tells you up front that the experience is all about teaching students inner workings of the food service industry. Every culinary student rotates through each position in the front-of-house and in the kitchen. You get a great view of their working classroom/demonstration kitchen from the dining room. We went during their first week of classes, so the experience had its ups and downs: baked goods were exceptional, and the careful plating of the dishes stood out. It's an unbelievable value for what you get. Also, the drinks are a good price and are paired well with the entrees. The double pork chop that I had was slightly tough, maybe overcooked, but the seasoning was good. The soup was great and the desserts were memorable. Since it's a classroom based restaurant, they have inconsistent open days/hours- make sure to call beforehand to ensure they're open on the day you want to go. They have two seatings at lunchtime- I recommend going for their first seating so you get time to enjoy the whole experience. I wish the ACI students all the luck in the world in their careers and culinary journey! read more

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The food is prepared by students that takes pride in their work . Service is so wonderful too

I always love supporting students who offer business services, since usually the services offered are just as top-notch as professionals and are often way less expensive. (For example, I love getting massages at Cortiva Institute and have had many happy hair experiences at Toni and Guy Academy, both in Scottsdale.) My recent lunch at the Arizona Culinary Institute's du Jour restaurant in north Scottsdale, the only student-run restaurant in the Valley, blew me away in terms of presentation, professionalism and taste. And considering my three-course meal--which also included an amuse-bouche, plenty of bread, a chocolate and a soft drink--only ran $15, the classy experience was a steal. Head there now for the best lunch value I've found in a long time. Du Jour is open weekdays from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., and students run every aspect of the meal, from greeting visitors at the front of the house, to serving every course. I started with a trio of three chilled vegetarian soups: vichyssoise, gazpacho and sweet pea. I've never had vichyssoise or sweet pea before, and even though I'm not a pea fan, I loved ever bit of the soup. The vichyssoise with pureed potato and leek was so creamy and rich, and I absolutely adored the gazpacho. I'm a bit of a snob because it's a favorite of mine whenever I visit Spain (I've been there six times), and this was just as good as the kind my family makes in Europe. My entrée was a vegetarian rigatoni, with kalamata olives, capers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan cheese and a tomato sauce. It was bursting with beautiful colors and tasty flavors and was such a generous portion, I took half of it home. Dessert was such a fun experience at du Jour. A tray of four delectable items was wheeled out to my table, including carrot cake, chocolate cake and tiramisu. I went for my favorite dessert, tiramisu, and really enjoyed this version. The cream was generous, and the ladyfingers were perfectly textured. Other entrees included roasted pork loin, grilled chicken and baked cod, and entrees range between $14-$18, a great deal for such a filling three-course meal with all the extras. The ambiance is romantically lit, and the atmosphere was peaceful and perfect for unwinding. Besides lunch on weekdays, the Arizona Culinary Institute also features special events such as dinners and wine flight schools. August dinners at du Jour are Tuesday, August 25, through Thursday, August 27, and reservations are taken from 6:30-7:45 p.m. read more

Du Jour Restaurant - My delicious meal -- vegetarian rigatoni, tiramisu, chocolate and chilled soup three ways. - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

Very good service and nachos! And my food was very hot when I got it the cheese was melted very well and the tacos were also amazing really recommend! read more

I have eaten here several times before...and I don't think I have ever left upset, I've always enjoyed my meals, but this time I can honestly say that I enjoyed all of my courses! I was with a group of four other girls. We all started off with the amuse. It was some sort of sous vide duck on toast. It was really good. Next we had our choice out of four starters...I along with three other girls had the sauteed scallop. So beautiful! Four out of five of us ordered the beef tenderloin. It melted in my mouth...It was perfectly cooked. The only bad thing is that I wanted more! Finally, you get to chose from four desserts. I don't like sweets, so I always bring it home to the kids. But, they are so beautiful! Now for the price...my meal was only $13 for everything! It doesn't get any better than that. I also ordered the orangecello for an extra $3. Well worth it! Only sad part is that we were the only table there...Makes me sad! Everyone is missing out. Our server also took us on a tour of the school afterwards! read more

