Attended the pasta class via Groupon. The first thing to know about this place is that it is NOT BYOB. You will want to drink while you cook because cooking is hard and drinking makes you not care. You can buy wine in the attached shop, but I advise you to buy one bottle of wine per person BEFORE your class begins. Between learning, cooking and eating, you will be there upwards of three hours. We showed up at 6:30 and didn't eat until 9:15. By that time, our one and only bottle of wine was empty. And guess what. The shop that sells wine closes at 9:00. They're total dicks about selling you another bottle past 9:00. And no, they won't let you run next door to get a bottle and bring it in because of their stupid liquor license. This will cause you to RAGE OUT. While we had wine glasses, we had to search high and low for water glasses. There's a cabinet full of glassware that says "Display Only." It feels like this is just a dumb oversight on their part. Here's my 3-part plan for making the hydration situation less stupid: 1. Announce when the shop is closing, so people can run and grab another bottle of wine. 2. Just be BYOB, because the alternative is annoying. 3. Provide water glasses and carafes throughout the room. I mean, come on. If you prepare by getting your liquid situation on lockdown before the class, you will have fun. You watch the instructor run through the entire pasta-making process, then you're turned loose to do it yourself. PAY ATTENTION while she talks because she won't repeat herself and you're bound to forget something. The instructors do come around periodically and basically shrug and say, "Yeah, you got it." After making our dough, we turned it into ravioli and pappardelle. Once you're done, they haul off everyone's pasta and they cook it for you. It's kind of a bummer you're not assured of getting YOUR pasta. Everyone's pasta is jumbled together and served on a big platter. If you want to take some home, grab a container and set some aside as you go through the line the first time. When we went to take some leftovers, the platters were empty. Bummer. This is a really good activity for couples or groups with multiples of two. You'll have fun and learn something you'll probably never try at home. But seriously, stock up on wine. It's a long night and they are dicks about their stupid rules. read more

Cooking Fools - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had a work outing here and it was a blast. Our event was in the form of a cooking competition. We split up into teams and each team was given an ingredient to work with. It started off with some planning time within each team to determine what to cook. Once the staff gives you the green light, all hell breaks loose. Ok maybe that's an exaggeration, but it does get really hectic (especially at the end) as everyone rushes to finish their dishes. If you're a noob chef, don't worry because the Cooking Fools chefs are on hand to answer questions and help out with more complex processes. Keep in mind that you have almost every ingredient and cooking method at your disposal so don't limit your imagination. After the final buzzer, we presented our dishes to the judges, we ourselves ate our dishes (everyone cooked a lot), and then the judges declared the results. Protip: take time to plate your dishes (a.k.a. make them look pretty). read more

Boy surprised me with a pasta making class on Sunday. He bought the tickets on Groupon, which I highly recommend! The instructors were very nice, polite and patient. The atmosphere was relaxed with music in the background while we rolled out the dough. You can buy drinks from the store and sip on them while you work. There were plenty of leftovers to take home after lunch! It was a great experience and now I know how to make ravioli! I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to try something new. But just remember to get the groupon! It's quite expensive without it. read more

Cooking Fools - Pasta making class. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cooking Fools hosted a cooking competition for a work event. And, let me tell you, it was awesome! When we arrived, everything was set-up and ready to go! We were tasked with cooking an entree (given one protein and one mystery ingredient). The prep and kitchen areas were very clean and the tools were plentiful. Felt like were in a real cooking competition on TV! The chefs were so fun to interact with--lots of great ideas on technique! The food from each team turned out great. Cannot wait to go back for another event at Cooking Fools! read more

I came here once with my friend for the Pasta Making Techniques class and we had a blasttttt! It was such a random thing for us to do on a random Wednesday night but the randomness made it even more fun! The instructor was easy to follow, everything was well organized and the finished product tasted amazing! We made two kinds of pasta with two kinds of sauces. After taking this class I felt 100% confident in my pasta making skills. I recommend this class for all you homemade cooking foodies out there and even those of you who would like to learn a thing or two about homemade cooking. Pasta making is definitely a random skill to have but it just makes you a little bit more awesome! read more

