Astor Center is part of Astor Wine & Spirits where they do wine (sometimes spirits) classes. These classes are good and entertaining, but geared towards folks who are new to wine education. read more

Astor Center - a table with a cup of wine and a menu - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

Highly recommend the "Taste of France" event. It includes a tasting of 30 different wines! Yes, 30! You essentially walk around 10 different stations offering wines from different regions of France, including a wonderful array of Champagne and sparkling wines which are my faves. Each table had a representative who were all very knowledgeable and enjoy discussing wine. I tasted a wide array of delicious wines and left with a deeper appreciation and love of French wine. The event also includes a variety of cheeses & charcuterie as well as passed hors d'oeuvres. All for $49! Definitely recommend for wine lovers, date night, or night with friends. Can't wait to go back for more events. read more

**This review is for the class: Elements of Wine: Wine Tasting, Wine Pairing and More at Astor Center** Always curious to expand my knowledge of ways to enjoy wine, my better-half and I signed up for the Elements of Wine class that takes place twice a month at the Astor Center, the education annex of Astor Wines & Spirits (my review for Astor Wines & Spirits here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/astor-wines-and-spirits-new-york#hrid:8Ow5ChYInVjyEVFshZTKQw) Sure, I've attended wine tastings before at various wine shops and taken wine classes to further my knowledge of vino, but what attracted me to take this class in particular was to learn more about what to look for when pairing wines with food. Also I heard it was an interactive discussion and any questions you might have on wine would be answered in plain English. Upon entering the class room, or the Study as they call it -- I was impressed by the high-tech touches of the room: spanking-new Viking appliances, 50" flat-screen TVs over the kitchen, stadium-style seating with ultra-comfortable chairs, individual sinks and light boxes (to observe the clarity, colors and "legs" of each wine). The class room design is based on the Rudd Center at CIA's Napa Valley campus and it's absolutely beautiful and flawless! But the piece de resistance was the 7 Riedel glasses neatly lined at each seat. As part of the Elements of Wine class, we would be sampling 6 wines from around the world (in this class, we sampled wines from Argentina, Portugal, France). Wait, six wines and seven wine glasses you ask? The seventh glass was used first as an icebreaker. As soon as every one was settled in their seat, Astor Center staff started pouring a delightful sparkling malbec for everyone to enjoy before the class started. There's only so much I can write about in under 5000 words (the Yelp review limit), so I'll sum it up to 3-reasons why this class rocked so hard that I'm giving it 5-STARS: 3) The presenter Andy Fisher. Andy's day job is being president of Astor Wines & Astor Center. He's helped run this family business for over 40 years and his dedication and passion for wine clearly shows in this entertaining 2-hour class. His presentation covered the basics of wine tasting in a fun, interactive and informative way. This wasn't a class where some instructor was trying to teach or preach. Rather, I felt it was more like you were invited into someone's home and Andy Fisher was showing you first-hand how you'll enjoy wine even more by understanding and applying the concepts of terroir, swirling, smell, taste, mouthfeel and tannins -- plus his view on the current wine situation: new world vs. old world, big-corporate wineries vs. boutique wine makers, price vs. quality, etc. 2) First-hand wine & food tasting: Along with the wines, there were small tastes of various You will quickly grasp the concepts so you too will be choosing wines based on the taste of the food -- and how flavors can accentuate, or diminish the taste of wine. For example, the experience of a cask oak-barrelled Malbec gets heightened by the saltiness of prosciutto, a charred steak or an affinaged comte. 1) Generous pours from the seven wines they select for each class. In no time I was getting the hang of the 5-steps of tasting: Pour. Swirl. Smell. Taste. Process. Repeat. (My favorite step being *REPEAT*) I highly recommend this class for wine lovers and foodies alike. Not only will you have the chance to drink seven quality wines, understand what to look for when pairing wine with food, but you will be surprised to learn by the end of the class that drinking good wine doesn't have to be narrowed down to regions in France or California or spending $50+ a bottle at a wine retailer. Also, check out the Astor Center website for other classes continuously being offered http://www.astorcenternyc.com/calendar.ac, including: * whisk(e)y tastings. * beer, sake and mixology classes. * Culinary Institute of America continuing education classes. In fact, this place would be the perfect venue for a Yelp Elite event as they do have a beautiful and spacious rental space called "The Gallery" http://www.astorcenternyc.com/gallery.ac, adjacent to the Study (hint hint Yelp HQ!) :-) read more

