The International Kitchen - Chicago, Illinois

Lynn P.

Wow! We would like to keep this gem to ourselves; but our trip, Secrets of Spoleto was so amazing, we must share! We reached out to the International Kitchen for our dream trip to Italy. Our parameters were - no crowds, small towns, amazing food and cooking. This itinerary checked all the boxes! We've never traveled internationally, but Peg and her team lined up up all the extras - pick up at the airport, train tickets, our hotel in Florence for our last days in Italy - with DETAILED instructions so we could navigate our first Italian adventure with confidence. We were met at the train station in Spoleto by our host for the week, Richard. After a long day of travel, his happy demeanor and enthusiasm perked us up and we were ready to explore our new home for the week. Our 4 star accommodations were in a former residence, turned cozy hotel. Beautiful views, a comfortable room and an easy walk to everything. Cappuccino in China cups and an array of delicious food started our mornings. While there is an itinerary, we did everything and more but not on a timeline/schedule. Richard let us know how each day would flow. We worked in tiny kitchens with phenomenal (and funny) chefs, ate like there were no calories, walked the streets of Spoleto and soaked up all it's history and stories from our host Richard. His vast knowledge, passion for food, art, history and Spoleto made everyday special. I don't know how we can ever top this magical trip made possible by the International Kitchen!

Colette D.

TIK is a great resource for curating a fabulous culinary based trip! I combined the Paris and Normandy excursions into one trip.

The reason for not giving 5 stars: Paris is exciting, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. The hotel was very basic (not what I would expect from a 3-star) and the cooking class was just ok. I never did get the recipes from it.

If I had just done the Normandy trip: 10 stars!! The Old Farm in Amfreville was absolutely delightful! The proprietors were so kind and welcoming. It was like staying with family. The cooking classes and food were next level. The D-Day excursions were emotional and educational.

Trust Peg and the TIK team to put together a wonderful package for you. And definitely do the Normandy trip!

Michele

A gem of a find!! We were so lucky to pluck this company out of all the options available on Google. Peg arranged a most wonderful, epic adventure for us, and very last minute as we did not book our April trip until the end of March. We had an all inclusive cooking tour in Minori on the Amalfi Coast. Our accommodations were in an upscale hotel with a beautiful dining room and adjacent spa. Our double room was large, clean, comfortable and had a balcony and modern bathroom, including bidet. Our tour was private, just us two for cooking classes in the hotel kitchen and guided side excursions to Pompeii, surrounding towns and their attractions on the coast; a huge cathedral; a three generation family run cheese business; a visit to a small, local limencello facility with demonstration and tasting. Our hosts were so friendly and helpful. Our chefs and personal waiter were friendly and attentive. The cooking classes were as hands on as we wanted, or we could let the chefs demonstrate. The food ingredients were all locally sourced and so fresh. We had the recipes to follow along with and had the option of eating our cuisine in the dining room or kitchen. We opted for the kitchen. It was so much fun! We got the recipes, aprons, a diploma, and a parting gift!
The town was walkable, clean, safe and friendly, and so picturesque. We waded in the warm Mediterranean Sea and collected rocks and sea glass on the beach. Thank you, Peg. It was awesome!!

Denise G.

Another amazing trip planned and organized by the International Kitchen. This time I traveled to Poros, Greece.
I spent a fabulous week at the Odyssey Center with Katerina and her daughter Dora, and their wonderful family. They treated us like family, shared their beautiful traditions with us, and spoiled us rotten! The food was so fresh and delicious, often starting at the garden, picking what we needed for a particular recipe. The cooking classes were fun and doable for us to make at home.
We toured Poros by land and by sea, visited Hydra, and were guests at the Easter dinner lamb roast, an experience I will never forget...wine, live music, dancing, the best lamb ever, and wonderful foods and people.
Just beautiful hosts and a place I want to visit again.
Denise Glowaski

Thomas H.

"Undiscovered Scotland" was our second vacation with The International Kitchen.

