What an enjoyable experience! I'm thrilled about the class's social atmosphere, with the instructor sharing lots of amusing jokes and attendees engaging in lively conversation throughout the evening. The class setup was excellent, with ample room and neatly arranged cooking utensils for easy food preparation. I appreciated that the instructor handled some of the more laborious tasks before we started cooking. He prepared ingredients in front of us, sharing interesting facts about the cuisine and demonstrating excellent knife skills to ensure freshness and engagement. The 90 minutes flew by as we learned various techniques and explored different ingredients. The instructor guided us through each step, from managing the cooking flame to perfecting our knife skills, ensuring a well-prepared and delicious final dish. As someone who has no experience in the kitchen and was very scared of cooking, the instructor Alex made sure everyone was at ease and would walk around to help as needed. I'm eager to attend more classes here in the future and bring along some friends to share in the experience. read more

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What a fun experience! I'm really glad that the class is so social, both with the instructor cracking lots of fun jokes and between attendees who had plenty of chances to talk and interact throughout the whole night. The setup of the class was quite nice, with plenty of space in the room and all the cooking utensils neatly laid out for food preparation. I was quite glad that some of the tedious parts of the meal prep like thinly slicing cucumbers, cooking medium grain rice, and filleting the chicken were done by the instructor prior to our cooking. To ensure maximum freshness, he prepared this is front of the class while talking about fun facts that related to the cuisine (and demonstrated excellent knife technique). The 90 minutes went by quite quickly as we were introduced to a variety of techniques and ingredients. The instructor made sure we were guided through every step from managing the cooking flame to following good knife techniques to ensure that the final product would be prepared well and delicious. I'm looking forward to trying some more classes here in the future and bringing along some additional friends with me. read more

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We held our holiday party at this very fun venue for our office and really enjoyed our instructor Alex and the skills he taught us. He was very entertaining and the cooking contest gave us all a lot of laughs. We loved the buffet dinner that followed that was delicious and healthy. I look forward to going back for some cooking lessons and perhaps other parties. We also appreciated the BYOB option where they supplied all the glassware and ice but we could purchase our own alcoholic beverages. Alex was very accommodating with our schedule since some guests arrived late and did not rush us out even though the party was scheduled to end at 9. They allowed us to take home our leftovers which was also kind and generous. It is definitely not a budget option for a party but less expensive than other cooking school options we explored. read more

Great time, terrific chef and the food was amazing. We can't wait for our next class. read more

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This is a great experience for anyone that likes cooking. There are many varieties of cuisines offered, and I attended the Greek class. All ingredients are provided and are very fresh. The chef, Alex, really makes the class fun and interesting. He is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about teaching and is engaging with the students. The class size ranges from 8 to 20 and cooking stations are arranged in pairs. The duration is normally 2 to 2.5 hours. All classes are BYOB. I've been to many classes with Cooking Skills & Social and will definitely come back! read more

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A friend suggested to my husband and I that we go to Cooking Skills Academy after he had a good experience there. We took the"It's All Greek to Me" class and had a lot of fun. The instructor was knowledgeable and funny as he led us through the meal. We made a cucumber and tomato salad, Greek chicken, and chicken rice. The ingredients were fresh and prepared for us by the time we got there. It was fun learning about the ingredients and why they are paired the way they are. The food we made was amazing. Best chefs ever! I highly recommend Cooking Silks Academy for a fun, different, and delicious night out. read more

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Signed up for a cooking class NY Eve to learn how to prepare and cook steak three ways! Have taken his classes before and knew what to expect ! This time was different The Chef would not disclose any recipes nor did we learn what measurements and ingredients went into the three steak dinners ! Very disappointed ! The Chef gave out recipes before in all his previous classes and when asked for the recipes all I reviewed was empty promises ! This feels like not a learning cooking session but a high priced dinner instead ! Very disappointed feel as though I have been cheated ! read more

This was so fun!!! Chef Alex and Brian are amazing, the food was delicious. Bring more wine than you think you'll drink. We made friends and had a great time and a great meal! read more

Cooking Skills & Social - Cooking Schools Near Me - Itasca, Illinois

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Wonderful experience. I came upon this place searching for activities to do in the area. We tried out the sushi class for a fun date night. The experience was beyond our expectations. Chef Alex was highly entertaining and informative. We plan on returning to take some of the other classes offered. This is a great place to come for a date, girls night or group activity. If you enjoy cooking or are looking for new things to do I highly recommend trying this place out. read more