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This place is quickly becoming my second home. I was lucky enough to get involved with Astor as a volunteer a few months and have been able to attend a great variety of their classes and events! So far I've attended the following: Bacon & Bourbon 2015 The 11th Annual Natural Wine Event Southern Italy: Wine, Cheese and Charcuterie Whiskey 101 Tiki Time Cocktails Cruising California The Elements of Wine The Winemaker Invitational The walk around events (Bacon & Bourbon, the Natural Wine Event and the Invitational) are held in the Gallery and/or the Lounge, which are big open spaces that are conducive to tipsy meanderings and conversations with the wine and spirit makers that present at the event. The classes are held in the kitchen (so cool) or the totally state of the art study which is set up like a college classroom with elevated seating. All of the instructors I've attended class with so far are SUPER engaging and knowledgeable and more often than not highly respected in their field - I took a California wine class with Kristina Sazama who used to be the sommelier at the Momofuku restaurants - IMPRESSIVE stuff! I've been privileged to see behind the scenes and these classes and events are totally worth the money - you always get great snacks in addition to the generous pours of wine/spirts/cocktails and the environment is laid back but you still learn a ton. I highly recommend checking one out if you get the chance! read more

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I was really disappointed with the "Loire Valley Wines" class. Astor Center is obviously dedicated to wine education, with their fancy auditorium-style seating, individual table lights you can use to examine your wine's color, sinks by every other seat, television screens to view the Powerpoint presentation - I felt like I was back in college. Unfortunately, I was not aware that the class would have up to what looked like 30 to 40 people. The room was large and me being at a far corner of the room, could not hear the instructor Andrew Fisher fully. I was surprised that despite the thoughtful setup of the room, microphones were not a part of the experience. I also felt like the class was a little bit 101 for me, personally. I've read the Wine Bible and probably have about 10-15 wine classes under my belt, so perhaps that might give you some perspective. While there was a fair amount of content being shared about the geography and the wine producers of the Loire Valley, I felt like not enough attention was given to WHY those factors contributed to the taste of the wine - to be honest, too little attention was given to the sensorial experience of the wine considering that this is a wine tasting class. I have had a much better wine tasting class experience with Chad Walsh at Agern and New York Vintners, which were both smaller format and had more discourse about the wine itself. The class I had as Astor Center felt like a lecture and the instructor often seemed a little discombobulated when interrupted with a question. read more

This brand new space offers courses on food & wine, I went to a wine tasting course last night and despite thinking I knew something about wine I learned a great deal. If you are a serious foodie (Why else would you be freekin reading this) you will love this place. 2 hours - 7 wines - $125 plus discounted wines read more

Astor Center - Jan 24th wine tasting - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

Came here recently for a class on French wines taught by Andy Fisher. The entire experience was excellent. Some highlights: -Andy is clearly incredibly knowledgeable about wines, but can explain things to total beginners -Comprehensive explanation of grapes, soil, reading labels -Delicious, unique wines, and perfect food pairings that make them even better If you're looking for a class where you just sip a few wines in a relaxed, chatty environment, I'd head somewhere else (Otto, for example). This is definitely a learning experience - complete with PowerPoint presentation and note-taking pamphlet. Know before you go and you'll have a great time! read more

Astor Center - Champagne - Côtes du Rhône - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

