The Social Table

After researching a few «cooking class» options, I knew the Social Table would be the perfect fit for my birthday dinner. The venue is absolutely adorable — lots of attention to detail making it feel like a home, with the bonus of not having to do the dishes! Every aspect of the evening was so well planned from start to finish, and while never feeling like we were on a clock, the timing worked perfectly for socializing, cooking, then eating and relaxing and winding down the evening. We had varying levels of cooking skills with our group, and each person could contribute as much or as little as they wanted. We designed our own southern-​inspired menu with the help of Chef Rebecca and the food was absolutely delicious! Seriously, everything was phenomenal.
Every single person in our group followed up with me afterwards saying how much fun they had, how much they enjoyed the evening, and they wondered why they waited so long to try it! I can’t wait to go back and check out some more of the cooking classes; we did opt for a private party because of the size of our group but I can only imagine how much fun the other group classes are!
(Group info — private party, 18 participants, all women between 30 and 40)

Becca helped me plan and pull off a surprise birthday party for my husband this weekend, and it was a fantastic time! She and Chef Ian came up with a fantastic Italian inspired menu. We had 12 guests, and Chef Ian was amazing at making sure everyone was engaged in some part of the cooking process: chopping fresh tomatoes for soup, making pasta, braising rabbit, grilling radicchio, searing steak and baking a fabulous fruit studded cake. The ambiance of the dining room and kitchen is warm and friendly, reflecting the staff’s enthusiasm for sharing their joy of cooking, eating great food and drinking great wines! The Social Table is definitely the hot ticket in Chicago!

This place is adorable! It is wonderfully appointed with an great atmosphere for making new friends if you choose! We made some marvelous dishes and I must say it is a ‘must do’ no matter your culinary expertise. I consider myself a rather experienced cook (not chef) and I even walked away from this experience with new recipes and new techniques.
Our host, chef, mentor was Ian and we loved loved loved him! He was patient and very entertaining as well!
Our oldest son gave this to us a a gift for Christmas and it ranks amongst out top date nights ever! We will definitely steal this idea for others as it is a ‘can’t miss’ opportunity for a memorable experience! Well done Social Table! We are sure to see you again soon!

We had our holiday work event there last week and to sum it up, it was perfect! Eleanore was extremely helpful with the set-​up and organization. Rebecca was the ultimate chef and teacher, very skilled and patient. The food was yummy, even though Rebecca was concerned we had multiple dishes with bread. It was all to good to even notice. It was fantastic and left us all wanting more. We hope to be back!

What a fantastic experience. It’s the perfect amount of cooking, drinking and socializing. No pressure, just great company and a quick but thorough cooking lesson. I will definitely be back. I’ve also made the dessert we learned in class for Thanksgiving, it was a big hit!

Seriously this place was so fund and the food was amazing. I came here for a work team event and it was perfect. The chefs there are really good at engaging you in the process as well as knowing when to let you all be. Its BYOB but you can buy wine there as well. We did a little of both and everything was extremely reasonable.
Like I said we showed up with 15 people for work and had a bit of a Thanksgiving theme. We arrived with several bottles of wine that were empty before dinner so we bought a few bottles from them and they didn’t cost an arm and a leg! You also get to customize your meal to your group, they even give you the recipes for the dishes afterwards!
I think the best part of the experience was the chef helping us out. He made it very informational and interesting in the beginning and had us all chopping and peeling and involved. After that we would break off into side conversations and tasks. The chef had the perfect balance of letting us do our own thing but still making us be a part of the process.
I would highly recommend this for any work or social gathering. It was such a fun experience, I cannot wait to go back.

Went to Social Table for a birthday celebration with a large group and had a wonderful time! I’ve walk by Social Table daily and never even knew what it was. The staff does a great job of making everyone feel involved while preparing the meal. We learned a lot and had fun while doing so. BYOB! I will definitely be going back again soon.

Amazing for private parties! The space itself is absolutely adorable. It feels like you are over at your friend’s place cooking dinner, except your friend has a professional grade kitchen and a culinary degree. I love that you get to design your menu (there was a huge number of seasonal choices for the appetizer, entrée and dessert), bring your own booze, and play your own playlist. Chef Ian was a fantastic instructor who made our experience that much more fun. Can’t wait to go back!

I was in the Chicago area last week and it was my wife’s and I 10^th year anniversary and we decided to give a cooking class. The Social Table was indeed the place to do it at! We met new wonderful friends while enjoying Chef Ian teach us a wonderful recipe! I would absolutely recommend the Social Table to anybody thinking about a cooking class in Chicago.

My fiancé and I had the best time at The Social Table. We signed up for the Italian Cooking Night with Ian. I was so excited to make homemade pasta. It was one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had! There was a great mix of couples and ages. I’ll definitely be coming back!

