Heirloom Kitchen

Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge is two things in one room. Thursday through Sunday it runs as a chef's counter restaurant around an open kitchen island. On other nights and weekend mornings it becomes a recreational cooking school with hands-on classes. Neilly Robinson founded it in 2013 with her mother, Judy. Executive Chef David Viana, a James Beard nominee and Top Chef contestant, leads the kitchen.

Classes last about 2.5 hours. Most start at 6:30pm on weeknights, and weekend brunch classes start at 11am. The lineup changes every month and covers a lot of ground: Roman Inspired Pasta Brunch, Dim Sum Brunch, Exploring Sicily, Puerto Rican Cooking and a Pat LaFrieda Dry Aged Steakhouse Class. Guest chefs teach some classes too, like Chef Ram for Biryani Night.

Unless a class says otherwise, it costs $140 per person. It's BYO, and you can also buy Alba Vineyard wines by the bottle on site. Each month's schedule goes up about a month ahead and classes sell out fast, so join the mailing list. Tickets can't be refunded, but you can send someone in your place.