In the News
August 2023
Meet the First-Ever Recipients of the Fonda San Miguel Restaurant and Austin Community College District Culinary Scholarship
Introducing Jacob Pham and Nicolle Rivera Martinez! When the Fall Semester begins on Monday, August 21st, the two ACC District students will be the first to reap the rewards of a groundbreaking career scholarship agreement that serves to prepare students to become future leaders in the culinary world.
This video clip shows Fonda San Miguel’s Executive, Chef Blanca Zesati, leading them on a tour of the kitchen where they will begin working next week when the Fall Semester begins. The video clip also includes SOT with Blanca Zesati, Executive Chef, and Nicolle Rivera Martinez, ACC Student, in Spanish.
The scholarships are a tribute to the legacies of Diana Kennedy and Miguel Ravago, Fonda San Miguel’s co-founder and Executive Chef who died in 2017. Kennedy was a world-famous authority of Mexican cuisine, who died in 2022, at the age of 99. She was a close friend of Ravago and Fonda San Miguel owner, Tom Gilliland. Gilliland says, “Jacob and Nicolle will continue the legacy of Miguel and Diana who both believed in sharing knowledge and elevating true Mexican food to its deserved place at the top of world culinary rankings.” He adds, “This is just the start of our collaboration with ACC to support students interested in building culinary careers.”
About the first-ever ACC District Career Scholarship Recipients
From Puerto Rico, Nicolle Riviera Martinez is bilingual and a graduate of the University of Idaho where she earned a Hospitality degree. She hopes her hands-on kitchen experience at Fonda San Miguel will set her on a path to opening her own restaurant featuring the Puerto Rican cuisine she came to love and appreciate as a child.
Jacob Pham, born in Kentucky and raised in New Braunfels, attended the University of Texas at Austin. His love for baking and cooking grew from time spent on his Vietnamese grandmother’s side in the family kitchen. His goal is to become a respected chef who introduces others to the unique and authentic dishes of his Vietnamese culture.
Congratulations, Nicolle and Jacob!!
April 2023
Fonda San Miguel Culinary Arts Scholarship: The local, iconic restaurant donated $10,000 to fund two all-inclusive ACC Career Scholars Scholarships
2023 That Takes The Cake Show Winners!
Congratulations to our students who participated in the 2023 That Takes the Cake! Sugar Arts and Cake Show and Competition.
Tasting Competition: – Katlyn Bauman – 1st Place – Chocolate (Candy) and Overall Best In Show Taste – Pamela Bradford – 3rd Place – Holiday Breakfast
Culinary Student Division: – Sofia Altamirano – 1st Place Tiered Novelty Cake
– Morgan Helmueller – 2nd Place Tiered Novelty Cake – Katlyn Bauman – 2nd Place Tiered Wedding Cake – Pamela Bradford – 3rd Place Tiered Wedding Cake
We are so proud of you!
January 2023
Historic Upscale Mexican Restaurant Cooks Up Collaboration With Austin Community College
October 2022
Two ACC Culinary Arts Students Are Named To The US Foods Scholars Program
Congratulations to Emily Backus and Shyla Underwood!
You can find out more information about the US Food Scholars Program here:
https://www.usfoods.com/about-us-foods/us-foods-scholars.html
ACC Culinary Arts Alumni – Chef Christopher Krinsky, is opening his restaurant in 2023!
April 2022
2022 That Takes The Cake Show Winners!
Congratulations to our students who participated in the 2022 That Takes the Cake! Sugar Arts and Cake Competition!
Tasting Competition: – Rosalind Jordon – 2nd Place – Cookie
– Rosalind Jordon – 2nd Place – Common Ingredient – Citrus
Culinary Student Division:
– Alexandra Membrano – 2nd Place Tiered Novelty Cake
– Liath Appleton – 3rd Place Tiered Novelty Cake – Rosalind Jordon – Tiered Novelty Cake
– Irma Hammond – 2nd Place Tiered Wedding Cake
– Ivis Garcia – 3rd Place Tiered Wedding Cake – Katie King – Tiered Wedding Cake – Rosalind Jordon – 2nd Place Small Bites
We are so proud of you!
October 2021
KVUE News : Two ACC Culinary Students Earn Scholarships for Thousands of Dollars
August 2021
Two ACC Culinary Arts Students Are Named To The US Foods Scholars Program
Austin Chronicle – Kitchen Reno: Inside ACC’s Culinary Arts Expansion
April 2021
January 2021
ACC Newsroom – ACC Highland Campus Phase2 Opens for Spring 2021 Semester
Community Impact – Second Phase of ACC Highland Campus Opens in Central Austin
KXAN – Austin Community College’s New Highland Campus Welcomes Some Students
December 2020
Culinary Department, HLC 2000, walk-thru video.
