Whisk, stir, learn: Capital Cooks dishes up good food & fun

Happy Tuesday, Capital Region! Today, we’re taking you to Capital Cooks, where you can brush up on your knife skills and learn to make some 🔥 dishes. Plus, check out our Home of the Week, a sweet 19-acre mountain retreat 🏔️ ⛷️ 

Btw, thanks to Holly Katz for catching an annoying typo in the Capital Digest last week. It’s also a pet peeve of ours when folks mix up “it’s” and “its” 🤦🏽‍♀️

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

🧑‍🍳 Whisk, stir, learn: Capital Cooks dishes up good food & fun

We recently profiled Brian Plu, whose incredible, but hard-to-get Detroit-style pizzas have something of a cult following in the Capital District.

Brian doesn’t have a restaurant (or even a website), but he makes all of his pizzas out of the commercial kitchen at Capital Cooks. So we paid a visit to find out what’s up at this newish cooking school and co-op kitchen in Colonie.

Caroline and Paul Barrett are the dynamic duo behind Capital Cooks, housed in a former warehouse that’s been transformed into a warm and homey space for up to 24 students at a time.

“We painted the walls the same color as our kitchen at home,” says Caroline, who also writes the home cooking column for the Times Union.

The couple used to be associated with the cooking school run out of the Different Drummer’s Kitchen store, until it moved to Crossgates Mall. In July of 2023, they started up their own school.

Capital Cooks now offers a wide range of classes for adults and kids, leaning heavily toward international cuisine from Asia, Italy, France and Spain. The most popular class is taught by baker Julie Paul, who demystifies the art of sourdough and sends everyone home with a sourdough starter. This is one that we neeeed!

On any given month, folks drop in to learn how to make pad Thai, Chinese dumplings, Indian samosas, gluten-free desserts, and more. Local celebrity chef Ric Orlando puts on travel-inspired classes that sell out every month. On March 13, he’s doing a demo of foods from Piedmont, Italy.

For young chefs in training, there are easy classes on tacos, pizza, baking, and even one on foods inspired by Taylor Swift songs.

Capital Cooks also recently introduced Express Classes—shorter, daytime sessions for people with busy schedules. “Not everyone wants to come out at night or spend a lot of money,” Caroline says. “These classes are more affordable and focus on just one dish, like gnocchi or samosas.”

Capital Cooks is also a hub for private events like corporate team-building, family reunions and bridal showers. "People come here to cook, laugh, share a meal and talk about their travels, their dogs—just life. It’s a place where people can connect over food.”

📍 The deets: Capital Cooks, 12 Walker Way, Colonie. See the class schedule for March. Most classes are $84 per person and last 2.5 hours. Express classes are 1.5 hours and cost $42 per person. Pro tip: If you’re looking to grow a food business, Capital Cooks operates one of the few commercial kitchens in the Capital Region.

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🍺 Tree House Brewing Co. has opened a 20,000 square-foot brewery, taproom and restaurant on South Broadway in Saratoga. For now, the restaurant is only serving pizza, but a full menu is in the works. [Times Union]

🎭️ Proctors and theREP have announced their new season of shows. Proctors is bringing “The Sound of Music,” “Spamalot,” “Water for Elephants” and “A Beautiful Noise,” a musical about Neil Diamond, to Schenectady. Among other plays, theREP is putting on “Mystic Pizza,” “Murder for Two: Holiday Edition,” a madcap murder musical; and “Becky Nurse of Salem,” a play about witchcraft. [Proctors Collaborative]

🧑‍🎓 Union College is feeling the heat of the Trump administration. The school has been officially warned by the U.S. Department of Education that it faces “possible enforcement actions” if Jewish students are not protected on campus. The Trump White House announced last week that it had yanked $400 million worth of contracts from Columbia University for the same reason. [Daily Gazette]

🏗️ Uh oh, the demolition of Albany’s white elephant Central Warehouse could be delayed as one of the contract bidders files a lawsuit to stop the Advance Albany County Alliance from awarding the contract to two Long Island firms. The demo hasn’t even started and it’s already getting messy 🙄 [Albany Business Review]

Ready to escape to a sun-filled home on 19 scenic acres in the Helderberg Mountains? This 5-bedroom, 2-bath home in Middleburgh offers a spacious kitchen and open-floor plan perfect for hosting family, friends and a menagerie of animal companions. Enjoy outdoor living with a covered porch, two-level deck with hot tub, and nearby trails for hiking, horses, and ATVs. A large pole barn adds ample storage or animal space. Close to Thacher State Park and just a short drive to Hunter Mountain.

The deets: 19 acres, 5 bd, 2 ba, 2400 sf. Asking: $389,900. Days on market: 7. See the full listing here.

🎟️ WHAT’S HAPPENING

Note: Our full weekend roundup publishes on Thursday! Keep an eye on your inbox.

🎺 Tonight at 7p, EMPAC hosts “West Point on the March,” featuring performances by the nation’s premier military bands. Free, but RSVP required.

🦇 This weekend, No Fun hosts the first ever Wizard Fest! The 3-day, mystical-musical event is a collaboration between Wizard Burger and No Fun, featuring over 10 bands and 15 vendors. The Merciless Metal Market - Vintage Market on Saturday is free. Check out the Metroland preview for full details.

🍀 Be sure to wear green to the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at the Empire State Plaza, on Wednesday.

On Saturday, the big St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at Lexington & Central in Albany, starting at 2p. Other parades are happening at Lark Street Tavern or Waterworks Pub, both in Albany. McGeary’s Irish Pub in Albany, of course, will be a sea of green for the day.

Here’s the full list of events for St. Patty’s Day around the Capital Region.

🌶️ Also Saturday, the Winter Meltdown Spicy Food Festival 2025 features vendors, food trucks and shops of the Shirt Factory with a variety of tongue-burning good eats.

🎙️ Youth FX and Capital District Tobacco Free Communities are hosting a free Poetry Slam on Saturday, with food and refreshments. Expect a lively night of poetry, music & community discussion! The nonprofit org is on a mission to prevent youth tobacco use—a great cause we can all get behind.

🦎 On Sunday, the 3rd Annual Saratoga Reptile Show slithers into the City Center, starting at 10a.

🦉 Also Sunday, the Albany Pine Bush Preserve will feature a bird-watching lesson on “Aerial Acrobats” (hawks & owls) with binoculars provided.

🎸 LIVE MUSIC & MORE

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Sundays are the deadline to be included in the coming week’s list!

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