There is an age-old romantic adage that the way to one’s heart is through the stomach. This amorous belief is celebrated by the students and teachers at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.
Nestled within the cul-de-sac of Table Mesa shopping center in South Boulder, you will find yourself a bit west of France. Still, the celebrated French gourmand’s signature mustache and glinted eye, which adorn the school's facade, will invariably make you curious as to what is on the stove inside. No passport is necessary, just a strong appetite.
The Boulder campus’ success (Austin, TX and Online are the other culinary hubs ) is evident by the fact of its current campus expansion. The school has now made extra room for more classes, students, and community events. The newest additions showcase multiple test kitchens, modern updated classrooms, and the sparkling new Frasca Mixology Lab (caution to the reader if you suddenly find yourself incredibly thirsty). In this hive of activity, hundreds of soon-to-be professionals will learn the rules of the game, and we are all the better for it.
The Maitre d' training this next generation of chefs, bartenders, and hospitality entrepreneurs is Campus President Kirk Bachmann. Bachmann has decades of experience as a result of growing up in a family of chefs and is now the 4th generation in the family trade. As a result of that culinary upbringing, he finds great purpose in the profession. “If I had my way, everyone would be in the classroom learning how best to take care of each other, and the basic ingredient within that recipe is comfort," says Bachmann. "Cooking has the magic of keeping everyone in the same place for longer than five minutes undistracted and committed to each other’s success, that skill set applies to all endeavors!”
With that winning mindset, he has assembled an incredible team of dynamic professionals whose dedication to the art and science of the kitchen is evident in their remarkable experiences traveling and inhabiting the food world.
Chef Instructors Richard Jensen and Susan Kaiser Yurish lead their students through the examples of their stories. Jensen started out his education in cuisine at military bases where his family was stationed. “Most groceries were government-issued," Jensen says, "so it would be large blocks of cheese with just the word CHEESE stamped on the package!” Jensen laughs at the memories and how he navigated that to eventually finding himself working at the Michelin-starred Meadowood in Napa Valley. “I have worked all of the stations in the kitchen," says Jensen. "Whether that be Hydro Ceramic Technician (aka dishwasher) to carving ice sculptures and making terrines. It all is about applying the basic military principles of improvise, adapt, and overcome. Allow your passion to be your guide.”
The practical does not eliminate the possible at the school, though. A more holistic philosophy can be found in the wisdom of Chef Yurish, who leads the general education track (business management/entrepreneurship): “You can’t be faint of heart or quit when it gets hard, as the renowned Thomas Keller states. As a chef, you nurture, and what we as culinary professionals do is exactly that—we nurture, and we make people feel replenished.”
Chef Bachmann exudes pride when speaking of his team, “There is over 20 years of real-world experience in each Chef Instructor. You are taught multiple tricks of the trade, but the most important one is not a trick at all; it is the simple lesson of hard work.”
With disciplines ranging from Farm to Table, Hospitality/Management, Plant-based Nutrition, and my favorite, Baking & Pastry (I have submitted an application for taste tester in training, “more butter please”), there is no shortage of avenues to success. Whatever your interest, there is a way to satiate your curiosity.
The offerings are not limited to enrolled students, though, so keep an eye on the community classes that anyone can attend. These evening opportunities have been an incredible success, especially in these most daunting months of culinary expertise.
“We are so happy to help everyone conquer these mashed potato mountains of expectations!” Bachmann notes. ”In just a few hours, we can make you savvy enough that the in-laws will be envious as to your culinary prowess. Additionally, the Frasca Mixology Lab will train you to make that Christmas cocktail become a standard of excellence.“
Let’s raise a glass and toast that shortcut to the good life.
"We nurture, we are here to make people feel replenished."