By Jim Farber

There is a castle on the Hudson River in Hyde Park, New York, that bears a striking resemblance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In fact, it is a magical place where the faculty and students wear spotless white dress robes and study the mystical culinary arts of herbology, potion-making and transfiguration.

But unlike Harry Potter's fictional Hogwarts (founded, according to J.K. Rowling, in 990 in the Scottish Highlands), since 1972 the 72 acres of the former Jesuit novitiate of St. Andrew-on-the-Hudson has been home to America's premier school devoted to the art of preparing food — the Culinary Institute of America, also known by the initials CIA, which it shares with another castle of secrets.

The public is invited to stroll the grounds and enjoy a meal at one of the school's three restaurants where the students craft the menus, prepare the dishes, select the wines and display their creations.

The American Bounty Restaurant focuses on the seasons and products of the Hudson Valley, offering contemporary and traditional regional dishes in "an honest and flavorful way." The style (and pricing) is casually elegant.

The Bocuse Restaurant (named for the legendary French chef Paul Bocuse) "(r)e-imagines the execution of classic French cuisine through the lens of ultra-modern cooking techniques." The third culinary choice is Ristorante Caterina de' Medici, where the theme is authentically prepared regional Italian cuisine served amid an architectural atmosphere that evokes a Tuscan-style villa.

To immerse yourself in the full-on Harry Potter-CIA experience, do whatever it takes to savor a meal (or special event) amid the towering neoclassical fantasy of Roth Hall's grand dining room. With its high vaulted ceiling and medieval atmosphere, all that's missing is a Sorting Hat to guide you to your proper table.

While dining at any one of CIA's restaurants is unquestionably a delectable experience, to really appreciate the wizardry that goes into creating those dishes you need to book a tour. It's the only way the proper spell can be recited that allows you to pass through the imposing doors and glimpse the creative process that goes on behind the scenes.

As you walk the halls, you can peer into classrooms where students are discussing the finer points of Rhone varietals and look through windows into immaculate kitchens where caldrons of melting chocolate are being transfigured into blossoming flower petals, where fresh herbs are being blended into magical sauces and a menagerie of meats, poultry, fish and crustaceans await their final outcome.

Your guide will tell you that every hallway at CIA has a story. This is where legendary chefs such as Anthony Bourdain learned their craft and young chefs-to-be are honing their skills. You'll also get the chance to participate in a sensory tasting exercise as part of the Wine Spectator Classroom and see if you have what it takes to become a sommelier.

The 90-minute tours are $15 per person. Another way to go behind the scenes at CIA without ever leaving home is to watch the Netflix competition series "Next Gen Chef."

Here is how the show is described: "Inside the world's most prestigious culinary school, 21 of America's hottest young chefs, under the age of 30, compete in a one-of-a-kind competition. The Culinary Institute of America has set a rigorous gauntlet of tests to find who is worthy of being crowned the leading chef of the next generation. ... With world-class facilities and a faculty of seasoned professionals who are as dedicated to mentoring as they are to mastery, CIA is a place where aspiring chefs are empowered to explore, experiment and evolve. And it's the perfect place to crown the leading chef of the next generation."

There really is not another way to experience this level of dining than to visit CIA on the Hudson. The food here is magical.

WHEN YOU GO

The Culinary Institute of America: ciafoodies.com/cia-new-york

For booking tours and events: ciafoodies.com/new-york-campus-visitor-tours-and-events

The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, resembles Hogwarts, the fictional institution where Harry Potter went to school. Photo courtesy of Jim Farber.

Having a meal in the great dining hall at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, is an unmatched experience. Photo courtesy of Jim Farber.

Jim Farber is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Touring the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, gives visitors the opportunity to peek into kitchens and see the student chefs at work. Photo courtesy of Jim Farber.