Ever wonder what it’s like to cook with a top chef? Now’s your chance to cook and dine with a culinary master during The Inn at Serenbe’s 2013 Southern Chefs series. This year’s lineup includes Linton Hopkins, Anne Quatrano, Andrea Reusing, Sean Brock, Hugh Acheson, Steven Satterfield, Chris Hastings, John Besh, Michel Nischan, Kevin Gillespie, Johnny Currence and Marie Nygren. The series ($650) includes two classes hosting just 10 students each — with accompanying food and wine — and overnight accommodations at the bucolic, adults-only Inn.
However, classes fill up quickly; events featuring Quatrano, Brock, Acheson, Besh and Gillespie are already sold out. And it’s easy to see why. Drawing guests from throughout the Southeast (the hotel is about 30 miles south of Atlanta), it’s a great mini-vacation for foodies and home cooks, and even avid reality-TV fans (many of the chefs are alums of Bravo’s Top Chef). Here’s what to expect: Check into the luxury hotel on Sunday at 3 p.m., then head straight over to chef/owner Nygren’s house in the posh Serenbe community. You’ll be greeted by Nygren and the celebrity chef, then gather around the massive island in her kitchen for the first of your two hands-on cooking classes.
What’s on the menu? That’s the chef’s choice — it’s usually a nod to his or her Southern roots, of course, and remains a secret to even the staff until days before the event. And because many guests return for the series each year, each chef takes care to create an entirely new dish to experience. After preparing the meal, you’ll dine with the chef at Nygren’s house, then head back to the hotel for your overnight stay. The next morning, it’s breakfast at the Inn, then back to Nygren’s home for a light lunch/cooking class with the chef.
For more information on the series and available dates, visit the Inn’s website or call 770-463-2610.
Photos Courtesy of Serenbe
