The Cooking School At Irwin Street

We had a great time at the basic knife skills class last night. Chef Carlton was very personable and knowledgeable. He taught us all the basics, and even explained the best knives to have.
There was every level of experience present, and we all had a great time. :)
Definitely recommend.

We had so much fun taking this class! My fiancé and I took a couples cooking course where we made prosciutto wrapped chick breast and veggie lasagna with apple pie for dessert. My fiancé has always felt he doesn’t know how to cook but this class showed him he can! He did most of the cooking himself and he could not be prouder of himself. We will be back for more classes for sure! Chef Sandy was a great teacher and so much fun to talk to. We met some great couples there and just had a blast interacting with everyone. Highly recommend you check this place out!

Like most people, I went to the Cooking School at Irwin because there was a Groupon for it. (Note: I don’t cook much if at all but it was a date night option that sounded romantic) The school itself is behind the main store, when you enter you will notice there’s one kitchen like setting with some tables next to it. There is also a long table where you’ll be doing prep work, which is what you’ll be primarily doing.
As other folks have mentioned, the class is not really teaching about «cooking» per se, but just how to make something like lasagna or apple pie by prepping it. It’s a very relaxed environment, my class had 4 other couples of various ages who were looking to do something together on a date night. The instructor was very friendly and accommodating, she pretty much did the actual cooking and baking, and also helped teach everyone how to prepare everything correctly. Otherwise while the food was cooking people brought wine to drink and just converse.
The food ended up tasting very good, and they encourage you to pack leftovers for later. If you’re looking for a date night or a night to have fun with a few friends, this place is definitely a very affordable and great option, if you’re looking for a more serious cooking experience you probably might want to look for other places that might focus on the cooking itself.

We really had a lovely time! The food was fantastic and Chef Sandy was a warm and gracious host. We’ll definitely be back!

Overall this was a great experience but not so much a cooking class.
We didn’t cook exactly, just chopped, and threw stuff in a pan that turned into an amazing meal. We had Salmon with Pesto, Quinoa, and Sweet Potatoes. We learned the basics for each recipe, their ingredients and how to prepare them. Then chopped up our portion and put it in one pot. I really enjoy the cooking and simmering, I had imagined I would be cooking my own meal.
At the end we ate together and got to know each other. There were about 12 of us in the group which is just enough to keep it intimate. I did walk away with new recipes and cooking tips and even new friends. However, I did not feel like I cooked, I guess this is as hands on as it gets for the Irwin Cooking School. I kinda expected the home-​economics model they had in high school (each get their own little kitchen and and learn to cook their own recipe).
I am glad I did the Scoutmob, it was a great way to see if this was for me. It’s not exactly what I was looking for. it is more of a supper club. If you want to meet friends and learn to cook basics, this could be the class for you. I am more of the hands on, cook my own and learn an intricate recipe kind of gal.

My roommate and I recently purchased a groupon for the Pastabilities class and it was fantastic! After a rather stressful day, this is exactly what I needed. I’m going to go over the experience from start to finish:
Punctuality: We started right on time, so be right one time! Don’t be THAT person.
Atmosphere: We sat around and actual kitchen table, in a fully equipped, well designed kitchen, and first introduced ourselves and our cooking expertise. It was a nice ice breaker. Chef Jake then introduced himself and his origin with Italian cooking… a real Sicilian in the house.
Instructor: What a great guy! Chef Tony taught us the natural way to make pasta, just some semolina and eggs. It was so much easier than I thought it would be! As we cooked, he told us stories about learning to cook with his Grandmother in Sicily. Which made the class fly by! He answered general cooking questions as well. Very excited to make more pasta at home with the leftover dough.
Food: It was excellent, if I do say so myself. Great job to my class! We even got a complimentary ice cream scoop from Jake’s ice cream.
Overall: I will be back! I encourage anyone who wants to take a low stress, educational cooking class, to visit this school.

