Customer Reviews
What You'll Get
Give a man crème brulee and he'll eat for a day, but teach a man how to make crème brulee and he'll gain the power of levitation. Spread your wings in the kitchen with today's Groupon. For $110, you get a cooking class for two from Cook Au Vin (a $220 value). Cook Au Vin is located on Elston, just south of Fullerton. Classes are available throughout the week.
Cook Au Vin plugs fiber-optic cables into the brain-ports of couples and uploads knowledge of fine French food preparation. In Cook Au Vin's one-star menu couples' cooking class, crime-fighting duos will remove capes and don aprons for hands-on food preparation under the guidance of Chef Vincent. Groupon users can opt for one of three three-course menus: Menu Paris, with French onion soup, coq au vin (chicken braised in red wine), gratin Dauphinois, and tarte tatin (an upside-down caramelized apple pie); Menu Bourdeaux, with cheesy pastry puffs, grilled salmon with fresh-made pasta, and chocolate soufflé; and Menu French Riviera, with vichyssoise soup, polenta Napoleon with grilled vegetables in a tomato-and-basil sauce, and crème brulee. After churning out the food, you and yours will chow down, enjoying the fruits, meats, and soufflés of your labor in Cook Au Vin's dining area.
Guests are encouraged to bring one or two bottles of wine to enjoy throughout the evening, with French snacks provided for pre-cooking nourishment. Each class accommodates four to five couples, so you don't have to worry about a restaurant full of people looking on and laughing as you confuse pepper with paper towels for the umpteenth time. For a romantic experience, or for a roommate bonding exercise, reserve your spot in the kitchen with today's Groupon.
Reviews
Time Out Chicago and Centerstage Chicago both recommend Cook Au Vin:
- Francophiles rejoice: a slice of Paris lies right off Elston Avenue...It might have been the mouthwatering bites, or possibly the French music floating in the air while I ate at the wooden, candle-clad table, but the food evoked vivid memories of Parisian cafes. It's high on kitsch, but that's what makes it charming. – Katie Chelminski, Centerstage Chicago
Six Citysearchers give Cook Au Vin five stars, and Yelpers dish out 4.5:
- It impressed my friends who are natives of France and my friends who are not. Do not underestimate the power of this little store front. – irarelydothis, Citysearch
- All in all, this was a great meal and I am confident I can repeat each course at home-a very important quality to look for in cooking classes. Cook Au Vin is intimate...you're the only ones in the kitchen...was so romantic... – Ria C., Yelp
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Apr 11, 2011. Amount paid never expires. Limit 1 per person, may buy multiple as gifts. Reservation required. One-week cancellation policy or Groupon is forfeited. Not valid with other offers. Gratuity not included. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Cook Au Vin
With baskets full of hand-plucked, wild blueberries, Vincent Colombet and his cousins happily crammed into their Alsatian grandmother's tiny kitchen. In that quaint room, equipped with only a wood-burning cast-iron stove, Vincent learned over the years how to tuck berries into pies, prepare meats sourced from neighboring farms, and eventually produce elaborate meals for his entire family.
Driven by his passion for French family-style cuisine, he traveled to Paris before a longing for experiences abroad tugged him across the pond and into the arms of the Windy City in 2004. The following year he opened Cook Au Vin, where he leads three-hour BYOB cooking classes centered around classic techniques and organic ingredients. Patrons may also enlist the Cook Au Vin team to cater special events, or swing by Colombet's Lincoln Square bakery, La Boulangerie, for butter-infused inhalations, freshly made crepes, and crusty baguettes.