In one of Key West’s oldest buildings, a new culinary attraction awaits people hungry to discover the island’s authentic flavors. It’s an attraction that celebrates the southernmost city’s 200-year heritage, creative and resourceful people and one-of-a-kind cuisine.
What is it? The Key West Cooking School, located upstairs at 291 Front St., in a sprawling brick structure built by the U.S. Navy in 1856.
The school isn’t an in-depth training academy for professional chefs, and it’s not a restaurant in the typical sense. Instead, it offers guests an entertaining cooking class, a glimpse of Key West’s history through cuisine, and a satisfying dining experience shared with new friends — all in a colorful, comfortable setting that suggests a vintage kitchen ruled by a smiling grandma.
Each of the school’s culinary classes is a standalone adventure, taught by a chef-storyteller who shares insights and cooking tips, and ends with participants savoring a meal of dishes that help define the island’s essence.
As in grandma’s kitchen, guests at the school learn to prepare dishes seasoned with tradition. Alongside measurements, preparation techniques and useful kitchen “hacks,” chef-storytellers reveal the history behind favorite island recipes, the reasons certain ingredients are so prevalent, and the ways pioneering Bahamian and Cuban settlers contributed to the fusion called “Conch cuisine.”
That distinctive cuisine was built on resources available in the island’s isolated early days: fish and seafood harvested from surrounding waters, tropical fruits from trees that flourished in the year-round warmth, and spices and seasonings carried on ships visiting the port.
During each demonstration-style class, attendees learn to prepare a four-course meal based around dishes that have been Key West favorites for generations. These might include Bahamian coconut stew, featuring fresh seafood, coconut milk, limes and fiery Scotch bonnet peppers; picadillo, a beloved Cuban “comfort food” blending ground beef, olives and raisins in a seasoned sauce; or Key lime pie, the Florida Keys’ tart, creamy signature dessert.
Classes are offered Tuesday through Saturday, three times each day, and reservations are required (305-294-COOK). Menus and dishes vary to ensure an ever-changing experience.
Delicious as they are, culinary classes aren’t the only offerings at the Key West Cooking School. Adjoining the kitchen and dining area stands Bar 1, a convivial refuge-themed bar to salute Key West’s past and current literary adventurers.
The bar is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a cocktail menu whose influences range from the island’s early settlers to its infamous rum-running days. Also available are foodie favorites that can be paired with libations.
Last Bites
Dish of the month: Mariscado. What could be better than fresh fish harvested from local waters and marinated with citrus, garlic and spices before cooking? The island-style entrée called Mariscado is served with a side of fluffy rice.
Helpful kitchen hack: To cut picture-perfect slices of Key lime pie, always use a warm knife. Dip the knife in hot water and then dry it before cutting into the pie.Hungry for more? Visit keywestcookingschool.com.