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If you are reading this review and thinking about doing a class but you are unsure, stop reading this review and go book it! Seriously, you will not regret it! If you are the owner, thank you for providing such a fun and unique environment. Chef Alex was a pure joy. The food was AWESOME! And frankly, this class should cost 3x as much for the flavor and experience you get! If you are reading this review because you ignored my suggestion to just book it, well that class you wanted to take is now full because this place sells out fast! We were walked through three dishes, all of which were portioned perfectly, and even had leftovers for each dish! So really you are paying for an awesome night and 2 full meals!!! If that isn't enough to convince you, don't book this because you sound like the type of person who is hard to please. (And we don't want that energy in a cooking class!) In essence, I had a great time here. I will book many more classes, give them out as gifts, and can't wait to cook something up with one of you from Yelp! read more

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Can't wait to come back, again! Love this place! Went initially with 2 of my friends for the sushi class. Had a blast, delish and loved it all! Came with my hubby for a quick date night and both totally loved it! Can't wait to come back with more friends. Highly recommend! Such a great time, delicious food and fun interaction. Bring your own wine, beer, pop, or juice - they proved water, wine openers and wine glasses. A juice in the pitcher too. I've used the to go boxes both times I've been. Good portions. Looking forward to the next! Such a great time! read more

My wife has been trying to schedule our class for the last two weeks and their site doesn't read the gift code we were given and no one will respond to a phone call, email, or the chat service on their website. I'm starting to wonder if we will ever get to redeem our class or if they just got our money. read more

Not only a wonderful meal and an enthusiastic Chef (Alex) but the skills we learned were outstanding. Great time, well worth the price. Thank you Chef Alex The mussels were easy to make, no longer intimidated to try to make them At home. read more

Cooking Skills & Social - Cooking Schools Near Me - Itasca, Illinois

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My husband and I plus 4 of our friends have talked about all being chefs for a day, so a few months ago we bought Groupons for Cooking Skills Academy. While the expiration date prevented us from booking a class initially, we called and they extended the expiration date and calendar of events. Yay! So, why for the 3 stars? Well, I think the overall quality of the class and the atmosphere accounts for the loss of 2 stars. Here are some of my observations - I think our class was overfilled by at least 4 people; the lighting was poor and dimmed, at least by our stations; the instructor (Adam W) was not very engaging and he reallly stretched his explanation for everything; the ventilation was horrible for the whole class (explanation below); and not a whole lot of learning took place (perhaps too basic). For our class, Argentinian Affair, one of the components of our meal was searing a piece of skirt steak in a skillet. We all were told to add a bit of oil and sear the meat. Shortly after, the room was engulfed in smoke for the remainder of the class. Every single person in our group went home to wash our clothes, hair and face. We joked we smelled like we just got off our shift at the local fast food restaurant. Ugh, not fun! Overall, our group had fun, but I can say with confidence none of us plan on returning. I think there are better options out there that provide more worthwhile techniques, better atmosphere and more engaging instructors. read more

Cooking Skills & Social - Cooking Schools Near Me - Itasca, Illinois

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Yesterday was our 2nd class at the cooking skills academy. First of all it's just so much fun to cook and enjoy what you cooked with your partner. My husband and I loved the class we took with Chef Brian the first time. Chef Brian is so fun and entertaining to watch. He just made the class more lively. Our 2nd visit we took a class with Chef Adam who we also learned so much from. Chef Adam went through a lot of material in a short period of time so because of that I wasn't able to see a lively side of him like I experienced with Chef Brian. I love learning new recipes to enjoy that I probably wouldn't do at home without knowing for sure if I would even like the food or know if I wasn't preparing it right. But all the recipes I've cooked so far have been super delicious and we learned techniques from both these chefs that we are able to use at home in our own kitchens. I highly recommend Cooking Skills Academy. You definitely get your money's worth here. I won the raffle for a free cooking class on our 1st visit. That was the reason why we took the 2nd class. We enjoyed both classes so much we just signed up to take a 3rd class. That's how much we enjoy this academy. read more

Cooking Skills & Social - Cooking Schools Near Me - Itasca, Illinois

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Chef Alex and Chef Tony were the real deal and could not have been any more patient, and kind while teaching us to cook like pros. The evening was a complete hit with our group and we will be repeating the outing again next year for sure. Everything was CLASS!!! Thanks!!! read more

ordered gift for someone for Christmas they never received confirmation. Very embarrassed on Christmas day when she said she did not get confirmation. Called twice left message no reply. What kind of company is this. Take your money and forget about you??????? read more

