I recently attended the "Hands-On Essential Building Blocks" class at The Chopping Block! The 9…read morehours of cooking certainly paid off with some delicious meals! Although I did think the chef in charge was very knowledgeable, and the meals did turn out fabulous, I was a little disappointed with the class structure for a few reasons. 1. For the price of this class, I assumed that we would all be individually learning to cook each component - that was not the case as we were put together into teams of four where we divided responsibilities. So not all building block skills were able to be practiced by all team members. I had chosen this class because I wanted to learn these building block skill hands-on. However, if you're looking to meet new friends this may just be the spot for you! 2. Like I mentioned, the meal we made was super delicious. But in my opinion, it's creativeness / the fact that it wasn't more simple skipped over some of the true basic skills needed in everyday kitchen use. For example, I wish we had learned more about pan use / heating up / etc. And because we had so many components to the meals, some of the lessons felt kind of rushed where we weren't necessarily able to dive deeper into those questions since there were so many people per amount of chef / helpers I do think that this is a great org, but perhaps I would have felt more bang for buck in a more specified topic / shorter class

I received a gift card for a cooking class for Christmas so decided to use it for a date night last…read moreweek. We chose a Cajun themed meal and it was a really good time. They were super organized. We were split into four groups and each group worked together to create a 4 course meal. Our meal consisted of bbq shrimp, Cajun crab dip, jambalaya, and bread pudding. The chef leading the class was really entertaining and had a lot of great pro tips. There were some other chefs assisting in clean up along the way and taking drink orders. My wife and I really enjoyed our experience and can't wait to come back.

This place rocks. Ian rocks. He walked me through everything, pointed me in the right direction,…read moreand was knowledgeable. Love to see such an incredible family business and very happy this place exists. Give them all your business!!!!

Friendly people working here. They even baked some cookies for patrons visiting the store so that…read moreyou could snack while shopping (this was right before Christmas). I found the prices to be a little on the higher end, but it's also nice to support local businesses. Kudos to the older lady/mom of one of the owners who graciously wrapped the gifts I was getting for someone... and she did it complimentary.

An unforgettable cooking class--pure joy from start to finish!…read more I cannot rave enough about this cooking class. Four friends and I signed up on a whim, and it turned into one of the most memorable evenings we've had together in ages. The highlight was learning how to make fresh fettuccine from scratch--yes, from scratch--and somehow the instructor Jason made the whole process feel both totally doable and ridiculously fun. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and buzzing with good energy. Jason was patient, hilarious, and incredibly knowledgeable, guiding us through every step without ever making it feel intimidating. Before long, we were kneading dough, rolling it out like pros, and cheering each other on as our pasta strands got longer and more impressive. And the best part? Sitting down together at the end to enjoy the meal we created. The pasta was unbelievably fresh--silky, tender, and honestly better than many restaurant dishes I've had. Unfortunately, we ate so fast. We forgot to take a picture! Sharing that meal with friends made it even more special. After we ate, we were entertained by the fabulous Yuiza Beach! A local entertainer from Rogers Park. She was funny and charismatic, and kept us in stitches the whole time! Her performance was as fabulous as she was If you're looking for a unique, hands-on experience that blends learning, laughter, and seriously delicious food, this class is a must. We left full, happy, and already planning our next visit. Highly, highly recommended!

Had a team cooking event here--the food is just okay but the experience is fun! They try their best…read moreto make things lively from start to finish, but it can also feel a little frazzled and disorganized. Still had a great time.

We had a blast and ate like kings during our Tutore Pasta Class!!…read more Bravissimo! Thank you Mollie, James, and Dean for hosting such a great experience! The pacing and instruction were on point. Never felt rushed, lost, or hungry ... Loved being able to ask questions about the class and Italian cooking in general without interrupting the rest of the students or instruction! And lets not forget about the result. OMFG. We made Tortellini! and they didnt look like blobs of pasta! Not only were the recipes absolutely delicious they were remarkably approachable -- enough that they will transfer back to the home chef without any problem. Don't wait, make that class reservation today!

