St. Helena, CA – The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone opened at its historic property in St. Helena on
Saturday, January 21. The new restaurant is located at the Williams Center for
Flavor Discovery, the former location of The Conservatory Restaurant and
Greystone Cellars’ original gatehouse, and it offers a table d’hote-style menu and service.
“As part of their education, CIA students are required to
have rigorous real-to-life
experiences in a restaurant environment,” Jennifer Purcell, director of
education, explains. “This new restaurant provides an exceptional educational
experience for our students that will build both their front of the house and
back of the house skills.”
The restaurant is the capstone course for CIA students
completing their associate degrees. It is a culmination of two years of rigorous
culinary, baking and pastry, hospitality, and beverage management instruction.
In this classroom “laboratory,” students create and serve customers creative
contemporary dishes in the refined, yet casual dining room. Dishes are prepared
with the freshest regional ingredients, including items from the CIA’s own
farms and herb gardens.
Both lunch and dinner offer guests a prix-fixe menu with a
variety of options for each course. Diners can select three or four courses in
the categories of Beginnings, Delicate, Robust, and Sweets. Expect to see items
such as Warm Butternut Squash Soup with Duck Confit, Toasted Pine Nuts, and
Cinnamon Crème Fraiche; Braised Five-Spice Short Rib with Pommes Dauphines; Rolled
Pasta with Black Truffle and Root Vegetables in a Roasted Parsnip Alfredo Cream;
and Moscato Poached Pear with Honey Cream, Chocolate Glaze, Ginger Crumble, and
Pear Tuile.
With the opening of this new restaurant, the Wine Spectator
Greystone Restaurant has closed after 20 years. The restaurant will be become
classroom space and a student dining commons.
“As we continue to fine tune our academic programs, we are
always assessing the needs of our students. The planned updates to the
Greystone facility will enhance academics and improve campus life,” says Managing Director Tom Bensel. “At the
same time, the restaurant will be a great new dining addition to the already
amazing culinary scene in the city of St. Helena.”
Gatehouse Restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday for
lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.) and dinner (5:30–8 p.m.). Lunch is available for $32
(three courses) or $42 (four courses), and dinner is available for $39 (three
courses) or $49 (four courses). Reservations can be made by calling
707-967-2300 or by visiting .
The CIA at Greystone also offers a variety of cooking, baking, and wine classes
to consumers, along with a retail store, café, and special events.
Photo Captions and Hi-Res Images:
Photo 1: Gatehouse Restaurant is located at the Williams Center for Flavor Discovery. (Photo credit: Victor M. Samuel Photography)
Photo 2: Student takes order from table at new Gatehouse Restaurant. (Photo credit: Victor M. Samuel Photography)
Media Contact:
Anne Girvin
Manager—Marketing & Communications
707-967-2322
a_girvin@culinary.edu
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier
culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and
hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers bachelor’s degree
majors in management, culinary science, and applied food studies; associate
degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts; and executive education
through its Food Business School. The college also offers certificate programs
and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences and consulting
services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry and its
worldwide network of 49,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the
food business. The CIA has campuses in New York, California, Texas, and
Singapore.
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