A new breed of foodie travelers are visiting Florida, but they’re not coming for dinner at the state’s award-winning restaurants, nor for the internationally known food and wine festivals, nor to glimpse a favorite celebrity chef.

Instead, these explorers come to taste the culinary creations of the star chefs of tomorrow. They hit as many of the state’s top culinary schools as they can, where students are the chefs, servers, sommeliers and hosts. They get a fabulous meal at a bargain, and they get to meet young, talented student-chefs who are passionate about food and excited about their budding careers.

Follow the lead of these intrepid gastronomic adventurers, and pull up a chair to sample the coursework of Florida’s culinary students. And don’t forget to have your chefs autograph your menus, just in case they make it big someday.

Chef’s Palette Café & Grill
At the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale

• What it’s like: Gourmet international cuisine. Varied wine selection. Casual, European bistro-like setting. Watch student-chefs prepare meals in the kitchen through huge picture windows.

• Why it’s special: The International Culinary School is, well, international. Your hosts and servers are as likely to be from Colombia, the Bahamas, Italy or Peru as they are to be from Florida. A handful of comment cards say: “We dined here last night and returned,” “Best food in the city” and “Wonderful treat for a tired traveler.”

• Sample meal: Grilled watermelon square with warmed goat cheese crouton, shredded mint and balsamic syrup ($10); butter lettuce salad with fresh strawberries, orange segments, grape tomatoes, candied pecans and a key lime-honey dressing ($9); and Thai shrimp and fish cakes ($16). Fridays, a lunch buffet is offered ($12).

• Details: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Tuesday - Friday. Dinner: 6 - 10 p.m., Thursday and Friday. Reservations recommended. Private parties accommodated.

• About Fort Lauderdale: Miles of glittering canals gave the city the nickname “Venice of America.” Other claims to fame: stunning beaches, golf, museums, fashionable Las Olas Boulevard and the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District.

• Foodie attractions: Mark’s Las Olas, where Chef Mark Militello (touted for helping to put South Florida on the national culinary map) offers original contemporary American cuisine. Trina Restaurant and Lounge at the Atlantic hotel features Mediterranean specialties, fresh seafood, an ocean view and a semi-open, theater-style kitchen. At Mai-Kai, a Fort Lauderdale dining institution, you’ll enjoy a Polynesian dance show with your Cantonese-American meal.

 

Tropibleu
At Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Miami

• What it’s like: Gourmet continental cuisine with a tropical flair (hence the name). No alcohol – but you can bring your own wine, and there’s no corkage fee. Elegant, contemporary fine dining is paired with an open kitchen.

• Why it’s special: This secret dining gem is hidden away in Miramar, just north of Miami, and is found on the campus of a culinary school, but a lack of advertising makes it harder to find. Regulars – locals who live or work nearby – first hear of the place by word of mouth and keep coming back because of the fantastic food and the courteous, knowledgeable student staffers.

• Sample meal: Seared blackened ahi tuna served with a grilled pineapple and jicama slaw ($5.95); prosciutto and asiago flatbread, served with a mixed greens salad ($5.95); duck breast à l’orange with wild rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables ($14.95); and traditional Louisiana-style bread pudding with apples and raisins, served with a bourbon whiskey sauce ($4.95).

• Details:Lunch: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Tuesday - Friday. Dinner: 6:30 - 9 p.m., Tuesday - Friday. Reservations highly recommended, as the restaurant is often reserved for private parties.

• About Miami: One of Florida’s biggest (and arguably trendiest) cities, Miami has everything: world-class nightlife and shopping, see-and-be-seen beaches, upscale and funky neighborhoods, cultural opportunities and ethnic cultures. 

• Foodie attractions: Chef Allen’s in Aventura, where you can sample Allen Susser’s mix of fresh, local ingredients and Caribbean and Latin American influences. The four-day Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, one of the country’s largest and most well-known festivals of its kind, is held in February. Authentic Cuban fare can be found all over Miami.