A spanking new and elegantly fitted out space offering cooking classes by local chefs has opened at 340 W. Chestnut St., between the Henry Clay and Hilton Garden Inn. Cooking@Millie’s has 16 2-person cooking and prep stations, each fully equipped with cooktops and ovens, all the prep equipment each station needs, and large screen TVs at the front so students can watch the chef and follow along.
Rob Henley and Natalie Reece have started the new business, with is named after Reece’s grandmother, who, according to the business’s website, made frozen custard for the family the day after Christmas.
“That famous custard took days of preparation and was one of the highlights of the Christmas season,” the business’s website states. “And every year, everyone would stand in line and wait for it.…Her passion for cooking is something we love to pass on.”
The website lists cooking classes for June, which starts tomorrow, Thursday, June 1 6:30-8:30 p.m. with a 3-course meal taught by Casper Van Drongelen, the recently named Executive Chef at 8UP. His menu will include spring salad with ginger garlic dressing, pan-roasted pork chop with pea puree, fennel and apple slaw and Bourbon cake with smoke caramel sauce. Like all classes, the cost will be $105 for two people. Single cooks can discuss prices with the owners.
Other chefs scheduled include several taught by Allison Mann, a personal chef (favorite comfort foods, summer burgers, pasta and salad combo dinner); Bob Durbin of Over the 9 on Thursday, June 8 (arugula salad with charred lime vinaigrette, spice-rubbed chicken breast, horchata Flan); Sean Ward of Ward 426 Saturday, June 17 (shrimp and grits, herb-crusted pork chop with roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts, vanilla crème brulée); and Dallas McGarity of The Fat Lamb Thursday, June 29 (lamb meatballs with tzatziki sauce, ricotta gnocchi, Nutella-mascarpone mousse.
The full schedule with menus can be examined at the Cooking@Millie’s website.
