Chef's Table: 700 Cooking School & Chef Jason Winn

Chef’s Table: 700 Kitchen Cooking School and Chef Jason Winn

In some restaurant kitchens, there is a table reserved for special guests who have a privileged dining experience that includes a front row view of the chef at work. This is referred to as the “chef’s table”. In this series, we aim to give our readers a chef’s table experience as we introduce you to some of our area’s chefs and their cuisine with a behind the scenes glimpse into their kitchens and a taste of their fare.

Article & Photos by: LeeAnna Tatum

Do you enjoy fine dining, but find that you’d like to sneak a peek into the kitchen and learn a little more about how your amazing dinner came together? Do you love to cook at home, but miss out on the social interaction of dining out with friends? What about those celebration dinners for special occasions that end up falling short when it comes to engaging with your dinner party and creating those memorable moments?

Did you answer “yes” to any of those questions?

If so, a cooking class at the Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah might be just the thing for you! Classes taught by Chef Jason Winn, who heads up the 700 Kitchen Cooking School (at the Mansion), are an interactive experience for those interested in taking the fine-dining experience beyond the table - all the way back to the kitchen where the magic happens.

Chef Winn encourages his students to jump into the process and get involved as much (or as little) as each one is willing - so there's no pressure for those who might prefer cooking more as a spectator sport. You can attend on your own, as a couple, or as a group. You can even arrange to book a class as a private event and make a truly memorable experience for your next family reunion, work retreat or bridal party.

Since taking over the cooking school, Winn has added a number of classes that go beyond the traditional Southern cuisine that is popular with tourists. This new lineup is meant to appeal to locals and out-of-towners alike. It includes seasonal and internationally themed classes like: Elegant Easter Brunch, A Night in Tuscany and Oktoberfest. There is also a new line of Grand Tour classes offering an overview of culinary regions including: South America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia.

Of course, there are still plenty of opportunities to explore Southern cooking as well with classes like: Low Country Staples, the Southern Table, New Orleans Soiree and Savannah Champagne Brunch.

“When I started there were just a handful of classes, mostly tourist-centered classes. We’ve kept those but modified them some and added more. We’ve expanded from the Low Country to add the New Orleans Class. I added the Southern Table where we make things like tomato pie, fried chicken and mac and cheese - but like badass versions of it,” Winn said with a grin.

Winn grew up in a household where good food was appreciated and country cooking was the norm.

“I’d say my family is a food family, We’ve always been into food even before anyone called it being a ‘foodie’ - we just loved food,” he explained. “I grew up in Texas, so it was chili and pinto beans with cornbread, chicken fried steak, country food, my grandmother’s chicken and dumplings. So, those are the things we loved and, of course, Mexican food because Dallas has great Mexican food!”

He worked his way up through the kitchens and eventually found his way to Savannah as a country club chef which he did for about a decade prior to taking on the position with the cooking school.

Winn’s love of food shines through as he shares his knowledge and passion for cooking with his students.

Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to attend one of his classes and, of course, I chose the Farmers Market Tour. This class delves even deeper in the process by involving students in the shopping experience as well as cooking and eating. And is a great way to get introduced to the Forsyth Farmers Market and all the amazing local ingredients that are available all year.

To start the class off, Chef Winn leads a walking tour of the Forsyth Farmers Market where he shops for fresh local ingredients that will inspire the menu for the three course brunch. It is the only class he teaches where he does not already have a set menu.

Participants have the opportunity to engage with vendors, learn about ingredients that might be unfamiliar and gain an understanding of the importance of starting with quality ingredients inorder to create a delicious meal.

The class I was a part of was about an equal mix of locals and tourists, most had shopped from farmers markets before, but there were a couple for whom the experience was new. As he shopped for ingredients, Winn encouraged his group to get to know the vendors, ask questions, try samples and shop for themselves as well.

After shopping was completed, we all returned to the wonderfully air conditioned kitchen where Chef Winn prepared us all mimosas before the meal preparation began.

Being in the kitchen with Winn is a relaxed and fun experience that somehow feels like being in a spacious home kitchen where all the relatives have gathered. There are small groups of people who know each other well intermingled with practical strangers (you know, like those out of town relatives you never met); there’s joking and teasing among friends along with more polite conversation between those who just met.

In the end, there is order amid perceived chaos and somehow from what seems like a jumble of ingredients and disjointed tasks - completed plates of food emerge.

The menu for this class is always a three course brunch, but those courses are always different and based around the available ingredients of the day. The meal prepared that day included: a goat cheese souffle and microgreen salad, fried tilefish over a vegetable and sausage ratatouille and peach hand pies for dessert.

I spoke with two participants following the class, Savannah local Charlie Gray and his mother Rosita Stefensen who have both taken more than one of Winn’s classes to find out what it was that brought them back.

This was Charlie’s third class, he and his wife attended Date Night and he attended the Low Country Staples class with his mother and aunt. In addition to the great food and cooking tips that he and his wife have incorporated at home, Charlie likes that the experience is always unique and interesting.

“It’s different every time. From the menu standpoint but also from the people standpoint, because half the fun is the people you’re in class with. So you never know who’s going to show up and it’s just a nice way to spend a few hours.”

“I think anybody that’s coming to Savannah for an event or spending the weekend, I think this is a fantastic thing to do,” Charlie recommended.

“Rather than just going to a restaurant and having the food brought to your table, you get to be part of the action and really enjoy it,” Rosita agreed.

The 700 Kitchen Cooking School is part of Mansion on Forsyth Park, a beautifully eclectic center to engage all your senses - from spa treatments to a fine dining restaurant, cooking classes, live music and overnight stays to an ever-changing gallery where all the art is for sale - it’s an inspiring location that’s sure to spark your creativity.

To learn more or to book your cooking class, visit their website: www.themansionsavannah.com