Oh, how they love their food in Chicago. From sausage and deep-dish pizza to great mid-priced bistros and ethnic eateries to elegant dining, Chicagoans know how to dish it up. And while the experience of eating can be found throughout the Windy City, visitors who come here to learn to cook have some excellent options. Book well in advance, as these classes fill up quickly, and arrive with an appetite.
Serious foodies check into the Peninsula hotel for a class hosted by the chefs at the hotel's Shanghai Terrace restaurant. The day begins with a trip to the market for fresh ingredients, then students are welcomed into the Shanghai kitchen for a personal class designed to help them create the upscale Cantonese dishes.
At a tavola, chef and owner Daniel Bocik welcomes students on select Mondays to prepare authentic Italian dishes in his elegant dining room. Surprisingly, the cost is only $50 per person, giving students a lesson and dinner for the price, but taxes, gratuity and beverages are extra.
Discover a world of Thai, Indian and Mexican cuisines along with a host of fresh and exotic ingredients at The Heat and Spice Cooking School. Main classes are hosted on Chicago's north side, but the school plans events and classes throughout Chicago, so log on and find a class that appeals to you at www.heatandspice.com and look for a one-night course. The cost is $60–$75 per person and includes instruction and a meal.
Casual visitors looking for a quick culinary fix can find something going on almost any day of the year at Fox & Obel Market. Frequent beer, wine and chocolate tastings are a complement to the market's more thorough wine classes and cooking events, which are hosted in an atmosphere brimming with fresh and imported foods.