This had to be one of the best nights I've had. You can't go to Chicago and not try this class. The…read moreinstructors are so kind and funny. I will be back!

I second what the previous reviewer said about the water being in an uncovered filthy trough. See…read morephoto. After bringing up the matter to the garden managers, there were no changes, only an offer to scrub the sides of the trough. We tried to bring our own water to garden, but ultimately that was a ridiculous endeavor, since we paid to have access to fresh water to water our garden. Never grew a thing because who wants to bring their own water to a community garden, after paying a fee to garden? Like the other reviewer said, we paid for a box of dirt. The woman who started this project left Chicago long ago and I don't know who is at the helm at the moment.

This review is about their two day annual edible plant sale held on May 15 & 16, 2021…read moreat: Chicago Market Grocery Co-op Building 4620 N. Broadway Chicago, IL 60640 What an amazing experience...this was their 9th annual edible plant sale for warm weather crops. All of the tables were set up in squares so people could walk around and view all of the amazing offerings. What a colossal variety of offerings. I purchased a Brandywine Tomato plant to grow on my balcony. It was $5.99 for a 4 inch healthy and hearty plant! Already a week later it continues to thrive and grow taller with more leaves! I could not be happier. The seedling offerings included: Tomatoes - Amish Paste, Black from Tula, Black Krim, Brandywine, Yellow Brandywine, Sweet Red Cherry, Black Cherry, Chocolate Cherry, Cherokee Purple, German Johnson, Green Zebra, Mortgage Lifter, Paul Robeson, Rutgers, San Marzano, Sungold, Taxi, Yellow Pear, and Tomatillos Peppers - Sweet Banana, California Wonder, Orange Bell, Purple Bell, Red Bell, Yellow Bell, Anaheim hot, Cayenne hot, Habanero hot, Jalapeno hot, Pepperoncini hot, Poblano Ancho hot, Serrano hot Eggplant - Black Beauty, Rosa Bianca, White Cucumber - Adam Gherkin, Diva, Marketmore, Mexican Sour Gherkin, Pickling, Straight 8 Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower Cabbage, Collards, Kale (green, red, Dino) Greens - Arugula (regular, Wasabi), Lettuce (Butter, Gourmet Mix, Romaine), Mesclun Mix (regular, spicy), Sorrel, Spinach Squash - Butternut, Delicata, Gold Rush compact yellow summer, Spacemiser compact zucchini, Peter Pan (patty pan), Pie Pumpkin Edible Flowers - Calendula, Echinacea, English Daisy, assorted Nasturtiums including Alaska, Empress India, Fordhook, Gleam, Jewel Herbs - Basil (many types), Chamomile, Chives (regular, garlic), Cilantro, Dill, Fennel, assorted Lavender, Lemon Grass, Marjoram, assorted Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, assorted Sage, Summer Savory, Tarragon, assorted Thyme, also some unique herbs such as Mexican Pepper Plant (Root Beer Plant), East and West Indian Lemongrass, Rue, and Tea Tree An Overview of the Peterson Garden Project- "Founder LaManda Joy, inspired by her own parent's involvement in WW2, discovered that the empty lot at Peterson and Campbell had once been a Victory Garden. With the hope of doing something positive on this historic piece of empty city land and "teaching 20 people how to grow their own food" our project was born." Source: https://www.petersongarden.org/ FYI- The Victory Gardens were established to help sustain the fruit and vegetable supply by encouraging and creating local gardens during the World War II effort to provide individuals and families across the United States with access to food. Victory Gardens in Chicago: "During World War II, Chicago led the nation in urban food production with its Victory Gardens program of 1,500 community gardens and more than 250,000 home gardens. The city's North Park neighborhood was also home to the largest Victory Garden in the United States." Source: https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-5196 Learn More about the Chicago Victory Garden Movement and the founder of the Peterson Garden Project LaManda Joy by clicking the link below: https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-5196