Du Jour Restaurant - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

The school is great. The service is very nice. Depending on the person you get for your server the service is great. I really love that they can put out great food, fine dining food. I had a Tomatillo Coulis which was fantastic. The Wine they suggested went pleasant well with Appetizer that I got which was Swordfish Consomme. The Chardonnay was great. The free bread and Butter Rose was amazing. And my Steak was smothered in a mushroom sauce. My Steak was Medium Rare, perfect. Also ask for a tour of the school, its awesome! Super awesome. And asked to sit by Baking window to watch the students make our bread!!!!! read more

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This is a great restaurant,school to eat at. If you want fine dining on a budget this is another choice in the valley. I have dined here before for lunch and was much more impressed with lunch service. The number one factor is cost for such a great lunch. This visit was a dinner reservation and I was happy with my meal. However the price versus lunch was not worth it for me. I believe lunch to be the better meal and value here. The food can be hit and miss, sometimes I am amazed at the food and other times I was just ok with the food. Still the ok times were better than say a chain restaurant, but that's why its a school. Different chefs all the time so different results. If you are looking for fine dining, great food, lower cost check this place out. You do have to plan it out because they do get booked up weeks in advance. Cheers. read more

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Credit yelp once again in helping me find an incredible place to visit that I would've likely never found without the app. French for "Of the Day," Du Jour is a "classroom" for students attending the Arizona Culinary Institute and the menu changes daily. They practice all aspects of fine dining including hosting, serving, and of course cooking! Four courses is all, it started with a sushi roll piece paired with picked ginger. Then there was a choice of 4 appetizers and I picked the duck confit salad. It was excellently prepared, tasted delicious, and was portioned just right. For my main course, I chose the chicken mole with a blue corn masa. The mole sauce was spicy and amazing! Last but not least, there was dessert. Another choice of four to pick from, I went with the chocolate peanut butter cake. It was wonderful and hard to stop eating despite being full. The service was great, the atmosphere was quiet, and the food was amazing. To top it all off, the prices were about half of what they should've been at any equal quality restaurant. We didn't get beer or wine, just iced tea, but the bill came to less than $40!! Big credit to all the students. They did a great job! I can't wait to go back. read more

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My family and I had dinner with friends last night at Du Jour - this morning we are still raving about it! The food was fantastic - we each ordered something different, and every dish was presented and prepared perfectly. My son even took pictures of the desserts. He was SO impressed with their appearance and the way they were flambeed at the table, (and lord knows it's hard to impress a 12 year old boy). It felt like we were dining at a 5 star restaurant, I had to remind myself that I was being served by students - it was very hard to tell the difference - well done!! We were fortunate to be given a tour of the kitchen. I am a Food Network junkie, so to see the actual, behind the scenes of a working kitchen was fascinating! The students and staff put in long hours, but you could tell they all LOVE & ENJOY what they do! My son is already asking to go back, this time for lunch! We HIGHLY recommend! read more

Du Jour Restaurant - Yum! - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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Wonderful food, atmosphere and service. I have been here several times, each time is better then the last and exceeds expectations time and time again. From the a mouse bouse that changes every few days to the minarde treat that you get with your check. The teachers are kind and knowledgeable about wines. The amazing thing is that the servers are students. The cooks are students. They make me proud to be a student here at ACI. If you want a 5 star meal with 5 star service and 2 star prices come to Du Jour restaurant at Arizona Culinary Institute. read more

Du Jour Restaurant - Pan roster chicken breast - New American Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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Excellent food and atmosphere. The students are a great asset and follow the directions of skilled chefs. Can't wait to go back!

You can get a 3 course meal here for lunch for under $20. Most entrees are in the mid teens and include appetizer/salad or soup, entree, and dessert. A selection of bread and butter is available for you to snack on as well. Comparing the other culinary restaurants I've eaten at, I'd say this one serves OK food, but the others are better in preparation and taste. I had the salmon and ravioli appetizer, which tasted OK, albeit too salty due to the salt crust on the salmon, and the ravioli innards leaked out of the pasta into the bowl it was served in, making it look less appetizing. The entree itself was (poisson rouge) tasted good and was well prepared, but the dessert (black forest cake) mousse was too runny. Service from our main waitress was good. Our water server was probably the most awkward server I've encountered, and he forgot to bring out some items I requested but hey, I give him points for trying. One thing that was weird was that one of the instructors came over and made a snide remark on how I wanted bread for my dessert because I was trying to finish the last piece of bread on the table (I hate wasting food). read more

Took two of my employees for their retirement. The service was a underwhelming however the food was amazing.

