Spice Of Life Cafe

Get the pork belly. Skip the salads. Be patient with the wait staff, they were trying really hard.

Like other reviewers have mentioned, this is a restaurant located in The Art Institute and is run by the students. All tips go to funding scholarships. They have very limited hours so you have to plan your visit well.
You often hear, «Good. Fast. Cheap. Pick two.» Miraculously you can have all three here. The place still seems pretty unknown so there’s no real crowd. You’ll be sat immediately and the food doesn’t take long. The food is excellent and extremely cheap at just $ 8 for a main course. I had been told that the food was high quality and with it being lunch, I expected tiny portions. The main courses were quite large though. I had the salmon and it was delicious. I managed to see all of the main courses and they all looked great, even the pork. I was adventurous and had their cherry limeade and found it very tasty. The drinks are free by the way. I had chocolate bread pudding which was good but nothing like bread pudding in my opinion or my friend’s opinion.
The service was excellent.
From talking to a teacher there, I learned that the restaurant has really improved lately by paring the menu down and having the students split between working the kitchen and front of the house rather than both. I believe there were only 14 non-​drink items to order including appetizers and desserts. So those who came here In the past may find it even better than before.

This is a teaching kitchen. Some days food will be better than others. As such, be patient, but expect that the food may be over seasoned and not properly cooked.

This place is truly a hidden gem! I am almost hesitant to write about it, as I don’t want it to get too crowded! I was lucky in that my company moved into the building across the courtyard, so I was able to stumble upon it. Since then, I have brought many of my friends here, and they all rave about it to anyone that will listen.
The Spice of Life Café is associated with the Art Institute’s Culinary School. This is a student run operation, so all the proceeds go right back into scholarships. However, what makes this lunch spot special is the value they provide. For $ 7.00, you get a drink, soup or salad, and an entrée. The menu changes every quarter, and have included entrees such as Lamb Chops, Mahi-​Mahi, and Veal Piccata.
It is important to note that they are only open on Thursdays and Fridays from 11:00 AM — 12:30 PM. If you are going to have a party of more than 4, they ask that you make a reservation. But, definitely make the effort, as you will not regret it.

One of my favorite parts of Unilocal is both discovering hidden gems and then sharing them with others. Grab a pencil, people who enjoy food, and take notes. Class is in session for this one.
Spice Of Life is the café attached to the Art Institute International’s school, as part of the culinary wing. It is only open on Thursdays and Fridays for lunch. It has no website. There is no sign. If someone did not tell you it was there, you would have absolutley no idea.
And that, my friends, is a shame. Because this place is amazing.
The Spice of Life Café is a real restaurant, run by the students in their final quarter of school. After this, they go on to work in some of the best restaurants in the world. For now though, they cook here, and my god do they do it well.
To find it, go to the main building of Aii (the one facing the street), park in the free parking lot and take the elevator up to the fourth floor. Here is where you’ll find the café (I told you, hidden.)
The food is just amazing. You’ll have your normal fair of burgers and salads but there’s also gourmet items like lamb chop, catch of the day and ahi tuna dip appetizers. Everything I had was delicious. And the price? What! It was $ 7 for the lambchop which came with potatoes, vegetable and was arranged as a gourmet plate on fine white dishes. This meal would easily be $ 20+ anywhere else. Half of that here.
The students help design the menu and then cook, overseen by a chef instructor in the kitchen and another on the floor. The service was great and our waiter constantly came to check on us and make sure we were ok.
Here’s the best part — the money they make from this spot goes directly to scholarships for other students. Fantastic.
My only, only lacking bit is the ambiance, which as a tiny-​one room café is lacking a little. However, this is more than made up for by the giant windows at the end of the room overlooking the area AND the windows looking right into the kitchen, so you can watch these professional chefs do their thing. Take a walk down the hall after you are done with your meal — more kitchen classrooms with windows to see everything that’s going on. So cool.
It’s a drive to get there, and it’s kind of a mystery to find it, but when you do, you’ll be glad you did. Hidden Gem: Discovered.