60 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM your meal, head for Gatehouse Restaurant at Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus. Here, student-chefs apply their lessons in a kitchen classroom to inspiring (and tasty) results. Roll up your own sleeves with a cooking class at Under-Study, a chic café plus teaching space. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to attend a pasta class with Bradley Waddle, sous chef at PRESS, a Michelinstarred restaurant only a few doors down. He’ll regale you with riveting tales of competing in Bocuse d’Or, the Olympics of the culinary world, as he coaxes dough through an Imperia pasta maker. After you practice pasta shapes (to varying levels of success), leave your lopsided raviolis behind. Instead, Bradley invites students back to PRESS for a multi-course meal showcasing what the pros can do with fresh pasta. Though not every class ends at the table, each experience— whether it’s carving zucchini flowers and carrot butterflies in a knife {due west} its flawlessly-fried chicken served alongside a decadent dipping ranch with Regiis Ova caviar. Or the corn on the cob with sweet butter and a hit of fermented chili. Or the Heritage Country ribs with a darkly sweet blueberry BBQ sauce served with a polenta hoecake. You can also find Southern comforts served at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch just up the road. For verdant vibes, request a patio seat at the Charter Oak Restaurant. Start with a leafy green salad, a perfect accompaniment to the shady awning of trees and ivycovered walls, then dig into hearty mains like the pork chops with pistachio and frilly onion flowers or the wagyu tomahawk with brown butter hollandaise and paprika. Farm-to-table types will appreciate their raw vegetables plucked straight from the garden and served with a fermented soy dip. It’s easy to forget the sweat, skill and spirit hidden away in the kitchen, but to appreciate the hard-working hands behind skills lesson or kneading sourdough in a breadmaking class—is sure to be a hands-on highlight during your trip. During your class, you might have noticed that MAC Museum and UnderStudy share a wall and windows. This means that you get a taste of the current exhibit, while museum-goers can peek into your cooking class. If what you saw piqued your interest, head there next for explorations into art, history and culture. Embrace the arts by stopping by the many inviting galleries that dot the downtown area. Be sure to include visits to Caldwell Snyder Gallery for lively contemporary art and Gregory Lang Gallery for luscious treescapes and cityscapes. WAKE TO WHIMSY After a full day, it’s time to unwind back at your hotel. If you’re not a fan of minimalism, check PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: CHARLIE’S NAPA VALLEY - EMMA K. CREATIVE / RYAN ANDERSON - UNDER-STUDY ABOVE: (top) A taste of the ocean at Charlie’s Napa Valley; Tie on an apron and roll up your sleeves at Under-Study’s culinary classes.
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