Our Date Night classes are one part cooking class, one part happy hour, and the perfect alternative to restaurant reservations. Designed with couples in mind, we'll have you laughing, cooking, and creating together. These classes are less cooking-intensive than our other offerings, giving you plenty of time to mix and mingle while preparing dinner.
What You'll Learn
By the end of the class you will:
- Master seasoning, cooking, finishing and serving the perfect steak
- Know how to execute our secret cheat to mess-free, easy and delicious ‘frites’ to serve with your steak
About This Class
Tired of battling for reservations on date night? We’ve got you covered. Ditch the restaurant and bring your date into the kitchen for a French Bistro-inspired evening. You and your date will work side by side, along with other couples, to cook up an incredible plate of Steak Frites. You may not make it to Paris this year, but this will be the next best thing.
We will greet you with an aperitif and nibble, and while your steak is cooking and your frites are frying, we’ll toss a salad with homemade vinaigrette and make a little something sweet as well. The night is capped off with dinner around the table, enjoying what you’ve made.
Menu
Steak Frites, Bistro Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette, and Seasonal Berry Shortcakes
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
Margie Kriebel
After earning a professional culinary certificate from San Francisco Cooking School, Margie founded Local Flavor, a personal chef company providing small event catering services, in-home cooking classes, and recipe testing & development. When she is not in the kitchen cooking, she can be found with local farmers, ranchers, and fisherman learning about their craft and products or cultivating her backyard vegetable and fruit garden. In addition to teaching cooking classes, Margie also helps in the vegetable garden at the local homeless shelter.
Mark Lusardi
Mark Lusardi has been part of some of the best restaurants in New York and San Francisco over the past two decades, including Aqua, Rubicon, Vertigo and Mustards Grill. Mark was most recently the Director for Market Hall Caterers in Oakland and has previously been Executive Chef of eleven restaurants. His culinary passions are for rustic Italian and French, Southeast Asian, Japanese, and of course, California cooking, emphasizing pure, vibrant flavors, sustainable seafood and local organic produce.
Mark Lusardi
Mark Lusardi has been part of some of the best restaurants in New York and San Francisco over the past two decades, including Aqua, Rubicon, Vertigo and Mustards Grill. Mark was most recently the Director for Market Hall Caterers in Oakland and has previously been Executive Chef of eleven restaurants. His culinary passions are for rustic Italian and French, Southeast Asian, Japanese, and of course, California cooking, emphasizing pure, vibrant flavors, sustainable seafood and local organic produce.
Eric Lundy
A native Californian with a Midwest upbringing, Eric spent several years as creative director for a premier event/catering company in Detroit and a manager for a Michelin-starred restaurant and specialty food shop in Manhattan. A graduate of San Francisco Cooking School and Francophile who knows how recipes work, Eric is a freelance recipe tester, developer, and food stylist. He’s also a consultant for local food businesses, personal/event chef, and culinary instructor who makes a great drink and throws remarkable dinner parties. When his apron’s off, you can find him cooking, hiking, biking, eating out, entertaining, and exploring great food and wine regions around the globe.
Margie Kriebel
After earning a professional culinary certificate from San Francisco Cooking School, Margie founded Local Flavor, a personal chef company providing small event catering services, in-home cooking classes, and recipe testing & development. When she is not in the kitchen cooking, she can be found with local farmers, ranchers, and fisherman learning about their craft and products or cultivating her backyard vegetable and fruit garden. In addition to teaching cooking classes, Margie also helps in the vegetable garden at the local homeless shelter.
Patty Ponciano
After spending almost 20 years leading travelers all over the world and exploring delicious and exotic cuisines, Patty decided to pursue her passion for cooking. She enrolled and graduated from the Professional Culinary Program at San Francisco Cooking School. Patty trained at the highly rated Italian restaurant, Perbacco, in San Francisco where she learned first-hand the intricacies and complexities of food preparation, presentation, and service. Today, Patty works as a private chef, teaches cooking classes, and still makes time to travel.