I went to Rush Hour: Tequila Shrimp Fajitas yesterday after work. Chef Michael Mandato, from New York, walked a small group of us through several steps to make the fresh, Mexican dish with spicy roasted tomato salsa.
Not only did we learn proper knife technique for prepping vegetables and shrimp, Mandato showed us how to layout your workspace for efficiency, use the range to grill jalapenos, and oven to roast and skin tomatoes. We were able to taste the dish once it was ready. Since we were a small group there was enough for everyone.
My only criticism is that the hands-on experience wasn't there. It was a watch-and-learn style of class.
Afterwards, Mandato gave us all of the ingredients to take home to cook PLUS a bonus two loaves of artisan bread baked that day. At $45, this class was a steal! Check it out if you want to avoid traffic, learn something new, and listen to a native New Yorker talk about good food.