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# Cooking for a cause By Daily Press staff
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/cooking-for-a-cause-by-daily-press-staff/
- Published: 2004-03-25T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:03:49.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Business, Venice, #archive-import, Homeless

Joe Miller of Joe’s Restaurant in Venice came to St. Joseph Center’s Culinary Training Program kitchen last week to do a cooking demonstration for 12 students and to answer questions on the art of fine cuisine. Miller prepared seared salmon with a three-olive tapenade and, in honor of St. Patrick, emerald green basil mashed potatoes.

Trained at the Culinary Institute of America and at Eugenie-Les-Bains by Michel Guerard, national recognition encouraged Miller to open his own restaurant in 1991, which has been consistently rated by Zagat as one of the top 10 restaurants in Los Angeles.

“These days people expect more,” he said. “Going to a restaurant is not just about going to some hole-in-the-wall place. People like to be comfortable.”

The students had a chance to see Miller work, listen to his insights on the profession, ask lots of questions, and help with the food preparation.

“We are grateful to Joe Miller for his association with St. Joseph Center and for sharing his knowledge with our students,” said Mark Spilsbury, the program’s coordinator.

The center’s culinary program provides 10 weeks of training in food service and life skills, and places 68 percent of its graduates in jobs within 90 days after graduation. Established in 1991, the program has graduated hundreds of students who have gone on to gain careers in the food service industry.

St. Joseph Center also provides emergency services, child care, case management, and senior services for homeless and low-income individuals and families on eight sites in Venice, Santa Monica and West Los Angeles.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/032504-09_01.jpg)

Miller, owner of Joe’s Restaurant in Venice, shows students how to prepare fine cuisine (Photo: photo courtesy Joe)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/032504-09_02.jpg)

Miller, owner of Joe’s Restaurant in Venice, shows students how to prepare fine cuisine (Photo: photo courtesy Joe)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 25, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/032504.pdf?ref=smdp.com)