He left Greece in 1970 with a culinary degree and has cooked in country clubs and has owned a Stamford restaurant.

They either dip into savings, take out student loans or live off a spouse's income for the time it takes to earn a culinary degree and find a job.

Michael Warch, manager of the film's sets and layout department, also holds a culinary degree.

The institute offers a variety of specialized culinary degrees.

Critics note that the rules say that chefs with four-year culinary degrees can now be classified as exempt learned professionals, just like lawyers.

But some of those chefs equivocate about whether the high cost of some culinary degrees is worth it for someone who just wants to cook for a living.

About 72 percent of the schools that offer two- or four-year culinary degrees are community colleges or public institutions, Mr. Ryan said.

To make it all work, Mr. Canada relies on Andrew Benson, a young chef with a culinary degree from Johnson and Wales University.

Mr. Eisenbud, 42, is a 1985 graduate of Johnson & Wales, but had never done much professionally with his culinary degree.

The owners, Brien Reynolds and Naomi Bergonia, a young couple with culinary degrees, opened the restaurant six months ago, having migrated from the island's north shore.