(Courtesy/The Kitchen)

The Kitchen, located on 231 E. Livingston Avenue, is a participatory dining experience for family and friends that offers cooking competitions, chefs that cook for you, and public events. Weddings, parties, and corporate meetings maqy also be booked here. 

The staff featured a “Sweethearts at the Studio” dinner party on February 14 from 6-9 p.m. and an “International Women’s Day Participatory Dinner” on March 8. A  “St. Patrick’s” dinner will be held on March 16. 

To celebrate a friend’s  birthdaywith a pizza making competition, several friends and I gathered around 4 working tables, each with a labeled number. We  took turns rolling a dice that decided which table  would be ours. Everyone cheered as groups began forming at random. The suspense was not yet over, for each group drew a number from a hat that determined when it was their turn to pick ingredients, and no one wanted to be the last. Each group had a fake 20 dollars to spend on the toppings  labeled with prices, some more expensive than others. Toppings included vodka, tomato, and alfredo sauces, mozzarella and provolone cheeses, chicken, steak, pepperoni, peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. The chefs showed us how to roll out the dough for our vodka and tomato sauce.  

The Kitchen also offers entrees of chicken, steak, pork, and sides of macaroni and cheese, Tuscan salads, and desserts such as lemon-pistachio blondies, and Ohio apple crostata. 

If you prefer a set menu, you can book a table for Taco Tuesday. To keep things interesting, themes and menus change weekly, making every event a unique gathering. Another special offering from the venue for adults, is a “Behind the Bar” studio, where you taste 5 wines served with small bites.

The Kitchen’s purpose is to enhance community through a love for cooking. The environment includes a studio room meant for dining, and the main room for participatory cooking. I would recommend The Kitchen to anyone looking for a fun gathering with family or friends!