The team at Tom Douglas Restaurants is opening a cooking school in the stylish Hotel Ändra in Seattle on Friday, July 11. 

Tom Douglas's business partner, chef Eric Tanaka, will be kicking off the series with an exciting class exploring the fifth taste, umami, through many cultures. The next day, Tom Douglas will personally do a dinner and cooking demonstration that pays homage to the missed Seattle restaurant, Labuznik.

The other classes in July are taught by Hot Stove Society staff, Tom Douglas Restaurants chefs, local and visiting chefs, authors, and experts. With the guidance of the beverage director, the school has carefully curated a refreshingly boozy list of wine and cocktail pairing classes. Each class description explains whether the class is a demonstration or hands-on and whether a snack or full meal is provided. 

Many classes offer light hearted culinary “edutainment” and after-work socializing, but serious skill-building is an ever present part of the mix. 

Students at the cooking school will enjoy a bright industrial space. The presentation area boasts a wide curved prep area where guests can gather for lectures and get up close to the presenter. The other half of the room is filled with moveable Boos work tables, a large bank of KitchenAid stoves, and racks of equipment.  

Capacity is 32 for the full hands-on cooking classes and more than 60 for straight lectures. At the entrance to Hot Stove will be a new endeavor by Douglas open to the public called the Lὅk Bar, a Swedish bar for drinking and snacking.

The Hot Stove Society classroom is available as a venue for private events and company team building. The director, Bridget Charters, and her marketing coordinator, Herschell Taghap, offer multiple creative themes for educational high jinx in the kitchen, such as Iron Chef, Mad Men and Martinis, and Battle Black Box. 

Guests at the school are encouraged to consider adding on an overnight stay at Hotel Ändra to fully complement the experience.