Denny Culbert
Kids' Cooking Classes at Dickie Brennan's new restaurant, Acorn
In my favorite Pixar movie, Ratatouille, Master Chef Auguste Gusteau has one line in particular that strikes me in its poignancy: “Anyone can cook, but only the fearless can be great.” Who among us, I wonder, is the most fearless? I think back to episodes of MasterChef Junior, in which eight-year-olds create dishes with flavor profiles and ingredients I—an overthinking, highly critical adult—would never consider, would never be fearless enough to try: five spice chicken wings with sriracha foam, bratwurst panini with beer-glazed shallots, or grilled corn with chipotle chili butter.
At Dickie Brennan’s newest restaurant, comfortably ensconced in the Louisiana Children’s Museum, creativity and cuisine collide in an ultimate showcase of childhood fearlessness. Settled against the backdrop of City Park, Acorn’s culinary classes for kids offers a scenic wonderland for little chefs to do their greatest work through play and discovery.
“Yeah, [the kids] get a sugar high, but everyone needs treats!” laughed Yvette Pettus, Dickie Brennan and Co. partner and Acorn’s culinary arts classes creator. Pettus’s background as a former neonatal ICU nurse helped in implementing COVID protocols for both the restaurants and kids’ classes. It was an uncertain time, but Pettus aimed to create stability for staff by continuing to offer culinary classes. “We thought, let’s give this a try,” said Pettus. “Everybody has had so much fun developing and teaching the classes. Everybody on the staff will say that it’s been rewarding.”
Denny Culbert
In speaking about the program’s beginnings, she recalled, laughing, a little girl screaming incessantly because Acorn staff took her poptart away to bake it. Starting with lessons on sweets like poptarts and ice cream, the classes shifted to themed celebrations of holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mardi Gras, and Easter. “Typically at the end, the Easter bunny would show up and we would do the bunny hop, or we’d second line during the king cake class. We’re making sure we’re touching on different things for different kids, like fun sensory [activities].”
To get a better idea of what the classes were like, I sought out an expert: Six-year-old Stella Esteve has attended five Acorn classes. For her interview, she wore a unicorn bow that covered most of her head and a shirt adorned with four Shopkins characters—a strawberry, a donut, a cookie, and an apple—all with smiling faces.
Denny Culbert
What was your favorite class?
The ice cream one. It tasted so good!
Can you tell me about how you made the ice cream?
I put some milk in [a plastic bag], and I shook it! It was freezing! I had to pass it around ‘cause my hands got so cold. I shivered!
What’s your favorite part about the classes?
Eating!
What is a class you’d like to take next?
A veggie class! A veggie parfait! Then a fruit parfait class! Raspberries, yogurt, little nuts...I mean raisins! Raspberries, yogurt, raisins, raspberries, yogurt, raisins! Or making breakfast could be the next class.
Yum. What do you like to make for breakfast?
Eggs (When we weren’t talking about parfaits, Stella was pretty terse.)
Well, what kind of eggs?
Runny. I know how to make them.
Lucky for us gourmands, Stella isn’t afraid of anything. She and her peers have shown us that “anyone can cook.”
Cooking classes will resume at Acorn this fall. You can reserve your spot or book a birthday party at acornnola.com.