If you have the time, you can have a truly gourmet meal at a deep discount. You must realize first that you are working with students. Everyone from service staff, to the cooks are learning. They provide excellent, friendly service. It may be a bit slow - but again - they are learning! They proved knowledgeable about the menu, and are able to remark about which items are allergy friendly. Items can also be tailored to the customer. I have a gluten allergy, and while they gave me options, I chose two dishes that were already naturally gluten-free. I had the caesar salad and the red fish poele. The salad was crisp and fresh, but didn't have as much cheese as I would have liked. Nor did it have the tang I am accustomed to with greek salads. It was tasty, however! The red fish did not disappoint. It was perfectly cooked with a crispy skin, albeit questionably presented. The corn ragout and choron sauce complimented it perfectly! The desserts had the most impressive presentation. I couldn't have most of them, but I had the pot de creme that accompanied a donut dish. And I must say -- the pot de creme was out of this world delicious! They are educated about wine, as well. So bring your refined palate and ask about which wine pairs well with your choice of entreé! There is an excellent pairing ready for every palate. Come out to Arizona Culinary Institute and give these students a chance. They are happy to work with you. Note that it is reservation only, so call ahead. Especially make sure to call ahead if you have food allergies! They are all very accommodating and you will definitely enjoy your experience. read more

Amazing school with a surprisingly good fine dining experience! Very warm and friendly atmosphere. From the waiting room to the dining experience I felt welcome. My meal started with an amuse of a chorizo stuffed date wrapped in bacon. Very tasty, nice combination of sweet and savory. For my appetizer and I went with the humorously mistyped "Cur Ry Shrimp". Though incorrectly typed, the shrimp was flavorful but not too overpowering. This was also accompanied by a Sauvignon blanc which paired very well and cut through the spice of the curry. My main course was reserved for the NY Bordelaise steak. Only mistake of the night was that I asked for my steak medium rare, but received my steak incredibly rare. Still, the sauce was very tasty and paired very nicely with the Merlot that was served. For dessert I barely had a pear tart with strawberries and salted caramel ice cream. I was packed full at this point, so I'm sorry to say, I did not indulge in the dessert. Overall, very well done for a group of students. I will definitely recommend this place to friends and family. read more

Its always wonderful to see the staff is the students. Its a different experience to know they are there to help you. The Du Jour Restaurant is a great restaurant that offers a three course meal with an amuse bouche and mignardise as well as a bread basket all for under 20 dollars. Everything is done by the students. The food was delicious and the service was amazing. At the same time, it takes an open mind to realize that these are students who some have never worked in the industry. Things may not be perfect, but they appreciate honesty on the comment cards as it helps the students learn. I got the braised pork belly, and fresh made pasta with various meats. The desert was a new York style cheesecake. For the price, the service and food is absolutely outstanding. Four stars given only for the forgetting of a bread basket. I told the instructor, who apologized promptly and said she would make a note to the students so it didn't happen again I highly recommended it to anyone who wants a new dining experience. Eating at a school is definitely different, bit I'll definitely go back. read more

I've dined at Du Jour twice now, once before attending ACI and the second while in the management class. Both times were outstanding and for the price, you can't beat it. It's all student run, from the waiters to the cooks in the back, sure there are some mistakes made here and there but you have to remember we are all still learning! All in all, it is a great place to come enjoy a great meal with friends and family for a great price, if you haven't been here yet I suggest you make a reservation right now! Also, ask to take a tour so you can see what the school is all about! read more

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Du Jour is an absolutely wonderful experience! You are served a 3 course fine dining meal by culinary students who prepare and serve the food. There are 4 choices for entree, and the cost is $20 or less. They offered a 4 ounce pour of wine (Malbec or Sauvignon Blanc) for an additional $5. I chose a first course of fresh mozzarella and grape tomato salad with basil . Very light and refreshing. For my main course, I selected a delicate halibut entree with a hollandaise sauce that had a hint of curry. It was served with a mix of asparagus and other vegetables. Absolutely delicious ! Dessert was a vanilla bean cheesecake with a Chantilly cream sauce. The coffee with dessert was excellent as well. I highly recommend Du Jour for anyone who appreciates fine dining at a fraction of the price you would expect to pay . We went for lunch and reservations are required . I believe they are open from 11:30-2:00 for lunch. read more

