 Artisan Cooking School and Catering Co. LLC -- First Year Anniversary
Can you believe that one year ago we ventured out to achieve Chef Howard's retirement dream? He wants to teach people how much fun it is to cook and eat great food! And, he is on the way to fulfilling that vision.
Chef Douglas McConnell, our Executive Chef, and Howard Norris, owner, love to share and teach their talents to those who want to learn how to cook. We invite you to come, taste and enjoy one of our Dinner & A Chef theme dinners or come to a cooking class to truly experience our food. Chef Doug's creative and artistic talents have enlighted and amazed our guests. He is fascinating to watch as he plates a mouth watering entr'e in front of you. Check the website calendar for Dinner & A Chef "reservation required" evening theme events.
Our Cooking Classes are becoming popular and many of our students are coming back to learn more. The summertime grilling classes were a huge hit! People didn't realize how much food two chefs could prepare in class and then serve it for a true test of great cooking! Whether it is a pasta class, hors d'oeuvres, chicken, dessert, or a sauce class, the chefs will take the mystery out of cooking, share their secrets to enhance your cooking process, and always give you something sweet to taste before you go home.
Artisan is unique to its catering services. We offer a "custom" catering menu to allow you to choose your food menu. We have created many over the top presentations that have dazzled our customers. That's why it is important for you to talk to our chefs and get creative about your event and stay within your budget. This is your event and we want you to be the greatest host by having the freshest and finest ingredients in your food. We want to wow your guests!
Our desserts are handcrafted and elegantly presented. Chef Howard is getting known for his delicious custard ice cream. We also make other delicious desserts such as a chocolate mousse, cr'me brulee, caramel flans, and Chef Howard's very popular warm chocolate volcano cakes.
The Kitchen Kids cooking classes have also been exciting and popular. Kids from 4 years old to 12 love to help in the kitchen. Our number one goal is for the kids to have fun in the kitchen! Letting them be creative and getting their hands dirty teaches them that cooking is fun and that they can cook.
 We, at Artisan, want to say Thank You to everyone for your support, friendship, guidance and patience as we build this dream. While it can be challenging at times, it is you the customer that allows us to be creative and present our finest products. We look forward to another success year!
On July 28, 2006, Howard and Kathy Norris took ownership of Artisan Cooking School and Catering Company, LLC. As we begin our new lives together (recently married) we want to share our expectations of great food.
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Chef
Douglas McConnell brings over 20 years of culinary
experience to the kitchen of the Artisan Cooking School. Schooled
at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago,
and trained under some of the nation's top chefs, Douglas
has developed a keen eye for presentation and a sharp
palette that he brings to his hearty creations. Chef
Douglas is a Grand Haven native and has held the helm
as Executive Chef in leading West Michigan fine dining
establishments such as The Sierra Room, Alpenrose and
Cygnus. He enjoys adding a global spin to his New American
Cuisine. " Cooking is a craft that one never masters,
but continues to develop over the course of a lifetime," he
says. It is Chef Douglas' quest for knowledge of product,
culinary technique and love of teaching people that bring
The Artisan Cooking School's guests some of the most
honest and delicious food in the area. Chef Douglas enjoys
cooking for causes, reading theology and fathering his
precious 5 year old daughter, Octavia.
