Great spot. Lots of interesting things. Owner knows how to fill a store with unique and…read moreinteresting items. Cooking classes are phenomenal. So much fun.

An creative reuse of an old bank building in town, Lulu Cadieux has a variety of different…read moreofferings under one roof. There's sections dedicated to cookbooks, kitchenware, home decor, a set up of some clothing and accessories, art pieces, gifts like candles and body care, all of which was beautifully curated. They also have a section for gourmet snacks like imported meats and cheeses, tinned fish, and a variety of snacks like cookies, candies, chips, etc. All perfect for putting together a picnic or nibbling on at cottage rental. Admittedly a lot of things I liked best here were out of my price range (what can I say, I have expensive taste!). I was particularly wowed by a gorgeous wood cake stand with cloche that definitely made my eyes water when I looked at the price tag. But I'll tell you what, if I had the money, it would have gone home with me. The section I saw it in was adjacent to a stunning chef's kitchen (I covet that stove) where they also hold cooking classes. I hope I can make one work sometime in the future. I'd love to take a pasta making class or paella, both of which are in their line up of offerings. Those seem to be priced at around $125 per person which I think is reasonable for a hands on class and a meal at the end. Oh, one of the clothing sections was located in the old bank vault, which was a cute touch and interesting use of the space!

Unfortunately had a very bad time. The class I attended was not set up for guests to learn, try…read moretechniques on their own, and enjoy the food they cooked. Instead, the kitchen was quiet and had a nervous energy, with none of the guests knowing where they were supposed to step in to help. Guests can expect to stand at their own station for five-plus hours in what is essentially a stress position and wait until one onion or chicken breast is passed between the 12 or so attendees to chop. Not only is this extremely dull, it resulted in our soup being over-seasoned and opened everyone in the class up to the mistake of an individual. One of Chef Denene's friends was in attendance and for some reason she largely only interacted with them, talking to them at a volume where no one else could hear and tasking them with the few opportunities available to actually cook, apart from my group there were many individuals in the class who came alone and were not engaged with or made to feel included by the Chef, who had the same attitude as a teacher who doesn't care your group project and is stressed out by being unprepared. If guests had difficulty cooking they were not given help, instead the chef would step in and do it herself. The bulk of the feedback we received was from Chef Denene reminding us which sink to wash our hands in, where to toss aprons, to wash dishes, and other trivial things that made our group feel more like free labor than students. This lasted from 10-1pm, upon which we enjoyed our soup and rellenos. The later was tasty but the soup was inedible by two in our group who thought it was too spicy as a result of the seasonings being measured by random class patrons who were receiving instruction secondhand. Our group left after this, not confident that the next four hours would be more interactive or than the end product would be tasty enough to make staying worth it. Rather than a class, this is more like a chef's tasting that you watch be made. If you do not know how to chop an onion you may learn something, but all in all the majority of recipes were not taught in anyway where you could feel confident in re-creating them at home, which was my hope. One would be better served spending their money either going to a nice restaurant or taking a class through an educational institution where the instructor has an interest in being a facilitator. I'd like to think that this was an off-day and would be interested in taking a different class if the Chef would explain her reasoning for the class structure. TL:DR: Not a cooking class in the way that you're thinking, vibes are off and at times rude.

I recently attended my second class at Le Chat Gourmet. In no way, shape, or form could I find…read moresomething to complain about. Unlike some cooking classes that only allow for you to watch how the food is made, classes at Le Chat allow you the opportunity to be fully immersed in the cooking experience with the other classmates. Chef Denene does a spectacular job of teaching the class and demonstrating techniques that make cooking easier and more enjoyable. She can tell when people may be struggling with a certain task and she knows how to teach them how to perform that task more efficiently. From tasks as simple as how to properly dice green onions, to learning how to make a five star creme brûlée, Chef Denene is a true professional, minus the arrogant flare that can be seen in the "superstar chefs". With classes such as the recent San Francisco Chop House, complete with an appetizer of white cheddar crab dip with toasted artisan bread and a main course of bacon wrapped filets with sour cream chive mashed potatoes and fresh popovers with parmesan butter, it's difficult to not want to come back every week! And when dessert consists of freshly made orange-glazed doughnut holes served with a mocha latte toffee crunch sauce, it's easy to reconsider your career and want to go to culinary school. Needless to say, the two hour drive to get there is well worth it. The facebook page has great information and pictures as well. Chef Denene, thank you thank you thank you for another amazing experience and I look forward to returning soon.

Magical Evening! This is one of Grand Haven's best kept secrets. Seven friends and I attended an…read more"Art in the Yard" outdoor dining event at Artisan. What a wonderful time. Artisan is a perfect venue for a special date night, friend's outing, or group event. Dinner is pre fixe and it features an unique nightly menu as planned by the talented Chef, Samantha Sherman. All items are farm to table & from scratch cooking. Our evening's menu included appetizer- lobster & corn salad dip, cherry chipolte salsa & homemade lime seasoned chips. We could have stopped there but the experience got even better! The main plate included marinated flank steak floating in a delicious pool of red pepper romesco sauce, warm potato salad with hot bacon dressing, summer corn in herb butter, and homemade herb rolls. I cleaned my plate! Service was impeccable, 4 servers attended to our every need, they were informative about the food & entertaining. To top off the dinner, desert was included. The desert was a piece of art in itself. Cream trifle with blueberry coulis and fresh strawberries. All food exceptional. We will be attending an event again soon. $$$

We just got back from a very enjoyable meal at the Artisan Cooking School's Dinner and a Chef…read moreevent. We were greeted by the friendly chefs Hillary and Howard who proceeded to make us a delicious three course meal. We all sat at a table built around the stove so we could watch as the food was being prepared. Chef Hillary explained how she was making things and answered questions about how we could make them at home. The food was very fresh and flavorful and beautifully presented. We started off with Lump Crab Cakes with a Rémoulade which were very creamy and tasted like fresh crab. My wife who is on a gluten free diet had an arugula salad with goat cheese, candied walnuts, prosciutto, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing which was also very tasty. We then had a small spoonful of home made sorbet with aged balsamic vinegar as a palate cleanser. The main meal was Hickory Influenced Grilled Salmon on Creamy Roasted Garlic Grits, Grilled Peaches, Red Onions, Fire Roasted Poblano, Green Chili Gastrique, and Apple Smoked Bacon. All of the ingredients complimented each other perfectly and the sauce was the highlight that brought it all together. For dessert we had Crème Brulee with fresh raspberries which was so delicious! We were recently in France and enjoyed many great meals there, this one was up there with the best of them. We highly recommend going to Dinner and a Chef, it will surely be a fun time and a great meal which is worlds better than what you get at the typical chain restaurant.