Marcel’s Culinary Experience

Attended the Dinner at Home demonstration with Jean Marie Bronson on Saturday Feb. 22, 2016. An amazing class with excellent cooking tips, ideas, planning and yes sampling delicious easy to prepare food. The event also included a book signing by the author in collaboration with our local bookstore. Thankful that community businesses work together to make events happen.
Marcel’s staff is amazing, knowledgable, passionate about their product and very helpful. A wonderful place to be!

Came here with my group of coworkers (a group or 15) for a private event where we created our menu and went through as a team and built our meal. We had chef Kelly as the lead chef for our group and there were three women walking around constantly cleaning up our stations and making sure we had everything we needed– including refills on our beer, wine or drinks! The food we made was simply amazing, not to mention the fun we had making it. I loved every second of our experience and will definitely be back!

Very fun store! Love to walk around and see the neat things they have for the home and kitchen. All the staff is very helpful and kind and make you feel like family when you’re shopping.

My son took a week of cooking classes at Marcel’s with a friend. They loved it! Very educational and the the staff was «really nice»…according to the kids. I loved that the dishes were pretty sophisticated and thats part of what make it so great.
We traveled from Batavia everyday, a long drive, but so worth it! Wish we had a Marcel’s closer to us!

Wonderful shop for cooking supplies. I found several small utensils that I needed for baking, all were less than $ 7.00 apiece. I’ll be back for some cast iron pans.
The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming.

So far, I’ve only spent money here on knife sharpening, but it’s something I’m glad they offer. I cook a lot and any home cook will tell you that properly sharp knives are crucial. So I love that I can drop them off by 3 and they’ll be ready around noon the next day.
This is also just a great store to have around and the next time I need a new pot, pan or fancy gadget I’ll be stopping in. I’m also pretty tempted by their cooking classes, although I admit the price is a bit steep.
In any case, my knives look great, the price is right, and I’m so glad Marcel’s is close to home.

My son has been taking the kids’ cooking classes at Marcels for several years now and they NEVER disappoint! While the price may seem a bit high, I assure you it is worth the money. The hour and ½ classes are spent learning techniques, learning about different cultures, and trying new things. The chef is fantastic with kids –patience of a saint and good sense of humor, and he engages with each and every kid as they learn. My son ALWAYS comes home wanting to try the new skill and recipes. They get an apron and always enjoy the food they make. Who could ask for more?
These classes are so far beyond the «french bread pizzas» and simple desserts that other facilities offer kids. Marcels treats kids like the smart, creative, capable individuals that they are. We will keep coming back!

I had my baby shower here and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience! The staff was amazing from Jill the owner to the chef (Jean True) to the assistants. The planning process was beyond easy — Jill sent me possible menus and I (being type A) of course had to mix and match from all the different options for just the right menu instead of choosing a pre-​set menu. All of this was absolutely no problem for Jill and the chef and they accommodated my needs with ease and grace. The day of, everything was set and ready to go and the two assistants were so amazing with ensuring all of my guests had full drinks and were attended to. Everyone loved the pace of the event (enough time to chat and have fun while still cooking and learning) and of course the food was excellent. The staff was even able to accommodate a special request to surprise me with a cake and it was beyond delicious! All of the guests in attendance, including myself, have been talking about when we can get back to Marcel’s for another class. I highly recommend Marcel’s not just for a cooking class but also to host your special event. Thank you Marcel’s for a wonderful baby shower!

I bought my sister a cooking class at Marcel’s for her birthday. We went yesterday and we absolutely LOVED it! Chef Paul was so helpful and knowledgeable, as was the rest of the staff. The kitchen work space was incredibly clean and well organized, definitely set up for student! s of all skill levels. The food we made was absolutely wonderful and there wasn’t a lot of pressure. If you felt like you’d rather sit back and let the more enthusiastic students get their hands dirty, that was fine. If you wanted to jump in for prep or cooking, you were absolutely encouraged to do so! The store itself had a wonderful assortment of products. My sister loved the idea of the class so much that she was researching other classes we could do on the way to our class! We will definitely be back. What a wonderful experience!

