Stir

Stir provides an intimate private dining experience for up to 9 people, set in their kitchen with bookshelves full of cookbooks and a single bathroom. The chef and wine sommelier are the only staff present throughout your meal, explaining each course and wine pairing to every detail. The location is set directly next to the Butcher Shop and across the street from B&G Oysters, completing the ultimate Barbara Lynch triad in the South End.
RESERVATIONS:
Look up their class schedule online and e-​mail
to reserve a class. The classes fill up so quickly that I ended up signing up for waitlist spots and got multiple openings last-​minute. I would suggest looking into classes a month in advance!
Before coming in, I thought it would be an interactive cooking class where we would help prepare the meal, but in reality the chef just cooks in front of you and shares techniques from a specific cookbook. They will lay out some of the prep work required, and share tips on how to cook the course. Our wine sommelier shared each wine’s origin, flavor profile, and ideal food pairings. In total, we had 5 courses with 5 different wines from Michael Psilakis’ «How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking.» At the end of the meal, we received this cookbook! We can now attempt to duplicate this amazing experience at home. This was the most unique dining experience to date, and my boyfriend and I agree that Stir tops Barbara Lynch’s restaurants.

Here’s the thing. This place is near impossible to get reservations for, so it’d be really hard for the meal experience to live up to the hype. The food was good, the atmosphere was relaxed — but was it worth BIG bucks and tripping over yourself to get in the door? Meh.
The chef was congenial and enthusiastic and well-​informed. It would be a misnomer to call the dinner a cooking class. It was more like an annotated chef’s table. We were told a bit about each tasting, but we weren’t told how to make the dishes or really that much about what went into making the dish beforehand.
Our fellow diners were homogeneously repeat customers who enjoy discretionary expenditures.
In summary, it’s a nice night out for a special occasion, but the ball wasn’t hit out of the park.
Suggestions:
1) reform the reservation strategy so that 2 – 4 seats are held in reserve a month ahead in order to create a more diverse dining experience with a broader range of Stir zealotry
2) make sure everything served is well-​seasoned
3) develop an educational threshold above which you ensure you are conveying informative culinary content
4) offer people seconds even if you think all diners are gluttons
5) refill wine glasses even if you have to open an extra bottle

If you enjoy cooking in any shape or form and love food and wine then stir is the place for you!
It is an intimate cooking setting with up to 10 people. It is a one on one cooking experience where an executive chef cooks for you and teaches you different recipes and tips and tricks based off the themed class you take.
We had brunch, theme a perfect day for a picnic. Chef sam did an amazing job!
We started with a light salad paired with a white wine, which was constantly refilled as needed. Some of the foods we had were pre-​cooked /​prepped, so for example the pickled radishes on the salad were done ahead of time, not all food provided was cooked in front of us, which is fine but with the price tag attached i expected every step to be shown.
Then we moved on to a meat and cheese plate which was divine! It had prosciutto, a zesty goat cheese spread, hake pâte, duck liver pâte, and a veggie compote paired with grilled crustini breads! It was the fav by everyone! Chef sam did amazing on this one! As we ate we again had new wines and fun conversation with our group.
The tea sandwiches were next… egg salad and cucumber sandwiches on Brioche… yum yum
Lastly it was time for the beyond exquisite dessert! A strawberry fig rhubarb tart. Covered with raw sugar and baked to perfection! It was sweet but not too sweet. A perfect way to end our indoor picnic experience. Also the sparkling sweet red dessert wine in which it was paired was amazing!
I honestly had high hopes for this place and boy did they deliver. Chef sam and chef merrick had great personalities. They were friendly, they didnt mind the questions we asked, sociable with our group and overall great chefs!
I def. Would go back again, maybe for a dinner meal though.
The price was a bit high, but take into consideration the experience alone, the wines, a 4– 5 course meal, a learning experience and being in the presence of an executive chef!
Worth every penny!
If you want to try good food with fun atmosphere and learn a thing or two about cooking, then give Stir a chance !!

