The 700 Kitchen Cooking School: Savannah's Highest Rated Attraction

The 700 Kitchen Cooking School is part of the Mansion on Forsyth Park, one of Savannah's finest hotels. The hotel is in the southern part of the Historic District and sits facing Forsyth Park, Savannah's largest green space. All of the southern part of the District is within walking distance of the mansion, but some of the closest attractions include the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the Andrew Low House, the Green-Meldrim Home and the Mercer Williams House. The hotel can be reached easily from Interstate 16. Savannah's public transit system, CAT, has a free downtown shuttle that stops near the Mansion.

The 700 Kitchen Cooking School is the highest-rated attraction in Savannah, and the third highest-rated in the United States, according to the travel review website tripadvisor.com. Of 152 reviews on the site, 149 were "Excellent,'' or five-star, and three were "Very Good,'' or four-star. What makes the experience so great? It starts with Chef Darin Sehnert - Chef Darin, to his students. Although Chef Darin is well-credentialed, with a degree from Johnson & Wales and a partnership with Le Cordon Bleu-Paris, it is his personality that makes him a hit in class. Consider these comments from TripAdvisor - Chef Darin "answered every and all questions,'' and "was very generous with his time.'' He "was informative, funny and had [a] perfect approach...'' "Chef Darin is fun, entertaining and full of knowledge.'' After all, as the chef explained in the Savannah Morning News, "A big part of [my] cooking philosophy is having fun. Cooking can and should be an expression of one's creativity, not the drudgery of following a recipe with 22 steps.''

Another popular aspect of the class is that it is accessible to all ages and all levels of talent. One family brought their three boys, ages 11, 13 and 14, and watched them "devouring food they would have never ... eaten in a restaurant.'' "My husband and I don't even like to cook!'' raved another woman, who said it was the highlight of their visit to Savannah. Classes are open to any age 12 and over, and are available for individuals and groups of up to 24, who may reserve classes for private events.

The wide variety of classes available is also appealing, and some visitors go back again and again. Chef Darin's classes fall into three broad categories:

Cooking skills. These classes focus on specific kitchen techniques and include Flavor Dynamics, Stewing and Braising, Intro to Cake Decorating, Searing & Sauteeing and Knife Skills.

Seasonal cooking. Chef Darin has classes for every season, including Holiday Cookies, Christmas Brunch, Valentine's Sweet Treats, Summer Cookouts (not like any cookout you've ever had!), Autumn Harvest Supper and Stress Free Thanksgiving.

Regional cooking. These classes focus on a particular region's cuisine and include Northern Italy, Low Country, French Bistro, Tapas, Mezze & More!, Lighter Latin and Mexican Fiesta!

The school offers special events as well, like an all-day class that takes students to local markets to shop and then comes back to the school to prepare what they have bought, classes that feature guest chefs, and vacation classes that take place at other locations. In addition, the school offers packages that include a stay at the Mansion or a meal at the hotel's restaurant, 700 Drayton.

The Low Country cooking class is by far the most popular, although there are no classes that have gotten less than stellar ratings. Most classes are three hours long and are reasonably priced. This person's comment sums up the 700 Kitchen Cooking School experience: "I thought it strange that a cooking class was the #1 "thing to do" in Savannah on tripadvisor.com, but after participating I can certainly understand why. Hats off to you, Chef Darin, and thanks for the experience.''