Our recent trip to Cairnbaan, Scotland, along the Crinan Canal in the Argyll and Bute area, was nothing short of amazing. Jane and Brian, our delightful hosts, made the experience unforgettable with their warmth and hospitality. We spent our days learning to cook traditional Scottish dishes such as Cullen Skink, Bannock, Cock-a-leekie, Scotch pies, Oatcakes, Tattie Scones, and Bridies. The hands-on cooking sessions were both fun and informative, making us feel like true locals.

Staying at the Karibu Cottage was a great choice; its proximity to Jane and Brian’s home meant we could easily walk over for our cooking lessons. The cottage was cozy and well-equipped, providing the perfect base for our explorations. We also had the pleasure of meeting some of their friends, neighbors, and locals, which added a genuine community feel to our stay.

The area itself is steeped in ancient history, with fascinating sites like rock carvings, standing stones, and monuments dating back 5,000 years. We particularly enjoyed walking along the Crinan Canal, taking in the serene landscapes, and watching the boats navigate the locks.

One of the highlights of our trip was the distillery and castle tour in Oban, which was both educational and enjoyable. Jane and Brian also took us on several excursions, including a visit to the Kilmartin Museum and a nature walk, where we gained a deeper appreciation of the region’s history and culture.

Overall, our vacation was a perfect blend of culinary adventure, historical exploration, and warm hospitality. Jane and Brian truly went above and beyond to make our stay memorable, and we left with not only new cooking skills but also fond memories of our time in Scotland. Highly recommend!

Ruth A.

The International Kitchen is an invaluable resource for connecting people to culinary vacations. We used The International Kitchen in 2006 for our honeymoon, so when I started planning my family vacation to Europe this spring and ran across them again, I booked our trip to Athens with their help.

Every culinary trip will be different because each is run independently. One thing I can count on is that The International Kitchen has vetted their hosts. Alex and Denia in Athens were amazing. They took care of everything, from picking me and my family up at the airport to taking us around to their favorite restaurants to booking a private tour of the ruins with an archaeologist. Seeing how no one in my family speaks nor reads Greek, this was a huge boon to us. Alex and Denia were so responsive. Anything we wanted to do or decided we weren't interested in, they were willing to accommodate us.

One bit of advice while booking, be clear about how much of a luxury/concierge type experience you're looking for, and The International Kitchen will steer you towards trips suiting your tastes. The trip to Athens, we stayed in a private home with our hosts, just our family and them, while in 2006 we stayed in a larger house with other guests in the Priorat, and then in a hotel on the Amalfi coast. Accommodations and group size vary widely.

I never could've planned a trip like this on my own, even with months of planning, and I would've been stressed the whole time managing our schedule so we didn't miss anything. Instead, I was able to relax and enjoy my vacation knowing Alex and Denia had everything under control. Their schedule was great, a perfect blend of sightseeing, eating at restaurants, shopping, and cooking local dishes at home. I felt like a close friend being shown around the city. If you want to experience an area like a local, this is the way to do it.

Judy M.

8 friends had a fabulous week on Poros with Katerina and Dora discovering Greek traditional food and wine. The Odyssey hotel was charming (though a lot of stairs) and nothing was too much trouble for our hosts from organising a day trip on a fishing boat to a trip to their farm and a local winery. The cooking classes were great fun & we will certainly try out the recipes when we get home. We have done many trips with International Kitchen and this one was up with the best!

frances S.

International Kitchen expertly covered many of the details of a fabulous trip to Ikaria to visit the kitchen of Diane Kochilas. Flights, hotels, transfers taken care of, mostly with no glitches. Sometimes there were problems with times of pick-up and drop off-probably due more to vendors on the island than IK, and our transfer driver in Ikaria held no sign, so it was hard for us to find him. Overall, the delights were many and the problems few. We thoroughly enjoyed our classes with Diane and the activities that had been arranged for us-including dinners out, a wine tasting, a nature hike...even milking goats! The schedule was perfect as it allowed us free time in the afternoon for exploring Ikaria on our own. We loved swimming in the Aegean, and the hotel pool. It was an excellent adventure.