J and I have a pretty extensive home bar, with over 40 bottles of liquor and 12 different varieties of bitters. It's nice to have options, you know? We have a vintage 1950s hand-crank ice crusher mounted to the wall, and special molds for making giant spherical ice cubes (ice spheres?) that fit perfectly in an Old Fashioned glass. While we're more than competent when it comes to mixing (and even creating) classic cocktails like the Manhattan, the Martinez, and the Mint Julep, there are admittedly some glaring gaps in our repertoire. Like eggs. How on earth do egg drinks come out so foamy? To remedy this, I bought us spots in Astor Center's class "PDT Presents: Intermediate Home Bartending" for J's birthday (I feel that the best kind of birthday present to give is one that you also give to yourself, no?). Hosted by two barkeeps from the infamous hot dog/phone booth speakeasy, the class promised to bring our skills to the next level, with lessons on making our own infusions, swizzling, playing with fire, and working with the ever elusive egg. When I walked into the classroom, my jaw just dropped. Jessica F does a great job of describing the space in detail, so I won't, but let it just be said that this has got to be the most well-thought out and perfectly designed high-tech functional space I've ever been in. I'll add that there's a light box built into each station, which I assume is for wine classes. For our class, we each had a complete bar set--Boston shaker, strainer, spoon, muddler, and jigger. The class itself was excellent. They started off on the right foot by immediately making a large batch of punch, which we sipped while they demonstrated how to make our own ginger beer. Next up, we got to try our hand at juleps--I made a variation on the classic, using maple syrup and apple brandy...YUM. We were then treated to a spectacular pyrotechnics demonstration--a flaming hot toddy, which was poured back and forth between two silver mugs, creating a long stream of blue flame! It probably goes without saying that we did not get to try this ourselves. Finally, it was egg time! The assistants came around and placed an egg in front of each of us, and I was instantly reminded of high school health class when we had to carry an egg around all day to learn what it would be like to be a teenage parent. Except this egg was meant to be broken! First, our teachers made what is one of the most complicated cocktails possible, the Ramos Gin Fizz, and we watched in awe as they created a stiff tower of foam that extended several inches above the rim of the glass. We made the slightly simpler Pisco Sour and New York Flip, both of which were creamy and delicious. Here is the key to egg drinks: 1. Add all ingredients to the shaker. Before adding ice, shake the shit out of it. This is called a "dry shake". 2. Add a ton of ice, and then shake vigorously for as long as you can physically bear it. Literally. Throughout the class we were given lots of interesting historical facts and useful tips, perhaps the most entertaining of which was this letter written in the 1930s regarding the Mint Julep: http://www.civilwarhome.com/mintjulep.htm You won't regret reading the entire thing, I promise. By the end of class we felt full of knowledge, and also full of booze. However, we had plans to meet up with two of our favorite cocktail connoisseurs for more drinks. I leaned over to J and whispered, "We're in trouble". read more

Came here for a series of Asti Italian wine and Brindiamo! tv show private events. Great location, state of the art kitchen equipment. Simply beautiful space. The events consisted of: - A "Sensory Perception" experience through an exhibition created by Pasrons students. - A mini-cooking class using Asti with Chef Vito Polosa - Onwer of Aroma Kitchen & Wine bar: http://www.yelp.com/biz/aroma-kitchen-and-winebar-new-york. Did I mentioned I volunteer to get up there and cook? Well I did. I will own a kitchen like this one day. - A cocktail mixing class using Asti - An a demonstration of glass designs for ultimate enjoyment of food and beverages. Thank you Asti! and Astor Center you are without a doubt forever in my dreams. read more

