Fine Dining on a Take-Out Budget

Jessica Harp — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:13:12 +0000

Are you looking for a first-rate meal on a take-out budget? Head over to your local culinary school for a great meal at a low price.

Nearly all culinary schools have student-run restaurants, which are opened to the public practically every day school is in session. Since the chefs are at the cutting edge of culinary science, the restaurants offer an innovative assortment of gourmet food at student friendly prices. In layman’s terms, these restaurants offer terrific food at dirt cheap prices. Lunch at your local culinary school will set you back $6 or $7, and a three-course lunch at a nationally recognized school will cost $15-$20.

Culinary schools, however, aren’t the only places to score a great meal with out breaking the bank. Most universities, colleges, and vocational schools with culinary or hospitality management programs also have student-run restaurants. Thanks to larger campus populations, these restaurants are typically open for a combination of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For example, at one large, Southern university, the student-run campus restaurant offers a full breakfast buffet for $5 and a three-course lunch (including drink) for $6.95. Every month, they also host a themed five-course dinner for $15.

If you’re adventurous enough, culinary school meals are also a great way to enjoy fine dining while traveling abroad. When I lived in London, there was a world famous culinary school two blocks down the road from us. Every few weeks, we enjoyed a five course meal, with selected wines, for £10 (about $15 at the time).

More than likely, there are culinary schools or hospitality management programs with student-run restaurants in your area. Fire up your search engine or flip through your phone book to find them! Call them for hours and prices. Also, if you’re looking for catering for a special event, some of the larger culinary and hospitality management programs offer catering services at drastically reduced prices.

Written by Jessica Harp and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Take-out

Fine Dining on a Take-Out Budget