The Culinay Institute of America

I attended a CIA boot camp class with my daughter. The staff was very helpful, but the chef instructors really set the tone for the course. It was very informative, challenging and highly rewarding. I will never cook the same way after attending this course.
I learned that I had been doing some things right and some things totally wrong. The course taught me why.
Try the restaurant and the on-​site store.
The Teaching Company has several courses taught by Bill Briwa, a chef-​instructor at St Helena. They are excellent.

Very friendly staff. Very knowledgeable about the history of the school. The staff in its you to walk around and take pictures. The food in the café consists of combinations you may not have heard of but don’t let that stop you from trying a salad or sandwhich. It’s awesome. Even my 16 year old loved it. We were given complimentary tickets for wine tasting for near by wineries. Just awesome and a very warm feel!

Love the garden. Was there for early dinner last year and really loved the food. Our waiter was a little nervous and so my husband started talking to him about the city and how long he was in the program etc. and a couple minutes later he was relaxed.
I had minced lamb with peas, in Urdu it’s also known as keema matar and really loved it. Brought memories of lahore, will definitely visit again.

This is a very special place — once a 1890s mansion that was donated to the Christian Brothers and they made wine first for them selves and then also for the public to help support them and keep the mansion going for there service to God and kicking my butt in high school. And God blessed us all with their wonderful wines — I was there any times in the 1960s (I’m older than dirt).
Now decades later it is well kept as the Culinary Institute of America (CIA — Very funny) and the students and faculty run a restaurant as a training ground and experience builder. And what a great experience it is to dine there and I’m sure the cooking classes are world class judging by the results. We have dined at east coast restaurants that boast that their chiefs graduated from the CIA.
This place to me is very special and I’m sure you will treasure it too — Enjoy !!!

I ate here a while back and returned for the food and got great food and an amazing view. I love the idea of eating what the CIA students made. For starters we had an amazing artisanal cheese plate with fruit compote and a plate of olives. For the entrée we had the NY Strip Steak and Napa duck with Yukon potatoes. Dessert was an amazing flour-​less chocolate torte with raspberry sorbet. We each had a glass of Mumm bubbly. Overall a great experience especially since we were seated outdoors facing a magnificent view.
I also recommend checking out the museum of artifacts and the gift store. Take the Silverado trail to avoid the traffic is my recommendation.