My mother-in-law and I took the French Macaron 101 class on Sunday and loved it! Jerry (the owner…read moreand teacher) was both knowledgeable and patient - he was very thorough with explanations and answered all of our questions. The class was structured well, and I feel like I could try making macarons again after this class! You get sent home with the how-to packet, as well as emailed a troubleshooting packet, and instructions on how to make the buttercream filling. It was the right mix of explanation and hands on experience. Overall both of us really enjoyed this class! At the end you get to fill some macarons for you to take home and enjoy later. My husband also loved them! Fun fact: if you go to 4 classes you get your fifth one free. Also if you have 5 people you can do a private class which sounds so fun! Can't wait to come back again.

For our annual holiday get together at The Kemper Golf Club, part of the festivities included…read morecookie decorating, provided by Give Me Some Sugar. Chef Jerry and Thomas were just too adorable and so very helpful in getting up set up as well as explaining the use of the various frostings in the tubes, showing us the proper way to not only get the frosting out of the tubes but how to apply it to the cookie, They were so helpful, making sure we had everything we needed. As we got to the end of the activity, we didn't even have to get up to get the provided boxes to put our cookies in....they brought them over. I did not eat my decorated cookies because I am not a fan of frosting on cookies, but the three plain ones I saved were delish the next day when I had them with my morning coffee. What I liked about the activity was that Chef Jerry and Thomas were there to make sure all of the tables had what they needed and to answer questions, but they were not micromanaging us. They allowed us to do our thing and have fun. Honestly when I heard what the activity was going to be, I wasn't feeling it. But Tom and Jerry (just had to say that one...HAHAHAHA) made it a very fun experience.

My girlfriend ordered a cake for me for my birthday from this bakery and it was AMAZING!!! She…read moreknows I'm a dinosaur nerd and that I love disco stuff so she told them that I wanted a dinosaur disco cake and this place made the most impressive birthday cake I've literally ever seen in real life. And it tasted incredible too. The cake was yellow cake with vanilla buttercream and strawberries and I highly recommend it. Definitely order a custom cake from this place or even just order a standard cake because it tastes so good. Thank you for the best birthday cake ever :)

The cake turned out so amazing. The decoration was simple but gorgeous! I'm not typically a cake…read moreperson but these cakes are so delicious so moist and just the right amount of sugar! Loved it must try!!!

They really make the space count!…read more I decided to become a member ($50 a year for an individual) since I'm currently taking one of the virtual adult German classes. The membership gave me a discount on the class and so much more! I highly recommend the classes. My instructor is good about making everyone feel comfortable and included and has creative but fun ways to ensure everyone enjoys even the most challenging of topics, like grammar! Yes, I truly mean that German grammar can be fun! In addition to german classes, Dank Haus has so many different, affordable activities that you can sign up for. I've done the bilingual yoga classes - the meditation is all in English and the yoga part is all in German. Don't let the yoga all in German scare you off though! If you don't understand, you can just watch the instructor and mimic her. She's really good. The wild part is...the yoga classes only cost $5 each! Crazy! They were outside in the summer (on the terrace with a gorgeous view!) and soon to start up again this fall indoors. The cooking classes are also loads of fun. I've only been to one so far, but everyone was so kind and welcoming considering I went to it solo. I came out of the class happy I made some friends! Not to mention, each cooking class includes a drink in the price (choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic) so they're a great deal! If you're interested in touring the place, they offer guided tours and self guided tours by appt. You can do it via their website. I did a self-guided tour where I picked up a paper in the lobby of the highlights of what to see on each floor. I was surprised at how much history was crammed into even the hallways! There's definitely more than you think there is... I also requested to visit their library of books in German, since the public library is kinda lacking in that department. Their selection is excellent. They have everything from books to learn German to easy readers (short stories that aren't super wordy) to full fledged adult fiction to cookbooks. Id argue Dank Haus is a great place whether you know German, want to learn German, or know German. I wish I had learned about all the affordable activities they had sooner! All I know is I'll definitely keep on taking advantage of them