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Now, I will preface this review by saying that I'm a terrible cook. I can't even prepare food correctly and I've been known to use the microwave incorrectly. For example, I once forgot to add water to microwavable oatmeal and made Easy Mac wrong. I am the type of person that can burn water. My boyfriend, on the other hand, enjoys cooking. So, I saw a Groupon for the pasta making class and bought it as a Christmas gift. Deep down I was terrified since my cooking skills are beyond subpar. First of all, for the sake of your other class members, please try to get there on time! Our class started at 11:30, but we waited for some latecomers to show up. You can park on North or Milwaukee Avenue, but I'd recommend coming early and trying to snag some free parking on the side streets. They sell booze, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks in the deli. You can't BYOB. I highly recommend coming in with an empty stomach since a lot of pasta is made! You start by picking out your station. There's an upper level too so you can have an aerial view of what's going on. Then you wash your hands and weigh your ingredients. You can choose to pick up a prepared tray of ingredients if you aren't confident in your abilities to measure them out. (Spoiler alert: I took a prepared one.) Then the chef demonstrates how to make the pasta dough. After that, it's all hands on deck! Don't fret if your dough doesn't look like everyone else's! The chef and another chef will come around to assist you if you need it. (Spoiler alert: I didn't since the boyfriend was there to bail me out!) Eventually, your dough will be shaped into a ball that you put on a pan to rest. Three volunteers helped the chef make the vodka sauce for the pappardelle, basil sauce for the ravioli and red pepper ricotta filing for the ravioli. After that, you roll out your dough using the machines at your station. The pappardelle is more of a free form noodle, which is what the chef recommends that you make if your dough is less than perfect. The chefs then take the pasta into the back to cook it. You don't get to eat what you made, which may or may not be a good thing. The pasta is served with a salad. You also get to take home what you made. In terms of taste, the pasta was good, but you could tell the inconsistencies since multiple people made it. I really liked the basil sauce and the almonds were a nice touch. The vodka sauce was just OK and needed some more flavor. Overall, great class and I definitely recommend it for a date night or good time with friends. We got a deal for 40% off another class as well so we may do that. read more

Cooking Fools - Pasta - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cooking Fools - you know I'm such a fool for you. You got me wrapped around your finger. Do you have to let it linger? Boyfriend got a pasta maker for Christmas so we thought we'd take the pasta making class in the new year before we did any serious damage. So glad we did! During the 3 hour class we learned an immense amount. Nick and Nate were our instructors and they kept the class informative, enjoyable, and running at a good pace. The kitchen facility was clean, well lit, and professional. Great indie music playing in the background . A perfect environment for pasta making! There were about 30 participants and we all worked in pairs. Most everyone purchased beer/wine at the store front before the class started and we enjoyed our beverages throughout (note: it's not BYO, the policy only allows for beverages purchased from their store). The class cumulates with a family style dinner (which includes salad) using the pasta we all just made. Overall, a fantastic experience and I know I definitely learned some techniques and tips that I would never have known had I only looked in a book or researched online. Take a class - it's a worthwhile experience! read more

CORPORATE EVENT REVIEW Fun place for a cooking event. We made a TON of food! There was a great variety of food for our event empnadas, mini pizzas, bacon wrapped dates, thai beef salad skewers, desserts, etc. They setup 4 stations so there was plenty of options and they had people signup for what they were interested. It was pretty casual, they started off with a MASSIVE MALCAJETE of GUACAMOLE!!! XD http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cooking-fools-chicago-2?select=8i35EE32BFahVuMw5oSZVQ Great way to start off. Everything was timed very well so people could casually mingle but they do put you to work, cause you're basically assembling all the food. That's a pro but also a bit of the con. My gripe is that you're not really doing the cooking, just the assembling of the dishes. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cooking-fools-chicago-2?select=hLbRLqoD3iF6eBOnzcIFcQ A lot of the flavors and ingredients are already put together so you don't really get to learn how much to put. I assume if they provide the recipes that will work. The flavors were definatley robust, but several of the dishes were on the salty side (3 of the 9 dishes) Not as satisfying for those who like/want to learn to cook but overall it's a great experience for casual cooks and coorporate events. Food pics MINI PIZZAS http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cooking-fools-chicago-2?select=YFR2rTbVV0PkPEq-7zIi9g CHICKEN and MANCHENGO EMPANADAS http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cooking-fools-chicago-2?select=lkwIF0i7MFlAO0Svc1Ghig GOAT CHEESE and BUTTERSQUASH QUESADILLAS http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cooking-fools-chicago-2?select=zIObuz666J5mGRGm0Qjoxw FIRECRACKER SHRIMP http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cooking-fools-chicago-2?select=0mTR-vgLxekJUrQYrG9Biw MEETBALLS STUFFED with CHEESE http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cooking-fools-chicago-2?select=Tw0ZbOIal_8L5fTNjVfbvQ Fun even for first time and I would do it again with a request for less salt in the food and recipes for guest to take home. read more

