Seattle Central Culinary Arts Cafe, Bakery and Restaurant

The Buzz at Seattle Central College is a hidden gem in Seattle. The pastries are made by students of the Culinary Arts program and they are amazing.The first time I was here, I was a little overwhelmed due to their selection: fresh baked loaves of bread, cookies, tarts, cakes and even creme brulees. Croissants are one of my biggest weaknesses and the students in the Culinary Arts program make some of the best I've had. They can give some of the bakeries a run for their money!For Valentines Day, I treated my bf to their chocolate apricot heart shaped cookie and guava pineapple tart. I really wished I got those for myself because they were so good. I can see myself coming here on a regular basis if i was a student at SCC. I hear they also serve a sit down lunch, which I can't wait to get the chance to check out.

Toured the facility a day after I toured the culinary facility of Lake Washington VoTech. SCA is by far the obvious premiere facility in the area for culinary. There is an option to go on for a four year degree affiliated with South Seattle community college. The Outreach Coordinator Aimee was very professional and thorough giving us so much information and a very detailed tour. She spent quite awhile with me on the phone and sent helpful emails confirming our appointment with directions on how to get to the school.

I don't throw around the term gem lightly... but this bakery/coffee shop is a true hidden gem! I heard about the these three food places from a recent article in the Stranger. The places are: pastry at the buzz (pastries/coffee shop), one world restaurant (upscale food), and Square One Bistro (casual dining)- all plated within the seattle central college building on broadway. Pastry at the buzz is located on the main floor by the main entrance. All the pastries, breads, cakes, etc. are prepared by very talented students at the Seattle Culinary Academy. They are beautiful and delicious. I got a loaf of sourdough bread which was on par with Sea Wolf's, an amazing Spanish orange and chocolate cake which was as beautiful as it was delicious and a fruit tart with lemon curd. Everything was amazing. Can't wait to go back! I selfishly hesitated at posting this review Bc I hope it doesn't get so popular I can't have such a great selection anymore!. Great job to the students and staff that operate such an amazing little bake shop! Get there around 11:45AM for maximum selection. Note the prices of your items bc today someone said, "I baked the cardamom knot but someone else write the price wrong"- and the student at the cashier wasn't sure how much each item cost. The students were all extremely friendly and competent. Can't wait to try the student-run restaurants next! Mo

I've been wanting to try the Seattle Central culinary arts program's on-campus restaurant for a while, but their limited hours made it difficult to go during the work week. I finally got the chance to go, and it was a fun experience.It's a little difficult to find the restaurant, since it's up on the second floor and not very well signed. Both the restaurant (One World) and the cheaper, more casual cafe are located next to the student cafeteria, while the bakery is inside the coffee shop by the ground-floor entrance. I made a reservation, but you probably don't need one for smaller parties -- it was only about half full the day I went.The restaurant is pleasant, light, and tastefully decorated. You can see into the open kitchen and it's fun to watch the students work. During my visit, the rotating menu was "yin-yang" themed, i.e., warming and cooling dishes for balance. Appetizers are about $4 and lunch entrees are $10-12, which include an amuse-bouche and soup/salad starter. So I wouldn't say it's a HUGE bargain, but it's a good value for what you get.The complimentary bread was very good, fluffy and fresh with a nice crust. The amuse-bouche was a cucumber slice with miso butter and crispy salmon skin, very nicely presented. I had an arugula salad with grapefruit and blood orange slices as a starter, and salmon with grapefruit glaze and a quinoa leek bundle. The salad and salmon were great, but the quinoa leek bundle was impossible to cut, thanks to the layers of crosswise leek stems wrapped into a bundle and tied shut. A cute idea, but it didn't really work in practice. Portions are a bit on the small side, but fine for lunch.Service was a little disorganized. When I came in, I walked up to the counter and said I had a reservation, was handed off to a server and handed off again to a hostess, who seated me and then returned a little while later to ask if I had a reservation. Likewise, over the course of the meal I had about five different servers dropping off food, refilling water, and checking in. They were all taking it very seriously and clearly wanted me to have a good meal, but the effect was a little chaotic, and things like water refills took a while because there wasn't one server consistently keeping an eye on the table. It doesn't seem like they offer dessert in the restaurant, but I wanted to try the downstairs bakery anyway, so I stopped in on my way out. The bakery/cafe is busy and the roped-off line forms in front of the pastry case, so it's hard to see what's available while you're deciding. They offer a rotating variety of breads, pastries, and sweets for $1-3, as well as a couple of whole cakes for around $13. I got a pain au chocolat and a strawberry rhubarb tart. Everything looked good and the quality was the same you'd see at your local cafe or patisserie, and the prices are about $1 cheaper across the board vs. a bakery. So it's not exactly like going to a real restaurant, but it's fun and different to see what's on the rotating menu and watch the culinary students developing their skills. And don't forget to stop at the bakery for some sweet treats!