Chef Sandy taught the Olé class for my daughter’s 14^th birthday party. It was wonderful experience all around. Chef Tony helped me reserve and plan the event and he was very helpful, professional and friendly. Chef Sandy did a marvelous job leading a group of 6 teenagers through preparing a delicious meal. I would highly recommend the experience.

My boyfriend and I had a fun evening out at the Cooking School at Irwin Street. We took their Pastabilities with Sauce class taught by Chef Tony. We had a fantastic time learning how to make our own pasta from scratch. It was a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere and we had a small, intimate group of four. Chef Tony educated us on the various techniques of creating pasta that he learned from his Italian grandmother. We used no equipment so we could learn the authentic way which was fun and challenging! He entertained us with stories about his grandparents coming to America from Italy and told us a lot about his family.
We each had our own station to make the dough ourselves and the chef helped when needed. Be warned, making pasta is long, hard work! Lol, my arms got tired from rolling, but hey that’s the real experience. The chef made the filling and the sauce, but showed us how to do it and told us all the ingredients. We asked him many questions and he was very informative. At the end, we each made 6 raviolis that the chef cooked in one big pot and when they were done, we all sat down and enjoyed them together. Then we finished filling the rest of the ravioli to take home for leftovers… we have so much ravioli left! Our pasta turned out delicious and we had a great time! I would highly recommend the Cooking School and Chef Tony if you want to have a fun evening out!

We took the pasta class today with Chef Sandy as Chef Tony wasn’t feeling well. I really enjoyed the class and feel like I’ve come away with some skills to try out when cooking at home. I look forward to attending another class in the future. The class is a community class so each person made some ravioli and you may not get to taste your own in the end. Some people mentioned that they would’ve liked to have a copy of the recipes for the day.
I do wish we had know more about the parking situation/​where to wait. There was a small lot to park in and we were able to get a spot there as we arrived about 20 mins early. We didn’t see a sign or anything about where to wait and spent some time searching for where to wait as we didn’t see a kitchen or anything set up in the main building. I asked a lady working near the ice cream if she knew where we should wait for the cooking class and she told me to stand near the couches to wait to be called over. It was time for class to start and we weren’t sure if we were waiting in the right place so we looked around. I think the chef was just running a few minutes behind but that was cool– she came over to the couches to greet us then took us to the building behind the first building to cook.
Overall, I would recommend this class to anyone. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves!

I would say this cooking class was more a of social event rather than educational. It was a group of 12 people who were all very nice. We start off by introducing ourselves in order to get to know each other since we will all be cooking together for the next 2 hours.
The cooking class was more like an «organized mess». There was 6 different recipes to make. Our group of 12 had to split into about 6 groups to follow 1 recipe per group. So basically you only get to make 1 dish, unless you finished your recipe early and you get to watch/​help someone else cook. The teacher didn’t really instruct, they layout out recipes printed on paper and you read them yourself. If you had a question the instructor will answer your questions.
I basically felt like I was cooking at a family members house. Not all the bowls/​pots/​utensils are laid out in front of you. So if the teacher is busy doing something you end up searching for items that you need in cabinets, the fridge, drawers. I have never been to a cooking class, but I would have preferred actual instructions from a teacher rather then reading it myself.
The food was ok. it was an Italian class and like I mentioned we prepared 6 dishes.
1. Eggplant parmesan — which at the end I felt was too cheesy. And I love cheese.
2. Braciole — I’ve never had this before, I would say it’s was pretty tasty. Although one of the members of the group said to make a proper Braciolle it has to be slow cooked for hours. And then it would melt in your mouth. I have no idea if he’s right.
3 Mannocoti — We made homemade fresh shells, which were more like crepes, and filling. I liked this dish best.
4. Anti Pasta — No cooking really, just 2 people cutting the meats and cheese
5. Linguini and Sauce — just plain pasta cooked and sauce from a Jar.
6. Tiramisu — It was way too strong, most people did not finish it. Someone reading the recipe misread the amount of rum
Here’s something that threw me off. The sauce we used for all recipes were all from store bought Jars. And they were some kind of cheap brand that I would never use. Maybe it’s just me, but I never use sauce from a jar. I make my own sauce with a base of Crushed tomatoes, garlic and other seasoning. The store bought sauce wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great either.
With all the entrees mentioned above, it was about a whole tray of each dish. So splitting 6 Dishes between 12 people was plenty. Everyone had a big plate of food and was stuffed. Some people couldn’t finish their food and were given to go boxes.
If you want to meet new people and cook something you may have not made before this is a place to go. If your expecting something more formal, than this isn’t the place to go. Maybe other classes were more instructional, I’ll check into it.