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We did cooking fools for a work outing and everyone was SO IMPRESSED! Nick and his team did such a great job. We had the space for at least 3 hours and it worked out so nicely. They had unlimited beer and wine and we did the mixology package and so we had all we could ask for in regards to alcohol... As for food, everyone really enjoyed all the options. They're different enough where they're fun for everyone but also simple enough as well. They do a really nice job overall because they let you work how you want to... everyone's working on food the whole time, but there's no pressure. We even got to bring some leftovers home... so it all worked out well! I would definitely go back for a group outing. read more

Take a cooking class at Cooking Fools- you will NOT regret it! I used a Groupon to take a pasta making class here last weekend and had a fantastic experience. Upon arriving, you can purchase wine, beer, or soda to drink during the class... which I thought was great. There were about 30 "students" in the class, but it didn't feel overcrowded. And from what I could tell, everyone could see the demonstrations easily. First, we all had a chance to make our own pasta dough. The head chef doing the demonstration was informative and clear with his instructions. While our homemade pasta dough rested we watched classmates make two different sauces and one ravioli filling. Afterwords we had the chance to make two different pastas, including ravioli. When we had all finished our pasta, the chefs whisked away our noodles and cooked them in the kitchen. I liked that they combined all of our efforts to make one big meal. As a class, we got to sit down and enjoy the pasta we had just made together. It was pretty fun to eat with our "classmates" and bond over imperfect noodles we had created together! From the moment we walked in the door, until the moment we left, the staff was kind and helpful. Plus they emailed us a PDF of all the recipes we created. Now I can make them at home! I will not hesitate to take another cooking class at Cooking Fools in the future. It was a great experience! read more

Mama didn't raise no fool, but she did raise a fool when it came to cooking. Because of this, my beautiful fiance reserved two spots for us for the pasta cooking class. We got an awesome parking spot on Wood St (the free parking street in Wicket Park that I love oh so much), and were the first to arrive for our 10:30am class. When you walk in, it looks like a little wine and cheese shop. But it opens up into a larger room with about 12 cooking stations. We thought 10:30am was a little too early for a bottle of wine, but then we remembered that no time is too early for wine when you're cooking pasta. We threw back a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc like it was a banana peel out of the car window, and started the class. Cooking pasta from scratch is long, tedious work! But our head chef made it really easy to follow along and even cracked a few jokes here and there to keep our minds off of our growling stomachs. We made ravioli with roasted red pepper ricotta, and some other broad, flat pasta that I can't remember the name of. It was delicious. There was so much food. I ate two huge plates, and even brought some home. Yes, I am that guy who takes way too much when other people haven't had their second helping yet. People in Chicago are too worried about appearance to take seconds anyways, not me. This suburban boy has a suburban appetite. Cooking Fools offers other classes too. So if pasta isn't your thing, then you're an idiot and I feel sorry for you. read more

Nick and his team here are so great! I started with a groupon for the pasta making class, and have been addicted ever since! An added bonus is that you can buy the alcohol that's in the front of the house and carry it to the kitchen where you'll be making dinner! While the pasta making class was SUPER crowded, my boo and I had so much fun! Everything was demonstrated in a step-by-step manner, and we had the opportunity to watch the demonstration before diving in the mound of flour! Even though it was a full house, there was PLENTY of food for everyone to eat at the communal dinner AND plenty for take home too! (Also, I was able to recreate the pasta making experience on my own at home! So, SUPER thumbs up to that class!) Since the groupon experience, I have taken a tamale making class, and that class was less full, which meant a lot more opportunity for individualized attention and questions! There was maybe 8 of us in that class. Again, we made our own tamales with whatever we wanted to put in them (hooray for no beans in mine!!! ICK!) and we had a communal dinner with everyone in class. A nice perk is that Nick sends out the recipes from class so you can recreate on your own at home! My boyfriend and I just signed up for our THIRD class here today! We're going to learn how to make dumplings in December! Can't wait!! PS--never have had any of their food available for purchase in the front of the house, but it all looks delicious! read more

