Certified Executive Chef
Certified Culinary Educator
Certified Hospitality Educator
Foodservice Management Professional
Chef Thomas Barnes is an alumnus of the Academy of Culinary Arts where he completed the Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry programs in 2007. He also holds a bachelor of science in hospitality management and master of arts in employee and labor relations and a master of arts in instructional design and technology from IUP.
Following his baking externship at Moio's Italian Pastry Shops, in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, Barnes accepted a position as sous chef at the Italian eatery Nap's Cucina Mia in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and returned to his studies at IUP, where he entered into the Hospitality Management program.
During his tenure at Nap's, Chef Barnes helped to develop daily specials, created and executed dessert production, and worked the line. There, he found his passion for scratch Italian cuisine—the simplicity of fresh pasta, the sauces, and the Italian desserts.
After completing his bachelor's degree, Chef moved west to Wyoming to work in the Grand Teton National Park at Dornan's, a family-owned, seasonal resort eatery. He spent time traveling and exploring the food and culture of the Pacific Northwest before returning home to his western Pennsylvania roots.
Barnes initially combined a part-time position at Nap's with a position as baker at the locally owned Doughnut Connection. Eventually, he stepped back into his position as sous chef at Nap's and was offered the opportunity to be involved with the development, design, and execution of opening a second restaurant, Josephine's Pizzeria and Enoteca.
His role in the opening of Josephine's involved menu development, kitchen layout, design, and staffing. In the kitchen at Nap's, Chef Barnes also took on supervisory responsibilities, including hiring and training new employees and managing daily production.
Chef Barnes credits his family with instilling his love for cooking and notes his hardworking mentality was influenced by the passion his parents and grandparents had for the work they did every day.
In his position as chef instructor, Barnes teaches a wide range of classes within the Culinary Arts curriculum, including Introduction to Garde Manger; Farinaceous Products and Vegetable Cookery; Product Identification; Pork, Lamb, and Game Cookery; Nutritional Cuisine; Poultry Preparation and Cookery; Supervisory Management; and American Cuisine.
As co-adviser of the Academy of Culinary Arts Ice Carving Club, Barnes teaches students to carve ice. He attended seminars at Elegant Ice Creations in Richfield, Ohio, to hone his own carving skills and learn new techniques to share with students.
Chef Barnes speaks more about his experience at IUP in this video.
Below are examples of dishes prepared by Chef Barnes. Dishes include fettuccine bolognese and grilled beef kebab with barley pilaf.
