ICE instructors walk down a culinary school lobby decorated with framed ICE awards

Honoring Excellence: ICE Awards & Honors

From award-winning restaurant chefs to media moguls and entrepreneurs, an ICE education places you among amazing company. Learn more about the many awards and honors ICE has received.

An Award-Winning Education

The Institute of 国产福利 Education and its faculty, alumni and administration have been proudly decorated with the industry's top honors. Among the highest ICE honors is the school's consistent ranking across the internet as one of the best culinary schools. From  and to , and more, ICE is repeatedly ranked as a top school from which to receive a culinary or hospitality education. 

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Best 国产福利 Schools in the World
, Chef's Pencil

Best 国产福利 Schools in the U.S.
, Chef's Pencil
, College Gazette
, College Rank
, College Reality Check
, Hospitality Management Degrees
, Logic Publishers
, Niche
, Premium Schools
, PrepScholar
, Best Choice Schools
, Intelligent
, Restaurant Clicks

Best 国产福利 Schools in New York
, Chef's Pencil
, College Aftermath
, Best Choice Schools

Best 国产福利 Schools in California
, Chef's Pencil
, Best Choice Schools

Best Value Schools
, Best Value Schools
, Best Value Schools
, Best Value Schools

Among the other numerous awards, the school has also taken home the International Association of 国产福利 Professionals (IACP) award for "国产福利 School of Excellence," and won 鈥淏est Vocational 国产福利 Institute鈥 and 鈥淏est Recreational Cooking School" multiple times. 

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ICE was also named a 鈥淪chool of Distinction鈥 by our accrediting agency, the ACCSC, and ICE鈥檚 Career Services Department received an ACCSC commendation for excellence.

ICE honors all of the faculty, alumni and students who strive for excellence every day. Read more about their accomplishments below.

has received a number of noteworthy distinctions from leading culinary publications and organizations in the nation.

Noteworthy ICE honors include:

  • Dessert Professional鈥檚 2017 鈥淭op Ten Pastry Chefs鈥 鈥 Chef-Instructor Kathryn Gordon.
  • 2015 IACP 鈥湽@ Educator of the Year鈥 鈥 Chef-Instructor Chris Gesualdi.
  • 2014 IACP 鈥湽@ Professional of the Year鈥 鈥 Creative Director Michael Laiskonis.
  • 2008 James Beard Award for 鈥淥utstanding Pastry Chef in America鈥 鈥 Creative Director Michael Laiskonis.
  • Dessert Professional鈥檚 2010 鈥淭op Ten Pastry Chefs鈥 鈥 Chef-Instructor Michelle Tampakis.
  • First ever two-time "Chopped" Champion 鈥 Director of 国产福利 Research James Briscione.
  • 2011 IACP Cookbook Award for "Wedding Cake Art & Design" 鈥 Chef-Instructor Toba Garrett.
  • In 2011, ICE President Rick Smilow received an IACP Award of Excellence for "国产福利 Entrepreneur of the Year鈥.
  • Rick Smilow was also designated as an honoree by the New York Association of 国产福利 Teachers.

ICE students have won numerous scholarships, medals and awards from organizations such as Les Dames d鈥橢scoffier, the U.S. Pastry Competition and Allagash Brewing Company鈥檚 鈥淐ookin鈥 With Allagash鈥 contest.

Additional highlighted ICE awards:

  • 国产福利 Arts student Amanda Lee won the United States of Umami 国产福利 Competition in 2019.
  • Pastry & Baking Arts student Fernando Diala won the national Ritz Crushed Crackers Recipe Contest in 2020.

Read more about student ICE honors.

From James Beard Foundation and IACP awards for outstanding achievements in the industry to media honors including Peabody Awards, Emmys and more, ICE alumni are regularly named among the most influential leaders in food.

