Gio Culinary Studio

I hesitate to give this two stars, because it was a nice experience, but there were two main things about our visit that irritated me.
First, and foremost, even though the class is labeled «Hands on» it wasn’t. During the 2.5 hour session, I was able to put cheese and a sauce on croutons, push a potato through a fry cutter, and make 2 crepes. I was expecting to get to make a meal, instead I watched someone else do it. If we had been warned about this, I wouldn’t have been as irritated.
Secondly, the information about the course on the website was very limited. We assumed that a we were making our own food and since the class was at 6:15 pm, we thought that we would be making our dinner. Instead of a full meal, we had a cup of soup, 2 slices of duck, a small handful of fries, and a crêpe. We both left feeling hungry. Again, had we known beforehand, this wouldn’t have been an issue.
I thought that $ 120 for a meal and cooking instruction was a great deal, but that is not what we got. Instead we had a pleasant lecture on cooking and a few snacks. I just think it is overpriced for what you get.
This being said, it was a pleasant evening and Gio is very nice and professional. I just wouldn’t recommend the class unless you are a beginner and you don’t care that it isn’t very hands on.

We had our company holiday dinner at Gio’s Culinary Studio and it was a great experience. There were ten of us at the dinner and Chef Gio really delivered. We had a four course meal that was prepared right in front of us and he provided a full narrative with each course. The main course was a pork tenderloin that melted in your mouth. Our group especially liked the layout of his dining room and the fact that we could get up and move around and chit chat with each other between courses. I’ve been to many dinners where I have been stuck to my seat and only able to speak with those seated next to me. Chef Gio also shared his path to culinary excellence and what he envisions in the future for his studio. Bottom line: everyone in our group had a wonderful time and all would like to return for another seating.