Yelp Events For Adults i am not here to describe the cooking classes at Astor Center, which have been quite well reviewed by others already (although the one i took, "A Lobster Primer: Hands On," was indeed a solid primer and very much hands on, led by a fisherman's daughter turned chef who instructed the 20 of us, including a writer, a wine expert, a musician, and one from the NYC Ballet believe it or not, on the choosing, humane killing (yes hands on!), cooking, cleaning and eating of lobsters, shove that knife in there, crack that, pull that, three recipes - make your own lobster roll, lobster fritter -- and at the end, six glasses of wine for tasting and matching with the three-course meal that we had just prepared, satiated, drunk, and knowledgeable...); no i'm not here to talk about that... aside from classes and tastings, there are Events at Astor Center, and these resemble more than anything else Yelp Events, except the attendees are not entirely made up of post-adolescents clinging to the remnants of childhood and pop culture, pretending to be tv-fabulous; rather, the demographic is a fair sampling from nyc's educated, literate and art-aware, maybe more resembling an audience at the Papp Theater down the block. from young to old, dressed up or less costumed, multiethnic, food aware -- oh for sure, food aware. this particular event was called "Harvest to Heat: Celebrating America's Best Chefs, Farmers and Artisans," which is the title of the book around which the event was organized, ie, a book launch. Astor Center Events take place sometimes upstairs in those fantastic kitchens, but this was not a class. it was held right above the store, in what was once a very fine and elegant restaurant whose name escapes me, a large open space, sweet lighting, dark hues, 80 people, even a few kids. $40 apiece, which would have barely covered the drinks. so, good deal. along the far wall is a bar, and next to the bar several food stations with serving tables in front. along the opposite wall is a sort of two-step-up mezzanine with windows overlooking Lafayette st, and a banquet running under them, a nice place to hang out and view the outside world. otherwise, there were small tables with chairs bunched together, taller round bar tables for standing around, and lots of open space for grazing and browsing. but the food!!!!!! well, first the drink(s). whiskey was featured, provided by Tuthilltown Distillery, you know them, those small squat bottles with the brown paper labels that say HUDSON WHISKEY in big letters. they make extremely fine artisanal spirits, bourbons and such. tonight they offered a corn whiskey (corn whiskey?!!) called White Dog. it was CLEAR. it was delicious. the drink was Manhattans, later switched to some sort of apple-related thing also using this corn whiskey. fantastic!! just laid out there on the bar, come and grab one, sure. how about three? this being astor, there were wines also, but i did not touch them tonight. capacity filled. ok, food: the best was a pork belly, with maple syrup, grits, matsutake mushrooms and tons of roasted garlic, prepared by Brian Lewis of his self-styled Kitchen. pork bellies can really rock, and these were exquisite. i had two plates. there was an oyster table by Rappahannock River Oysters from Virginia, yes they drove up here 14 hours they said to be part of the book launch, and they were offering an endless supply of three kinds of raw oysters. three tastes from sweet to salty, depending on how close to the ocean the source waters were. these were exquisite as well. i had two sets. there were hors d'oeuvres being passed around by caterers with trays. there were so many that eventually i just let them pass with full trays. that never happens at yelp events and i don't think that requires elaboration. chilled cucumber crab soup in little teacup bowls with tiny metal spoons, with candied fennel and lemon gelee. you stir it up well to activate it, and then drink it like the green tea it resembles, then spoon out the chunks of crab meat. exquisite. i had two. mini blt's, although that is an understatement. like a slider, but with house-made sesame buns, heirloom tomatoes, artisanal bacon and pickled shallots, courtesy of Chef Lee Chizmar of Bolete. exquisite. i had three. i think. roasted trout, basically a thick slab of trout on toast with vinaigrette, courtesy of Chef Waldy Malouf of Beacon. exquisite. i had two. there was a large table up on the mezzanine with a tray filled with piles of four kinds of chocolate from Theo, including two truffles and two kinds of dark chocolate chunks, and another tray with four kinds of aged cheese from Jasper Hill Cellars, plus a basket piled high with sliced baguette. i don't recall how many times i went back. cheese rocks better than pork. and finally, pumpkin ginger spice ice cream, from Blue Pig, Croton-on-Hudson. exquisite. but i only had one. need i explain? i hearby quit yelp. read more

I attended a class held here this past Monday, August 18th. It was a collaboration between the Culinary Institute of America, Astor Center and Bravo TV, and featured Tre Wilcox of season 3 of "Top Chef". It cost $195 and per the class description, it included a cocktail, a copy of the "Top Chef" cookbook, and a 3-course tasting of the three dishes Tre was planning to demonstrate. It ran from 6:30-9:30 PM. I am not really here to review the lec/dem, which was perfectly enjoyable, but rather the space and the overall experience. The classroom is brand new and absolutely gorgeous. It is set up in a lecture hall style, with two rows of about 15 seats each, with plenty of room between each row, and each with a fairly good, direct, unobstructed view of the demonstration area. Seating is on comfortable leather office chairs. Each station has room to take notes, plus a second counter a little higher where high-quality water and wineglasses were waiting, along with a carafe of water. Each station shared a small sink with the person next to them, which have sensors to permit hands-free use. Plasma screens are hung from the ceiling and wall mounted throughout, allowing everyone with a semi-peripheral view to see what is happening directly full-on. There is also a camera mounted above the chopping/prepping area, which allows the viewer to see the knife work of the chef. Sadly, there did not seem to be a camera mounted above the range, and when Tre did any cooking over it, it was hard to see his technique. All the appliances are top of the line brand new Viking and Wolf stainless steel. There is plenty of storage. Down the hall, there is a full kitchen, where Tre's sous chef and assistants prepared the courses he was demonstrating for us, and after his demo was over, he would head down there to oversee the plating. We were served by CIA students and what seemed to be a few of the Astor Center people. Linen napkins and two forks and knives were also at each place. Our champagne glasses were kept full the entire time we were there. The bathrooms were as high-tech as the rest of the place, with numerous stalls, gorgeous sink vessels and the most intense UV hand dryers I have ever experienced. The whole facility is accessible. Registration was easy and getting to Astor Center couldn't be more so (especially for me--I live two blocks away). I think I got more than my money's worth, if you calculate the three hours of cooking instruction, a three-course meal including shrimp, lobster and wild King salmon, a cocktail, a hardcover cookbook and all the champagne I could consume. I would recommend attending a class at the Astor Center to anyone, and I would definitely attend another CIA-sponsored class there. I think I got excellent value for the money. read more

