13 best cooking classes perfect for date night or any night
From a quick one-hour demonstration class to week-long immersive schools, cooking classes are hotter than a Lodge cast iron skillet. The possibilities can range from regional cuisine to international fare, as well as specific techniques, date night, kids’ cooking classes, and more. It can be mind-boggling to choose!
Here’s a baker’s dozen list of 13 of our favorites.
Cozymeal
There are hundreds of live and online classes in 70-plus cities — Photo courtesy of Cozymeal
Locations: Nationwide
Cozymeal has a huge collection of live and interactive online classes (cooking, mixology, wine tastings) in 70-plus cities. With classes like Authentic Latin Flavors in Miami and Fundamentals of Making Sushi Rolls in Seattle, there’s something for everyone. You also can choose among hundreds of interactive, online classes, like Handcrafted Sushi, Dim Sum Brunch, and How to Build a Better Burger.
Cozymeal also features private chefs, food tours, events, and the popular Cozymeal shop, where you’ll find cookware, cutlery, appliances, kits, and a “sale” section.
Sur La Table
Date night, ladies night, and kids classes are hugely popular — Photo courtesy of Sur La Table
Locations: 50-plus stores across the U.S.
Founded in 1972 and still a leading kitchen and culinary retailer, Sur La Table hosts both in-store and online cooking classes that offer expert instruction and convenient class options for people of differing kitchen and cooking experience levels. Resident chefs typically teach more than 40,000 cooking classes a year.
Along with a wide variety of offerings, the brand’s popular and well-loved Date Night series continues to expand. Sur La Table’s Kids and Teens cooking classes provide one of the largest national culinary programs for children, with more than 10,000 aspiring chefs taking three-, four-, and five-day courses.
Culinary Institute of America
Pasta-making classes are a popular choice at The CIA — Photo courtesy of The Culinary Institute of America
Locations: Hyde Park, New York; San Antonio, Texas; and Napa, California
From half- and single-day food and beverage classes to comprehensive multiday boot camps, there’s something for everyone at all three campuses of The Culinary Institute of America.
Subjects include plant-forward cooking, Asian and Mediterranean cuisines, and a rigorous Basic Training boot camp. Each CIA destination also features foodie shopping and world-class restaurants, including personal favorites, like American Bounty Restaurant and The Bocuse Restaurant in New York, Savor’s Live Fire Kitchen in Texas, and Gatehouse Restaurant at The CIA at Greystone and The Grove at Copia, both in California.
Eataly
Wine and cheese are perfect pairings in cooking classes — Photo courtesy of Eataly
Location: 8 stores in the U.S. and 35-plus abroard
Eataly is heaven for everyone who lives to eat. All of Eataly’s stateside destinations — New York (two locations), Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, California (two locations) — feature tasty restaurants, markets, and shopping, but many may not know that the stores also offer dozens of cooking classes throughout the year.
Along with popular pasta classes, cheese and wine classes, and kids’ cooking classes, Eataly fans also love the dining, shopping, wine and beverage events, special dinners, storewide festivals, and market tours.
Johnson and Wales University
Desserts are always a sweet spot — Photo courtesy of Mike Cohea
Locations: Providence, Rhode Island, and Charlotte, North Carolina
Founded in 1914, Johnson & Wales University and its College of Food Innovation and Technology are global leaders in culinary education. The university also offers classes to amateur chefs looking to learn more.
Chef’s Choice recreational cooking classes help students sharpen cooking skills, explore global cuisines, and cook like a pro. Classes combine hands-on experience with demonstrations from professional chef-instructors, with classes ranging from Artisan Breads and Spreads to Autumn Pies to Holiday Feasts and many more.
In the Kitchen with Chef Bob Waggoner
Prepare (and eat) a complete dinner — Photo courtesy of Seldon Ink
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Beloved as the longtime chef at Charleston Place’s renowned Charleston Grill, In the Kitchen with Chef Bob Waggoner features two- to three-hour classes with different menus, convivial cooking instruction, active participation, and a tasty dinner in a contemporary Market Street kitchen.
Those who want a taste of South Carolina’s Lowcountry should check classes at Bluffton’s Culinary Institute of the South, while those visiting the Upcountry may want to take classes and go shopping at The Cook’s Station in Greenville.
