Need A Good Cooking School In Ontario Or Out West.

[juggernaut]

Want to cover bbq, smoking,chicken,fish scallops ,crab lobster,burgers, steaks ribs.and more I'm sure.
I want to open a small diner with the family.

 

[Pancho-N-Lefty]

A few things you can do: Google schools and pick one , they are all roughly as good as the other. However if you are really wanting to get the best education find one that offers at least associates or a bachelors program. If you want to learn from the best of the best then there is no other choice besides CIA in New York / California or Le Cordon Bleu in Canada or Europe. I believe there is one in Montreal .
Or you can learn by experience as an employee for a place that does something in the area you want to learn about.
Lastly, the cheapest and one that takes the most discipline ; buy a bunch of well known cook books in the types of cooking you want to do and cook your way through them all to acquaint yourself with methods and fundamentals in those styles.
However if you are looking to start your own place right away I strongly suggest you do a hospitality degree with CIA or Le. Cordon Bleu as you will get needed learning in the matters of running a proper restaurant from all aspects. Knowing how to cook a rib does not a restauranteur make.

PnL

 

[Smokey503ski]

Their is a Cordon Bleu in Portland Oregon.
Recreational weed is legal. Cool town too.

 

[Smokey503ski]

I graduated from Cordon Bleu.
In all honesty, you will get more experience if you just work in restaurants going through the grind.
I have seen hundreds of chefs fresh out of culinary school not being able to hang on a line. Hold a knife correctly. Being able to follow a recipe. One guy even taking Fucking notes during a Saturday night dinner rush.
I wish you the best is luck.

 

[Pancho-N-Lefty]

With all due respect the programs at the Portland LCB is garbage now . They only offer a diploma program which is crap. He doesn't have time really to go work in the industry from what he implies. Besides that working your way up through kitchens is a waste of your time if your aspiring to be at the top of your game. -let the flame ensue -
Sadly those who will argue with me are the same people who struggle in the mediocrity of the industry so please pay them no mind. Simply put - you train by the best , learn in depth from exceptional programs and surround yourself with the best and you will have a higher degree of outcome, not to say great chefs haven't come from nothing and no school. However to give himself the best chance at being a great restauranteur he should find a high grade program ( emphasizing on both front and back of the house as well as business management)and focus and apply himself diligently( which is the keys in any environment)
There are many types of environments in many different kitchens. High volume to low volume and just as many in between levels of quality. Restaurants have one of the highest failure rates because most people think it will be easy . It's not . It's one of the harder business to maintain let alone be successfull at . There are far to many questions to be asked to really refine the OP's search for a proper answer. I gave the wuickest and most direct answer I could . You want a well rounded education to balance your abilities to understand your whole restaurant. I.e. : a restaurant management degree will get you both front and back education as well as focus on the managing and administrative aspect. It will take years to put all of that together on your own. It's still a year and a half commitment, but better to plan for success than not to plan - which is planing for failure.
1. Find a good to great Restaurant management program
2. Apply yourself 100%
3. Plan your vision and map out how to get to where you want to be as you go through school as your ideas will change and you will have moments of enlightenment.
4. Make sure you and your partners are all communicating honestly about what and where you are taking the business. If you are not then you are two locomotives on a collision course.
5. Pay the right people a fair wage to do the job right for you - be sure you do your due diligence and hire quality professionals ( even your dish guy)
6. Train everyone properly and set up the business for success by having strait forward and concise SOP's

I could go on but for a quick guide to success this is a start. Best of luck to you.

PnL

 

[fishwhistle]

Juggernaut,For real BBQ and smoking you need to hit up a BBQ class,I know divaQ
does classes in ontario,
but for my money id hit up myron mixons school,
http://www.jacksoldsouth.com/cooking-school
Ive taken myrons class and also harry soo's class in california,you can cut alot of time out of the learning process this way,Smoking is an addiction,lol.Culinary schools dont teach this stuff.Hit up some BBQ competitions in your area.

 

[chickenman]

My 2 cents..
When it becomes a business preparing food it is so much work to maintain high quality consistently, the passion is soon lost...
My idea was a supper c club with x amount of folks who will participate 3 days or so weekly sit down together at set hour for dinner, Sunday noonish brunch.
1 set price, one family style dinner, roast chicken one night, roast beef , pasta night, lots of possibilities, served with fresh salad, home made artsian breads, deserts. Vary the menu 10 or so home style family dinners that can be mastered,. also take away heat and eat meals for 2 to 6
Another huge idea, farm to table, really the future IMO.
We have hosted lots farm to table events and the feed back was that the food, service, setting was way more than they ever imagined...better than nay restaurant
Folks will pay for passion...May not get rich....
We have supplied The Little Nell in aspen, regarded as top notch when chef Ryan ran the show.
We also have provided chickens for the aspen food and wine fest. I attended the event and they flew in chef's from all over the world.
I was showing one of our 7.5 lb roasting hens to a famous French chef and he said that that chicken will be tough, it is way to large, you must stew.
We were all checking out my chickens some were cutting up, I roasted the 7 lber. and gave the Frenchie a taste and he replied wonderful..
So it's not tough like you said chef?? He denied ever saying it would be tough LOL...
So my point, follow your heart, try not to over complicate, keep it simple find a small niche you will never know till you try and the best learning is hands on..
Pancho is right a whole lot more to it than just learning to cook however....

 

[juggernaut]

TY
Also just want to cook for me and the family and family function. Just watching the food channel keeps me motivated.

 

[str8smokn]

I love me some Master Chef /and the damn kids too,they kick ass better half the time.
STR8