October 2020
March 2020
Seeing inside Highland Building 2000: Departments moving in check out new digs
December 2019
See our Riverbats Cafe and “A Day in the Life of David Greenfield.”
Click here to watch the video.
October 2019
One of our students was featured in a spot on Studio 512 to promote our upcoming Boots and Bats Gala!
March 2019
Austin American Statesman visited our Breads and Rolls class last Friday in anticipation of the SXSW Skill-Up showcase.
Students were making rye sourdough loaves and focaccia with a biga pre-ferment.
See the article here.
February 2019
This is a video that was made after Susan Notter’s workshop at the ACC Culinary kitchens!
Here is a video from the Sliced and Diced Taco Challenge, a competition for AISD students that took place at our ACC kitchens!
January 2019
Austin Community College (ACC) hosted professional pastry chefs from across Texas for a special one-day workshop learning the art of edible works with prominent pastry chef Susan Notter.
Chef Notter’s professional accomplishments include winning a gold medal at the 2000 Culinary Olympics and being named one of the Top 10 Pastry Chefs in the U.S. by Pastry Arts & Design Magazine. She has also appeared on several Food Network shows, including “Food Network Challenge,” “Cupcake Wars,” and “Halloween Wars” and is now the pastry arts program director at the Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts.
“I learned about Susan Notter when I was in culinary school,” says Ellen Sternau, ACC Culinary Arts associate professor. “She owned the International School of Confectionary Arts in Switzerland. I was excited to meet her, and see what I could learn from her.”
Chefs participating in the workshop made delicate treats including fine chocolates and bonbons.
Sternau says she will share what she learned with her students.
“Teaching them the importance of being able to purchase such high quality, ready-to-use products is important and useful!”
October 2018
It was recently brought to our attention that we were named #2 on a list of the 10 Best Culinary Schools in Texas, according to www.bestchoiceschools.com.
Spectrum news visited us in our Riverbats Cafe kitchen while doing a story about the boil-water-advisory in Austin.
See the video featuring footage of our kitchen here.
Read a short article about our culinary students dealing with the water restriction here.
Get a glimpse inside our Riverbats Cafe Kitchen here!
July 2018
World Chocolate Day, July 7
Check it out!
February 2018
ACC Culinary Students Take Gold at That Takes the Cake Show 2018:
Congratulations to Wara Pawawongsak
Denise Basore
Mayra Vargas
Troy Hernandez
Ivonne Gomez
Kristin Wonderly
And thanks to all students who participated! We are so proud of you!
Watch the video
April 2017
Culinary and Pastry Arts students win at national competition
Watch Recap
February 2017
Congratulations to our students who participated in the 2017 That Takes the Cake! Sugar Arts Show and Cake Competition! Student Division:
– Dacia Schoolfield – 1st Place Tiered Novelty Cake
– Gabby Arvizo – 2nd Place Tiered Novelty Cake
– Karina Calderon – 1st Place Tiered Wedding Cake
– Bryan Dorall – 2nd Place Tiered Wedding Cake
– Jeanna Carlisle – 3rd Place Tiered Wedding Cake
– MarYSol Ledesma – 2nd Place Single Tiered Cake – Fondant
– Marisa Barrera-Marquez – Tiered Wedding Cake
– Lauren Johnson – Tiered Wedding Cake
– Carson Nunez – Tiered Wedding Cake
– Fouzia Boudjennad – Tiered Wedding Cake
– Denise Basore – 1st Place Specialty Technique
– Wara Pawawongsak – 1st Place Tasting Competition – Cookie
– Alexandra Hughes – 1st Place Tasting Competition – Common Ingredient – Yeast
November 2016
WAY TO GO!!!
December 2015
Culinary Schools and the Reality of Food Service
July 22, 2015
The Pastry Arts Study Abroad program and students have been featured in the Community College Daily online publication.
June 17, 2015
Riverbats Cafe will be open every Tuesday and Thursday starting June 23, 2015 for the Summer 2015. Please visit the Riverbats Cafe webpage for more information and weekly special menu.
March 11, 2015
Student Staffed Restaurants
Our student-staffed restaurants are in full swing and Fox News has featured our program.
The Rivebats Cafe is open every Wednesday from 11:30am to 1:00pm through May 6, 2015. Bistro 3158 is open every Thursday through May 7, 2015 with reservation seating starting at 6:00pm. Seating is limited.