I decided to try their "Curries and Wine pairing" class. I have to say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The instructor was knowledgeable and very personable and made me feel comfortable. The class was fast-moving, as it was in the intermediate category. If you have NO experience with cooking (as the was the case for a few people) you can get a bit lost. As we sipped our glasses of champagne, we learned about the history of curries and learned about the elements of a proper one. We were given recipe sheets on 6 different kinds of curries (Indian, Thai, Guyanese etc) that we were to complete in class. He also demonstrated how to toast the spices before crushing them in a mill. Mmm, it smelled so great! The class was separated into 2 groups to complete 3 dishes each. The kitchen was humongous with everything we needed prepped to go. We also had a pantry guy to fetch additional stuff (he was very sweet and patient). When our dishes were completed, we sat down to 7 or 8 different kinds of wines (selected by sommelier) to try along with our food. She gave us a lecture on the choices and encouraged us to make notes on the taste of the wine before eating, during and after. i must admit in the beginning, I was very seriously jotting down my opinions on the selections (notes of rubber, citrus and peaches) but as I got to second and third mouthfuls of each wine, my notes began to take a turn ("yummy!" "horse dung"). My advice to anyone taking classes here should bring a Tupperware bowl for the leftovers. Overall, a fun, educational experience...great for dates or team building exercises. I invited some friends to go with me who were turned off by the price ($225) but it is totally worth the money. Try it! If you love cooking and learning you will love this class! read more

I came here for an Israeli food event and thought it was a beautiful space with the exposed brick walls, coming from a catering background, I definitely could have seen things done way better. The space is a nice size, but the layout for the event was not the best use of the space. The drink and the spice mixing section were on the same end so there was a crowd at one and and an empty area where the live music was. Also I understand that it was a cheaper event, but to give people a tastings worth of wine in the glass was just tacky. Especially so early on in the event. Finally the line to get spice mixes made was just unruly. Spent an hour on that line and people were trying to cut from various directions. Other than that, the food was lovely and the live music was a wonderful touch. I would definitely come here for another event, but hopefully they plan the space a bit better next time. read more

Most of my close single friends have left NYC over the years, so I find myself drinking at home alone more often that I'd care to admit. Astor Center classes are a good excuse to get out and a nice alternative to the bar scene. And you actually learn a lot so it's the gift that keeps on giving! The facilities are immaculate and they bring in specialists in each topic area whether cooking class or wine/spirits tasting. Just being there makes you feel special. I've taken more than 10 classes both cooking and wine/spirits tasting and have more coming up. read more

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I came here for Rosé day wine tasting and had a fabulous time! This is a wonderful little venue that would be perfect for a bridal or baby shower. The staff were attentive and friendly and there were lots of options for seating. The interior had large windows to let in light and exposed brick walls. I was also able to make friends with the servers and they brought over items I requested from the kitchen!! I sampled a good number of rosés and would definitely check this place out again for future events! read more

Astor Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

My boyfriend & I just had our commitment party & celebration at the Astor Center Gallery space this weekend I can't say enough wonderful things about my experience. The welcoming venue was perfect for what we were looking for, and I was impressed with the entire staff at the Astor Center Gallery Space, Fatima, Josh, Allison, but most of all Ross. Ross went above and beyond to help make sure that our event went off without a hitch. He fielded my random questions leading up to the event, advised me of what I needed to consider, provided contacts for preferred vendors and all without ever making me feel like a pest. On the day of the event he not only worked with me, but with all my friends who arrived early to set up. He was patient and kind, and he was fun. He makes it seem so easy. He showed us how to work the awesome AV equipment, he and Allison showed us where we could find the platters & dishes (included in rental fee btw) and they let us create the exact vibe that we wanted for our family and friends. So if you're considering the space for a wedding or event, I would highly recommend it!! read more