Perhaps it was the dullness of the group (almost no cross-​chat), perhaps it was because neither the chef nor the sommelier, both super-​nice guys, knew much about the region from which the recipes came, and perhaps because it is phenomenally expensive, the experience was disappointing. The food was of necessity (both the region and the size of Stir demand simplicity) simply prepared, but the meat was dry and so was the dessert cake. The wine was adventurous and delicious. We were the only first-​timers, so people from the ‘burbs clearly have money to burn. Did I say that it is RIDICULOUSLY costly ($ 185 now, up from $ 125 at starting a couple of years ago). Love that I finally got to see how it works and am grateful for the gift; won’t be back.

Amazing «Pasta Night» cooking demonstration the day after Christmas. Wine pairings were equally as yummy!

Amazing experience!
Both the Chef and the Sommelier were great! They were approachable, knowledgeable, responsive, resourceful and engaging (all at once).
We will be back!

I’m torn between 3 and 4 stars, and since I had expected to be disappointed, I should probably roll up to 4 stars.
What doesn’t work: the entire administrative process of signing up and getting in touch with anyone to answer a question. It took almost a full year to be able to get into one of the sessions. That’s ridiculous. No matter when I called to ask a question I never got anything other than voice mail.
What does work: the small space is a bit cramped and the stools not all that comfortable but it makes for an intimate dinner party for 10. We had Andrew and Marrick (sp) and a lively group of fellow guests. All but one of them had been there at least once before.
It was indeed more of a cooking/​technique demonstration followed by generous pours of wine and absolutely yummy food. We learned about the region (I attended Armchair Tour of Gascony), wines, cheeses.
As the conversation continued throughout the night we shared tips on butchers, small sandwich shops, holiday plans and more. It was a great crowd. I can see how it would be a long night if most/​all guests weren’t lively and social.
All in all a good experience. Just go early so you can find an open parking meter. Much of the area is valet or resident parking.

It’s easy to muck up an educational dining experience: the polarity of too much chatter vs. radio silence, waxing the magic of sous vide when not a single soul in attendance has the hardware, serving shitty wine.
Stir does none of these, and in this glorious avoidance, succeeds magnificently.
First, there’s a dedicated chef to this game, and as much as I love guest appearances, most chefs de cuisine can be found (spoiler alert) in their own kitchens. Therefore, not only are you benefiting from a book-​based culinary class, you’re eating at a new restaurant. Two birds, one stone oven.
Telling you about our class will likely be futile, as the curriculum and inspiration changes weekly, but I’mma do it anyway. A History of Food in 100 Recipes did not, unfortunately, featured 100 courses — most of which would have been broths and breads, I guarantee it — but a culled menu sampling from landmark classics: Welsh Rarebit, from-​scratch Spaghetti Carbonara, Quail and Couscous, Beef Bourgignon and a succulent chocolate and cherry soufflé.
Every plate exquisitely prepared by Eric LeBlanc; every wine masterfully paired (and generously poured) by their skilled sommelier; every knowledge nugget pulled from the pages of William Sitwell’s compilation. It was a wonderfully humble, incredibly intimate experience that easily attracts a groupie core. Because, well, Stir rocks.
Got a food geek you want to romance? Stir. Piss off the better half and find flowers passé? Stir. Double date and it’s your turn to find something truly unique? Stir. Bond wants a martini? Well…

Absolutely LOVE the Stir experience. It’s different every time and it always surprises in a totally fulfilling way. If you enjoy cooking at home a Stir dinner is a must I simply can’t get enough of Stir! Highly recommend. Yearly membership fee a cost for each class is required but is very much worth every penny.

