Time for an update since I have been to many more classes since my first experience there. Overall, I love the place. It's a fun way to spend 3 hours and I never leave disappointed. Here's the scoop:
- The menus are all delicious and varied. The classes are well thought out and the average home cook could absolutely replicate the recipes with success. All of the dishes are complex tasting, but surprisingly easy to prepare. Minimal equipment required and no difficult techniques or excessive prep times. Not many crazy ingredients either...almost everything can be found at a decent grocery store and she tells you where to get the stuff that can't.
- You eat as you go. The class is broken up into sections and you eat several courses throughout. Come hungry. It's plenty of food and it doesn't take long to get to the first course. The schedule is well planned...it's all set up so that you can get everything done in the time allotted without feeling rushed. Some of the weekend classes (baking and such) are structured a bit differently, but the dinner classes have roughly the same formula.
- BYOB and you drink only while in the dining room (not while in the kitchen at all).
- It is a hands-on class and I have learned a ton. Dorothy explained everything really well and organized the class in a way that allowed everyone to participate in every step of every dish. And she gave us lots of tips about what we could make ahead and how to store leftovers.
- The classes are usually around 6-8 people, which is a really good size. She will go up to 10 occasionally, which I think is a tad tight, but it still works.
- The space is the second floor of a converted residence. You can use the gravel parking lot on the corner and go right up. Pay attention to the GPS though - the signage isn't super-obvious.
While not every dish is 100% authentic (she's had to make some minor concessions over the years to make the classes approachable), I always have a good meal and meet a ton of great people there. Well worth it and I continue to go back again and again.