The instructors who run this classroom restaurant are passionate about your dining experience. Clean, relaxing, inviting, elegant, and superb food. Students learn all about fine dining service and it's truly an art. The food is flavorful, presented like a piece of art, and it's all made fresh, from scratch. You can see a baking class in action through one of the glass windowed walls while dining during lunch. The wine selection is excellent. Cocktails available too! Desserts are rich and full of layers of details. The price for a fine dining experience is such a steal. :) read more

I've had several opportunities to eat at Du Jour for both lunch and dinner and must say, I have never left disappointed, their students are classically trained and are top notch! I highly recommend Du Jour to all my friends and family members. read more

Food was great along with the service, friendly environment recommend too anyone that wants something quiet and relaxing.

2nd time to eat lunch and since the chefs are beginning students it was not as good as the first time. The cream of broccoli soup is really good, the duck confit was a bit salty. The portion size of the entrees were real little and not worth the price this time. Also the chef did not prepare the macaroni properly and gave us just plain pasta with boring italian sausage which tasted like ground beef. also the great ice cream from last time was boring and nothing fancy. So this time just two stars, will try again for dinner to see if anything changes. Great staff and great bunch of students and the staff prefers if you are honest so they can help the students out read more

Apon my entry to du jour I noticed the smell of amazing aromas pouring out of the kitchen. Every thing from the food to the wine was perfect. It was very hard to tell that the fount of house were culinary students. The restaurant was in a very well laid out designed. I would highly recommend du jour restaurant. read more

Great food and atmosphere. Fine dining for a fraction of the price. I always leave happy and full.

Du Jour is short customers for lunch today! Please come and help us learn. Great food, great service, great price and the knowledge you were there when a career began! read more

This is a culinary school. The food is really quite excellent and very carefully prepared. The presentation is always exceptional. There is no question on the freshness. You must have a reservation -- a rather annoying feature. But -- sometimes the wait staff, who are the students, are a bit strange. They are often awkward and act a bit odd. But, 100% of the time they try very hard. And the grand maestro chef hovers around -- and he makes sure that nothing goes wrong. Many of the student waiters are personable and love to talk with guests. The prices are very reasonable considering the quality of the food -- but this is not a 'cheap' place. Overall, the place is great fun and you will talk about it many times afterward. Definitely recommended. They have a substantial wine list, and they can make excellent alcoholic drinks. If you are not from the neighborhood, it is a little quirky to find -- it is about 1/2 block south of Shea on 117 way -- down a driveway that looks like it is going into an office complex. read more

Had a very good lunch with my classmates yesterday here. The staff is prompt and on top of even the small things like refilling water and replacing your silverware. Price is very good for the amount of food you get. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxed also definitely recommend to treat yourself at least once.. read more

I was very impressed with the meal I received here! My entree was a delicious seafood gumbo with just the right amount of spice, and was the perfect temperature! My main course was chicken and it was juicy and seasoned with great flavor. My dessert was the best New York cheesecake I've had in a long time! Overall the service was okay, but that was the only time you noticed that they were culinary students! I am very happy to know that these are the people that aspire to take on the future of our culinary world. read more