I will start by saying that I should be ashamed of myself. I was born in a city known for its cuisine and in a family full of folks who love to burn the pots, but I prefer to have a spotless, "for display only" looking kitchen. I prefer to limit my cooking to holidays and special occasions. On all the other days, I would rather eat out. And when I am sick of eating out, I give in and cook, at which time I wish I had something new to try. So, it only makes sense that this LivingSocial deal caught my eye. The mini skeptic thought let me first confirm there are classes available worth taking. I looked and the tenderloin class was being offered in a few days. I would be more inclined to order a tenderloin filled with a rub or coating while dining out. Reason being, I order things that I can not fix at home. Well, now,, there is one more thing to take off the list because I learned of three quick, easy and tasty ways to tune up a tenderloin. Chef Paul demonstrated the preparation of each meal at his station and then we returned to our area to make our own. Prepping for the first tenderloin was rough. Mainly because I was slightly intimated by the number of ingredients and the view of others who looked as if they were half way finished before I even picked up my knife. However, I quickly realized that a few people chose to leave out certain ingredients and preferred to eat their pork medium rare, meaning their prep time was slightly shorter than the time needed to prepare my loin. All in all, the meals were quick and delicious. I had to force myself to only have a few bites of each as I knew there was no way I could eat 3 tenderloins and their side items in 2 hours. And admittedly, I wanted to bring a portion home to eat later and see if the wow, I really made this meal and it is amazing reaction remained. The class size was very intimate (12 people).Most people attended class with a friend or significant other. I paired up with someone else who came alone and we hit it off instantly. We also kept pretty consistent and lively dialog with the pair next to us. Other Neat Things about the class - It is BYOB - After class you receive special pricing on future classes and products you used read more

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Attended the Salmon 3 ways class. It was excellent. The salmon was delicious. Chef Alex was very knowledgeable and fun. This was our 4th class and we are signing up for another one in May. Nancy S. read more

Updating my review. It has been 9 months since I attended a class. Each of the 5 disappointment that I listed from my first review, has been resolved! 1) Aprons were provided to each student. 2) Each person had enough supplies to make all of the recipes , without having the assistants have to go wash utensils and bowls. 3) Our biscotti and scones were evenly baked. 4) Our individual cookie sheets were easily identified. 5) At the start of class, the instructor told everyone where the washrooms were. What I liked about this particular class (Biscotti and Scones) is that there was a good mix between student participation and instructor demo. I recommend this class. read more

My husband and daughter took a Korean BBQ class. They LOVED it! The food was delicious, the chef was knowledgeable and fun, and the people who attended all had a blast. Some of the prep work was done by the chef- such as the slicing of the meat- so it made the class flow better and the boring parts of the prep were already completed. We will for sure be going back for another class! read more

Spent hundreds of dollars on classes when attending one a few years ago that are now no good!! I understand there's a new owner but I just lost money for 5-6 classes. read more

They should have kept accepting the old vouchers, at least offered a discount or some incentive so former customers who purchased them from the "previous owner" wouldn't feel ripped off. read more

UPDATE- Two of our managers contacted Chef Paul the day after our event there regarding the issues we encountered. He was very apologetic, wanting to make things right for us & agreed to refund a large part of the bill. I was told he never once tried to deny or argue anything we took issue with, so kudos to Chef Paul for truly valuing his customers and taking ownership of their experience. Given their willingness to make things right without hesitation warranted a review update. I would be willing to try them again sometime feeling better that our experience was not the norm (they have numerous other glowing reviews) and how they handled the situation. read more

Is this company out of business? I am holding 2 tickets and out of what I paid for them. Phone is disconnected there should be some sort of communication from this company read more

We booked the location for our company christmas party. While initially communication with Chef Paul was good It dropped off closer to the time of the event. We had people who are vegetarians so I reached out to him via voicemail and email to order an extra pasta dish without meat. Never heard back from him. Yesterday was the event and while Chef Miguel and the cooking instruction was fun the meal that was served after the competition was sub par. It was tasteless, the steak was bland, overcooked and chewy. Mashed potatoes were bland. No Mac and Cheese although it was part of the menu and to make things worse no pasta dish for our vegetarians. For the cost of the event and the fact that it bills itself as a cooking skills academy one would expect a higher quality dinner. When the patrons wish they could've eaten the food they prepared as part of the competition instead what was served as dinner you know something is not right. Altogether poor communication, high price and sub par dinner does not equal repeat business. read more

Yesterday was our 2nd visit to Cooking Skills Academy. It did not disappoint and only gets better. Chef Paul provided a great hands on cooking lesson, and we made 3 delicious dishes ourselves. Fun experience, great dinner and date night! We will do it again! read more

