Last week Bryan and I celebrated our three year wedding anniversary and it’s unbelievable how much has changed and how fast these three years went by. I love this man more and more each day and have truly enjoyed having him as my partner to tackle life’s lows and celebrate the highs. With that said, as I am sure the majority of couples can relate, it’s easy to get caught up in day to day routines. Often times we have to remind ourselves to step back from the responsibilities of running a home, graduate school, work e-mails, taking care of a dog, etc. and that before any of this, it was just him and I wanting to spend every moment together (still true..well..most of the time 😉 ). Because him and I usually have so much going on, date nights are sometimes a rare commodity. This is why I surprised him with a cooking class in the city to enjoy some wine + good food, celebrate these last three years, and possibly learn a thing or two along the way.
While researching the dozens of places to partake in a cooking class in Chicago, one place in particular caught my eye. The Wooden Spoon had everything I was looking for – an intimate setting with a great menu, knowledgeable chefs, and was tucked inside of one of Chicago’s many interesting neighborhoods. It was a mere coincidence that once I had decided on this location for our class, they had a ‘Whiskey Grilling’ class scheduled for the week following our anniversary. I was sold.
Let me start off by saying that this is one of those times I wish I could capture just how incredible of an experience we had in a blog post. I got a small taste of how kind and patient everyone is there after a small bout of panic while calling and telling them we would be 25 minutes late to our class due to a bad accident on Lake Shore Drive. Needless to say, we arrived a little bit flustered but were greeted by Chef Richard and four other wonderful couples with cheers, blue aprons labeled with our names, and wine opener to quickly get the Zinfandel flowing.
The Location
In order to convey how cool this place was, it’s definitely worth mentioning the neighborhood as well as the welcoming store front, store and kitchen set up, and beautiful outdoor grilling area. The Wooden Spoon is located in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood and is family owned and operated. Upon arrival you are greeted by an adorable store front complete with an actual giant wooden spoon, windows adorned with various kitchen gadgets, and chalkboards boasting the cooking classes scheduled for that day. It’s also important to mention that The Wooden Spoon is not just a cooking school but also a one stop shop for pretty much any kitchen tool or gadget you’re looking for. I had barely gotten my apron on and I had already made mental note of a few items I wanted to purchase after class.
At the back of the store is the kitchen area out of even the most inexperienced of chef’s dreams. At the center of the prep and seating area is the equipment and enough open space to ensure that everyone feels included in the preparing/cooking of the meal and for the Chef of the evening to demonstrate and answer questions.
Just outside the back door of the kitchen is the patio and grill. I could have easily spent all evening on this patio staring at the colorful mosaic tiled pizza oven and charming fountain and garden area. We got incredibly lucky with perfect grilling weather for the evening and as a result, we were able to socialize with everyone inside and outside while we sipped on our wine and waited for the last few dishes to finish up.
The Chef
Bryan and I both agreed that Chef Richard Ginn was probably one of the coolest people we have ever met. If I could describe the ideal person to walk us through how to cook with our favorite beverage – it would be him. Originally from South Carolina, Chef Richard is not only part of the team at The Wooden Spoon, but also has his own custom furniture design and construction company in Chicago called Riftsawn Woodworks. With such an interesting background, we really enjoyed learning from him and he creates an environment in which every couple feels relaxed and comfortable asking questions.
The Menu
It would be ridiculous to not mention what we made but I left this for last because I sit here still dreaming about easily one of the best meals I have ever had (husband agrees too). The pictures I took on my phone don’t do any of this any sort of justice but I was desperate to capture each and every dish.
The couples began with preparing of all the sauces/glazes we would need, chopping vegetables, and combining the ingredients for the dessert. After the initial prep, the real nitty gritty of the meal began. First up was Grilled Shrimp with a Whiskey Cocktail Sauce. This looked delectable despite me not being able to take part (silly shellfish allergy). Luckily, Bryan took one for the team and ate both of our shrimp portions. Between bites, his only words were “holy crap”. I’d call that a stamp of approval.
Next, the couples split up cooking the main dishes and sides. This included Grilled Chicken with a Whiskey BBQ sauce and spicy slaw, Grilled Whiskey Mustard Pork Chops with grilled apples, and Whiskey Glazed Carrots (this was my”holy crap” moment – we’re talking carrots glazed in butter, brown sugar, and whiskey, people). While it’s easy to say that any of this was the ‘best of’ chicken, pork, vegetables, etc. we’ve ever had – let’s talk dessert…
GUYS.
I kid you not- there was complete silence once the Double Chocolate Whiskey Cake with Whiskey Chocolate Ganache was served and everyone took their first bites. We’re talking out-of-body-experience kind of cake. It was the perfect amount of moist (I hate that word) cake mixed with a warm, oozing, ganache at the center of it all. One of the other ladies in our group caught eyes with me from across the seating area, shook her head, and threw up her arms in praise. We were each able to have a gigantic slice and I borderline licked the plate.
Bryan’s reaction: “I never want another kind of cake for my birthday ever again”.
We ended the evening with applause for ourselves and Chef Richard, took pictures with our newly made cooking friends, and perused the shop for some must-have kitchen items. Bryan and I picked up a cute cast iron cook book, new meat thermometer, and of course- a couple of adorable wooden spoons with their logo to remember the evening by.
To say that we left with our bellies full is the understatement of the year. I loved that Bryan and I got to share this experience together and we will 100% be going back for future classes. The recipes from the evening were shared with us via e-mail minutes after we left the class and I know these dishes will be on rotation in our own kitchen here at home. I more than recommend The Wooden Spoon for your own date night or a fun evening out with a group of friends. Thank you to everyone at The Wooden Spoon for making our anniversary celebration such a special one!
Link here to the calendar of classes to book your own experience at The Wooden Spoon!
