Event Venues for Cooking Classes

I'm looking for venues to host cooking class events a few times a year. I've been researching any places that can be rented out, but most of them are art galleries without kitchen facilities.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Liz Rinaldi

I completely don't know what I'm talking about, but there is a Culinary Store/School in the Merchandise Mart.

Its on the first floor, across from the McDonalds.

I have spent some time at lunch, watching classes being held in the faux kitchen (real equipment though)

I'll try and get over there for a name, but I would think that, when not hosting classes, a place like this must be rentable

Willkat98 wrote:I completely don't know what I'm talking about, but there is a Culinary Store/School in the Merchandise Mart.

Here you go:

Jill Prescott Culinary School

The MMPI Press Release

E.M.

Hi,

I have recently been to kitchen classrooms at Kendall College and College of DuPage. While Kendall College's offered stadium seating with clear views, the sound system (so far) was terrible. College of DuPage's demonstration kitchen was cherry wood panelled with at least 6 large flat screen televisions scattered around the room to allow close up viewing of the chef's actions with a very good sound system. Any school with a culinary program should have a demo kitchen available.

The Whole Foods in Deerfield has a demonstration kitchen, which seems underused. I would check at other Whole Foods.

There is a very nice demonstration kitchen within confines of the Lincoln Park Zoo. Green City Market had cooking demo's there two years ago in conjunction with their pre-Christmas sale.

If you learn of any more on your own, then please advise. Also costs of these demo kitchens would be interesting to know.

Regards,

Another venue, set up exactly for what you are looking for, is the Calphalon Cooking School on the corner of Washington & Morgan in the West Loop. Sorry, I don't have contact info handy, but it's in the building on the NW corner, across from Wishbone.

Erik M. wrote:Jill Prescott Culinary School

Jill Prescott is closed, or rather, it was closed and The Chopping Block has moved into the space (in lieu of its Lincoln Park location).

They've got lots of space there. I was in a hands-on class in a room designed for about 16 students recently, and one room over, some marketing company was having an "Iron Chef" party for 45. It was a successful venture, if the noise level was any indication.

Kitchen Chicago, a rental kitchen, may be available for such events. Another idea is to check whether you can rent public-school home ec facilities.

Kitchen Chicago
4664 N. Manor
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 463-0863
www.kitchenchicago.com

I went to a nice cooking class at the Wooden Spoon in andersonville. it was a nice open space, and I recall that there were about 20 people.

Wooden Spoon
http://www.woodenspoonchicago.com/cooking_classes.htm


I'm sure that most of the places in the city that do these small events work with contracted chefs, as so to bring in business to the space the class is being held. What about Inspiration Cafe? I also recall seeing cooking class events being held there on occasion...

Other venues that have cooking classes:

American Girl Place
http://www.americangirlplace.com/agp_ch ... ooking.php

Calphalon Culinary Center
http://www.calphalonculinarycenter.com/ ... stid=17500

Gallery 37
http://www.gallery37.org/adult/worldkitchen/

Giselle's on Halsted
http://www.gisellesonline.com/news.html#schedule

Chicago Botanical Gardens
http://www.chicagobotanic.org/pr/press0 ... asses.html

ciao
leesh

Try Cooking Fools in Bucktown. They're on North Ave just east of Damen.

Calphalon cooking school is crazy expensive to rent. We just rented out the largest facilityat about $350/hr, including the price for a steward. I think the smaller kitchen is about $250/hr. You must rent out the kitchen from Soigne, a catering company housed at the center. Their number is on Calphalon's website. Not recommended unless you have corporate largesse backing you up.

We also looked into renting out Kendall -- also tres cher.

By contrast, Kitchen Chicago (see above) is about $25 per hour - not the same level of facility, but adequate for a cooking class.

I am developing a demo kitchen that will be for rent in the Evanston area. Hope to have it open this summer. If you want to get in touch, we could talk about size, location, etc and see if it would fit your needs.