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If it isn't the taxes or the Trixies, the insanity that is finding a parking spot in Lincoln Park eventually drives everyone away from this formerly cozy little enclave.
Chicagoist hears that such was the case for The Chopping Block, the lovely neighborhood cooking school responsible for teaching hundreds of Chicagoans the proper way to use a chef's knife and how to pick a good wine on the cheap. Yesterday it officially opened its doors for classes at its new home at The Merchandise Mart Plaza.
Our friends at The Trib report that the new location features
"... Two hands-on kitchens and a sweeping demonstration kitchen await, ready for action. The space can accommodate 200 people for private events and 100 for sit-down dinners."
We know that there are dozens of places in the city from where to learn these cooking basics, but we've always been suckers for the eight-year-old, quaint Chopping Block. Chicagoist doesn't want to hear any guff about it, people. We love any operation that makes cooking and food accessible to people, as opposed to tarting and snobbing the shit out of it, defeating the purpose of food and eating in the first place.
If you're not really sure you want to plunk down the cash for a series of classes, jump on the demonstration classes: from now until the end of the year they only cost $35.
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it will be interesting to see how the Mart location fares. It was originally the home of the Jill Prescot Culinary School, which went under. The Mart isn't very retail friendly, and parking in the area can be costly.
Does anyone know where Jill Prescott went? How in the world did Shelley Long get this location? She is not even trained as a professional chef? I have tried to get a list of courses from this cooking school as I used to take courses from the late owner Jill Prescott. The courses that Jill offered are night and day compared to what is being offered here. I believe that the space was designed and put together with Jill's know how. This school is 8 years old, I believe Jills was over 20 if I am right? She had an immense pull on bringing great culinary people in to lecture about food!
Does anyone know where Jill Prescott went? How in the world did Shelley Long get this location? She is not even trained as a professional chef? I have tried to get a list of courses from this cooking school as I used to take courses from the late owner Jill Prescott. The courses that Jill offered are night and day compared to what is being offered here. I believe that the space was designed and put together with Jill's know how. This school is 8 years old, I believe Jills was over 20 if I am right? She had an immense pull on bringing great culinary people in to lecture about food!
Here we are again in Chicago with no real cooking school for people that want to be trained by an ultimate professional. Jill is not a chef looking for fame and fortune. She is the real deal! Who wants to be trained to cook by someone that can't cook themselves? Where is she and where can I go to take her classes?
I work at the mart. The story is that Wood-Mode cabinets has a significant amount of money and cabinets in the neighborhood Chopping Blocks. They also provided cabinets for the Prescott school, sadly for Jill Prescott. When the Prescott school needed additional working cash, the Wood-Mode company, was forcing Jill Prescott to merge with their school, the Chopping Block, which was not doing well. Prescott would not compromise her authentic cooking school to merge with The Chopping Block, so she closed her school. The school was designed by Prescott and people invested in Prescott. Due to slippery deals we have lost the best thing that had happened for us home cooks in Chicago. When cooking is taught by people that had little training or no experiences or worse yet training in bad schools and experiences with third rate restaurants, food stays at the local level of hot dogs. The Chicago Tribune should have checked further. Rather than making it sound like Shelly Young created the location at the mart they should report on how it was manipulated away from a woman who had an amazing career and business. Seems to me that Shelley Young is a legend in her own mind. Wood-Mode is helping her with marketing. I guess you can say anything if you want to market a product, whether it is true or not.
I received a gift certificate in the amount of $75 for the Jill Prescott Culinary School on 2/1/05. I have not been able to get ahold of anyone there for many months (makes sense since I see they are closed). Does anyone have any idea how I get reimbursed for this $75 or find something else in Chicago to use it towards? Thanks!
Prescott is reopening in NAPA!
I took a class at the Merchandise Mart location just out of curiosity, and I have to say I'm disappointed. The instructor didn't know how to answer some of the students' questions, so she turned to the assistant for help. How embarrassing... Plus, there wasn't enough food for everybody (the class was overcrowded - 20 people!). This school is a joke - too much hype for very little substance.