Best wine shop in Manhattan, you cannot beat their prices and they are constantly having great sales on quality wine. Their wine events are pretty good too. I purchased tickets to their Mother's Day Rose event and had a great time with my sister. We tried tons of Rose and nibbled on a spread of cheese, meats and crackers. read more

This space is phenomenal! This is what I call a multifunctional space where there is an event hall, an educational classroom filled with state of the art equipment fit for the most and least sophisticated wine student/connoiseur and a great selection of beverages at their store below with wonderful discounts! Just amazing!! I loved spending 4 hours here @ the Annual Natural Wine Event tasting, eating, and mingling with wine makers from all over the world! read more

Astor Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - New York, New York

The stadium seating for their tasting events is fantastic. There is not a bad seat in the house. They give generous pours of the alcohol and you really do learn quite a bit. For instance, I learned that tasting scotch is ridiculous. After your first sniff you have burned off all of your smell receptors and you then can't taste anything. (I learned this from the experience.) But they still made you feel quite educated as you were slowly getting sloshed on delicious single malts. The cooking classes are great too. My wife and I did a Do-It-Yourself Brunch class that was a lot of fun. You get matched up with strangers and everyone learns how to do the meal but is responsible for one particular part. At the end of the class we had a fantastic multi course brunch. They also had a mixologist come to create the perfect cocktail to accompany the meal we had made. I am excited to go to more classes at Astor and will definitely keep my eye's wide open for the opportunities. (I recommend you do too!) read more

Love what the Astor Center has to offer, with fun and relaxed education all around food and beverage. It s a gem in the city for sure, and of course connected to one of the best supplied speciality liquor stores in Manhattan. We attended a Creating Your Own Cocktails event (not sure the exact name, but you get the gist). It was a great concept to learn about how liquors and flavors and the like all come together and make a cocktail work. Unfortunately the execution wasn't exactly what we expected. At least 50% of the 2 or so hours was a history of cocktails, and the rest of the time we were left to mix drinks from a well stocked bar. Clearly the guys running it were knowledgable, its just a shame that they didn't spend more time helping us understand how you create and balance a drink from scratch. I would definitely go back to the Astor Center, just think that this course didn't do much for me, but I am only one person. read more

Last Spring, my friend and I took a wine-tasting class on French wines in one of their beautiful, sophisticated, and "high-tech" classrooms. The classroom itself was furnished with gorgeous wine-tasting stations in stadium-like seating with comfy leather chairs. The space had flat screen TVs throughout, with which the host was able to engage the tasters with interactive maps, surveys and fun facts and "how-to's" of wines. Each person had his/her individual wine-tasting-station with the tools necessary for the tasting. The station included a small sink, a softly lit panel to check clarity of wine, a plate of 3 pairing samples (butter, salt, and fatty meat), a basket of bread and cheese, and of course, 4 white and 3 red wines. The CEO of the company taught the class, which proved how well-chosen and fairly priced Astor Wines is. It required little to no interaction with the other classmates. Although it's a large classroom of about 20-30 people, it's still a great idea for a date. It was truly the most elegant and most informational wine tasting I've ever been to! read more

Been here three times, for the incredible Bacon and Bourbon event twice, and once for an excellent Scotch and Bourbon class. Wonderful experience each time. Clean and beautiful spaces, world class events. read more

We attended Mark Bello's pizza making and wine tasting class this past Sat and it was fun! The class was small and tightly sitting on one large makeshift table, my guess was there were less than 15 folks. The venue was quite nice, the class was well-run, and overall, I'd go back to take another wine or cooking class. Would definitely recommend this class! My only comment is perhaps more time to allow for those to cook all their pizzas... instead of bringing home lots of excess dough, as some of us NYC'ers don't really have kitchens nor the desire to buy a pizza stone. Also, the cooking area was a bit cramped.. but I guess they can't really do anything about that. Cost was high, $175/person. But I think it was worth it. Unique experience. They probably shouldn't have left out the "pizza making class upstairs" sign out front though b/c random city'ers kept coming up the elevator and peeking into the room thinking they could get involved. Haha. read more