Raising a toast here to my co-workers who came up with the idea of hosting a holiday party for our group at Cooking Fools - great concept, scrumptious results! This bucktown gourmet kitchen seems to be a popular venue for corporate cooking events and was a perfect locale for a fun, low-key social activity for a small group. In a relaxed, almost domestic setting, with our aprons donned and with some expert chef instructions, we chopped,stirred and sauteed our way to produce some pretty good stuff and had a lot of fun doing it. I probably won't be trying to make pumpkin custard profiteroles on my own anytime soon, but I was pretty darn pleased with my maiden maki roll! If you're looking for creative ways to plan a party, Cooking Fools is certainly worth consideration. read more

Looks like most people experience the cooking classes at Cooking Fools. Unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of these. My experience here is just lunch. They offer a refrigerator of delightfully prepared foods. A couple things that I am very fond of are the lentil feta salad with a cumin vinaigrette and parmesan chicken salad. Made to order stuff includes daily soups, which are delicious during these cold winter months. The best two thus far are a vegan lentil and a fennel tomato. All the sandwiches are served on a baguette and the grilled vegetable with goat cheese is very good. The best buy at cooking fools is probably the personal European pizzas. Last and probably the most noteworthy, the desserts! For the everyday oreo lover, please try the homemade oreos. They are awesome. At only $1 a piece, it's the perfect meal closer. For the summer months the offer homemade popsicles. The most interesting combination i've had was a cucumber watermelon. It sounds very weird, but it is light and freshing. read more

I had the pleasure this weekend of going to Cooking Fools for the first time. We had a party of 17 women gather together for a cooking class with Nick on Saturday night for a bachelorette party. We had a fabulous time. The setup of the loft area and cooking space is very conducive to a get together and we all enjoyed mingling and chatting before, during, and after our class. No one really knew what to expect with the class, so we all went in with open minds. Upon walking in, we saw our dining area and bar set up as well as couches and a separate dining area for appetizers before the class started. The kitchen was spacious and left plenty of room for everyone to move around and see what Chef Nick was demonstrating. I wish the class had been more hands on, but understandably with 17 people, there is no way for a full hands on class. We did learn a few great techniques over all of our chattering and finished with a delicious dinner. Our menu included shrimp and scallop cakes, baked tilapia, couscous with dried cranberries, and molten chocolate cake. We did eat very late and were anxious to continue on with our plans for the evening, but all in all, it was a fun experience. I would recommend this for a smaller group. Its a great way to get together with friends and family, have a great dinner that you've had a hand in making, and a nice area to socialize without having to deal with disturbing diners in a crowded restaurant. read more

Its good to treat yourself to cooking fools once in a while- but not all the time, as its pretty expensive! I love their skinny salad. I wish i could sometimes get their prepared hot foods, but its always so hard to tell if it is worth, $9.95 bl for roasted vegetables. I can not justify that. I'm pretty excited about their late night menu though! If i still lived in the neighborhood and stayed out into the early morning hours, I would love this alternative to shitty flash tacos. read more

i did the groupon cooking class and it was great. We bought a good bottle a wine before hand at the deli and for the next 2 and a half hours, we learned to amek fresh pastas, fillings, vodka sauce and more. I would suggest the food or the class to anyone in Chicago. come early as parking can be a pain. read more

Cooking Fools really has impressive, and varied menu items. Plus they carry some interesting fresh, newer products. They offer cooking classes, catering, and lunch! read more

Cooking Fools - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm surprised I haven't reviewed Cooking Fools sooner, this is one of the first places I starting going to when I first discovered Wicker Park. Whenever I'm in Wicker Park I'm always sure to stop at Cooking Fools for lunch or sometimes dinner, as my mom can testify by looking at my monthly credit statement. If your ever walking down North Avenue, you'll be sure to see me reading a magazine while munching on a chicken salad sandwich, key lime cupcakes, house-made tortilla chips w/ mango salsa and washing all that down with a pink- lemonade soda from France. This place is a class act with great food and service. read more