The hours are limited, but if you go to the restaurant at the right time (I believe they are open Tuesday-Friday from 11am-1pm?), you can get a gourmet meal for cheap!My wife and I came for lunch once. I ordered a red lentil soup and quail while my wife got the beet salad and trout. Everything we had was tasty, unique, and well-prepared. The service was good, too.If you can find the time, the restaurant is worth a visit. The bakery is nice, too - and it has longer hours of operation.

This place is the single best deal in Seattle. The Bakery and restaurant are student run and you get to eat what they make under the leadership of their talented instructors. The Bakery is better than most professional ones in Seattle and the restaurant is solid. And did I mention its cheap. Pastries that normally go for $3-4 for $1. A four-course meal for under $20.Here are the rules of the game1. There is no sign just go into the main building and you'll find it.2. It is run by students. If you complain about- Not knowing what a certain item is- Managing the lines- Being out of something- Or basically anything YOU ARE AN A**HOLE.2. The bakery won't have much in it until at least 11:00 cause everything is made that morning. Early in the week they'll have less stuff, but come Friday the case is packed and at 1:30 or 2 the sales start (they don't want it to go bad over the weekend)3. The restaurant stops seating at 1:30.... please show up before 1 as a lot of these kids have jobs they need to get to after school.4. The menu and items at the restaurant and bakery change weekly so you'll always have something new and exciting to try (Some of the kids make up some really fun stuff)5. Enjoy.

I would have to say this is hands down my favorite place to eat. If you're looking to splurge and spend a little money, and get filled up, this is the place! Not only was the food exceptional, but the customer service was above and beyond what I expected.

Need a pick-me-up to finish your essay with a deadline looming? Not a student, just a caffeine addict with a pastry passion? At the Buzz the baked goods are excellent. The drinks you have be careful with. There's actually two separate lines for them, and they only use 1 shot of espresso in a tall latte, so you have to ask for the second for a fee. They also charge for soy milk. Friendly service though. Treat yo self.

This place is the hidden gem I've been searching for. Inside broadway building on your first left is a bakery and cafe run by culinary students. You will find the most quality French pastries and other delectable baked goods for an affordable price. On Fridays, the remaining items are half off! I absolutely enjoyed the curry and chicken choussan; so much so that I went back and bought 3 more to share.

We are finally moving (somewhat) beyond the pandemic. And for me, an essential piece of that is Seattle Central's bakery/The Buzz.Last week I got 2 simply great breads--whole wheat & oat and a buttermilk loaf--along with a few cookies for the grandkids. Both breads had great crumb and crust. The cookies were nicely not too sweet, yet rich and satisfying. Shout outs to student bakers and their teachers. And service? Super! Friendly, helpful, professional--lovely and lively interactions that raised my spirit and enhanced the day's neighborhood walk. Thanks for being there.One small suggestion? See about using larger written signs identifying bread types in the wire baskets? Some of us have endured long enough to have lost some visual acuity. Just sayin'.