Braise Restaurant

Braise is a Milwaukee restaurant at 1101 S 2nd St. Its menus are built on local, seasonal ingredients, and the current dinner menu runs from pork buns to beef stifado. Chef/owner Dave Swanson teaches the classes. Diners rate it 4.5 stars from 242 Google reviews.

Braise Basics are single-session, hands-on workshops. Topics cover technique, like Knife Skills and Stocks & Sauces, and cuisine-specific classes such as Mexican Street Food and Hearty Soups. You need to reserve ahead, and the new classes run Tuesday through Thursday. Fees are per person, so two people sharing a station need two tickets. You can add a wine bottle pairing chosen by the chef.

For more depth, Semester at Braise is a 10-week boot camp covering cooking, baking, menu planning and wine pairing. Students get a textbook, chef coat and apron. The course ends with a Graduation Dinner, where students cook four courses for family and friends. Private classes start at $85 per person, with a 6-person and/or $900 minimum. They can be paired with a private dinner of the dishes your group made.