I took the pasta making class the other night and had a lot of fun, but the experience left me wanting more. I purchased the class through a Groupon for $40 and felt I got my money's worth. If I had paid the full amount for this class, I would have been disappointed. The class description states that we will learn to make hand cut and filled pastas; however I would have really liked to practice with the cutting attachment on the pasta machine. Because you cut and fold the ravioli by hand, cutting the second batch of pasta seems a little redundant. In my opinion, $80 is very steep for this class. I think somewhere in the $50-$60 range would be more appropriate. Other than that, I have nothing bad to say. The class was organized, the space was clean, the staff was friendly, and overall I had a good time. read more

They have this basil parmesan chicken salad sandwich that is out of this world. I have to have it every so often or I start to go crazy with longing. I also really like the steak sandwich they have and the crab cakes. The sorbet is pretty good. I'd love to try a class but I haven't had the chance yet. Argh!!! Just writing about that chicken sandwich is making me crave one. I knew I shouldn't have started thinking about it!!! read more

I absolutely love to cook, but I've still got a thing or two to learn. After a trip last summer to Italy, I cannot bare to eat anything but fresh pasta! So I was extremely excited to drag my husband to the pasta making class at Cooking Fools. Spacious, clean working areas. Each work area is designed for two (we shared a bench knife, pasta machine, pasta cutter, and stainless steel work space). If you happen to like the equipment you're working with, they sell most of their kitchen tools (I picked up a handy dual pasta cutter that had a smooth blade as well as a fluted one for $9.95...cheaper than William-Sonoma prices). The class lasted about 3 hours and was taught by Nick who was assisted by Nate. Great little tid bits during the class...why vodka in vodka sauce?-the alcohol allows you to taste certain components of the tomatoes that can only dissolve in alcohol versus water. We lined up buffet style to two huge plates of pasta as well as delcious salad that I'll soon be copying. We were allowed to bring home leftovers and they were still delicious the day after for dinner. Unlike most cooking classes, Cooking Fools is NOT BYOB since they have a liquor license. But no worries, wine and beer is sold at a reasonable price. Only downside, I have yet to receive an email copy of the recipes that we were promised. read more

I snagged a Groupon for my fiance and I to take a cooking class here, and we attended this past Sunday's (6/26) Secondo Corso pasta-making class scheduled for 11-1:30. I have my own pasta machine already and have made basic fettuccine, so this class for learning tortellini and farfalle with a couple of sauces seemed like the perfect next step to add some flair to my cooking skills. Quick walk from Damen Blue CTA stop & bus lines with stops at Milwaukee/North if you're using public transit, or you can look for street parking. Once you check in, select a station and put on your apron, there are two large armoires along the back wall to store bags/jackets, and a fridge up front to store your beverages from home. Sodas/waters in the fridge are $1 each for purchase. The hand washing sink and any glassware you need is towards the back. Class size I would say is probably between 16-20 max based on the number of work stations and what you're doing. Our instructor was Sam, and we got started around 11:15 once everyone had arrived and was ready. Our stations had all of our pre-measured ingredients and kitchen tools set up for us beforehand. Sam did a quick demo of the pasta dough, and then we tried our own while she walked around offering assistance or tips; I definitely learned a few improvements over what I've been doing previously. Ipod selection for the work portions was great - Florence + the Machine, Local Natives, etc., chill indie rock to help you not stress that your eggs are trying to escape from the pasta flour and you forgot to leave a reserve pile even though she said that five seconds ago and...whew. It's gonna be ok. These work times are perfect if you need to pop out for a minute and feed the meter or return a call, etc and not miss too much. While our pasta dough rested, several volunteers (including myself) started the bolognese and lemon cream sauces, made the tortellini filling, and then we proceeded to form our pasta. After the first sad-looking few, the tortellini and farfalle really started to come together more easily and we had a lot of fun filling the trays and working up an appetite with the delicious smelling sauces simmering away too. Once everyone had finished, Sam took the pastas to the kitchen to boil them up for 2-3 minutes, and brought back huge trays of our finished pastas. We all dug in, many went back for seconds, and there was even enough for people to take home some leftovers. The recipes we used were e-mailed to us about a day after the class. We finished up probably closer to 2 or a little after, so give yourself some extra time to relax and enjoy the result of your efforts. Definitely an awesome Sunday Funday, and we would take another class here in the future. Thanks Cooking Fools! read more

