One great way to work up a thirst (and appetite) is to spend time beforehand in the kitchen. Here are four great culinary experiences for groups in Texas.
Located in the middle of the hotel’s main kitchen, the Epicurean Studio Cooking School at the 298-room, meetings-ready Grand Hyatt DFW is the only such culinary experience offered at an upscale hotel anywhere in the U.S. Here, internationally trained chef Jean-Claude Plihon and his team engage groups in the hands-on preparation of a globally inspired menu, all of which is filmed live in the culinary studio.
Austin groups can schedule a range of culinary classes at the Whole Foods Market Culinary Center, which also provides full-service catering for events of any size and scale throughout Austin, San Antonio and the Hill Country region.
In Galveston, groups have the unique “kitchen” experience of purchasing fresh Gulf-caught fish from the island’s two public fish markets—Katie’s Seafood Market and Sampson & Sons Seafood—and then bringing their “catch” to eateries such Clary’s Seafood Restaurant and The Waterman Restaurant for filleting and preparation as part of their meal.
At the Culinary Institute of America campus in San Antonio, groups can arrange for customized culinary “boot camps,” along with cooking demonstrations and tastings, and cooking and wine classes. Anchoring the restaurant- and bar-filled Pearl Brewery Complex, the CIA also offers Nao, its student-run Latin and New World-themed restaurant.
