The Chopping Block

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The Chopping Block, Chicago's largest recreational cooking school and gourmet retail store, offers demonstration and hands-on cooking classes, as well as wine classes, private cooking parties and corporate team building events. Classes at our two locations cover subjects from cooking basics to intensive Boot Camps as well as seasonal, date nights, healthy and kids classes.

Print Our Kids and Teens Camps Calendar Here
Our December class calendar will be available on November 8

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Gift Certificates and Registry
We offer gift certificates in any denomination for classes and merchandise and gift registry for any occasion.

Pick Your Discount

This October, it is time to Pick Your Discount! We have discounts of 5-20% off your entire purchase (does not include Big Green Egg Grills, gift cards, or cooking classes), as well as free product giveaways and vouchers for a free demonstration class. Each time you visit The Chopping Block throughout the month, you'll pick from our discount bucket and enjoy savings and prizes. Every ticket is a winner- there are only treats in our version of Trick or Treat!

Let the Baking Begin

It's time to crank up the ovens for the holidays, and you can save big on our favorite bakeware in November. All Emile Henry is 20% off! That includes all bakeware, pizza stones, fondue pots and tabletop items. We love this product for so many reasons: easy to clean, dishwasher safe, goes straight from oven to freezer, plus it makes for beautiful serving pieces.

Customer Appreciation Day

Our annual party happens at Lincoln Square on Thursday, November 11 from 11am-6pm. Enjoy 20% off the entire store, our amazing hors d'oeuvres, gourmet product samplings and wine tastings.

Order Your Holiday Pies Now

It's Apple Pie time! If you were one of the lucky ones who got one of the 1600 slices we sold at Apple Fest, now is your chance for a second helping. It took just four hours for our apple pies to sell out then, so we're giving you plenty of time to pre-order your holiday pies now. Our famous apple and pumpkin pies feature quality ingredients with homemade dough and lots of love from our chefs. Pick up on Wednesday 11/24 at either Lincoln Square or the Mart.

Give Thanks for Wine

Show your bird the respect it deserves by serving the proper wine with your holiday dinner. The traditional Thanksgiving meal can be a tough one for wine pairings, so join us for a pre-holiday tasting of Wine Goddess Diana Hamann's best picks for Turkey Day. For $5, you'll taste through a line-up of pitch-perfect Thanksgiving wines.
Lincoln Square Monday, November 8 7pm-8:30pm
Merchandise Mart Monday, November 15 6pm-7:30pm
Get a taste of all of our November wine classes. Need to get your fix sooner? See what's happening in October.

Rock the Knife

There's no better place to start your journey in the kitchen than with our most popular class, Knife Skills. The Chicago Sun Times recently embarked on an evening of chopping and "test driving" knives, even "friending" them on Facebook. Read the adventure here.

A Few of Shelley's Favorite Things

Chicago Home + Garden recently previewed Shelleys newly remodeled kitchen by Susan Fredman Design Group as a perfect mix of functionality and style. Read the article about the project between friends here. What's in those beautiful cabinets? Shelley's best picks from The Chopping Block, of course. See them all and buy online here.

Culinary Boot Camp

Can our Culinary Boot Camp turn you into a master cook in just one week? The Chicago Tribune recently followed a mother and daughter team through our week-long program as they whisked, butchered and tasted their way to culinary enlightenment. They were looking to pick up a few skills, but what they found was that once you learn a few basics, cooking is easy. Read the article here.