Culinary Institute of America

Culinary Institute of America Review

The West Coast headquarters of the Culinary Institute of America, the country's leading school for chefs, are in the Greystone Winery, an imposing building that was the largest stone winery in the world when it was built in 1889. On the ground floor you can check out the quirky corkscrew display and shop at a well-stocked culinary store that tempts aspiring chefs with gleaming gadgets and an impressive selection of cookbooks. Attached to the store, at the Flavor Bar, you can experience a guided tasting of certain types of ingredients (for example, chocolate or olive oil) to gain a greater understanding of them ($10 to $15). Upstairs, if there are no special events going on, you can browse their Vintners Hall of Fame, where winemakers past and present are commemorated on plaques fastened to 2,200-gallon redwood wine barrels. One-hour cooking demonstrations ($15) take place on Saturday and Sunday; call or visit the Web sites for time and reservations, or to get information on longer, hands-on cooking classes on a variety of subjects.