Fun, educational and to get to eat what you cook. They make cooking fun and they do all the cleanup. We have been to 2 classes seafood and the steak both were great I have been cooking for years and I still learned a lot. Fun night out. read more

Chef Alex made sushi making fun! He was helpful and informative and the ingredients were fresh making the dish very tasty! Will definitely be taking more classes and bringing friends and family along. read more

Chef Paul...the butcher, the baker and the pasta maker. Or sushi maker, or pizza maker or knife skills guru. Super fun date night! Definitely a great option for friends or couples that want an experience instead of another dinner out. First time taking a cooking class and it was really fun! No experience needed for the pasta making class. We made homemade gnocchi and ate it right away. Then we made linguine or spaghetti to take home. I do remember Chef Paul instructing us to put the linguine on a hanger when we got home. Oops! Too much fun and excitement over making perfect gnocchi (or maybe it was the wine...you can BYOB here), but I forgot. So tonight for dinner I made "lumpy linguine". It was pretty stuck together in the baggie that we brought it home in. Still tasty though! Lots of two-seater counter/work surfaces set up around Chef Paul's demo table complete with video to project a close up view of anything he is chopping/cooking onto the screen. 16 to 20 ish people in a class. Really want to check out the knife skills class at Cooking Skills Academy. Has anyone taken that yet? I am a little worried that I might need a smaller class for that one. Leave your rings and watch at home. You don't knead doughy jewelry...oh, need doughy jewelry. ;) P.S. Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands. read more

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If you're a hands-on learner, take a class at Cooking Skills Academy. My boyfriend and I attended the Sushi Maki'n class for our Friday night "date night", and enjoyed ourselves immensely. The time flew by. We each had our own cooking station, set up in a semi-circle, so students could see demonstrations, and everything at our station was set up neatly before the start of class. The instructor, Chef Paul. . . .This guy knows what he's doing. His teaching skills mirrored his knowledge of making sushi - both excellent. He didn't just show us how to make sushi, but he explained all the reasons why it is done a certain way. He explained what to look for when buying a fresh piece of tuna, secrets in making the best rice, and tips on where to purchase ingredients locally. His enthusiasm for his work definitely showed. We will be back for more classes in the future! 5 stars Last visited 4/19/13 read more

Cooking Skills & Social - California roll - Cooking Schools Near Me - Itasca, Illinois

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I had purchased 14 vouchers pre pandemic for a specific class and had seven couples lined up for a great event. Pandemic hits, postponed, I get it. Yes, they relaunched, but the restrictions have made it impossible for me to use the vouchers. I did use four of them for a class, but now I'm stuck with 10 and am not able to use them. The offer from CSA was for her to squeeze two of us in a class. Well, I live near Wisconsin, so it is almost 40 miles and a least an hour drive. Also, there are only a couple of classes I'm interested in. I enjoyed this venue when I could get a group together and learn something. So, as of now, I'm out the money I spent for the 10 vouchers. Good luck if you have any vouchers from before. read more

My husband and I did a burger night here. I love that it's BYOB and they provide glasses, a corkscrew and water for everyone. I'm really happy that the stations are meant for 2 people. You each get to do some of the prep work and the cooking. I think our classes at Sur La Table taught us way better cooking skills and helpful kitchen tips. So we went into this class with a fair amount of experience and didn't learn anything new. But our food was tasty and it's nice that you can bring home leftovers. We were stuffed from the two different burgers we made! And overall it was a really fun date night filled with lots of wine and laughs! read more

Cooking Skills & Social - They have the stations all ready to go (which can leave produce looking a bit old). - Cooking Schools Near Me - Itasca, Illinois

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Update: CSA has started rolling out more classes in advance. Thank you! This place definitely deserves a 5 star rating now. My husband and I enjoyed another spectacular date night at Chef Adam's Taste of Tuscany class on Saturday. I could go on and on about CSA but I think I already did in my previous review. Two new ideas to consider: 1) Summertime (or anytime) kids' cooking classes, please!! The closest spot now in Marcel's in Glen Ellyn. They offer great classes, but it's a trek! I'm sure there are tons of local parents who'd love dropping their budding chefs off at a CSA summer camp. 2) Select date night classes for couples with an offering of an on-site kid friendly cooking class happening simultaneously. No need for a babysitter and my kids learn a little something? Sign me up! read more