Big Green Egg Culinary Center
‘EGGsperts’ unite with a Big Green Egg cooking class — Photo courtesy of Big Green Egg
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
From novice grillers to so-called EGGsperts on all things Big Green Egg, Atlanta’s Big Green Egg Culinary Center will expand your cooking knowledge with new recipes, techniques, and skills when using an EGG grill, even if you don’t own one — yet.
The possibilities include many hands-on and demonstration classes that feature a variety of culinary favorites, like Go Fish, It’s Tailgate Time, and Couples Night at the Big Green Egg. In addition, more than 20 Big Green Egg dealers offer cooking classes, like Eggs by the Bay in Santa Clara, California.
New Orleans School of Cooking
Experience the fiery flavors and traditional culture of The Big Easy — Photo courtesy of New Orleans School of Cooking
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
It’s easy to discover the secrets of authentic New Orleans Creole and Cajun cuisine, thanks to cooking classes at the renowned New Orleans School of Cooking, located in the heart of the French Quarter.
Popular classes feature the vibrant flavors and rich culinary traditions of the Big Easy, as expert chefs guide participants through an immersive, hands-on experience or by simply watching as chefs in a demonstration class. Participants will learn iconic dishes, like gumbo, jambalaya, and bananas foster.
Jungle Jim’s International Market
It’s a tasty way to spend date night — Photo courtesy of Jungle Jim’s International Market
Locations: Fairfield and Cincinnati, Ohio
The two locations of Jungle Jim’s International Market feature fresh produce and seafood; deli counters; natural foods and supplements; beer, wine, liquor, and cigars; lots of specialty items; an American Grocery; and, of course, tens of thousands of international items from more than 70 countries.
Vote Now: Best Grocery Store Deli (10Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2023)
But, veteran Jungle Jim’s visitors also rave about the cooking school at its Fairfield location, with hands-on and demonstration cooking classes covering a variety of topics and themes that range from date night to Italian-themed classes.
Fischer & Wieser Farmstead
This place offers dozens of Texas-sized, chef-led demos and classes — Photo courtesy of Fischer & Wieser
Location: Fredericksburg, Texas
Situated in the pretty Texas Hill Country, Fischer & Wieser Farmstead is another standalone culinary destination that also offers world-class cooking classes. The “campus” includes an historic store, a seasonal roadside fruit stand, wine-tasting rooms, one-of-a-kind guesthouses, a small-batch distillery, and, of course, their varied culinary classes, from Hill Country faves to international fare.
Santa Fe School of Cooking
You can learn how to make traditional corn tortillas — Photo courtesy of Eric Swanson
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
For 30-plus years, the Santa Fe School of Cooking has specialized in showcasing and teaching New Mexico’s rich culinary traditions and melding native ingredients with new ideas to demonstrate contemporary Southwestern fare.
Open year-round, the cooking school offers demonstration-style, hands-on, and online classes, as well as private events like team building, reunions, birthdays, showers, and rehearsal dinners. In addition, the popular Restaurant Walks are Santa Fe’s original food tours, while their bustling market is filled with locally sourced products.
Vote Now: Best Grocery Store for Produce (10Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2023)
Cooking School at Tutka Bay Lodge
Fresh crab and salmon are Alaskan specialties — Photo courtesy of Scott Dickerson
Location: Homer, Alaska
Spoiler alert: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cooking School at Tutka Bay Lodge is restricted to lodge guests only, but what a reason to book a stay! Situated across Kachemak Bay from Homer, Alaska, and accessible by boat, a tasty stay at Tutka Bay Lodge is highlighted by one of their popular cooking classes. Curated by owners Kirsten Dixon and her daughter, Mandy — both trained chefs and cookbook authors — the popular cooking classes are led by chef Nick Wells in a demonstration kitchen. These classes, hosted on a widgeon (a historic crabbing boat), celebrate all things wild-foraged and grown from the sea, including fresh salmon and crab.
Hawaiian Style Cooking Classes
You can master traditional Hawaiian favorites — Photo courtesy of Danny Lodestro
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Food and beverage industry veteran chef Linda Gehring leads a variety of Hawaiian Style Cooking Classes in her Honolulu home to rave reviews. Standard classes (which are anything but) include three to four dishes, while premium classes feature five to six dishes.
A wide variety of classes are offered, including many international cuisines, but Traditional Hawaiian, Hawaii Local Favorites, and Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim remain student favorites for good reason. Possible dishes include Hawaiian-style fried rice, a trio of fresh poke, sushi, lomi, squid luau, and kalua pork.