I thought long and hard about how to classify my night at Stir. It wasn’t quite a cooking class, but it was so far from being your typical restaurant night out (even a usual chef’s table or tasting menu). So I’ll abandon all hope of putting the proper label on it and just say that Stir was most likely my favorite dining experience in Boston.
It took me a year to book us into a class after initially receiving a gift card here as the classes accomodate only 10 people each and they are in high demand. As you can imagine, months of looking up classes and just missing the sign up meant we were pretty excited last week when we finally got the chance to attend our first class: «Cookbook Class: The History of Food in 100 recipes»
The «class» is really like a very lovely dinner party where 10 people sit in the charmingly cozy Stir space, seated around the square cook top and Stir Chef de Cuisine Eric LeBlanc leads you through 5 courses of deliciousness with his assistant presenting thoughtful wine pairings. Getting to interact with the other diners and pepper the chef with questions throughout the meal were the icing on the cake; the food itself was amazing enough to carry the whole evening. Watching the meal prep and enjoying each course together also lead to a great convivial feeling with the other diners and after 3 hours together everyone in the class was toasting and talking about just how soon we all wanted to return.
This is absolutely perfect for special occasions and when you’re looking for a new way to indulge on a night out in Boston. You better believe I’m getting my trigger finger ready so I can get ready for the next round of sign-​ups.

I LOVE Stir. I’ve been coming here for a few months now for different classes and I have to say I’ve been very impressed with every single class that I’ve taken. The place is cozy and only fits 10 people max and the wine pairing has been spot on. The dish that the chef made has always been excellent. The best part of all we get to interact with the other people in the class and share our dining experience. On top of that, we can ask the chef questions on how the dish was made. It has been quite the dining experience every time I come to Stir. There is always something new to learn from the class. The menus have been very impressive and we always come out of this place satisfied.

Went for the tasting menu. 8 courses with wine pairing. My first time and had a great time. Chef Eric cooked a great meal. General Manager Abby chose some amazing wines. More details here:
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This is a must for anyone who thinks of them self as a so called (ugh I hate this word.) foodie. I’ve been twice to the chef’s table and had Chef Kristen and Elle as hosts and they’re both wonderful and the food and wine were terrific. I’m sure I’ll be going back for thirds.

Stir is a foodie’s dream. Part of the Barbara Lynch gruppo, Stir allows customers to interact with and learn from chefs in an intimate environment.
I had heard about Stir and had it on my bookmarks for some time, but I really became interested in attending a course after getting to know Kristen Kish on Top Chef. At the time, Kristin was the chef at Stir and I was so excited about the opportunity to try her food. Apparently I wasn’t the only one, because the Stir website crashed from too many people trying to book classes after she won!
My boyfriend and I decided to sign up for «Season for Saison» last Sunday. Unfortunately (but fortunately for her!) Kristen is now the Chef de Cuisine at Menton, so she wasn’t cooking for us. It was still an incredible experience and I really hope to go back and try more classes.
We arrived for our 6 o’clock class a few minutes early and were sat around a counter with 7 other guests. The room was very small — there was hardly any room to walk around the table! In addition to the 9 guests was the chef (Jason) and the very knowledgeable Christine who put the class together and conceived of the menu.
In front of each chair was the night’s menu and some paper to take notes on. We started the night by getting to know each other and talking about our favorite summer beers. And then the food started!
The first course was a house cured Oregon Wild King Salmon with crème fraîche, Siena Farms beet, orange and radish, paired with Brasserie Dupont Saison. I loved the clean flavors in this dish and was especially a fan of the radish.
Our second course featured some beautiful beer battered hake (fried in a restaurant across the street), which was served with a potato & fennel salad, homemade tartar sauce and topped with lemon confit. This was definitely one of my favorites of the night. The fish was cooked perfectly and the tartar sauce was amazing. The fish was paired with Green Flash Saison Diego, which was both my favorite pairing and beer of the night.
The next course was the one I was most excited about: Miso Ramen with hand-​cut noodles, an onsen egg, pork jowl, mushrooms, and lots of other good stuff! I’m sad to say this is the first time I’ve had ramen and I loved it. The broth was so delicious, the mushrooms had that strong umami flavor, and the egg was perfectly cooked. The ramen was paired with High & Mighty Pas de Dieux, another great combination.
By this point I was very full — the portions were huge — but we still had two courses to go. The fourth course was a charmoula-​rubbed Misty Knolls chicken, served with turmeric cardamom jasmine rice and braised greens. For someone who doesn’t really like chicken, this was fantastic. We all got to choose between white and dark meat (I chose white), and the chicken was super moist and the skin was crispy and flavorful. The rice was perfectly cooked and I loved the braised greens. This course was served with Pretty Things Americaine Jack d’Or.
Our final course was appropriately a cheese course! The cheese was paired with Jolly Pumpkin Farmhouse Ale Bam Biere and was served with local honey, hazelnuts, pistachios, preserves and crackers. A great way to end the meal.
I left the class with a head full of facts and a very full and satisfied belly. The classes are pretty pricey, but remember that you are paying not only for fabulous food, but for an experience you can’t get from a restaurant. When else do you get to watch a chef cook and ask questions as they do so? The environment was very casual and I felt more than comfortable to make comments throughout. The level of knowledge around the table varied and I never felt embarrassed or intimidated about asking a question. I can’t wait to attend more demonstrations!