The amuse was a date stuffed with Italian sausage wrapped in bacon on a bed of whole mustard. The taste of the date was really good and delightful do wish it was served with a goat or cream cheese to enhance the flavor of the Italian sausage. For my appetizer I ordered the Sautéed shrimp and grouper cardinale with lobster and truffle béchamel sauce. Out all the dishes the presentation is one of the poorest out of all of them. The shrimp was not deveined with the head of the shrimp of the head used as a garnished, to me looped unpleasing. The plate was not clean it had the juice that the shrimp was stored/cooked in before serving on the plate. The Grouper with the truffle béchamel sauce really saved the plate. I ordered the Roasted Pork Loin with potato puree, with an apple brandy demi-glace which was paired with the sauvignon blanc.d to see how the ordered product looks and taste. Presentation of the pork loin and nice with proper portions and appropriate for the evening, two slices of pork loin placed on top of a bed of three asparagus on top of a puddle of apple brandy demi-glace, piped along the edge of the plate the potato puree with a carrot flower in the corner. I was slightly disappointed when i received an over cooked, the asparagus was cooked great and the potato puree was to the main star of the dish I wish I would of gotten more because it was so good. The apple brandy demi-glace was plain and did nothing to the plate in a positive or negative way. For dessert I ordered the lemon buttermilk cake as well as half of the table, presentation was again elegant and proper for the evening. I felt that the other options for dessert were to overwhelming of sugar or two plain and nice salty and sweet addition to the menu would be strongly suggested. The cake was presented with two sauces on passion fruit and the other strawberry and placed on top a gulee and strawberry rose. The cake tasted amazing like always but the layering done by the advance bake shop was un even with the top layer being almost non existing with the bottom layers two thick, even though this was not controllable by the back of the house this really killed the plate in a negative way. The mignardise was almost forgotten by the staff to there conflict among each other. The mignardise was a caramel bon bon, the color and shine of the bon bon was exultant as well as the taste. The service was great and forgot that the restaurant was even run by the Arizona culinary institute student and not a professional staff who have done this for year but instead a group of student who have only done this for a few week read more

I dined at Du Jour Restaurant on February 5th 2015. Justin was are server and welcomed us to Du Jour. He then proceeded to take our drink order and also asked if we would like the wine pairings. After a few minutes drinks were delivered followed by are amuse that was explained by Justin as smoked eel sushi with a wasabi creme fresh and pickled seaweed. The amuse was very delicious and gave me high hopes of our food to come. When the amuse plates were cleared they brought out our bread with three varieties but was never explained to us. The butter rose brought to the table was served cold and to hard to spread on our breads. For my appetizer I had the avocado poached shrimp salad. The shrimp and salad were tossed in the citrus Apple vinaigrette and put on top of a ring mold of avocado. The shrimp was cooked perfect. Dishes were cleared after everyone finished their appetizers and Justin let us know our entrées would be out shortly. I chose the grilled pork tenderloin robert as my entrée. My entrée was served on a very warm plate with a roasted Yukon potato and a medley of sautéed vegetables. My pork was cooked to a medium well consistency but I prefer more on the medium side. The Robert sauce went really well with my entrée. Our plates were removed after everyone had finished and the busser swept the table free of crumbs but for some reason decided not to do my side of the table. Justin then presented us with the dessert cart and I chose the chocolate mousse dome, just because I had made them while in advanced pastry and wanted to try it. The dessert was very delicious and met all my expectations. While dropping off our comment cards Justin also dropped off our strawberry squared shaped jelly mignardise. I did not care for these. The first wine brought out was a Chardonnay just before our amuse was brought out. The wine tasted old to me and not much flavor. Was a shame because I think if it had been a fresh glass of wine it would have complimented both the amuse and my salad. The second wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon it was served at a great temperature and I thought went well with my entrée. It had a very woody flavor to it and I enjoyed it very much. read more

Had a wonderful lunch at this student run restaurant in the Arizona Culinary Institute. The front of house staff was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive. The food was delicious. We started with an amuse bouche of chicken liver on challah with lingonberry sauce. For the appetizer, I decided on the pickled beets and gorgonzola. The presentation was beautiful and the beets were properly tangy and had a nice bite. I opted for the buccatini carbonara for my entrée and the overly generous dish had a well seasoned egg cream sauce. To finish the meal, I chose the lemon mousse, a lovely dessert highlighted by raspberry and passion fruit sauces. It was airy and tangy and the perfect ending to the heavier pasta dish, The menu changes daily here to keep things a nice surprise. They also have featured wines to pair with your dishes and cocktails if you so choose. It is a true fine dining experience for a great price and the students work very hard to provide a wonderful meal. I highly recommend. read more

Always a pleasure and everything was fantastic! Fun place to take my friends that don't know about ACI and/or haven't ever visited a culinary school. The servers/wait staff are able to gives tours of the diferent kitchens (interesting all on their own) and are very proud of their school and the education they are getting. Thank you to everyone at ACI- keep up the great work, food & dining experience! read more