Cooking Fools

We recently hosted a 12 person event for our small business at the Cooking Fools and it was phenomenal. They created a completely vegan custom menu and offered us wonderful instruction, high quality ingredients and all of the tools necessary to create the meal. The setting was wonderful, the fee competitive and the final result was delicious. We will definitely be coming back.

I paid for a lesson but unfortunately was unable to enjoy it as the pandemic hit and they were closed the day I was expecting to have my lesson. I've been unable to reach anyone for a refund or a reschedule of my class. Is this place out of business?

Cooking Fools hosted a cooking competition for a work event. And, let me tell you, it was awesome! When we arrived, everything was set-up and ready to go! We were tasked with cooking an entree (given one protein and one mystery ingredient). The prep and kitchen areas were very clean and the tools were plentiful. Felt like were in a real cooking competition on TV!

The chefs were so fun to interact with--lots of great ideas on technique! The food from each team turned out great. Cannot wait to go back for another event at Cooking Fools!

Took family here for a fun day out learning how to cook fresh pasta. Clean facility, friendly staff, and we had a great time and food was better than I expected. Fun experience, bigger your group the better.

I contacted Cooking Fools in a panic when another cooking company whom I had booked told me they may not be able to accommodate my group after all. I was so stressed as my event was just 2 weeks away. I spoke with Nick on the phone and he was so polite and really helpful. When I needed more information his follow up was so timely and exactly what I needed. He really was amazing the customer service and fast response times made event planning so much more pleasant. Very professional and accommodating.

We had a fantastic (and delicious!) time at cooking fools. We had a work event for a group of about 30, and did a "International Small Plates" cooking team building/mingling party. Team Guacamole started us off with the biggest bowl of guac we'd ever seen -- it disappeared almost immediately along with warm, fresh chips. We then divided up into smaller teams, filling about 7 work stations in all.

We prepared everything from lamb meatballs to crab cakes to bacon wrapped dates, with plenty of veggie options and a gluten free dessert. We also enjoyed beer, wine, and soft drinks while cooking (with no catastrophes!) and after cooking. Everyone was impressed by the Cooking Fools space and staff; the event was extremely well-organized, starting with planning. Nick (the owner) asked what kind of atmosphere we wanted: less "cooking competition" and more casual interaction.

I provided a list of our attendees with any special dietary needs/preferences, and Cooking Fools did the rest. We even got "to-go" containers, and recipes for everything we cooked. Everyone really had a great time; I would definitely recommend, and would do it again!

Had a work outing here and it was a blast. Our event was in the form of a cooking competition. We split up into teams and each team was given an ingredient to work with. It started off with some planning time within each team to determine what to cook. Once the staff gives you the green light, all hell breaks loose. Ok maybe that's an exaggeration, but it does get really hectic (especially at the end) as everyone rushes to finish their dishes.

If you're a noob chef, don't worry because the Cooking Fools chefs are on hand to answer questions and help out with more complex processes. Keep in mind that you have almost every ingredient and cooking method at your disposal so don't limit your imagination. After the final buzzer, we presented our dishes to the judges, we ourselves ate our dishes (everyone cooked a lot), and then the judges declared the results. Protip: take time to plate your dishes (a.k.a. make them look pretty).

I came here for a work event where we participated in a mixology class. The class was amazing, because not only did we learn to make 4 specialized cocktails, but there were also multiple food stations teaching us how to make appetizers. The staff was knowledgeable and kind, and let us drink as much as we wanted of any of the specialty cocktails throughout the event.

There was also beer and wine if we preferred. All in all, everything we made tasted great! We made a mix of crab cakes, sliders, endive salads, bacon wrapped dates, quesadillas, and more! I would definitely suggest this class or a similar one to anyone who's looking to get hands on in the kitchen, and have some fun on the side.

Attended the pasta class via Groupon. There is a wine shop across the street and if you tell the dude what you're making he comes up with some reasonable recommendations. I really enjoyed the red he suggested go with our pasta. My date and I had a lovely time making tortellini and bow tie pasta. It was a casual atmosphere and everyone seemed to be having a good time. The instructors seemed very knowledgable and also covered some basics around sauces. I would do another class there.

This place is awesome! A MUST do while in Chicago! Owner Nick is awesome, fun, friendly and plays the best music while we cooked. Deanna rocks too and is so sweet!

We did cooking fools for a work outing and everyone was SO IMPRESSED! Nick and his team did such a great job. We had the space for at least 3 hours and it worked out so nicely. They had unlimited beer and wine and we did the mixology package and so we had all we could ask for in regards to alcohol. As for food, everyone really enjoyed all the options. They're different enough where they're fun for everyone but also simple enough as well.

They do a really nice job overall because they let you work how you want to. everyone's working on food the whole time, but there's no pressure. We even got to bring some leftovers home. so it all worked out well! I would definitely go back for a group outing.

We did the Tamale making class last night. The instructors were great, very friendly. super open to questions. Learned how easy they are to make with the right ingredients and coaching. It was a lot of fun (we had done the pasta making class in the past) Great for a small group of friends or a date! The reason I am not giving it 5 stars is simply that lack of ventilation.

One of the items made was a Mexican red sauce made with dried chiles that are thrown into a pan at a very high temperature. The result was overwhelmingly acrid smoke that had the entire class coughing, with a few heading for the exits for fresh air. It was very uncomfortable for everyone. If someone had asthma, I believe it could have been dangerous. My suggestion is either add ventilation or they should change what they are making.