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Cooking Fools is a cute little gourmet foodstore that also serves wine and beer. A couple weeks ago my boyfriend and I did a sushi making class here that we bought on the GroupOn website. I was very impressed with the class, the space and the teachers and we learned how to make some basic rolls (seaweed outside, seaweed inside and some more interesting rolls too) The ingredients we had to work with were also pretty good and you can buy beer/wine at the store to drink while you are doing the class. You can eat your rolls along the way too. The sushi making class was a fun experience and I would definitely come back for another class here. read more

Unfortunately, I reviewed this in another place (I'll have to delete it!) Love their iced tea, wasabi peanuts and sandwiches. The staff is very nice and helpful, too. I'm in there at least once or twice a week. Much less overwhelming than The Goddess and the Grocer. I do want to try the cooking classes someday. read more

Attended the pasta class via Groupon. There is a wine shop across the street and if you tell the dude what you're making he comes up with some reasonable recommendations. I really enjoyed the red he suggested go with our pasta. My date and I had a lovely time making tortellini and bow tie pasta. It was a casual atmosphere and everyone seemed to be having a good time. The instructors seemed very knowledgable and also covered some basics around sauces. I would do another class there. read more

My boyfriend and I used a Groupon and went to the pasta cooking class on Monday. Overall, we loved it! The atmosphere was cool, it had a great setup with a great mix of music playing; everything from today's hits, some house/edm music, and hip hop! The instructor was awesome (I feel like an ass, but I forgot his name!) He made it fun, almost felt like a friend! The other chefs walking around were really helpful as well. We bought a bottle of wine in the little liquor/wine store attached to the classroom which we were able to drink during the class, and they even offered a bucket of ice to keep it chilled! The street parking, however, was scarce... Because someone was leaving as we were circling for the 3rd time, we found a decent spot, but otherwise it may have been a challenge. I suggest a cab or public trans. The true reason for only 4 stars rather than 5 is because we felt a little rushed. We were supposed to watch the instructor demonstrate everything, then try to do it on our own, and for someone who has never made homemade pasta before (and has the attention span of a 2 year old), I found this somewhat difficult. By the time we had finished preparing our Ravioli, we completely forgot the steps to make the Pappardelle (which was the easy one to make...). We attempted it for a bit, but since we were running so behind, we literally skipped it and threw our dough away. Which was a bummer. (I think my competitive boyfriend was a little frustrated that we were the last ones to finish, and we hadn't even actually finished lol). It would be easier if they demonstrated one pasta at a time, especially for inexperienced cooks like myself. But that might mess up the feast flow.... So if they had a little cheat-sheet with a list of the steps at the tables, that would be just as helpful! But, like I said, we loved this place, the instructor/helpers, the music, the food (was so delish!), and the experience, and we would definitely come back for another class! read more

Hosted a 25-person company cooking event and everything went off really well. The chefs were well prepared and good with their instructions. Food turned out really great and in very large quantities too. Spacious, clean and easy to bring your own AV. read more

I came here for a work event where we participated in a mixology class. The class was amazing, because not only did we learn to make 4 specialized cocktails, but there were also multiple food stations teaching us how to make appetizers. The staff was knowledgeable and kind, and let us drink as much as we wanted of any of the specialty cocktails throughout the event. There was also beer and wine if we preferred. All in all, everything we made tasted great! We made a mix of crab cakes, sliders, endive salads, bacon wrapped dates, quesadillas, and more! I would definitely suggest this class or a similar one to anyone who's looking to get hands on in the kitchen, and have some fun on the side. read more

Cooking Fools - Some of the appetizers we made in our mixology class! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food here is really great! Its "health conscious" which makes me feel not as guilty for indulging! Their homemade ice cream and french bread are delicious! read more

