Just last month I had the opportunity to experience one of the newest hot spots in Denver, Uncorked Kitchen. The unique dinner / wine / cooking school opened last fall and the husband-wife team behind the business is reinventing how dinner out can be a fully hands-on experience. The beautiful two story location can be found just north of Park Meadows mall, featuring stunning views of the sunset from the patio and kitchens. Would-be chef’s join culinary experts in the kitchen where they learn how to create a masterpiece before sitting as a group to enjoy the meal.
Most cooking classes leave you with a handful of tips, a new recipe and a couple of bites of the finished product. At Uncorked Kitchen I had the pleasure of learning how to effortlessly whip up traditional French cuisine and enjoyed the fruit of our labors for dinner that evening. The three course meal included Camembert and Caramelized Onions Tartlets, Potato Galette, Pork Tenderloin Medallions with cider sauce and Tarte Tatin. While the names at first sounded foreign and complicated the finished product was perfect, and I learned just how easy it would be to integrate French cooking styles into my own kitchen.
After the class I had the chance to sit down with Katie Robbins, one-half of the Uncorked Kitchen mastermind team and learn more about how this unique venture came to life.
What motivated you to start Uncorked Ktichen?
As we were preparing for our move back to Denver we started coming up with business ideas on what we could do when we got here. We ultimately ended up on the concept for Uncorked Kitchen which was born out of Eric’s passion for sharing great food with people in a hands on kitchen environment and my 10 years of small business management. We also knew that we didn’t want to be just another cooking school but rather focus more on the experience and the joy that comes out of having fun and working together with friends in the creation of a meal.
What brought you into the kitchen as a career?
Eric grew up cooking with his mother and grandmother and that was where his passion for the shared cooking experience first started. While he had always enjoyed cooking recreationally he decided that he wanted to take his passion to the next level and pursue a career in the food service business which led him to Boston and the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.
Are there skills / recipes that you enjoy teaching more than others? What are they?
Eric really enjoys teaching how to make pasta from scratch. He feels that it is a lost art and his love of Italian food and the love that goes into making great fresh pasta is so much fun to share.
What is one trick that you recommend a home cook learn to elevate their cooking skills?
People get intimidated by cooking so I always like to say it isn’t rocket science, just keep trying, always taste as you go. If you don’t like something in a recipe you can always change it or leave it out. It is all about experimenting to find what you love. Another tip is to season with citrus, it really helps brighten up any dish.
With any new business venture, there are challenges you’ve had to face. What journey have you been on that helped bring Uncorked Kitchen to life and where do you see the company in the next five years?
We began conceptualizing and creating our business plan in 2012. We broke ground on construction in December 2014 with doors finally opening in October of 2015 just in time for our first private event. Five years from now we hope to have a 3rd kitchen built out as another teaching kitchen in the current location and be opening or have already opened our second location.
Next time you are looking for a date night, girls night out, or just a treat for yourself, I highly recommend checking out the classes available at Uncorked Kitchen. As a special thank you for Rocky Mountain Bliss readers Katie and Eric at Uncorked Kitchen are giving YOU a wonderful 15% off discount for your first class – just use the code rockymtnbliss15 when you register to unlock the special pricing!
DISCLOSURE: This post was brought to you by Uncorked Kitchen. I received a complimentary class for the opportunity to share my experience with you. All opinions and experiences are my own.
No Comments