The Art Institutes Launches Food Truck Tour In Southern California

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes, North America's largest system of culinary programs offered at more than 40 Art Institutes schools, announces the launch of The Art Institutes (Ai) Food Truck Tour.  The tour is inspired by Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race, bringing cooking competitions to communities in Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.

The Art Institutes (Ai) Food Truck Tour coincides with the third season of Food Network's hit reality competition series The Great Food Truck Race, which can be seen on Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. through the September 30 finale.  Culinary Arts students from The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes will be asked to battle local food truck favorites. The trucks will each be challenged to create a dish that includes the same ingredients.  Celebrity chefs plus contestants from previous seasons of The Great Food Truck Race, The Lime Truck and Sky's Gourmet Tacos, will be on-site to judge the matchups.   

The tour will provide guests and aspiring student chefs with the ability to watch the competitions live, taste diverse cuisine from participating local food trucks and to take photos on-site with local celebrity chefs.  A portion of each participating truck's sales will benefit the local Art Institutes' culinary scholarships.

"The food truck phenomenon is certainly a culinary industry trend we want to expose our students to as another way to pursue a fulfilling career in the industry," said Chef Michael Nenes, assistant vice president of Culinary Arts for The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes.  "This tour will allow our students to put their skills to work beyond the classroom and showcase their knowledge of world cuisines in a once unconventional environment of a food truck, all while having fun with the local community."

The tour will also showcase talented graduates from The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes who have garnered national recognition including Jesse Brockman, a 2009 alumnus of The Art Institute of California – Orange County with an Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts, who was a member of The Great Food Truck Race winning team last year with The Lime Truck.

The Art Institutes (Ai) Food Truck Tour – Event Information
The community is invited to enjoy The Art Institutes (Ai) Food Truck Tour experience at several venues. The truck will make an additional community appearance on the Huntington Beach Pier on September 15 and the cooking battles will be held at Art Institutes' campuses at the following locations at no cost to attend:

Cooking Battle - September 5, 2012
4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire, a campus of Argosy University
674 East Brier Drive
San Bernardino, CA 92408

Cooking Battle - September 8, 2012
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
The Art Institute of California - Los Angeles, a campus of Argosy University
2900 31^st Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405

Cooking Battle - September 13, 2012
4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
The Art Institute of California - Orange County, a campus of Argosy University
3601 W. Sunflower Avenue
Santa Ana, CA 92704

Cooking Battle - September 22, 2012
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
The Art Institute of California - San Diego, a campus of Argosy University
7650 Mission Valley Road
San Diego, CA 92108

Follow the tour on Facebook at facebook.com/artinstitutes and Twitter at #AiFoodTruck.

About The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) is a system of more than 50 schools located throughout North America. The Art Institutes schools provide an important source for design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals. Several institutions included in The Art Institutes system are campuses of South University or Argosy University. OH Registration # 04-01-1698B; AC0165, AC0080; Licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, License No. 1287, 3427, 3110, 2581. See aiprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important info.

About The Great Food Truck Race
Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race returns for a third season this summer, with host Tyler Florence presiding over the cross-country culinary road trip with a brand-new twist: no longer a competition between current food truck operators as in prior seasons, this high-stakes battle is between eight teams who desperately want to be in the food truck business - they have a dream, a concept and insane culinary skills. Each three-person team is provided a vehicle for the race, but only the grand prize winner gets to keep their food truck and a $50,000 cash prize to start their dream business. From mobile mini-pies and authentic Aussie grub to specialty waffles, each team's inspired cuisine and road strategy is put to the test in city-specific challenges that begin at a Long Beach, Calif. lighthouse and continue through the finale at the West Quoddy Lighthouse in Maine, the easternmost point of the United States. For even more Food Trucks, viewers can visit www.foodnetwork.com/foodtrucks all season long for exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, video recaps and weekly blog posts. Fans of The Great Food Truck Race can also check out their favorite food trucks from previous seasons with the newly launched Food Network On the Road app for iPhone® and iPad® available for free download on iTunes. Food Network's On the Road will provide fans with a curated selection from Food Network chefs, and from hot spots seen on hit shows like Diners Drive-Ins and Dives and Best Thing I Ever Ate. For more information about Food Network On the Road, visit http://www.foodnetwork.com/ontheroad.

SOURCE The Art Institutes