Cooking Fools - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Can't thank Cooking Fools, and Nick (the owner enough). We had a company party here, and it was a blast. You can't see it in the photos but they own the entire building and it is a large facility, complete with a big private upstairs suite. We had that entire upstairs area for the night of our event - complete with a bar, long beautiful dining table, living room area, fireplace, speaker system, and private kitchen and cooking area. In addition, they were extremely flexible with our start time, and let us go over two hours longer than we had planned, because everyone was having such a good time. The team learned a lot, the food was amazing (we did the flatbread and pasta package), the drinks were overflowing, and I got nothing from compliments from everyone, saying how much fun it was - and how special it felt, and was. Can't recommend this place enough for a corporate event, or any type of group gathering. Really great feel, and Nick is dead-set on making sure you are taken care of. read more

I took the pasta making class I bought through Groupon at Cooking Fools with my fiancee. Overall, I loved the class. I thought it was well worth my $45. Nick (the instructor) was very helpful in making the class lively and entertaining, while still providing instruction. He showed us how to make noodles and ravioli, and did a demonstration of pesto and vodka sauce. However, the demonstrations used people from the class so it wasn't boring to watch. After everything was done, everyone got to eat the wonderful meal, which included a salad from Cooking Fools. The only suggestion I have for Cooking Fools is to do smaller classes, as my 30-person class felt a little cramped. But overall, great class and I will want to try out some more classes at Cooking Fools! read more

I purchased a Groupon for their pasta making class and just took a class last weekend. The teachers were fun and helpful. There was about 30 of us in the class, but it wasn't too many people. Afterwards, we enjoyed the pasta we made, and all left happy! Great experience! read more

I contacted Cooking Fools in a panic when another cooking company whom I had booked told me they may not be able to accommodate my group after all. I was so stressed as my event was just 2 weeks away. I spoke with Nick on the phone and he was so polite and really helpful. When I needed more information his follow up was so timely and exactly what I needed. He really was amazing the customer service and fast response times made event planning so much more pleasant. Very professional and accommodating. read more

I also bought the Groupon and did the pasta making cooking class. While the sushi class intrigued me, I figured I had a better chance of making pasta in my lifetime. The class was $50, reduced from the $84. You can now call me a resident Mario Batali, sans the tacky red boots. During the class, we were all able to make our own pasta dough from scratch and roll it out into ravioli and fettucini. However, that was about it. Dont get me wrong, that was challenging and interesting to learn. However, I was hoping to get in there and make some sauces. Well, we did not. But we did get to watch the chefs do it! The best way to learn is to watch, and not do, correct? :) The instructors were helpful ...The one that did the cooking had a creepy molest-ache that was difficult to look at and reminded me of the guy from Ace of Cakes. They made a ravioli filling with ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest, and sauteed mushrooms. They made a pesto sauce to go on top of the ravioli that had basil, garlic, pine nuts, EVOO, and parm (no surprises here). We also got to see a vodka sauce being made, which did smell tasty. They said they will e-mail us the recipes, but I have yet to see those. Good thing I have some sort of memory! At the end of the class, they cook all of your pasta and everyone gets to eat! They also serve salad with it, which was nice and necessary because people were scarfing down those raviolis. You can roll out after you eat ...No reason to sit around and make awkward convo. As people have said, you can get beer and wine from the store, if you enjoy a healthy price mark up on your alcohol. I would check to see if its BYOB, or just go alcohol-free, which I dont typically say. I didnt drink and I had a great time (and I went alone!). The side streets are available for parking without permits. Just be sure because not every street is that way! For$50, I enjoyed the class. For $84, I would have asked for some money back! read more

Such a fun way to learn how to cook an entire pasta dinner. The class itself is about 90 minutes long and you make the pasta and sauce in that time. Each couple has a table and tools for their own use throughout the afternoon. The instructor shows you what you will be doing and then allows you to go back to your table to attempt to do what he did. First you make the dough, then the sauce, and lastly you make the pasta (ravioli and pappardelle noodles). Along with the pasta we made an almond pesto sauce for the ricotta and red bell papper ravioli and a vodka sauce for the pappardelle noodles. When you're done making the pasta the instructor and his assistant cook the pasta for you. You get to hang out and drink wine; total win! When dinner is ready the instructor brings it out; a salad and the two huge platters of ravioli and pappardelle pastas. What's best? You eat a delicious meal you made and you have no dishes to clean. read more