The Dank Haus is such a staple in the Lincoln Square community. If you haven't been here yet,…read morefollow their socials and get on their newsletter to find an event that interests you. On our latest visit, during the annual Open House Chicago architecture event throughout the city, we came in to appreciate the beauty of this big building. We popped up to the second floor bar to enjoy some beer and enjoyed watching the indoor shooting (not as scary as it sounds). The volunteers, regulars, and fellow patrons are always a good group to hang out with. If you're lucky enough to attend an event on the sixth floor, be sure to take photos out on the patio as the views are pretty nice! As far as transportation, it's right off the Western CTA Brown Line stop. There's paid parking on the closest streets (or lots). If you're willing to walk a few minutes, almost everything west of Western is free neighborhood parking.

"My husband and I had the pleasure of meeting Susan on one of her Devon Avenue Tours a few years…read moreago. I reached out to her to see if she could lead an in-home cooking class with ten friends. Everything was planned to perfection. Susan has such a warm personality and was very easy to work with. It was a great way to celebrate my birthday."

My husband and I went up to Devon on a very snowy day for a tour with Susan. We started at a sweet…read moreshop and had a nice cup of tea (included). From there, we went to 2 groceries and learned all about the best spices to get, best rice, and best produce. Have since been to one of the groceries and felt right at home! Susan is full of knowledge and found the answers to anything she did not know - either that day or after the tour. She also took time to understand food limitations, in my case Gluten Free, and how we could incorporate them and what to look out for. We also went to a nice store that sells meditation mats, clothes, and beautiful linens. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon, and I especially appreciated that we got recipes and an understanding of the differences in southern and northern Indian cooking. All of the great tips will come in handy. The only suggestion I would have is for some snacks to be added along the way! I sure hope a second version of the tour is added.

We've been to the Old Town School many times, but not for several years now. A close cousin was…read moreplaying, who teaches at the school. We had tickets to see him play. Not reviewing his music (which was fantastic), but the venue. The room we were in was like a black box theater. The room was fairly small and intimate. It was open seating and when we arrived it was pretty full. We were very fortunate that there were two seats open in the third row. The room is acoustically sound (pun intended)... Seriously, being small, they really don't need to amplify the sound, even though they did have a microphone set up. As we were leaving, we got to roam the halls around the school. There were a lot of fun, vintage posters that were a lot of fun to look at. We met quite a few people who either had been students there, or were current students who had nothing but good things to say about the caliber of the educators and the Old Town School. Based on the performances we've seen there of students and faculty, I'd say we agree.

This update is regarding a visit to OSF was to attend their Wiggleworms open house. I've left the…read moreoverall rating the same because OTSFM is still great for a lot of reasons, but the Wiggleworms class isn't one of them. I've heard of the class before and always thought if I had a kid I'd take them, but I think the age range starts at 6 months so we started with a class with a different provider, Music Playhouse of Chicago. I'm glad we came to this one to try it out. While the kids seemed to be having fun, I didn't like it as much as the Music Playhouse class. Wiggleworms doesn't seem to have a developed curriculum. This was just an activity where the kids can grab shakers and toys, and the leader will sing what they want or take requests from the kids, but not a class that has any kind of particular learning outcomes upon which children build. Maybe it was different because it was an open house but I'd have expected they would showcase what an actual class was, and I think it's just not what I prefer. There are some pluses, though. They have weekend classes, which can be hard to find with other music classes for kids. I think it may also be significantly less expensive than the one I take my kiddo to. And they may have a few more babies-only classes than where we go now, which usually has only one of any (depending upon enrollment). I didn't realize before I had a child but there's a huge difference between children of 0-18 months and those beyond, so mixed age classes wasn't my thing at the time. So Wiggleworms has its pros, but overall I'd visit Old Town SFM for the classes and concerts but choose another children's music class.