Food & Drink
IN THE KITCHEN
Thyme to Cook
Cooking classes empower kitchen confidence
PHOTOS BY RILEY GUERZINI
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hyme in the Kitchen offers everything a person needs to become a home chef extraordinaire with countless kitchen accessories, gadgets, and cookware and, of course, its popular cooking classes. “We definitely wanted to create that experience and have our customers get more excited about cooking,” says General Manager Ruth Richmond, who has worked at Thyme in the Kitchen since it opened in December 2013 at 2308 W. Franklin St. Though the store operators do not teach the classes themselves, all types of instructors are featured in the classes, including chefs from area restaurants, caterers, vendor specialists, and cooking enthusiasts. Some classes involve teaching techniques with baking, while most classes offer a full meal with a salad, entrée, and dessert. Participants watch as the chef prepares everything from start to finish using many of the products and tools found throughout the store. Thyme in the Kitchen also offers hands-on learning classes, but those have not yet returned from their pandemic-related pause. “I love the human interactions,” says chef April Boeke, who teaches three to four classes a month at Thyme in the Kitchen. “I like the creativity of it and empowering people to be comfortable in the kitchen.” Boeke is the owner of Culinary Innovations, a catering and private event cooking company located inside
CHEF APRIL BOEKE
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EVANSVILLE LIVING JULY/AUGUST 2021
GENERAL MANAGER RUTH RICHMOND
Thyme in the Kitchen. She says the classes are a great way to meet others who have a passion for cooking. A typical class size is 18 people, though classes have been limited since restarting in July 2020. The store hosts about 25 classes a month plus private events such as wedding showers, bachelorette parties, and corporate events. Lunch classes are an hour and cost $25. Evening classes are about two and one half hours. Each class focuses on a certain type of cuisine, including Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Argentinian, Caribbean, Spanish, Greek, and everything in between. Thyme in the Kitchen also offers sushi rolling and barbecue grilling classes. The store also offers children’s classes for varying age ranges throughout the summer. These are focused more on fun than teaching techniques, though they do instruct on simple cooking practices. “We encourage tons of questions,” says Richmond. “We give everybody recipe cards when they take a class, so they can go home and make the recipe and learn some other tips and tricks from the chefs, like how to cut up a pepper or how to keep your chicken moist so it doesn’t dry out.” To sign up for classes, customers can visit Thyme in the Kitchen location on Franklin Street or call the store at 812-437-2726. — RILEY GUERZINI TEACHING TECHNIQUE thymeinthekitchen.com
CHEW ON THIS NOW OPEN
Emge’s Deli and Diner has opened at its new location at 3848 N. First Ave. under the ownership of Tracie Jones. JB’s Barnyard is the newest Evansville food truck serving an extensive list of the regional brand, Chaney’s ice cream flavors and styles. Milk & Sugar Scoop Shoppe opened a second location at 10931 Highway 66. With a soft opening on June 1, Dontae’s On Main officially opened as the second location of Dontae’s Pizza Parlor at 606 N. Main St. on June 7. Ben’s Soft Pretzels opened in the food court inside Eastland Mall, serving soft pretzels, pretzel, bites, and even a pretzel crust pizza. The long-awaited new restaurant in the former Tin Man building (1430 W. Franklin St.), Copper House, opened on June 1. The menu is packed with specialty items, such as the bacon-wrapped Cincinnati Chili dog, made by chef Charisa Perkins. Parlor Doughnuts reopened its original shop at 12 N.W. Third St. with a limited menu. All locations will now offer “Parlor Doughboy’s Original Shakes” made with any doughnut topping flavor.
NIBBLES
Siciliano Subs at 2021 W. Franklin St. and both Honey + Moon Coffee Co. locations will now offer beer and wine. It’s patio season at Prime Time Pub and Grill’s (8177 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN) new deck. Inkas Peruvian restaurant is moving in at 8401 N. Kentucky Ave., the former Iwataya location. Later this year, Guadalajara Mexican Grill will open at 601 E. Boonville-New Harmony Road. Breakfast has arrived at Zaps Tavern. The restaurant at 3725 St. Phillips Road will offer breakfast service from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Canton Inn Restaurant (947 N. Park Drive) reopened its buffet, now with potstickers and bourbon chicken on the menu. Osaka Japense Hibachi and Sushi is set to open mid-July in the former Crazy Buffett II location on the West Side. Farmer and Frenchman Winery at 12522 Highway 41, Robards, Kentucky, has three solar-powered cabins for rental with a 360-degree view of the property.
DEARLY DEPARTED Owners Doros and Ellada Hadjisavva have closed Acropolis Restaurant & Catering. But it isn’t the end for your favorite menu items: Acropolis will be absorbed into the menu at the Hadjisavvas’ newest restaurant concept, Riverwalk Restaurant (6 Walnut St.). Acropolis Catering and Express will continue to operate out of VENUE 812 in the old Western Ribeye building at 1401 N. Boeke Road. Arazu on Main has closed after a long year of pandemic-induced struggles. The brand will continue operating at Café Arazu (which recently debuted a new deck) and Ben and Penny’s Ice Cream Shop in Newburgh. The historic Barrett-Britz building at 415 Main St. has been purchased by a new owner.