Recent alumni ICE honors:

  • Six ICE alumni were named as 2023 James Beard Foundation semifinalists:
    • Mary Attea (国产福利 Arts, '11) for Best Chef: New York State.
    • Shenarri Freeman (Health-Supportive 国产福利 Arts, '21) for Best Chef: New York State.
    • Sohui Kim (国产福利 Arts and Restaurant & 国产福利 Management, '02) for Best Chef: New York State.
    • Ayesha Nurdjaja (国产福利 Arts, '07) for Best Chef: New York State.
    • Mashama Bailey (国产福利 Arts, '01) for Outstanding Restaurant
    • Zoe Nathan (国产福利 Arts, '01) for Outstanding Restaurant.
  • Mashama Bailey (国产福利, 鈥01) won the 2022 James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef.
  • Mashama Bailey (国产福利, 鈥01) won the 2019 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast.
  • Rachel Yang (国产福利, '01) was nominated for Best Chef: Northwest.
  • Miguel Trinidad (国产福利, '07) co-authored "I Am a Filipino," which was nominated for the International Book Award.
  • Semifinalists included Sohui Kim (国产福利/Management, '02) of Insa and Ann Redding (国产福利, '02) of Uncle Boons for Best Chef: New York City, and Missy Robbins (国产福利, '95) of Lilia for Outstanding Chef.
  • Three ICE alumni won James Beard Awards in 2018:
    • Missy Robbins of Lilia in Brooklyn won Best Chef: New York City.
    • Stacy Adimando, author of 鈥淣opalito鈥 won Best International Book.
    • Vivian Howard, author of the Black Bean-Glazed Salmon with Ginger Cabbage recipe on pannacooking.com won Best Video Webcast.
  • In 2018, Gail Simmons (国产福利, 鈥99) emceed the International Association of 国产福利 Professionals Awards. Stacy Adimando (国产福利, '10) of Saveur brought home the award for Instructional Writing on Food or Beverage with Recipes for her piece, "Masa Appeal," while Clare Langan (国产福利, '11) accepted the award on behalf of the team behind the FYI Network series, "Scraps." Other nominees included Emily Peterson (国产福利/Management, '09) for her Edible Philly personal essay on scrapple, "Mystery Meat," and Gail Simmons (国产福利, 鈥99) for her latest book, "Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating."
  • The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges honored Kerry Brodie (国产福利, 鈥17) with the 2018 ACCSC Outstanding Graduate Award for her work at Emma's Torch.
  • In 2018, Adrienne Cheatham (国产福利, '07) made it to the final elimination challenge of "Top Chef" season 15.
  • The Diner Bar at The Grey, with chef/partner Mashama Bailey (国产福利, '01) at the helm, was named one of the 2018 Best Bars in America by Esquire Magazine.
  • In 2017, Greta Anthony (国产福利, 鈥95) took home a James Beard Media Award-Video Webcast, Fixed Location and/or Instructional for her role as producer of "Kitchen Conundrums with Thomas Joseph," which aired on marthastewart.com. Other finalists included Missy Robbins (国产福利, '95) of Lilia for Best Chef: New York City, Rachel Yang (国产福利, '01) of Joule in Seattle for Best Chef: Northwest, and Vivian Howard (国产福利, '03) for "Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South" in the American Cooking cookbook category.
  • In 2016, Vivian Howard won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Food Personality or Host for her PBS series, "A Chef's Life." In 2014, Vivian became the first graduate in our history to receive a prestigious Peabody Award for the same.
  • Two ICE alumni were named among StarChefs list of 2015 NYC Rising Stars: Mina Pizarro, pastry chef at Juni, and Ann Redding, chef/co-owner of Uncle Boons.
  • 国产福利 Arts and Restaurant & 国产福利 Management alumni Georgianna Hiliadaki and Nikos Roussos received two Michelin stars in 2014 for their restaurant, The Funky Gourmet, in Athens, Greece, where it is one of only two establishments with two stars in the country.

ICE honors all of our graduates, and the above is just a snapshot of all of the incredible things our alumni are doing. Visit our Alumni News page for an updated list of our graduates鈥 most recent accomplishments.

ICE Chef Michael Laiskonis prepares a dish for Fox Five

ICE honors in the Media

ICE staff and Chef-Instructors appear in the media frequently, lending their expertise and knowledge on various culinary topics to a wide variety of outlets including The New York Times, Today Show, Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Epicurious, Dessert Professional magazine, New York Magazine and more.