Bought the Groupon with a few girlfriends of mine. Tough choice between the pasta and the sushi - but after much discussion, decided on the pasta. Happy we did! But curious about the sushi... hmmmm..... Ok - I can't cook. At all.. I mean the microwave and I are like best friends. And I was a little unsure of two things. One, if this was activity was WAY out of my league, i.e., my friends actually chuckled when I told them I was going to a cooking class and made various comments about buildings burning down. And two, if going thru the effort of making your own noodles actually is worth it. I mean - throwing the ones in the box directly into the boiling water is just so easy. To the first: class was fun, easy to follow and I actually produced some great noodles. And to the second, I'm a convert - cooking from scratch is worth the resulting taste. YUMMY!!!!!! I would definitely recommend it and will consider going back for additional classes. And it was BYOB - so my girlfriends and I were able to cheaply enjoy a couple bottles of wine brought from home. The staff is really friendly, even took pictures for us, and the chefs were walking around helping when needed, laid back, etc. The only thing is they aren't completely on their A game when it comes to the admin part of it. We had some challenges getting in touch with staff prior to the event, and they said they would email the recipes. Unfortunately, haven't received so I'll have to follow up to receive them. But, loved it. Highlight of my week. read more

I had a really fun time at the pasta-making class! The instructors were readily available to help you if you had issues with the process. The pastas we made were pomodoro (the easy one) and ravioli (slightly more difficult one). Two volunteers made a vodka sauce (unfortunately, you don't get tipsy- lame) and a pesto sauce. They were delicious! There was a great ambiance with a variety of age groups and skills. The age range was between 10 and 60. Everyone had a partner, either a friend, significant other or family member. A few of us were drinking throughout the course, which obvi made it much funner. (Not BYOB, they sell the sauce there). After we finished making the pasta, the instructors cooked it while we sat down and mingled with the other students. After we finished eating, they provided us with take-home containers because there was a ton left-over. The only reason I knocked off a star was because everyone's creation was cooked in the same pot so you don't know whose pasta you're eating. I had a problem with this for two reasons: 1) you don't know if the person whose pasta you're eating washed his/her hands (eeww) and 2) if you're competing with your friend (as was I) for whose pasta came out better after it boiled, you couldn't because everything was cooked together. I would definitely come back again, despite the aforementioned reason. P.S.: there is also a market for freshly-made foods and other stuff like pre-packaged goods, dressings, soups, and alcohol/wine (and maybe beer). read more

My review is based on experiences both with Cooking Fools' classes and with their lunches. I went to a work function at Cooking Fools that involved cooking classes, which I must admit I was not especially excited about. I had previously gone to a cooking class elsewhere with a previous employer, and was bored, hungry, and overall extremely dissatisfied. However, the class at Cooking Fools was great. It was a fun environment where I (and everyone else) got to do the majority of the cooking of the food and I actually learned some useful techniques. There was also plenty of time to socialize with coworkers, which was important and something that I have seen lacking at other classes like this. The food that we made was also plentiful and delicious, which made for a fun time eating it after the cooking class. Lastly, I really liked Cooking Fools' upstairs loft kitchen space. More recently, I have eaten a number of lunches at Cooking Fools or carried food out, and I have been thoroughly satisfied each time. Their sandwiches and wraps are excellent and use high-quality, fresh ingredients. Although there is not tons of seating space, I do find the storefront a pleasant place to sit and eat. Lastly, I think the sandwiches are a great value, especially considering that they come with chips and a drink. Various of the fish sandwiches as well as the chicken pesto are among my favorites. read more

We just had my best fiends bachelorette party here and it was so much fun! I'm not sure if it was because they are doing Reno on the bottom floor, but we were upstairs and it was awesome. It was like having a party in your apartment without having to clean up the mess later. Sam was our chef and she was fun as well. Very thorough in explanations, I learned a ton! We chose the Italian menu where we made small flat breads for an appetizer and then we made handmade pasta with 2 sauces all from scratch. Topped it off with a Morton Lava cake (made beforehand by Cooking Fools) and dinner was amazing. Everything was delicious and we had so much fun. It came out to $150 a lady but we split the cost of the bride and we had the open bar package so it was definitely more expensive because of those added things but well worth it!! read more

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