Great class! Easy to follow directions, fun instructors, and of course delicious pasta. Grab the Groupon for a discount, but know that you get basically three servings of pasta a piece, between a meal and seconds, plus leftovers!

We just had my best fiends bachelorette party here and it was so much fun! I'm not sure if it was because they are doing Reno on the bottom floor, but we were upstairs and it was awesome. It was like having a party in your apartment without having to clean up the mess later. Sam was our chef and she was fun as well. Very thorough in explanations, I learned a ton!

We chose the Italian menu where we made small flat breads for an appetizer and then we made handmade pasta with 2 sauces all from scratch. Topped it off with a Morton Lava cake (made beforehand by Cooking Fools) and dinner was amazing. Everything was delicious and we had so much fun. It came out to $150 a lady but we split the cost of the bride and we had the open bar package so it was definitely more expensive because of those added things but well worth it!

Can't thank Cooking Fools, and Nick (the owner enough). We had a company party here, and it was a blast. You can't see it in the photos but they own the entire building and it is a large facility, complete with a big private upstairs suite. We had that entire upstairs area for the night of our event - complete with a bar, long beautiful dining table, living room area, fireplace, speaker system, and private kitchen and cooking area.

In addition, they were extremely flexible with our start time, and let us go over two hours longer than we had planned, because everyone was having such a good time. The team learned a lot, the food was amazing (we did the flatbread and pasta package), the drinks were overflowing, and I got nothing from compliments from everyone, saying how much fun it was - and how special it felt, and was. Can't recommend this place enough for a corporate event, or any type of group gathering. Really great feel, and Nick is dead-set on making sure you are taken care of.

Went there for a pasta-making class. My wife and I enjoyed the experience and food (made by our class). The class size was fairly big (more than 20), but the class also had two "assistants"; so, we were able to get help when needed. While it's not BYOB (like most other cooking classes), the "store" part of the facility offers a decent selection.

I came here once with my friend for the Pasta Making Techniques class and we had a blasttttt! It was such a random thing for us to do on a random Wednesday night but the randomness made it even more fun! The instructor was easy to follow, everything was well organized and the finished product tasted amazing! We made two kinds of pasta with two kinds of sauces.

After taking this class I felt 100% confident in my pasta making skills. I recommend this class for all you homemade cooking foodies out there and even those of you who would like to learn a thing or two about homemade cooking. Pasta making is definitely a random skill to have but it just makes you a little bit more awesome!

Such a fun way to learn how to cook an entire pasta dinner. The class itself is about 90 minutes long and you make the pasta and sauce in that time. Each couple has a table and tools for their own use throughout the afternoon. The instructor shows you what you will be doing and then allows you to go back to your table to attempt to do what he did.

First you make the dough, then the sauce, and lastly you make the pasta (ravioli and pappardelle noodles). Along with the pasta we made an almond pesto sauce for the ricotta and red bell papper ravioli and a vodka sauce for the pappardelle noodles. When you're done making the pasta the instructor and his assistant cook the pasta for you. You get to hang out and drink wine; total win!

When dinner is ready the instructor brings it out; a salad and the two huge platters of ravioli and pappardelle pastas. What's best? You eat a delicious meal you made and you have no dishes to clean.

We took the pasta making class with their Groupon offer. We really had a great time! We purchased a bottle of wine at the shop to take with us, and were all set to learn to make pasta. The class was about 30 students - not too big, and just enough personal attention from the instructors. We made two types of pasta with two different sauces. The instructors would demonstrate how to make the pasta, and then walk around the room as we all made it ourselves.

At the end, we sat down to eat everything, and everything was fresh and amazing. We can't wait to try some of our new skills and recipes at home, and are looking forward to taking another class!

Boy surprised me with a pasta making class on Sunday. He bought the tickets on Groupon, which I highly recommend! The instructors were very nice, polite and patient. The atmosphere was relaxed with music in the background while we rolled out the dough. You can buy drinks from the store and sip on them while you work. There were plenty of leftovers to take home after lunch!

It was a great experience and now I know how to make ravioli! I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to try something new. But just remember to get the groupon! It's quite expensive without it.

I did the pasta making class that I purchased through Groupon and it was a great experience! The chefs were awesome, explained everything in detail, did their demos (pasta making and sauce creation), and then we were able to make the pasta from scratch. At the end of the class we got to taste all of our food that we made, and were even able to take home leftovers. I highly recommend this for a fun night out with girlfriends or as a date night!

I ordered several take out catered platters for my husband's birthday party. I took a risk in ordering food based on the staff's description and without a picture, and it backfired. When I picked up the food, no one bothered to open up the sealed packages and present them to me, and I was naive enough to accept their word that the sealed packages were complete, and that I need not get them cold by opening them up.

I ordered a tray of several dozen chicken roulade. They were TINY and very bland tasting. We ordered the meatballs on sticks. They were literally the size of lollipops and the sauce was missing. When I complained the sauce was missing, they accused me of LYING! They made no apologies and said it was MY mistake! I also ordered a tray of smoked salmon and brioche canapes.

They too were so tiny that we could barely taste the salmon and there was no noticeable caviar. The morsels were not all that tasty. The food at my party was an embarrassment and no one person said it was good and my friends agreed that I received very little for my money. I would have been better off ordering fruit and vegetable platters from the local Jewels!

My husband was also very upset, and when we each spoke to the manager about it, he completely dismissed everything we said, claiming we lied about the two missing sauces, and that our expectations of the sizes of hors d'oevres is inaccurate. He offered no solution to rectify the situation. I guess he thinks that paying $3 for each mediocre bite smaller in size than a golf ball is good business.