Cooks' Emporium — Local services in Ames

We recently had a team building event at Cook's Emporium with Patrick leading a pasta making class. To say it was a wild success would be an understatement. We are a relatively new team that was more a collection of professionals rather than a team. The experience at Cook's Emporium created connections and allowed everyone to see each other in a new way.

Patrick is an amazing host! He's funny with great stories. He knows how to get the group interacting and how to step back once that happens. And it doesn't hurt that he's a hell of a cook too! Everyone enjoyed the evening immensely. And for those of you that like to cook or bake, Cook's Emporium is a playground. Bring your wallet because you're going to want to take home some of the high quality cookware and oils & vinegars they have.

Thanks for a great night of true...

Don't sharpen your Japanese knives here.

Cooks' Emporium uses a mechanical cutter and the staff do not know how to maintain the shape of Japanese knives. The entire blade is used to cut but they left what is effectively a finger guard on my knife. My knife is unbalanced now. I am pretty hesitant handing over my knife to people and I made a big mistake here. Their style of sharpening took quite a bit of metal off of my blade, ~1.5mm and I will have to get it fixed which will take more metal off. I think this kind of work is fine for a chef who is comfortable getting new knives every so often, but if you have an attachment to yours like I do my own, I would look somewhere else [especially if you have a Japanese knife].

Otherwise, the...

I visited this store every single day during my long weekend here in town! My first day, I went to one of the cooking classes offered, and it was absolutely amazing and a must-try if you're ever in Ames -- not only do you learn how to cook the meal, but you also get to try the food in the end! There are also a TON of great products in store -- including flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars (I bought a small bottle of the chocolate espresso balsamic to take home with me!) All in all, this is a great establishment, and I would 10/10 recommend visiting Cooks' Emporium if you're...