Culinary Arts School Offers Full Menu

The Orange County School of Culinary Arts opened its doors this week to everyone from those who have trouble cracking an egg to those who want to brush up on ice sculpting techniques.

The school, housed in a renovated Fullerton restaurant, is run by the North Orange County Regional Occupation Program, which provides vocational training to people over the age of 16.

The program ran a small culinary arts program for several years, but decided to create the school to meet a growing demand, school administrator Paul Ratkovich said.

“We just opened the doors last night and we’ve already outgrown the place,” Ratkovich said. “People are calling this Orange County’s best-kept secret.”

More than 400 students have signed up for everything from basic cooking to advanced pastry.

The school faculty includes former head chefs at Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and Disneyland hotels.

A steady stream of aspiring chefs toured the school this week, admiring walk-in refrigerators, a mixer the size of a small car and a custom oven that can hold more than 150 pies.

“Before we were in something like a ma and pop restaurant,” said student Richard Rives of La Palma, who has taken ROP culinary classes for about a year.

“But this is like a Spago’s or something.”

Ratkovich also hopes the school will provide a center for community events.

Four days a week, the dining room will serve gourmet lunches for the price of a fast-food burger to families of students, local school district officials and government employees.

Registration for classes will remain open until all 570 spots are filled.

Registration is free for high school students and $40 for adults. Most classes have a materials fee.

Information: (714) 738-4243.