I held off on writing this review until after we received my cooking class «do-​over» last week. And, I’m happy to report that Irwin Street delivered on their promise to make our second class better than the first.
I initially learned about Irwin Street though my office because Chef Jake and Chef Sandy held a cooking demo with us last winter. I loved the recipes, and how they made everything taste great without getting too elaborate. And, that you could get involved if you wanted, or watch and eat if you didn’t. They did a great job!
Fast forward to August: my boyfriend and I went to a class at their Irwin Street location courtesy of Groupon (for boyfriend’s birthday). We chose a couples cooking class and were looking forward to it. Due to unfortunate circumstances, one of the chefs wasn’t able to make it and another chef filled in. All would have been fine, except we didn’t do much cooking. The sub chef did all the work, save for chopping some peppers (which we all knew how to do), and served the one food my boyfriend hates: salmon! He was a good sport and ate it, but I felt awful that his birthday gift didn’t turn out as intended.
Not to mention, the food was centered around the chef’s dietary restrictions and featured veggie noodles (cut with her spiralizers that she brought from home and tried to sell to us), cooked in a lot of coconut oil. Don’t get me wrong — I like veggie noodles and coconut oil, I just thought the oil was too heavy. And, she prepared a ton of it rather than teaching us how to make a meal for two without leftovers, like the staff told me when I called. No matter how I looked at it, it was a far cry from the veggie lasagna, proscuitto-​wrapped chicken, and apple pie we were supposed to make.
After this experience, I wrote Scott an email about how disappointed I was in the class. He wrote me back and said he was sorry about what happened, especially given how I had prior experience when they came to my office. He immediately offered us a do-​over and got us into another class.
Our second class was held with Chef Sandy, and it was much better! We were more hands-​on, and actually learned how to make dinner for two without a ton of leftovers. The proscuitto-​wrapped chicken, veggie lasagna and apple pie were great! Even the next day. My favorite part was making the lasagna: who knew you could just roll everything up in a noodle and avoid the «whole pan and getting sick of it after two days» thing? I didn’t, and will keep that in mind for future endeavors!
One thing I have to note: this is not the class where everyone gets to cook on their own hot plate, in their own skillet, etc. You prepare some of the food, but it gets put on a pan with everyone else’s until it’s ready to be eaten. If you’re looking for something like the Chopped kitchen, where you have your own statoin and can prepare your meal yourself (minus the mystery basket and time limits), then I suggest looking somewhere else. Otherwise, Irwin Street is a great place to attend an introductory cooking class!

Stacy hosted us for a couples cooking class, and it was great. She was helpful, gracious and funny — and the food, by the way, was excellent.

Thank you Chef Tony! You made my birthday PERFECT! I loved every minute of the class and could not have asked for more. Hands down the most fun cooking class I have ever taken! Thank you Thank you THANK YOU!

We loved the couples cooking class with Sandy & would HIGHLY recommend it to others. She is incredibly personable and knowledge about cooking. The class was tons of fun and we are already talking about what class we will take next. It was worth the investment and makes for an awesome date night.
The meal was delicious and kitchen was spacious for all parties.

