American Harvest (Hudson, Schoolcraft: top schools, university, to live in)

[Coldjensens]

I probably should keep this as much of a secret as possible, but we discovered a really super dining treat available to SE Michigan residents.

Schoolcraft college has a chef school. It is supposedly one of the top chef schools in the USA (some say second only to the CIA). They operate a restaurant inside the school called American Harvest. They serve some of the best and most creative foods you will ever have, and the desserts - wow. However the pricing is very reasonable. The one downside is it can be quite difficult to get reservations. oh and BTW, they also apparently have a brewing school as well. We did not have any of their beer since we ate there for lunch, but if their beer equals their food, it will be a real treat.

It is also very hard to find. It is inside a building that says "Vistatech" or something like that on it. There is nothing to indicated there is a restaurant in this building, no sign anywhere. In fact it looks like a company headquarters building not a university building. When you go inside, you think you are not in the right place. Just keep walking. Down the hall around the corner is the little restaurant with the biggest fanciest kitchen you have ever seen, and possibly the best food you will ever have. Certainly the best food for the money.

Maybe some of you know about it and have been there, if not. go try it. Just please do not tell your friends. If everyone starts going there, I will never be able to get in again, or they will raise their prices.

[Jomz]

Our company used to have training sessions in Vistatech. Sometimes the chef school would being desserts to training sessions.
It is amazing and creative.

[leroythelion]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Schoolcraft college has a chef school. It is supposedly one of the top chef schools in the USA (some say second only to the CIA).

I'm sure the food is delicious, but the ranking doesn't seem right. I had always heard that HFCC had the best culinary school in the State. Perusing a few top schools lists seems to qualify that.

[usroute10]

Thanks for sharing. I knew Schoolcraft had a culinary school and restaurant, and I even researched their list of classes one time, but I didn't know the restaurant was so unique. I also was aware of the Henry Ford one as well. I am going to have to check out both of these restaurants.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by leroythelion

I'm sure the food is delicious, but the ranking doesn't seem right. I had always heard that HFCC had the best culinary school in the State. Perusing a few top schools lists seems to qualify that.

I guess I could have just looked it up.

According to this, we are both wrong. OCC has the best culinary school in Michigan. Henry Ford is not far behind.

Schoolcraft does not even make the list. Funny I had always heard they were right behind the CIA.


https://thebestschools.org/rankings/...inary-schools/


Looks like it is massively subjective. This one says Ferris State is the best. https://www.niche.com/colleges/searc...ts/s/michigan/

Schoolcraft does not make this list either.


Yet another. Perhaps if I keep looking I will find one with schoolcraft on top.

http://www.bestchoiceschools.com/ran...ools-michigan/


It looks like schoolcraft's specialty is pastries and brewing. Maybe they are on top for ne of those. I am tired of looking though.



Still the restaurant is awesome. Regardless of rankings. If you want really great food at a good price, this is the best place we have found since moving back to Michigan in 2005.

[leroythelion]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

I guess I could have just looked it up.

According to this, we are both wrong. OCC has the best culinary school in Michigan. Henry Ford is not far behind.

Schoolcraft does not even make the list. Funny I had always heard they were right behind the CIA.


https://thebestschools.org/rankings/...inary-schools/


Looks like it is massively subjective. This one says Ferris State is the best. https://www.niche.com/colleges/searc...ts/s/michigan/

Schoolcraft does not make this list either.


Yet another. Perhaps if I keep looking I will find one with schoolcraft on top.

Top 10 Best Culinary Schools in Michigan 2017


It looks like schoolcraft's specialty is pastries and brewing. Maybe they are on top for ne of those. I am tired of looking though.



Still the restaurant is awesome. Regardless of rankings. If you want really great food at a good price, this is the best place we have found since moving back to Michigan in 2005.

How long is the wait to get a table? I used to live in the Hudson Valley in NY and they said the wait to get a table at CIA was 6 months. My kids were young at the time so we didn't try. No such thing as online reservations back then.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by leroythelion

How long is the wait to get a table? I used to live in the Hudson Valley in NY and they said the wait to get a table at CIA was 6 months. My kids were young at the time so we didn't try. No such thing as online reservations back then.

For lunch on a snowy Wednesday, I booked the reservation the same day. They want you to use Open Table a reservation app. The place was full when we were there. When I asked about dinner reservations, the waitress told me she thinks their dinner reservations are booked through the end of the semester, but she was not certain.

I got to eat at the CIA same day I arrived when I was visiting there, but that was because I was picking up a friend who was a student there. Funny anecdote - at the time the students claimed CIA meant "Chicken In Abundance" (they also had a really dirty/nasty interpretation of the acronym that i will not repeat). This was long before most of the current students were born, so it is likely different now.