Q&A to Follow with CIA Grad Whose Unique Restaurant is Subject of Film
Hyde Park, NY – A world-class French restaurant opens in Cleveland, OH. Plot twist: this
one is mostly staffed by people with no restaurant experience, either cooking
or serving, and who have just been released from prison. They have to learn—and
quickly—from CIA graduate Brandon Chrostowski, the chef, founder, president,
and CEO of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute. This story of second
chances is the subject of the film Knife
Skills, a 2018 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Short Subject.
The Culinary Institute of America is hosting a free screening of Knife
Skills, followed by a Q&A session with Chef Chrostowski, on Thursday,
May 24 at 3 p.m. in the Marriott Pavilion on the CIA’s Hyde Park, NY campus.
Chrostowski created EDWINS—described by NPR as “a kind of
hybrid restaurant and social services concept”—in 2013 because, he said, he
wanted to provide ex-convicts with a fair and equal opportunity and maybe help
lower recidivism rates a little. Bon
Appétit magazine calls Knife Skills an “inspiring story of a classic French restaurant and the formerly
incarcerated people who’ve made it succeed.”
In addition to a being a restaurant and teaching environment,
EDWINS has grown to include a life skills center with housing, medical care,
literacy programs, and job coaching.
Although the event is free, online registration is
requested.
Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image:
Knife Skills is an
Oscar-nominated documentary about the restaurant created by CIA graduate
Brandon Chrostowski to provide job opportunities for those recently released
from prison. A free screening of the movie will be held at The Culinary
Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY on May 24, followed by a Q&A session
with Chef Chrostowski. (Illustration
courtesy: Knife Skills)
View hi-res image >
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Writer
845-451-1372
Jeff.Levine@culinary.edu
About The Culinary Institute of America:
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 degrees in management, culinary arts, culinary science, and applied food studies, and associate degrees in either culinary arts or baking and pastry arts. The college also offers executive education through its Food Business School along with certificate programs and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of nearly 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food business. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.
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