Considering the reviews and 5 star ratings, I doubt I will say anything that has not yet been said… so on that note: if you are considering — go here. I bought a GC over a year ago for my boyfriend and every time I went online the classes were full. Always. A good sign, yes — however it was a little overwhelming. So don’t fret and just give them a call! They were able to fit us into a wonderful Thai street food class as a group of 4 had cancelled a few days before. And what a treat — the chef, Jason, was amazing and had me cleaning each and every plate while Abby kept my wine glass looking as endless as Mary Poppins’ pocket book. And who knew what magic sweet wines and spicy food could make? Abby did — and to her credit I now have a bottle or 2 in the fridge!

let me start by saying, this place is not cheap, at $ 250 a pop for a private dinner. but it’s a great experience for the price you pay.
the place is very cozy, well-​designed, and equipped with high-​end appliances. yes it’s small enough to fit 8 comfortably (i would imagine 10 would be a bit cramped), but everything is nicely fitted into the small space it has. *i* wouldn’t mind a kitchen like that. serious.
don’t have to explain how this works as other reviewers have that covered. except that we booked the whole place for the night (between the 8 of us) for a bachelorette party.
heard from the coordinator from our party that Abby (the admin side, i presume) was very thorough with the planning emails, from selecting the menu to making sure everyone’s dietary restrictions/​allergies were covered; she even picked the music our bride-​to-​be likes!
chef Jason, on the other hand, was very cheery and relaxed in his zone by the open kitchen. most of the stuff was indeed prepped, making the actual cooking seem effortless. but then, Jason did give us a good demo, along with some very useful cooking tips. Abby served, poured wine, cleaned, helped out, and joined in conversations we had. both were very friendly, entertaining, knowledgeable, and extremely accommodating.
an example would be Jason showing us how easy it is to make semolina pasta dumplings; i asked about other flours (with gluten-​free in mind but i didn’t specify). he then went ahead and actually SHOWED us (not just talked us through) how to make another batch w/​regular flours and eggs, even if that meant Abby had to run out to get more eggs.
another example: seeing his perfectly oiled cast iron pans, we commented about how ours at home are untouched, rusted, and on way to the dumpster. Jason exclaimed and told us to keep them; he then went and showed us how to «clean» his pan with oil and salt so it would stay seasoned and useable. he even offered us to bring in our pans for them to use for a night, and they would clean/​season for us for free! where do you get this kind of warm and personal service anywhere else?
food… yes there are some ups and downs, but i won’t expect one chef to be well-​rounded in every category. the food was fresh, well-​made, and very high quality in general, though not the absolute best i’ve had – especially when once spoiled by all the delicacies found in nyc.
at the end of the day, still a superb experience to enjoy on special occasions. definitely a great treat to have someone cook for you for the day, even show you a thing or two about a thing or two. would definitely go back shall the occasion arises, and the budget would allow.
p. s. their wall full of cookbooks contain some house copies and many for sale. walk in to take a look some time even if you’re not going for a class!