Attended a Whiskey tasting class earlier this month ... I can tell that this place has top-notch classes, but we didnt love the one we went to. The instructor wasn't my favorite (it her was her first time giving a presentation there and she had only been in the business for a few years) ... she gave no guidance on the tasting and just focused on a much-too-long powerpoint presentation (yawn!). The space is amazing though ... i have higher hopes for an oyster class we're going to in a few weeks! read more

"Anyone can cook." - Chef Gusteau, "Ratatouille" Within the kitchen area of Astor Center, several transformations occur. Vegetables and fruits, poultry and meat, grains and starches becomes transformed through heat into delectable dishes. And rank-and-file professionals, from various walks of life, in several hours time, become transformed into actual cooks. What's remarkable is that the instructors for each course can marshal 10-12 amateur chefs, of grossly varying skill levels, get them to work as sous chefs in a kitchen full of sharp knives and hot grilling stations, and coordinate them to produce a flight of courses in less than 4 hours. The instructors may not run 3-star Michelin restaurants, but they are all great teachers that impart a set of skills to their students that last a lifetime. Each instructor is like a Patton of a brigade of raw culinary recruits, waging war against inexperience and time, with fine knife skills and the expert handling of a hot saute pan. Seafood has always intimidated me: it's not the eating, per se, but the skill involved in its proper selection, preparation, and fabrication. In taking Chef Carl Raymond's "Fundamentals of Cooking: Fish" class, I hoped to make the art of preparing seafood less daunting and have it become something that I could competently prepare for friends, family, and the romantic interest. In Fundamentals, we tackled 3 recipes: Scallops Provencale, Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette, and Cape Cod Clam Chowder. We also learned two ways to prepare fish: Sauteeing and En Papillotte (in parchment paper). I was astounded that after several quick demonstrations, Chef would let us tackle the preparation of these delicate and expensive proteins: heating shrimp, searing scallops, shucking clams, filleting red snapper, and sauteing fish on the line. Chef Raymond works very well with the students, answering questions, making recommendations, and approaching his demonstrations with a passion that I can only achieve after imbibing a double espresso at Starbucks. Beside thoroughly explaining and demonstrating basics of cooking skills, he made the process of cooking less mystifying and even imparted a joie d'vivre for preparing food. When you watch food programming on the Food Network or Bravo, cooking is an art that seems magical. In reality, cooking is very mundane, involving repetition and precise execution of a series of small tasks under significant time pressure. For example, I spent part of Chef Raymond's class learning how to dice an onion. Very ordinary steps: cut off the stem; slice it lengthwise through the root; lay each onion-half flat; make several cuts into the onion parallel to the cutting board; make several incisions orthogonal to these cuts. When you finally slice the onion, out pops out perfectly-brunoised bits of vegetable. And then you have an transformational moment. Astor Center makes you aware how -- in the most simple execution of cutting an onion -- magical the mundane can be. read more

We hosted our conference here for three years -- price went from $7k for the entire space to over $35k for the day. The reason I am writing this is I had just done a search for "inexpensive NYC venue spaces" and Yelp has this venue on the list. I would hardly call it inexpensive. So I'm saving some yelpers the trouble - it's a nice place, but they make you mop the floors yourself when you leave.. We're not expert cleaners so just know the place is only as clean as the rental behind you. read more

Just came here tonight for Luckyrice's Slurpfest! It was basically a ramen tasting festival and just awesome in general. The layout of the place was split into two halves--the left half of the area we were in was for drinks and general mingling, and then the right half of the center was split into four major sections with different vendors. Pretty sizable area in general. My friend tells me that they host a ton of culinary events in the area. From the standpoint of an event-holding center, I really enjoyed this place--nice and spacious read more

Eric and I went here for Metro Mix's Hot Plates foodie event last week and it was a really great space. I liked the way it was laid out with the two rooms and it was tasteful and understated. I could definitely see going to a class or two here. read more

Came here for a New York Drinks New York wine tasting event. It's a beautiful location to host an event, kind of small but the facilities are nice. read more

We're coming back with two other friends for DIY Brunch on a Sunday in June, and really looking forward to it!

