Our Best of Bay classes bring notable, local food talents into our teaching kitchens to share their expertise in a hands-on cooking class.
What You'll Learn
By the end of the class, you will:
- Know how to properly cook proteins on the bone
- Be able to get the most flavors out of simply cooked vegetables
- Be able to balance seasonal bitter greens with a perfect handmade vinaigrette
About This Class
The always bustling kitchen at the Mission’s Locanda practices whole animal butchery, in-house salumi production, live-fire cooking, and uses the best of the season to cook inspired Roman food influenced by the bounty of Northern California. At its helm is chef Melissa Reitz, who will be in our kitchen to show you how to translate some Locanda magic into your own home kitchen.
We love it when chefs of Melissa’s caliber teach in our kitchens. She will explain tricks of the trade and how to pull them off whether you’re cooking in a restaurant or a tiny SF apartment. Roasting whole fish? No problem! Braising a lamb shoulder? You’ll nail that one, too. Join us for this Roman-style feast and bring a little more of Italy into your life.
Menu
Roasted Whole Fish with Nepitella, Mint, and Lemon, Slow-cooked Lamb Shoulder with Gaeta Olives and Thyme, Grilled Fennel and Little Potatoes, and Chicory Salad with Anchovy, Lemon, and Parmesan
Details
- Wine included
- Full meal served in class
- Work in teams
- Ages 18+
FAQ
The average duration of our cooking classes is 4 hours, and they are broken down into three segments: Introductory lecture or demo, hands-on cooking, and eating.
The class will begin with a short discussion or demo from your instructor. After, you can expect to work either on a team or individually to prepare the class menu. As a group, your class will prepare the selected menu in its entirety. In most classes, not every student will make every dish.
Learning happens throughout the class, and your instructor will often call out key techniques as they happen in each recipe.
Most classes conclude by sitting down as a group to eat what you’ve prepared, followed by a discussion of each recipe. You will leave with a copy of the recipe packet and a working knowledge of every dish that was made so you can recreate them at home.
Doors open 15 minutes before the class start time.
You do not need to bring anything with you to class, unless otherwise noted in the class description. The kitchens at SFCS are fully equipped and aprons, recipes, equipment, food and wine are all provided for you.
In most classes, you will be sitting down to eat a complete meal that you have prepared along with your classmates. Since this typically occurs towards the end of the class period, an appetizer or small plate is usually prepared early on in class. However, you’re welcome to additionally have a snack before you arrive or bring one with you.
Please note, for our Baking & Pastry classes, a light meal will be provided for you.
We suggest wearing casual clothing you can easily move around in, and highly recommend wearing comfortable closed-toe shoes. Long hair should be pulled back.
Cancellation Policy
Melissa Reitz
Melissa Reitz has been cooking California and Italian cuisine in the Bay Area for 13 years. Before her current job as chef de cuisine at Osteria Locanda, she was the executive chef at Bar Agricole and cooked at Quince Restaurant, Zuni Cafe, Camino, and Pizzaiolo.