Myself and a group of 12 other ladies were here the other night for a bachlorette party. From beginning to end, Jill and her staff were so helpful and accommodating! We had dietary restrictions (vegetarians), personal preferences, and indecisive people, and Jill took everything with a grain of salt! I contacted her around March to set up this event, and told her that we would have about 13 – 14 people and we wanted to do a cooking class. Because we came just under their maximum for a hands-​on class, we were golden! The bride is a big Mexican fan, so she got us connected with Chef Paul, who was extremely knowledgeable about Mexican cuisine. She sent us about 3 or 4 menus that Chef Paul had put together, but we could either take a menu as it was or mix and match. Because of all our different tastes, we decided to mix and match our meal. After we decided the meal, I found out that two in our party were vegetarians, and asked Jill if there was any way we could accommodate them (our main dish was chicken!). No problems… no extra cost… amazing! I did two payments (deposit was the first half of the payment, and final payment wasn’t due until the day of), and I was able to pay in whatever form was easiest to me.
The day of the event, the managers at the store were so nice! I showed up early with a few things to drop off, and they were willing to hold them in the back until we all arrived. They even had set up a few things for me! Chef Paul and his two assistants were so nice, helping with any questions we had, refilling our drinks (wine, tea, and water were included) and teaching very useful techniques for a home cook. Because we had a large menu (appetizer: cilantro lime cesar salad, main: chicken with basil cream, sides: mushroom risotto, vegetarian: polenta eggplant stack, dessert: panna cota with blueberry compote), we broke into teams, but I felt like we all got to either do or view the cooking of each dish.
Included in our class ($ 80), was the food, the recipe packet with grocery list (extremely helpful!), the apron to keep, and 10% off our purchases that day
The girls and I have taken quite a few cooking classes in both the city and suburbs, and this one is up there on the list of classes to try!

A wonderful kitchen-​goods store. I love how most of the items here aren’t the same things you see at most similar stores. Sure, they have Kitchen Aid stand mixers, but you’ll find a whole treasure trove of really interesting and beautiful kitchen items. If I had a huge house and a ton of money, I’d for sure go broke in this store! Another wonderful gem in downtown Glen Ellyn.

Wow, these ladies go above and beyond. I ended up with a sprained ankle and could not pick up a CSA box that I had purchased and they hand delivered it to my house. That is customer service.
In addition, they are so helpful, friendly and knowledgeable each and every time I go in to their store. They carry a great lineup of unique products and it is just fun to shop there.
I have not taken any cooking classes yet but I plan to very soon.

Wonderfully helpful staff, a great selection of local goodies too! I found some of the bourbon barrel fermented soy sauce here that I’ve been trying to find for a long time. I’m from southern California, but on my most recent trip to Chicago, I found out that this place was a distributor for it. That little chance got me in the doors, but the awesome service and cool little items that they carry will bring me back.
I only wish that I was local so I could bring my GF to some of your classes too!

This review is for the cooking class.
My wife received a «hands on» cooking class from her daughter for Mother’s Day. We had been given a similar gift years ago to Sur la Table that was okay. This far exceeded our expectations. The class holds about 16 people divided into 2 tables; some couples, some friends, some were mother/​daughter.
Kelly was our instructor and she did a great job. We made an appetizer, salad, entrée, side and a dessert. We ate the appetizer as soon as we made it, and the others were plated to us afterwards as a sit down meal. Wine was provided thru out the night and it was a very enjoyable evening. We made new freinds, tried some new recipes, were taught some new skills and had a great time.

I would give it more stars because I love kitchen gadgets and pretty things for the kitchen BUUUTTTT this is the 2^nd time I’ve been there and no one ever says hi to me. I could have used help… was ready to buy some mothers day presents for my mom, sister, and sister-​in-​law … probably for myself as well. I needed someone to help make some quick decisions, but no one even would look my direction. It starts to make you think ‘what’s wrong with me? Is it the way I am dressed? Is it my ethnic background?’
Well, I went to Nordstrom to buy my mother’s day presents where they know a little something about customer service.

What a fantastic little store. And really, for downtown GE, not too little — it’s quite sizable. They have some fantastic products that offer great quality as well. You’ll pay for it, for sure, but it’ll last you quite some time… or a lifetime. Pots, pans, knives, bowls, utensil, and anything else you can think of (and things you can’t). All of this comes with great service as well — friendly and knowledgeable.
Marcel’s also has some good food products in addition to all of their cookware, and also some dishware and linens as well. Also, cooking classes. My mother took a bread making class and said it was great. That being said, she mentioned the price was a bit high and that prices have been raised quite a bit since then.
Story of Marcel’s — quality products, great service, and you’ll pay for it.