I took this class as part of the bachelorette fesitivites for a friend of mine. I wasn't clear on the concept of the dessert tasting class. It was actually a cooking class featuring marshmallows, macarons (not macaroons), and cupcakes. I LOVE anything sweet, and was delighted with the topic. The teacher, Michael Krondl, was fabulous, and had a great sense of humor in spite of having to manage four different sub-groups in our class. A lot of what we were doing was experimental, and it was great. It showed us that not everything turns out exactly as you planned. Sometimes they come out better, sometimes worse. In any case, I did learn a few techniques, and I WAS fairly sick after gorging on the sweets feast that came from our four groups. read more

Took a great wines of Spain class here with a Groupon certificate. Fun, informative, and while I felt we were hob-nobbing it, everything was quite down to earth. Fun time! read more

I;ve done a number of classes in the city and I think this is the best you get for your money. The room is well laid out. The instructors are great and the technology is fun. It's really set-up to do classes. read more

Astor center is a great alcohol oasis. The wine and liquor store has a great variety at fair prices, and the events offered are always interesting and enjoyable - from wine tastings to shucking oysters. I also appreciate the "employee recommendations" on the wines. You can always find something whatever your price range. read more

Although i never booked an event with astor center, i would definitely want to in the future. Fatima, the events coordinator gave me a tour of the space for a potential event that i wanted to do. She was very professional, informative and sent me the paperwork and inventory the same day. I would recommend this venue for dinner parties, bridal showers and birthdays! read more

I surprised my man on valentines day with VIP tickets to a Bourbon and Bacon event at the Astor Center. He loves whiskey and bacon, so he was really excited. The event started with a one hour educational lecture on whiskeys, with whiskey tastings and a whiskey cocktail. My man and i werent really paying attention to the educational part and were there more for the drinking.. Haha then, there was a whiskey tasting event that took place in two rooms, with pork inspired hor dourves. There was even bacon ice cream!! This event would be great for people who truly love whiskey, but it was also great for people who just like to eat and drink :-) would definitely want to come back to the Astor Center for more events read more

This is a great place to take a class! I've only taken one of the classes there, but even the process of picking that class out was made easy by their informative list. They get loads of people-who-know-what-they're-talking-about to do the classes, which is much better than having a stable of 3 or 4 people who claim to know everything. It all seemed quite well organized and well put together, too. read more

astor center is a fantastic learning center for wine and food, with a state-of-the-art wine tasting amphitheater, and kitchens for cooking demos. i have been to two events there in recent months: a private industry-only piper and charles heidsieck champagne tasting, which paired their excellent champagnes with wonderful food from seasonal, an austrian restaurant in mid-town. most recently i was at an astor center public event, a blind-tasting seminar with master sommelier fred dexheimer. the latter event was fun and educational, as he led the group through how to assess a wine, using all of the senses, for seven different wines from around the world. the wine amphitheater comes equipped, at each seat, with individual light boxes (to check the clarity of a wine), spit sinks, top-quality crystal stemware, carafes of water, in a theatre that has all the best audio-visual equipment. astor wines also offers discounts on wines tasted to attendees, valid for a day or two after each class. this is a great spot to go for a date if you're both into wine! read more

I did the bourbon tasting this past Valentine's Day (hey, I've been busy). There were two hundred gazillion people signed up and we waited in the cold. Leaving that aside, there were plenty of tastings and the pourers were passionate about what they were serving. It's definitely a fun thing to do and the venue is pretty. For this particular event, the theme was "bourbon and bacon." There were several types of bacon to try, but they were cold. I have just signed up for another event which is far less expensive. Curious to see how that compares. Long ago (3 years??), I did a pizza course and it was FANTASTIC!! I still use the tips that I learned. It was pretty expensive, but it was "dinner/theater" with the owner of Pizza Casa. I've taken a "course" at Whole Foods-- no comparison. Then again, WF is way less expensive. read more

We had a wonderful overall experience with the Astor Center. Donna and her team were wonderful to work with. They were kind and very efficient communicators. We had over 100 people for a two day event, and all that attended LOVED the venue. My only suggestion for improvement would be the AV equipment. The microphones had evidently been dropped numerous times prior to our event which resulted in their not working consistently during our event. Thankfully, they had more than one available. All in all, my team highly recommends the Astor Centre. read more