Great experience at the urban farm location. The people that run this are so sweet and personable, it doesn’t feel at all like a cooking class. It’s more like hanging out at your friends house and helping to make dinner.
The coolest part of this experience was going out back to the farm and picking the vegetables for the dish ourselves. Taking «farm to table» quite literally.
While I really enjoyed the experience, I didn’t feel like I learned anything and I wasn’t completely impressed with what we made. Our Brunswick stew was essentially veggies from the garden, some chicken, and Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce. I get it that the Sweet Baby Ray’s was meant to save time, but first of all, ew; and second of all, if I’m paying that much for a cooking class, I want you to take the time to show me something cool.
I really loved the concept and the people, I just wasn’t that impressed with the product. That being said, it is a really fun and interesting way to spend an afternoon, and would make a killer date. I would definitely be willing to try them again for a different type of class.

I highly recommend taking a cooking class here at the Irwin St Market. I planned this as a work outing and enrolled the 10 of us in the Super Food, Super Fast, Super Easy class. We had a great time drinking, cooking, visiting, eating, learning and being shown a gracious good time by our chef/​teacher Chef Carlton. I can’t say enough good about the evening. I will be doing this again and perhaps buying a gift certificate for my adult children who are «foodies»

My team from work had an outing in Atlanta. As a team building, we decided to do a cooking class and chose the Irwin St Cooking School. What a experience! We chose the international menu as out preparation. Sandy was our gracious host, and set an environment that allowed us to learn, talk, bond, cook, and have a blast all at the same time. She is phenomenal and provides an experience that will spark memories to last. Hats off to the Cooking School at Irwin St. and to Sandy. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a unique and fun evening. Well done!

I was invited to take a cooking class with a group of friends and man, it was a great experience. The experience was warm and welcoming and I learned a lot. I loved how attentive they were to each of us. I believe there were about 8 to 10 of us. I was also impressed to see men actively participate in the class. I totally look forward to making those yummy recipes soon!

I took the Pastabilities class yesterday, after finding a great Groupon deal for my first experience here. I’ll absolutely go back, and look forward to working with everyone, especially Jake, our pasta instructor.
Our class was at the Sweet Selma Farms location in College Park. The best description of the location is «magically delicious», as in a beautifully outfitted, magical escape from city grind and grime. I could see Snow White or the Smurfs being really happy here… as long as I get to be they’re personal chef, lol!
Jake was the most gracious and accommodating host… food allergies were addressed; even for the guy with the garlic allergy who came to make his girlfriend happy (cudos, dude). Jake even offered to make him an alternate sauce. The class was small and very hands on.
We learned to hand make basic pasta dough, and trust me; by hands on I mean completely made by hand (mine are a bit bruised today). You became intimate with your rolling pin, believe me! But the conversation and instruction was so casual and laid back, with the homey setting and the fab background music, not to mention the intoxicating smell of roasting butternut squash and last-​of-​the-​season garlicy pesto (did I mention that they have a working farm, and are working on getting organic certified?) We made butternut squash ravioli with pesto, to eat immediately and with enough to take home for another full meal. We were also treated with Jake’s famous, and soooo delicious Tiramisu ice cream. So good, I forgot my lactose intolerance; it was well worth it!
Overall, it was a great experience; I felt a wonderful sense of community and true love of great food. I’m happy to add Irwin Street Market to my list of faves!

I took the pastabilities class because I bought a pasta machine in January and 9 months later it is still in the box.
Jake and Carlton made the evening relaxed and enjoyable. The class was set-​up for only 10 people so it was not going to get overly crowded. A number of us attended alone but the commaraderie of cooking together soon had us all talking and laughing.
The recipe was simple and the oppurtunity to not only eat our masterpieces but take some extras home was wonderful.
NOTE: They take food allergies very seriously and did everything they could to accomodate them.
This will not be my last class at this location.