My husband and i had purchased 2 classes prior to the pandemic. When they reopened, the new management would not honor the class we paid for previously stating the new business closed and we are a new company. That being said, the name is nearly the same and the location has not changed. It was not inexpensive. Cooking Skills and social could do better read more

I took classes through the Cooking Skills Academy for years, and really enjoyed myself. After it closed, I was so bummed, but thrilled once they opened up under new management. One of the negatives is that the sharing of the recipes has changed. You used to receive the recipe during class. Now, the recipe is supposed to be emailed to you after class. I took a class in January 2022 that I still haven't received the recipe for. I have contacted management several times, and I kept being promised it was to be sent out soon, and now it's to the point that they don't answer my emails. Chef Alex is really GREAT, but, if you're not given the recipe, it's hard to practice and enjoy what you learned during class. read more

SO HERE's THE DEAL! And I know this review is long - but if you really are considering going- then you should try to read this whole thing! FOR THE COOK- you are going to walk in here- and it's going to be a breeze. You will be given those tips on how to properly hold a knife, how to break an egg with one hand, and you will hear about the chef's preferences and learn about his/her personality. FOR THE NOT SO GOOD COOK- Price AWARE! Please don't take this class if you are seriously wanting to learn to cook. Not worth the 80 (or 40 if you got a GROUPON). You are better off using You Tube or finding a person who can personally teach you. Also- dietary restrictions- it depends on how strict you are but if you can't be open minded- not the place for you. BUT feel free to ask questions- and remember you're not working with the world's most expert chef. WHAT THIS CLASS IS GOOD FOR- Good food, BYOB, Fun Activity. I wouldn't take this class seriously. The problem is that I have taken many cooking classes- and they are pretty much all the same. The mark up for these classes are ridiculous but they are always a fun experience. They do design the class to make it 'pair' friendly so I don't recommend taking this class alone. WHO IS THIS FOR: Probably a great date idea because I went with my girl friend and were the only 'non couple' but we had fun! I wouldn't bring my parents here - may be too quick of a process with not many details. HOW THE CLASS WORKS: You go in. Sit. And everything is prepared and organized. You learn to cook each dish with a quick presentation and you're on your own. I'm sure with each chef- when you eat, to what you prepare is different. BUT- as other reviews have mentioned, some of the stuff is already prepared for you- so you don't learn to make everything. WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW: The communication with this company is terrible. Emailing to calling- don't even try. It sucks, i know. But if you feel like you need to talk to them to get your money back- GO IN if you can, otherwise, keep on calling and be patient. They are friendly folks but I think they are still working out their kinks- as they are being advertised on Groupon and such. WHY THE 5 Stars: Because this is just how cooking classes are and they are expensive. I'm rating 5 for the friendly service, organized environment, delicious food, and for fun! And I will be coming back- I won the raffle for a free class! AND- don't forgot your bottle of wine! BYOB is always the best. read more

We recently took the Sirloin 3 ways class and as usual, we were not disappointed! All three recipes were simple to make and absolutely delicious. The quality of the food and ingredients were top notch. Chef Alex taught the class and he was organized, patient and answered everyones questions in a professional & easy to understand manner. The atmosphere is relaxed and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I would highly recommend this place! read more

The "chef" instructor we had was more interested in being an entertainer than a teacher. "Paella" class and end product was mediocre at best. I didn't learn anything new; I could have just followed a recipe at home. Work spaces were cramped, equipment wasn't great (dull knives), prep for each work station wasn't complete. I didn't even bother to take the recipes home, as they weren't anything I'd want to eat again. I would not take another class there. read more

This cooking class is really as good as you can expect. I went for the first time about a year ago with my Girlfriend. I had never went to a cooking class before so as I guy I was a little skeptical. We took the knife skills class. Chef Paul laid everything out to make it easy for anyone. Even if you had no experience...when we all left we were cutting up whole chickens! We have taken several classes since then, and the class has only grown. The setup now is amazing. With the projector it makes it so much easier to see what Chef is doing. Chef Paul is very engaging, and is just like someone you would hang out with on the weekend. Very cool guy...but he is VERY knowledgeable as well. Nice to see that someone whom is so good at what they do is still down to earth (many of these chefs are stuck up and Chef Paul is the exact opposite) If you have a question he will make sure it's answered. Not only do you learn how to cook amazing things...YOU GET TO EAT IT when it's finished. So not only did you get a class, you got a meal for your money. The things you learn are always practical to the REAL world and I use all the skills I learn there every day in the kitchen. FYI this place is BYOB so you can bring wine or a cocktail to have while you are cooking! CSA you have a fan for life! Thanks Chef Paul! read more