Kids Cooking at Sur La Table — Photo courtesy of Sur La Table

Sur La Table has been my favorite Boston area culinary store for years, but the Chestnut Hill location was small and crowded, and a little hard to browse. My love for the store and the large supply of various merchandise at reasonable prices kept me coming back. Since then the store has added locations throughout the Boston area, but the fall of 2011 brought with it the opening of my favorite Sur La Table location in the Natick Mall. This larger space has simplified the shopping process and added a cool place to take a one shot specialty cooking class (the only Massachusetts location that has classes.)

Located on the second floor of the Natick Mall in the newer section, it is surrounded by high end stores that attract a crowd of shoppers rather than browsers. The shelves are packed with an array of cookware, bakeware, cutlery, tools, electrics, linens, glassware, housewares and even some food and outdoor cooking essentials. Unlike other "kitchen" stores, Sur La Table's focus is actually on the kitchen, so you can be sure you'll find that obscure item you've been seeking. 

The back of the store has a giant gleaming kitchen just begging to be used. Ample counter space and state of the art appliances invite shoppers to become students and learn how to cook from a pro! Registration for classes should be done in advance (either on-line or by calling Sur La Table's cooking class number.) Classes are themed (anything from date night to knife skills, and even cooking for kids) and typically run a few hours; some include cookbooks as a little bonus, and since costs seem to start around $70/per person, any extras are appreciated. The best part, besides learning a new skill, technique or style is that you get to devour your creations after cooking. YUM!