After Kristen Kish won Top Chef, Stir’s popularity suddenly exploded. In fact, their website crashed when tens of thousands of people tried to access it when the upcoming class schedule was released. I, too, am a Kristen fan — hey, she is an Asian gal who cooks French food, how cool is that?! More than that though, I am obsessed with reading through cookbooks. Stir is also a cookbook store, and their chefs constantly test out recipes from different cookbooks. This is why I wanted to check out Stir.
Although Stir is advertised as a cooking class, it is more like a demonstration dinner. Most of the prep work is done way ahead of time, and the last steps in cooking and plating are done in front of the guests. Stir only seats 10 people per evening, and if the other guests attending are cool and sociable, the evening turns out to be very much like a fun dinner party. At $ 165-​$ 250 per person, the food is not up to par as Michelin-​rated restaurants with that kind of price tag, but regardless, it is the Stir experience one pays for.
To all you Kristen Kish fans out there, don’t fret, she is now the Chef de Cuisine at Menton, so will be phasing out at Stir. I anticipate it will be much easier to book a class here after this initial wave of Kristen Kish craze blows over and the nation stares at the TV screen for another chef.
And you wonder why the obesity epidemic continues to grow. :)

My friend Jane goes to Stir a lot. I call her «Stir groupie». I agreed to go with her and find out for myself. We went to Joe Beef cookbook class. It was an interesting experience. You and 9 other strangers sit at a kitchen island while a professional chef cooks in front of you and a server keeps filling up your wine glass.
We had a five course meal paired with wine and the food was amazing. My only issue was that I felt discriminated against, because the server’s friend and all other people who are frequent at Stir got bigger and nicer portions than me, a first-​timer. The bone marrow I got barely had any marrow while the server’s friend got a huge marrow. I know this is silly and I’m just joking.
Our chef was James and the server was Abby.
If you can get in to one of Stir’s demonstration classes, do it. It’s a great experience, a bit pricey though. $ 165 per person, cookbook included, no tipping.

Finally, after a year and a half, we were able to book a class at Stir using a gift certificate we got in 2011. The best classes go really quickly, and we were constrained to weekend classes only. We signed up for the Armchair Travel to Belgium class, and were very excited by the suggestions about the menu.
It was tough to find the entrance in a dark South End street between the Butcher Shop and B&G Oysters, but we eventually spotted the easel with the name on it. We entered a tiny but warm room with bookcases on one side and open kitchen on the other. We were greeted by Christine, our cicerone and host for the evening. She was extremely enthusiastic and provided incredible service.
After all ten guests were seated, Jason prepared a delicious menu including mussels, frites, beef stew, cheese and of course, a belgian waffle. He was great at showing us what he was creating and answering questions about parts of the meal. They were incredibly accommodating of several allergies and dietary restrictions during the meal.
The small group is amazing for getting to know your neighbors and making the event feel personal! We left excited to look up more classes and are hoping to go back soon!

Such an amazing experience, one of the best you can have in Boston. I signed up for one of their sushi demonstrations. At first I thought this would be more of a class but it is definitely a demonstration and an unbelievable dining experience. It was like having Julia Child in front of us serving and teaching at the same time. I tried a bunch of different fish and learned a couple new techniques I could use at home. At $ 140 it seemed expensive at first but considering you pretty much have as much wine as you could reasonable want it was actually a good value.
The set up is basically you and around 8 or so other diners while 2 chefs cook and demonstrate while the sommelier serves and tells you about the wine. Other reviewers were spot on about the people you are dining with. Everyone was very friendly and interesting. A highly recommended dining experience in Boston.
In order to make sure you get a reservation here check their website and be aware of when their next group of demonstrations opens up for reservations, they fill very quickly.