48 W 21st St, Second Floor
New York, NY 10010
212.645.5170
www.naturalgourmetschool.com
Graduating students at this vegetarian cooking school prepare dinner on Friday nights. For $40, diners get a four-course themed dinner. The dining rooms are candle-lit classrooms. Diners sit at communal tables of six to eight, with views of commercial kitchens.
A recent Spanish-themed dinner included tapas - minted eggplant, patatas bravas with rosemary aioli and mushroom ragout (below) - and a salad of roasted fennel, oranges and citrus vinaigrette.
The main course was roasted vegetable paella with haricot vert served on a black bean and leek puree (below).
Dessert was a moist and flavorful tres leches cake.
The food can be quite good, as it was when I was there, but don't expect much in the way of service since other students work as the waitstaff. (One student during my dinner perfected the art of looking without seeing. She would wander the room with a water pitcher, while keeping her eyes well above the level of any glass. Never did I see her pour any water.)
Make reservations as far in advance as possible. Friends and relatives of graduating students often take most of the spots. Also don't forget to bring a bottle of wine as it's BYOB for no extra charge.
Graduating students at this vegetarian cooking school prepare dinner on Friday nights. For $40, diners get a four-course themed dinner. The dining rooms are candle-lit classrooms. Diners sit at communal tables of six to eight, with views of commercial kitchens.
A recent Spanish-themed dinner included tapas - minted eggplant, patatas bravas with rosemary aioli and mushroom ragout (below) - and a salad of roasted fennel, oranges and citrus vinaigrette.
The main course was roasted vegetable paella with haricot vert served on a black bean and leek puree (below).
Dessert was a moist and flavorful tres leches cake.
The food can be quite good, as it was when I was there, but don't expect much in the way of service since other students work as the waitstaff. (One student during my dinner perfected the art of looking without seeing. She would wander the room with a water pitcher, while keeping her eyes well above the level of any glass. Never did I see her pour any water.)
Make reservations as far in advance as possible. Friends and relatives of graduating students often take most of the spots. Also don't forget to bring a bottle of wine as it's BYOB for no extra charge.