I am a frequent customer of Marcel’s. I live this independently owned shop in Glen Ellyn. It is a bit like Sur la Table/​Williams Sonoma in terms of quality and types of items but there is a commitment to carrying unique regional items that you will not likely find elsewhere. I have taken cooking classes and my 15 year old loves the teen classes. I consider myself an accomplished cook/​baker and have been surprised by the tidbits I haven learned in every class. LOVE that Marcel’s is open on Sunday afternoons and has triggered some of the other shops to follow suit.

I just adore that this independently owned culinary shop has opened in the western suburbs. They have a real vast and interesting collection of products. Frankly I’d rather buy my tart pan and Moka pot from these ladies then the crew at WilliamsSonoma. They have cooking competitions… how fun is that?!? I’m a freak in the kitchen– hard to convince that I need a gadget to do a knife’s work but there’s plenty of things here that serve a purpose and you’ll have forever. My big dilemma right now-​Do I need a ricer?!? Lip chew commence!

While I love to cook — and eat — I’d never considered taking a cooking class and don’t usually find myself in a store like Marcel’s… But my wife surprised me with a gift card for a cooking class and I figured, OK, I might learn a thing or two.
I took a Friday night class, with a neighbor whose wife had also bought him a class, and we had a great time! Our Chef, Kelly, taught us all about ‘pork’ as we chopped, sliced and diced — with 10 other people — while drinking Two Brothers beer (a favorite of mine).
I learned a few handy ‘knife skills’ while also picking up some tips on how to make healthy pork dinners, including a rocking jalapeño pork burger!
When our class had finished making all the dishes, including stew, bacon appetizers, pork chops rubbed with spices and more, we sat down and ate it! I hadn’t expected an entire meal, too, and it was great. The beer was enjoyable, too. :)
When we were done with the class, the chef told us we would receive a 10% discount on anything we bought that night. Not one for ‘shopping’ much, I made a beeline to the BBQ tools, knives and other ‘manly’ stuff.
I bought a stovetop smoker, after one of the other guys in the class told me used it to smoke salmon on his stove, inside, in about 25 minutes. Hard to believe, but it works! I’ve even smoked sausage on it, with ZERO smoke in the house. Cool.
Since that class, my wife and I took a class together on cooking with all kinds of cheeses, combined with instruction on how to make (and drink) the perfect bloody Mary.
All in all, I’ve enjoyed the classes I’ve taken — we’ve signed up for another class on ‘date night’ — and I’m hoping for a cool new knife for my birthday.
A great find in downtown Glen Ellyn!

Popped into Marcel’s a few months after its grand opening to pick up crab crackers. The store has a very Sur La Table meets Pottery Barn feel to it, with bright colors and plenty of well-​organized displays. My partner and I were immediately drawn to some beautiful serving pieces from England, and in the five seconds it took for me to say «How charming!» a saleswoman was by our side and could not be shaken. As we weren’t actually in the market for a $ 150 platter, we informed her that we were simply looking for crab crackers. She looked crestfallen. As it turned out, Marcel’s did not carry crab crackers. She tried, desperately, to sell us a substitute item (mallets, knives, espresso spoons), but eventually had to admit that we would probably be better off at Bed, Bath & Beyond or Williams-​Sonoma, as Marcel’s was still trying to figure out the right mix of products for its store.
But the saleswoman was not done with us yet. In fact, we couldn’t shake her. She proceeded to tell us about the cooking classes Marcel’s offered which were very tempting, I will admit. They offer a variety of classes each week, ranging from chili to crepes. There are classes for children, teens, couples and girlfriends. But the prices, ranging from $ 35 for a children’s class to $ 100 for some of the adult classes, are a bit steep for the suburbs (for comparison, the average cost of an adult class at The Chopping Block in Chicago is $ 75. Kids’ classes at The Chopping Block are $ 25).
Back to the retail experience, however. I guess I have to give credit to the woman who followed us around the store for 10 minutes, because in the end, she was able to convince us to buy a pie slicer. But I prefer to be left alone when I’m shopping. If I’m serious about an item, or I have a question, I’ll let you know. I certainly don’t need a shadow that won’t quit talking! Frankly, it made me not want to return.