Iowa Culinary Institute

 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Iowa Culinary Institute® (ici®) at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) is where education and excellence go hand in hand. Iowa Culinary Institute blends the DMACC Culinary Arts program with the community to create unforgettable culinary experiences for you. 

 

Our institute is Iowa's premier culinary program and offers opportunities for the public to experience the culinary world at DMACC and participate in activities involving our Culinary Arts students and staff.  The Iowa Culinary Institute is housed in the Albaugh Family Center in Building 7 on the DMACC Ankeny Campus.

 

These opportunities include: 

 
  • Gourmet Dinners - Join us for any of our five-course, themed meals that will offer you a world-class dining experience. These gourmet dinners, prepared by DMACC Culinary Arts students and Culinary Arts faculty, are a hallmark of ici. These exquisite dinners are offered from September through May.  
 
  • Bistro - If you're looking for a great lunchtime experience, come to ici to enjoy a gourmet lunch dining experience weekdays from September through May. Meals are prepared by Culinary Arts students at DMACC.  
 
  • French Chef's Exchange Gourmet Dinner Experience - This is one of the crown jewels of DMACC's Culinary Arts program. Our special French Chef's gourmet dinners, prepared by chefs from St. Étienne, France, are part of our international culinary exchange program for students. It's an exquisite dining experience.  
 
  • Travel to France with Culinary Arts students - Here is your chance to enjoy some of the finest French gourmet dining while touring France with other friends of DMACC and Culinary Arts students who are on an 11-day culinary arts internship in France.  
 
  

The institute's name was inspired by our French connection. "ici" is the French word for "here." The abbreviated name of the Iowa Culinary Institute, ici, reminds students to come ici (come here) for a world-class culinary education. We hope you will visit "ici" at our facilities on the Ankeny campus of DMACC.  

 

Special Events

Experience our
Gourmet Dinners
 
Dine at the Bistro
 

Opera at the ici

bon appetit.jpg
​​ Des Moines Metro Opera Presents Bon Appétit!  This opera is based on an episode of Julia Child's cooking show. It was presented live at ici on Thursday, July 18, 2019. This performance is a partnership between Des Moines Metro Opera and DMACC.  The event was live streamed from the Iowa Culinary Institute's building on Thursday, July 18.


 

About Our Building

Our building was updated in Spring 2016 thanks to a one million dollar donation from DMACC alumnus Dennis Albaugh and his wife Susan.

This gift allowed our culinary institute to become one of the most attractive and functional culinary facilities in the nation. [Learn more]

Chef Penny Davidi visits ici

 


 

 

Take a Virtual Tour of the ici

 



   ​ici building at dusk
 

Saving Scraps: A Culinary Competition

At the 2018 Midwest Food Recovery Summit, students from ici had a little bit of fun while tackling the food waste problem. Armed with only leftovers from the conference and some staple ingredients, two student teams squared off head-to-head for the titles of Best Tasting Dish and Most Innovative Use of Food Waste at Saving Scraps: A Culinary Competition. Watch the video below to learn more about the competition.