The Center for Advancement of Foodservice Education, where our mission is to: “Connect the Foodservice Industry with the Foodservice Classroom.”CAFÉ is the most dynamic resource for those who TEACH, TRAIN, MENTOR, IDEATE, INTERACT WITH, ADVISE, AND CHALLENGE students of the culinary arts.  With nearly 1,000 culinary and baking programs from coast to coast. CAFÉ is the most respected support organization for those involved in educating tomorrows chefs, bakers, pastry chefs, savory chefs, and culinary entrepreneurs.

Although not a chef, Mary has been involved with setting standards for a chef’s educational experience as well as providing ongoing experiences linking the foodservice industry with the foodservice classroom. Her experiences include ACF accreditation and certification criteria as well as setting up summer institutes and other events for culinary educators in order to help them maintain their expertise in both cooking and education.  She looks at the current challenges facing educators and is proud to help them pivot their programs to include new delivery methods and even more importantly, discover new partnerships with industry via the CAFÉ website, Gold Medal Classroom magazine, and events such as the annual Deans and Directors Retreat and yearly Leadership Conference.

Born with his feet planted firmly in the soil of Louisiana and the swampland of the Bayou, John Folse grew to become Louisiana’s worldwide ambassador of food.  As the foremost practitioner of Cajun cooking – Chef Folse represents this melting pot cuisine through his original restaurant Laffite’s Landing and currently in partnership with Chef Rick Tramonto at restaurant R’Evolution Additionally, his John Folse Companies include catering at White Oak Plantation, a PBS television series, publishing company, food manufacturing facility, and the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nichols College.  This authentic southern gentleman has been there for Louisiana as it recovered from incredible disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.  Chef Folse fought with the chefs, cooks, and restaurateurs of Louisiana to preserve and rebuild the region's strong culinary culture.

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Chef John Folse.

Since the early days of America’s great restaurants it has been the restaurateur – the person with the extended hand, warm smile, great stories, nurturing hospitality and firm handle on how to control the fragile finances of operations that defined an industry so essential to American lifestyle.  The need to gather, break bread, enjoy wonderful meals with family and friends, and feel that special touch of sincere welcome is core to a quality life. Those restaurateurs may share the limelight with well-known chefs, but make no mistake - they are the reason why a restaurant may flourish. One of the most prominent restaurateurs in America is Drew Nieporent – the founder and inspiration behind the Myriad Restaurant Group that has opened nearly 40 restaurants around the world over the past 30 years.  Drew, a graduate of the Cornell Hotel School, is responsible for restaurants that we are all familiar with:  Tribeca Bar and Grill, Montrachet, Batard, Corton, and of course: Nobu.  All of his restaurants are award winning, reflecting the level of excellence that he expects – the New York Times and Michelin Guide agree. Join us for a chat with Drew Nieporent on CAFÉ Talks podcast.  Listen in as he shares his thoughts about the current state of the restaurant industry, the challenges ahead, the role of the restaurateur, and what culinary graduates need in their bag of tricks to find success in their chosen career.

What will tomorrow bring? This is a question that keeps many people awake at night. How do I prepare for what is uncertain - is it possible to really plan ahead? Jack Uldrich is a future thinker – a person whom many organizations lean on for guidance as they realize that the only thing that is certain is that change will come with them on board or in spite of them – so they had better collectively become proactive. Join us for another great episode of CAFÉ Talks as Jack Uldrich walks us through a process of “unlearning” so that the stage can be set for effective personal and organizational evolution and a “strategy set to survive and thrive in an era of unparalleled change.” Jack’s work with Fortune 100 companies, venture capital firms, not for profit organizations and regional governments has set him apart as a true visionary on those factors that will alter the way we think, work, and act in the future. This “not to miss podcast” is high energy, focused, and so very relevant-today. Whether you are a chef, restaurateur, foodservice manager, educator, or student – you will feel Jack’s spark of enthusiasm and positive logic as he addresses change process, innovation, and planning for the unexpected.

From his early days growing up in New Jersey within a family deeply rooted in great cooking, Chef Keith Taylor loved everything about the kitchen. Visits to New York City restaurants with his uncle and alignment with his grandmother – a professional cook – Keith would eventually meet and spend quality time in the kitchen with Chef Patrick Clark – a chef of great renown in America. His career was self-determined at an early age and through culinary school and later working at Disney, Hilton Hotels, sporting arenas with teams like the NJ Devils and the New York Giants – Chef Taylor developed a reputation as a solid culinarian who knows logistics, is a strong leader, and a strong personality with the knowledge to run a profitable operation. Now the owner/operator of Zachery’s BBQ and Soul Food and Chef Soul Enterprises, Chef Taylor has earned a reputation as one of America’s premier proponents of Soul Food and the flavors and history of southern style cooking. He is an eloquent speaker, a motivational force, a successful entrepreneur, and a spokesperson for operating kitchens with heart.Join us for a deeply personal and inspirational episode of CAFÉ Talks with Keith Taylor – chef, businessman, leader, husband and father.

Thinking creatively is natural during youth and not so much so as we age. Factors including group dynamics, the structure of formal education, peer critique, and fear of being scorned for thinking outside the norm – make it far more difficult to be creative in our approach toward opportunities and challenges. Bob Eckert is the CEO of New and Improved – a company dedicated to helping others work together, reinvigorate their creative energy, and in the process innovate towards new and improved ways of solving problems and creating those opportunities. Join CAFÉ Talks for a lively, reflective discussion with Bob Eckert about this creative process and how it might help individuals, businesses, teams, and schools address their challenges and set a course for a bright future.

The experience of dining would not be complete without a great, appropriately matched bottle of wine. What goes into the production of that bottle is a long process that begins with the farmer and the terror. The quality of the wine, as every vintner will tell you, is determined by the quality of the grape and the grape depends on the soil, the sun, the temperature, amount of rainfall, and nurturing from the person who works the soil and cares for the fruit. Great wine makers try to let the juice of the grape and the fermentation process speak for itself. After harvest and the crush, the juice of the grape, through fermentation - is allowed to evolve – converting natural sugars into a juice that reflects the character of the terror and the palate of the wine maker. Understanding the complexity of the process, the passion of the vintner, the science of the wine maker, and the vision of the chef who must match food and wine for the best experience, is the craft of the importer and exporter. Join us as Jack Edwards of The Jack Edwards Collection talks about his role in helping to bring the very best wines from their source to the restaurant table and his thoughts about the importance of wine education. Jack’s experience with the people of wine, and knowledge of the product itself will open a fruitful discussion on this podcast episode. You won’t want to miss it.