International Culinary School to serve Route 66 Rendezvous VIPs

Students and faculty Chefs from The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire will prepare an Italian-themed dinner for the Route 66 Rendezvous VIPs for the entire weekend.

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – The Route 66 Rendezvous taking place this weekend is largely about cars and food, and this year The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire will serve its best to the event’s VIPs.

Student culinarians from The International Culinary School will serve honored guests at the VIP (Very Important People) Tent during the opening day of the Rendezvous from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18. Then on Saturday, Sept. 20, Chef Eyad Joseph, director of The International Culinary School, will serve as a judge in the Route 66 Culinary Cook-off.

The VIP tent provides refreshment during the Rendezvous to city officials, council members, event sponsors and other specially invited guests, as well as credentialed members of the media. This year they will enjoy an Italian-themed sit-down dinner.

The menu for this event will include a tossed salad with champagne vinaigrette; a Milanese-style stuffed chicken breast with a filling of four Italian cheeses and spinach, baby zucchini and baby carrots; penne pasta in a Bolognese sauce; and an Italian dessert.

It’s the first year The International Culinary School has served a meal to the VIP guests of the Rendezvous, although they did so for the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau’s inaugural Berdoo Bikes & Blues Festival held in May. In 2007, The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire participated in the Rendezvous by providing information to visitors about its culinary program and the other degrees it offers.

The Culinary Cook-off is a new event sponsored by Stater Brothers. It features teams from the San Bernardino police, fire and development services departments.
“The teams will receive a mystery bag of groceries to cook with,” Chef Joseph said. “They won’t know until the day of the competition what’s in the bag, but it will be based on a Route 66 cookbook that is available in bookstores.”

The team members may have received some hints from department supervisors, and Chef Joseph has assigned an International Culinary School student to each team to act as a consultant.

“The students won’t be allowed to help the teams with the actual cooking, but they can give advice,” Chef Joseph said. “They may make suggestions on menu development, preparation and cooking techniques.”

Other judges in this event are San Bernardino Mayor Patrick Morris; KTIE radio show host and food critic Allan Borgen, actor Paul Peterson and former Route 66 Hall of Fame recipient JC Agajanian.

Chef Joseph is pleased with the growing involvement The International Culinary School has with San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau events. “We have a great relationship with the Visitors Bureau,” Chef Joseph said. “They have really embraced the International Culinary School and The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire.”

“We continue to develop our strong partnership with the Culinary Institute,” said Karen Blanco, director of communications for the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Not only do they provide us with savory food, it also gives the Institute the opportunity to develop their students in a real-life experience while providing the community with a sample of their accomplishments.”

The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire opened in January 2007 and prepares students in Culinary Arts and Culinary Management. Its director, Chef Joseph, is a certified executive chef, certified culinary educator and certified culinary administrator.

The Culinary Arts program, from which some are about to graduate with an associate degree, prepares students to work as entry-level chefs at restaurants, cruise ships and resorts, or to have their own restaurants or catering businesses. The students have won numerous national awards for their culinary skills.


The 19th annual Route 66 Rendezvous takes place Thursday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 21. It celebrates cars, both vintage and new, and San Bernardino’s place in history as one of the key cities on the western edge of Route 66, the “Mother Road” that many took when they first came to California in the early 20th century.

The Art Institute of California–Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion and Retail Management and Media Arts & Animation. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design and Culinary Arts. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.

It’s not too late to start classes. Courses begin Oct. 6, offering day, evening and weekend classes for new and reentry students. For details or a tour of the campus call (909) 915-2100, or go on line to www.artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire.

The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire is only one of more than 40 educational institutions within The Art Institutes system, located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.

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Acquire A Better Education with Acquire

Suzy and Craig Aguillard with Edna Davis-Herring superintendent of Rialto Unified School District. Craig Aguillard graduated from Rialto High School, where Davis-Herring was then principal. The Aguillards operate their Acquire Learning Center in Rialto. Photo by Chris Sloan.


(RIALTO, Calif.) It’s that time of year again.

Kids are going back to school and homework and book reports are fast approaching. But help is on the way for the Inland Empire. ACQUIRE Educational Services Inc. has opened a new learning center in Rialto to assist students with the challenging demands that come with a new school year.

“We created ACQUIRE Educational Services to not only help students be successful in school, but also to help parents ensure that their students are prepared for graduation and, later, college,” said President and Founder Craig Aguillard.

Aguillard and his wife Suzy founded ACQUIRE Educational Services Inc. in 2001. Three years later they relocated from Los Angeles to the Inland Empire.

“Since then, ACQUIRE Educational Services. has become a leader in educational support and advancement by providing one-on-one and group tutoring assistance, either in-home or at the ACQUIRE Learning Center,” Craig Aguillard said. “ACQUIRE specializes in preparing students in grades K-12 to excel in mathematics, English language arts, science, test preparation and critical thinking.”

ACQUIRE Educational Services Inc.’s programs start by assessing each student on an individual basis. All assessments reflect state standardized tests in style, format and content, based on California state content standards. ACQUIRE then tailors a program to each student’s needs by focusing on known areas of weakness.

Parents come in to discuss students’ needs with the ACQUIRE tutors. They also discuss the anticipated length of tutoring services and gain tips on how to foster education in the home.

“ACQUIRE Educational Services is dedicated to helping students reach proficient levels of education. Once met, ACQUIRE begins to advance each student by introducing them to the more demanding courses they will see in college,” Aguillard explained. “We bring them up to where they are supposed to be, and then we advance them from there. Our whole goal is to prepare students to go to college.”

For instance, high school students might come to ACQUIRE Educational Services because they are struggling with algebra, a skill they need to master in order to pass the California High School Exit Exam. But once the students learn how to do algebra, ACQUIRE will help them as they move on to calculus, a skill they need in order to excel in college.

In June of this year, the California Department of Education recognized and approved ACQUIRE Educational Services Inc. as a Supplemental Educational Services Provider.
With this new title, ACQUIRE is able to offer its services free of charge in the Rialto, San Bernardino City, Colton, Fontana and Upland school districts.

A provision of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 allows parents to select a qualified Supplemental Educational Services Provider if the school has been designated as a Title 1 Program Improvement School.

For students who don’t meet the requirements of the Supplemental Educational Services Provider, ACQUIRE offers affordable options to parents.

“We are here to provide today's youth and adults an opportunity for success through high quality educational programs, career awareness and independent living skills that will empower them to be a part of today's highly technological work force,” Craig Aguillard said. “Our mission is to help people reach their highest potential by providing the finest supplemental education.”

In addition to working with youth, ACQUIRE Educational Services Inc. also aids adults by providing computer training, English as a Second Language and job and life skills.

The Aguillards have more than 17 years of experience in the educational field, helping to prepare urban students to become college ready. Craig Aguillard is a former math and science teacher, and his wife taught music and art.

ACQUIRE Educational Services Inc. operates its ACQUIRE Learning Center at 1188 West Leiske Drive, Suite 100 in Rialto. For more information, call (909) 875-3356 or visit www.Acquire3.net.

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