CIA Alumni Guest Chef Series

Unique Dining Experiences Celebrating the Renowned Chefs of CIA

The Culinary Institute of America has trained some of the most celebrated chefs in the world today. CIA at Copia is honoring these food innovators by inviting them to take over The Grove restaurant. With menus created in collaboration with The Grove’s chef de cuisine, Deborah Mullin (’99), these exciting four-course dinner experiences highlight CIA graduates’ unique perspectives and boundless creativity.

Upcoming CIA Alumni Guest Chef Dinners

Sustainable Farm-to-Table with Chef Will Dissen, CIA ’03

Friday, October 6 | 5–11 p.m.

Chef Gordon Ramsay called chef Will Dissen, “one of the best chefs in the country and the most sustainable chef on the planet.” Now you can experience his cuisine as Chef Dissen joins our own Chef Mullin (CIA ’99) to create an amazing meal at The Grove.

Chef Will Dissen is an award-winning chef and culinary diplomat, restaurateur, published author, and an early pioneer of the farm-to-table and ocean sustainability movements. Based in Asheville, NC, he draws on his global culinary expertise and zest for diverse ingredients that tell a story to create his innovative dishes.

His award-winning restaurants, including The Marketplace and Billy D’s Fried Chicken located in and around in Asheville, NC, as well as his cookbook, Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted In the New South and his advocacy for food policy on Capitol Hill have made Chef Dissen a leading voice in American food culture and sustainability practices.

$90 per person + $60 optional wine pairing.

Reserve Now

Chef Will Dissen, CIA ’03

  • Menu
    First Course

    Hearth Roasted Tomales Bay Oysters with Pepper Mash Butter and Sturgeon Caviar

    Second Course

    Smoked Acorn Squash Salad with Pink Lady Apple Molasses, Arugula and Shaved Root Salad with Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette and Hazelnut Dukkah

    Third Course (Select One)

    Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Late Harvest Heirloom Tomato Relish, Corn and Butterbean Succotash, Crispy Okra
    Hearth Roasted Rockfish with Corn Maque Choux, Journeyman Guanciale, Spot Prawn Butter, Verbena
    Maitake Steak with Root Vegetable Pave, Point Reyes-Creamed Spigarello, Truffle Jus

    Fourth Course (Select One)

    Fig Tart with Cornmeal Crust, Brie Ice Cream, Lemon Coulis
    Dulce de Leche Dark Chocolate Brownie with Burnt Marshmallow Fluff, Almond Crumble, Cinnamon Brown Butter Ice Cream

At CIA, more than 90 percent of our students receive scholarships and other forms of financial aid. Your patronage helps support this important priority, ensuring students can realize their dreams of attending the world’s premier culinary college.