Now We’re Cookin’

This is such a cool space! I went here for a blogger tasting panel and it’s the kitchen of my dreams. High-​end appliances and soaring ceilings mean this place is straight out of a Food Network set. I was so impressed with how much space it has for classes and events. I imagine it would be awesome for a corporate retreat or bachelorette party, too. In the set up I attended, I had the chance to try new products in a hands-​on workshop, and didn’t have to do the dishes. #Winning
Parking is a little challenging, I’ll admit. I drive a truck and don’t really parallel park, so it could be an issue for a class.
What really pushed this facility over to the five-​star arena is the mission. It provides small food operations and start ups the facilities required by law to get moving and get their products in the hands of their adoring fans. Without places like this, small-​batch and specialty products would have so many impediments getting on shelves that it can be daunting for creative people with a stellar idea. Support NWC to support diversity in the specialty foods arena!

I’ve used Now We’re Cookin’ for work related events 4 times. Each time I have been pleased, which is why I keep going back and recommending the space to others.
They were helpful in setting up the space with tables in the layout we needed, providing a screen and projector for our presentations. Having the large kitchen with a large island is great for buffets and as a place for people to sit. The kitchen along with the adjacent area with a large dining table gives the space an open and homey feel. Normally I’d avoid spaces without lots of windows but the high ceilings and skylights there is plenty of light and doesn’t feel like you are boxed in a room all day.
Each time Now We’re Cookin’ worked with us to provide meals and refreshments that were wonderful, fit our themes and loved by the attendees. That’s a tall order given that we all work in the food industry. The food is made fresh in their professional kitchen in the back of the venue so it’ s not food delivered from a caterer that is made hours in advance and just kept warm until serving time. It was nice that we couldn’t hear any noise from the kitchen during our meetings.
Parking is on the street or in a lot around the corner. If you are there for a long meeting drop your car off at the car wash around the corner and they’ll wash it and park it i the lot for you while you are busy enjoying your time at Now We’re Cooking. Get there early enough and they may even have time to detail it.
Bottom Line: It’s hard to find meeting spaces that are unique and not drab hotel conference rooms. Now We’re Cookin’ fulfills that need and provides great food without having to deal with a separate catering company. Each time we have sessions there I look forward to the food.

I am slightly on the fence between a 3 and a 4 but as Nell had her co-​worker/​assistant/​whatever call in sick and she had to handle the entire class on her own the night I attended, I will round up to a 4.
One point I was slightly disappointed in was that couples did not have actual individual stations/​appliances to use on their own. I know this is inefficient and in the end allows a sense of team building, but ultimately I guess I feel like I’m there to enjoy the experience with my significant other. Oh well — did meet some nice people!
The recipes utilized were very good and actually fairly simple. Pretty good help from Nell who walks around answering any questions and offering help where necessary.
At the end you sit down at a large table with the other couples — I can imagine this being a bit awkward if people are not very social. Fortunately the other couples during our Date Night experience were fairly social and everyone got to meet some nice new people.
Good experience overall and, oh yeah, for the guys out there, the girlfriend/​wife will love it!

Surprised my wife with a «Date Night» 2 hour class, and wound up having just as much fun as she did.
Tucked away in the north part of Evanston, we walked into the beautifully designed loft space and were greeted by exposed brick walls, wood truss ceilings, stainless prep areas and world-​class appliances. It was the epitome of a sophisticated kitchen.
First, we were given an overview of our meal: lentil and arugula salads, steaks with mango salsa marinade, crème fraîche scalloped potatoes, and autumn apple crisp topped with ice cream for. Owner Nell Funk, along with our instructor, chef Michael Watz, kept an eye one the eight of us throughout the evening; wandering from one group to the other, they augmented the printed instructions as we went along, and offered a few tips along the way. Nobody felt left to fend for themselves, though it was certainly apparent that you need to keep things moving along quickly… or you’ll be eating dinner late!
By the time we poured a fresh glass of wine and sat down at the long, reclaimed wood table, we were all quite hungry. Autumn centerpieces of fresh flowers arranged in carved pumpkins added an elegant touch to our harvest themed meal.
Now, I’m a guy of VERY limited palate. Nothing strays very far from pizza and burgers in my world. But this meal was just incredible. As in, are-you-sure-this-wasn’t-swapped-out-when-we-weren’t-looking incredible. My wife was impressed with my comfort slicing potatoes and prepping the individual desserts in ramekins… and we both enjoyed the entire process from beginning to end.
If I could make one alteration to the experience, it would probably be to add another set of measuring cups /​spoons two the work stations. While all other supplies were readily available, whenever I looked around for a tablespoon… someone else seemed to always be using it.
All in all, we hope to do another date night class soon. In fact, before we’d even finished eating we were already discussing which of my wife’s sisters and husband would enjoy doing this as a double-​date next time.

I took the chocolate truffle making class (had a coupon). We were provided a glass of champagne on arrival, as well as samples of the truffles we would be making, in different flavors. We were stationed at different workstations (3 – 4 people to a station). I agree with the comment made by someone else that I wish we had started the process from scratch and had had a little more guidance, but I suppose I understand why for time sake they did a little for us. The instructors and staff were friendly and informative and we got to make a lot of truffles (I took home a chinese take-​out carton’s worth). They also showed us how to make a cake and we got to taste a sample (delicious).
Easy drive from the city and easy parking. I hope to take another class there in the future.
The venue is lovely and would also be a great place for an event.

I wish I could give 3.5 stars. I had my first experience at NWC for a chocolate truffle making class and thought it was pretty well organized. The recipe was simple with good options for flavoring to our own personal taste. I liked that they provided the recipe and a cute little package for us to take home. The only problem I had is that they did a little bit of the work for us and didn’t do a really good explanation of how to do everything step by step. If I didn’t already know how to make ganache, I might have a little problem if I went home and tried to start from scratch. I did enjoy the finished product and liked that they used local chocolate (Blommer)!

Took a cooking class here on canning recently. I love that they focus on local ingredients. Most of the recipes we made featured foods from local gardens and farms. My class made three different recipes: cherry chutney, strawberry-​mint jam, and pickled mushrooms. Each participant took home a jar of each.
The teachers were well-​educated in the art of cooking and I learned some useful tips, like how to peel ginger quickly and good herbal flavor combinations. The only problem was that I didn’t agree with my cooking team on some of the things we added to the recipes, but we quickly reached a compromise. The class I took was also reasonably priced at $ 45 dollars a person. I would definitely take another class here.
They also run a commercial (certified) kitchen that you can rent. Several small businesses use it and it’s a must if you want to make food to sell to the public.