Cooking class at Sur La Table

[teller80]

Anyone been to one? Which one did you take, and what did you like/not like about it? It's a little pricy, but I think it sounds like fun. Thanks for your input!

 

[Poohforyou]

I've been to two classes. The 1st was an autumn menu. I make several of the items frequently including a wonderful pesto and mashed cauliflower. The other was an Italian menu and was just so so. Both were fun to do because I was with friends.

I've also been to a class at whole foods and thought it was much better than sur la table but about 1/3 the price.

 

[Sabeking]

My DD and I did one a few months ago on macaroons. I am not a fan of those but she loves to bake so I said I would do it. We had a really nice time! They also served drinks and snacks while they were baking and gave you a coupon to use in the store so we did some shopping as well. Overall we had fun and I did learn a lot. We each took home a box of macaroons and it was Christmas so we brought them to a party.

 

[sequoia 14]

I've taken two classes there. Both were on deserts (one was a macaroon class). I had fun in both of them and they are extremely well run. They are set up more as social fun though then a serious cooking class. You get a printout of the recipes which I appreciated. Keep an eye on the prices closer to the date of the classes. They sometimes will cut the prices in half a few days before if there are openings.

 

[cybrkitn]

DH and I have done a few classes there and loved them. I did two baking classes, which helped me learn how to make and frost a cake correctly, and one dinner class. All were great! DH has done the sushi class and the Father's Day cooking class with DS13 who was about 11 at the time. A few years ago, DS did the week long one for kids. Their menu was Italian and Mexican foods.

Their classes may be a little pricey at times (they do have sales on them occasionally), but they are worth it!

 

[disneyhand]

A good friend took a knives skill class recently and loved it! He said he had no idea how much more there was to learn and how happy he is to now have the knowledge. He plans to sign up for more classes as well. I hope to take some classes too in the future

 

[aquabone1109]

Wife and I did the Valentines class (surf and turf). It was nice but very overpriced for basic cooking.

 

[cybrkitn]

Wife and I did the Valentines class (surf and turf). It was nice but very overpriced for basic cooking.

I'm not too sure about their classes being overpriced. Most of the dinner classes have seafood, particularly salmon. Seafood in itself is a little pricey to begin with. But the cost is also paying for the ingredients needed to make the dishes. I'm going to take a guess and say that it may also help pay for the instructor's time teaching.

 

[aquabone1109]

I'm not too sure about their classes being overpriced. Most of the dinner classes have seafood, particularly salmon. Seafood in itself is a little pricey to begin with. But the cost is also paying for the ingredients needed to make the dishes. I'm going to take a guess and say that it may also help pay for the instructor's time teaching.

So you think $300 for 2 people to eat a 4 oz filet and a small lobster tail is not bad?

 

[littleblackegg]

So you think $300 for 2 people to eat a 4 oz filet and a small lobster tail is not bad?

Considering the context, no. The price doesn't just cover the consumed food. It covers the instructor, the assistants, all the labor, wine, equipment, etc. You might pay $300 for surf and turf in an upscale restaurant, so it seems about right.

 

[cybrkitn]

So you think $300 for 2 people to eat a 4 oz filet and a small lobster tail is not bad?

I live in NY on Long Island. Most classes (and I've checked their calendar for my nearest location) are $69 PP. There are a few that I did see that are $100, but those classes are for the kids during their breaks from school. The other two I had seen that cost that much involve the participants receiving a Scan Pan in one and a cutting knife in the other. Other than that, the most expensive classes I've seen on their calendar are about $85 per person, and those are the ones with steak and/or seafood. But as another poster has said, it's the context as well as all the other incidentals that were mentioned, that you are paying for.

My favorite classes are the baking ones. I really enjoyed the two cake classes I took, one of which was Luscious Layer Cakes. We made a Vanilla Raspberry Ombre cake with Marshmallow-Coconut Frosting and a Lemon Sponge Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Cream (the latter being my favorite one).

I don't remember the name of the second class, but we made a Pumpkin cake with a Cream Cheese Frosting, a Bitter-sweet Chocolate Pear cake and an Up-side-down Caramel Apple cake. I didn't care for the Pumpkin cake mostly b/c I don't like cream cheese frosting. The cake itself was good. I've made the Bitter-Sweet Chocolate Pear cake a few times myself since the class and it came out deliscious each time. The Caramel Apple cake I've only made in the class. Mostly b/c the caramel was made from scratch and it's a little tricky to make. It needs to be watched very closely.

 

[vicb]

I have done two classes also, one was great, one was so-so. I think the difference was the instructor. First class was a tapas class, I went with two girlfriends. The instructor was very good, very organized and it was very hands on. We had a lot of food to sample. The second class I went with my 23 year old daughter, it was spring menu. The instructor must have been new at it because he was nervous and not well organized. He burned one of the components we had prepared so didn't get to eat that. The dessert recipe was a macaroon recipe and because he was running behind he prepared and just had us watch, then we each got one cookie to taste. Honestly afterward my DD and I had to stop for something to eat we were starved! I probably wouldn't do another class there after that.
I attended a class once at Whole Foods, it was an observation class but the instructor was very good and we got a generous taste of everything.