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Group Cooking & Dining Experiences at Macy's

September 23, 2016 | Dining
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Dine & Demo group program at Macy's State Street in Chicago

Foodies rejoice! Macy’s stores and their cooking school partners in several U.S. cities cater to groups with culinary interests through chef-led group cooking demonstrations and immersive, hands-on cooking classes covering food prep, presentation, entertainment ideas and skill development.

These fun, educational and delicious group experiences are ideal for small and large groups of food-minded folks seeking to learn tips and techniques from pros and sample delicious dishes and beverages. Macy’s group cooking and dining programs make it easy to have a deliciously good time while learning.  

Dine & Demo at Macy’s on State Street in Chicago

Macy’s on State Street in Chicago offers two Dine & Demo options for groups of 10-35 people, which take place in the Macy’s Culinary Studio on the 7th floor, a casual classroom environment: a 90-minute-long cooking demonstration experience in which guests observe as an Executive Chef from Macy’s catering partner, one eleven events, describes the prep and cooking process; and a 2.5-hour-long hands-on instructional program in which attendees, guided by the chef, prepare a menu of their choosing using provided work stations, aprons, recipes, ingredients and utensils.

Participants can opt to prepare one or more courses, selecting, for example, classic Macy’s dishes served at the store’s renowned Walnut Room restaurant—from Frango Mint Pie to Mrs. Herring’s Chicken Pot Pie—or a completely customized, multi-course menu in keeping with the group’s particular interests and perhaps the season as well. Possible menu options include: Mexican Fiesta, Classic Comfort Foods With a Twist; Oktoberfest: Italian Favorites.
 
In both the demonstration and instructional programs, the guests dine on the dishes that the chef or they prepared—family- or buffet-style, depending on the size of the group. The experiences also include two complimentary non-alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is available for an extra charge—on an a la carte basis through a cash bar. The two group experiences also provide participants with a recipe packet to take home.

Dine & Demo (Demonstration): starts at $75 PP
Dine & Demo (Instructional): starts at $105 PP
Dine and Demo (Instructional) Class with bar option: $125 PP

Advance reservations required. Contact [email protected].

One Eleven Events Classes at Macy’s State Street in Chicago

one eleven events at Macy's State Street

In addition to collaborating on the demonstration and instructional Dine & Demo group experiences at Macy’s State Street, one eleven events, Macy’s catering partner in Chicago, offers their own chef-led cooking demonstrations and hands-on instructional experiences (led by Executive Chef Stephanie Kuti and her team), which follow the same format as the Dine & Demo programs. They also offer a competitive culinary team building and group event called “Mystery Box Cooking Challenge. In this experience, the group is divided into teams, given an identical box of ingredients and pantry staples, and tasked with planning and preparing a menu that uses them. A panel of three judges then judges the results. Finally, guests are served a meal that the chef created using the same mystery box ingredients.

Contact a one eleven events Event Specialist to arrange a hands-on cooking class, cooking demo or Mystery Box Cooking Challenge for your group. Experiences can be conducted in the daytime or at night. Plan on having no more than 35 participants for any hands-on class.

Culinary Classes at De Gustibus Cooking School by Miele at Macy’s Herald Square

Tops chefs lead cooking classes at De Gustibus Cooking School by Miele in NYC 

Offering cooking demonstrations (2.5-hours-long) and instructional cooking classes (3-hrs.-long) taught by noted chefs—leading food and wine experts throughout the country. Over 1,300 of the world’s great chefs, including Daniel Boulud, Anthony Bourdain, Mario Batali and Bobby Flay, have graced the stage. 

De Gustibus Cooking School has long been admired by cooking enthusiasts, wine aficionados and lovers of everything culinary. And the institution was just named one of the top 25 cooking schools in the nation by The Daily Meal. 

Here, expect to learn the secrets behind dishes served at the nation’s most acclaimed restaurants. Classes are held in a state-of-the art kitchen equipped with Miele appliances and custom cabinetry by Poggenpohl. The attendees, for demonstration classes, are seated at long communal tables and watch the invited chef create the entire meal on large screens that capture every moment on stage.

 De Gustibus Cooking School by Miele in New York City

Demonstration classes can accommodate up to 60 guests who are encouraged to ask questions as they watch the host chef prepare a multi-course menu. Participation includes sampling the various dishes, sipping on paired wines and taking home the recipes prepared in class. Hands-on classes accommodate up to 25 participants who eat the dishes they create on the basis of provided recipes and menus, with the guidance of a chef instructor.They learn tips and techniques while cooking and enjoy wine pairings as they dine. The school also conducts classes on location at various restaurants and customizes chef demonstrations and hands-on cooking classes for personal and corporate gatherings.

De Gustibus is located at 151 West 34th Street on the eighth floor of Macy’s Herald Square. Classes are held Monday-Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., with hands-on, wine, and on-location classes offered on select Saturdays. For more information about class offerings, schedule and pricing, visit www.degustibusnyc.com.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling 212-239-1652 or visiting our website for a full listing at www.degustibusnyc.com.

Dinner Party – School of Cooking at Macy’s Mission Valley, San Diego

In this Macy’s group cooking program, participants gain culinary skills and techniques taught by local chefs, and receive tips for entertaining, cooking and serving from great brands like All Clad, Le Creuset and KitchenAid. The classes are ideal for groups of 150.

The courses take place in the School of Cooking located in the Macy’s Mission Valley Home Store. Pricing is based on the particular featured chef. All group participants receive a 10% Visitor Savings Pass.

Advance reservations are required. Email: [email protected] or call (213) 628-9311 ext. 2740.

La Cuisine Cooking Class at Macy’s South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, CA

Tasty dish prepared at La Cuisine at Macy's

At Macy’s South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California, La Cuisine Culinary Arts—a catering operation for sit-down meals, passed hors d’oeuvres affairs and bartending services located in the Macy’s South Coast Plaza Home Store—partners with Macy’s to offer a Chef 101 class for groups of 10-20 people. Executive Chef Laurant Brazier teaches guests basic cooking techniques for preparing everything from everyday Italian dishes to a perfect seafood dish. Class price depends on the particular class offered.

Advance reservations required. Email: [email protected] or call (213) 628-9311 ext. 2740.

La Cuisine at Macy's

La Cuisine Cooking Home Chef Program Classes

La Cuisine offers many other hands-on cooking classes geared to the home chef and covering various types of cuisines and cooking styles (for example, Italian, French, Fish and Seafood, Sauces, Pastry, Knife Skills, Food & Wine Pairing) with menus that appeal to discerning eaters and cooks of all levels. Classes are held in the evening.

For more information, check out the website. For reservations, visit http://lacuisineculinaryarts.com/pages/cooking-classes or call 714-641-2005.

 

About the Author

Meet Keri Hanson

Wine. Food. Travel. Repeat.