Golden Valley's executive chef Greg Meixner recently attended a professional development course on Mediterranean Cooking at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone.  This advanced cooking course covered five Mediterranean countries in five days.  Each day the professional chefs attending the course would learn about and prepare food from Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Greece and Turkey.

The CIA is located in the heart of Napa Valley, CA at the historic Christian Brothers Winery.  With programs in baking and pastry arts, pre-professional certification, restaurant management and professional development, the CIA is one of the most reputable culinary schools in the United States.  The CIA offers more than 90 professional courses with hands-on instruction.  The Mediterranean Cooking course is one of the most popular with chefs.  Chef Meixner thinks this is because of customers' change in eating habits.  "Everyone is more health conscious these days," says Greg, "and Mediterranean cuisine is a healthier, more simplistic type of food.  There's a whole different food pyramid in the Mediterranean than what we are used to here in the U.S."

Chef Meixner's experience will be reflected in many of our daily specials and in future menu items, so check in often to see what's cooking.