Reaching the Summit

The Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State isan increasingly important part of the local dining scene, as students graduate from the new program in the state-of-the-art facility. Now there's a new way for the public to get a look at the program and see what the students are capable of.
The Institute's public restaurant will be opening this month. The Summit will be a fine-dining restaurant open on weekends, giving the culinary students in the program a chance to do co-op jobs that are integrated with their studies. Dean Dan Cayse says they launched a national search for a chef to head the kitchen, and they ended up with a graduate of the program. Matt Winterrowd has worked with Jean-Robert de Cavel, at Boca, and most recently at Daveed's. He and Donna Schmidt, who will be in charge of the front of the house, are the only two employees. Everyone else working at the restaurant will be students. Cayse said he hoped the experience would be so positive that the best students in the program would want to work there. The offerings will change frequently, so students will have a chance to create dishes and shape the menu.

The restaurant has been used before now as a lab for the capstone class that students take, but this is its debut with regular hours for the public.

I haven't yet seen the menu with prices, but Case said it will be affordably elegant, because part of the restaurant's mission is to expose more people to fine-dining experiences. It will be reservation only on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. First night is May 23. http://www.midwestculinary.com/ , 513-569-4980