Came here after work for a pasta making class. Browsed the store since me and my friend were there early. It's a fun store to browse, just feels artsy and trendy, and as if they share a passion for the kitchen, just like their customers. Saw some cook books, adorable tea and coffee instruments, a section/wall of knives, pots and pans, stainless steel, cast iron, etc, and a back section of produce. Oddly enough, not all of the produce were that fresh. Touched a few peppers and they were so soft, my hand nearly sunk in! But whatever- I didn't come there to shop really, I came there to learn how to make pasta!
Class started promptly. The teacher- I forget her name, but she was efficient, friendly, informative- was a bit frazzled, as she didn't have her usual volunteer there to help her. But I found her very charming and maternal in a way, and I appreciated that kind of vibe because it somehow encouraged me to learn. She did a fairly long and thorough demo, about thirty minutes or so before we went to the tables/stations where there was flour and other ingredients waiting for people. And then we got right down to work. Along the way, she walked around to check in on us, help people, as well as did the obligatory "It's looking good" or "good job, but it could use more flour" and the whole experience was very smooth. After everyone's dough looked good, with a final check from her, we wrapped it up in saran wrap and refrigerated it. Then we worked with the dough she had pre-made before the students arrived, and split up into teams to use the crank.
Honestly, that damn machine was the most fun part of the evening! Sprinkle some flour on it, roll it through, adjust settings, repeat as needed, and you have this silky smooth piece of dough, and we had two options: fettucine noodles which would go with the fresh marinara sauce, or the ravioli for the herb/spinach mixture. We decided on ravioli and then used the mold, scooped some filling and voila, we were done! It was a lot of steps, but also not that difficult if you followed directions. Then she made a brown butter sage sauce with a pinch of lemon juice at the end of cooking, and tossed it with the ravioli. OMG! So delicious. You taste the buttery/herb flavor and then the acidity of the lemon juice hits you, so it's a one two punch of alternating flavors.
Overall it was a long class. Close to three hours, by the time we finished and ate and mingled, asked questions. I like how they don't rush and usher you out. They probably would if they had another class after, but either way, they let people enjoy the entire experience rather than kicking us out so they could clean up earlier or go home earlier, etc. It really speaks volumes as to how they treat people and customers. Also beer was given to the class, while she was demonstrating, so they really tried to make it a relaxing experience, knowing people were coming after work and such. And we get a recipe booklet to take home.
Depending on my schedule, and the classes they offered, I would definitely come back again. read more