You probably know OpenTable best as an online restaurant-reservation service, but during the coronavirus pandemic, the company is acting as matchmaker. I don’t mean they’ll fix you up with the perfect date, but they will introduce you to a different chef weekly for an interactive virtual cooking experience.
Called “Back of House,” the series, sponsored by Bacardi, will make you privy to the kinds homey, savory meals the city’s chefs cook for each other after breaking down for the night. In each hour-long session, priced at $30 a piece per person, a different chef and mixologist will walk you through the steps needed to create an unforgettable meal and accompanying cocktail.
On one occasion, the dish du jour will be pineapple tepache birria-glazed beef trimmings with poblano rice and tortillas paired with a Dewar’s Ilegal Smooth toasted citrus highball. On another, you will cook then feast on chicken tikka masala with basmati rice and naan, paired with a custom Grey Goose cocktail.
Participants will receive a shopping list in advance as well as instructions on how to tune in. Then, the night of, a master mixologist will guide you through mixing a craft cocktail to enjoy while you cook.
The classes, which are scheduled one per week, begin on Oct. 22 and run through Nov. 19. All classes start at 3 p.m.
Twenty-five percent of ticket proceeds will be donated to the James Beard Foundation’s Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans.
For information about the chefs and to enroll click here. To book the experience click here.