I cannot tell you how much fun we had! Rachel, our chef was knowledgeable, entertaining and really made the event. Our group was 3 couples and the men participated and actually did most of the cooking. I highly recommend the social table for any event. I was very impressed. I cannot wait to go back!

One word to describe it all: fantastic! 3 of us gals had a wonderful time and experience at The Social Table cooking a delicious Italian dinner from scratch. Rebecca was an awesome teacher with such a fun, bubbly personality. It’s BYOB so grab some wino, friends, sig-​Os, family, whoever you can scramble up and take a class, you’ll be pleased you did and leave with some great cooking tips and a full belly!

A great experience. I am pretty comfortable with my kitchen skills, but my gf signed us up for the pizza class, and I figured even if I didn’t learn anything it’d be good just because I enjoy cooking. Throw in pizza and BYOB and I was pretty optimistic it would be a good night. And I was right. Rachel was our instructor, and she was great. Personable, helpful, answered all our questions, got everyone involved. We all did our own prep work. Some stuff we all did the same, for other stuff there was a division of labor. It all culminated in each team of two making a couple pizzas and everyone sharing each others creations at one table. Rachel really did a great job, I can definitely see doing this again.

Went to Social Table on a Friday night with a group of 12 friends. Had a fantastic time and learned a couple of cooking «protips» that I am able to leverage right away (e.g., chopping an onion more effectively and cooking crispy chicken properly). Also, love that its BYOB.
I think one of the key attractions of Social Table is the class size. It felt like I was cooking with friends… just that one of the friends really knew what to do (i.e. Chef Rebecca).
Thanks for the great evening Chef Rebecca!

My fiancé and I did the Winter Italian cooking class for a special occasion and we had a fantastic time! The class was a mixture of ages, couples, and groups of friends. It was great that we could bring our own wine, and no coking fee!
Alyssa was our instructor and she was great. Everyone in the class had plenty of time to participate in different aspects of the meal, and plenty of time to socialize and drink wine too! At the end, we definitely came away with some basic food preparation skills and recipes, an ended the night with a wonderful (and filling) meal. Well worth the price, will be back for sure!

We went to The Social Table last night and just had one of the best experiences ever! Becca is an absolutely amazing person and I was impressed how everything just came together. We started off learning how to chop different ingredients (seriously the onion trick will be used for the rest of my cooking days) then went into prepping dressings and desserts, while the protein was cooking. At the end, we all sat down together and ate what we made. It is byob, but they do have bottles for sale!
I cant express enough of how much of a great time we had here, we drank wine, learned to cook a new recipe, we met wonderful people, and we walked away happy. The reviews on here are 100% right, I can’t wait to try another class at The Social Table!
Give this place a try and you won’t be disappointed!

Where’s the 6 star option? Every part of the experience was great: the location, the unreal kitchens, BECCA, the instructing, the laid-​back attitude, and of course the food.
Only try The Social Table if you’re ready for a new hobby because you won’t be able to stop at just one experience.

Becca is a rockstar. She took me from cooking Easy Mac to cooking Mack Daddy in a couple hours. Beyond that, the class was more like a night at a friend’s house than a set curriculum. That is, if my friend had the most tricked out kitchen I had ever seen and lived in Lincoln Park.
Go here. Eat. Drink and take a date. They will be impressed and you will be deliciously full.
And it’s BYOB!

Becca & her Social Table team have certainly changed the culinary game in Chicago! If your looking for a fun night out with friends or looking to meet fellow foodies, get yourself to The Social Table! You truly feel like you having dinner in a friend’s quaint townhouse vs. a stuffy traditional, commercial teaching kitchen.
As far as the food goes, the goat cheese soufflés and the wok-​fried croutons are some of the most delicious things you might ever taste. With great tasting food, good company and lots of laughs, this is a surely a night to remember.
Plus, its BYOB, so grab a bottle, pop a bottle and belly up to The Social Table!

I had such a fun night here! We were a total of 8 people, friends and strangers (that soon became new friends!) and Becca, the chef and teacher. Her enthusiasm and warmth immediately made everyone feel comfortable and excited to pick up some new cooking skills. From learning how to cut veggies the correct way to making the best succotash and grilled chicken I ever had and from drinking the wine we brought while cooking great food to a sit down dinner that included many laughs.
Highly recommend for team events, being new to the city and meeting cool people, novice cooks and anyone that wants to have a great time!

These guys deliver such a fun fantastic evening! We spent a night here last week and our group of 10 prepared a rustic french menu under the direction of head chef Becca. She guided us through previously intimidating dishes like goat cheese soufflé and chicken provencal, making sure everybody got to have whatever level of «hands-​on» they wanted, keeping everyone involved while making sure the food was going to come out tasting amazing!
We had such an awesome time and an incredible meal. I am totally going to make that chicken provencal at home! And its BYOB! There is no better way to learn new techniques in the kitchen while socializing with a group. And did I mention how delicious everything was? We can’t wait to come back.