A pinch of fun, a dash of learning at new Smithtown cooking studio

From handmade pasta and sushi rolls to Spanish tapas and French cuisine, a new cooking studio in downtown Smithtown is inviting residents to roll up their sleeves and get creative in the kitchen.

Taste Buds Kitchen opened Aug. 22 at 102 W. Main St., offering hands-on cooking classes, birthday parties and private events for children and adults.

Owner Cesar Del Carpio said the studio has received an enthusiastic response since opening, particularly for its adult cooking classes and children’s birthday parties.

“It’s a kids’ kitchen by day, adult kitchen by night,” Del Carpio told Greater Long Island.

For the youngest aspiring chefs, Taste Buds offers caregiver-and-me classes for children ages 2 and up, with activities such as cookie decorating and pizza making. Older children can take part in birthday parties, cooking camps and school-break programs.

Adults, meanwhile, can trade their usual dinner reservations for a night of cooking, with classes featuring everything from handmade pasta and Thai-inspired dishes to sushi, French cuisine and Spanish tapas.

Del Carpio said fresh pasta has been among the most popular offerings so far.

A typical adult class begins with a demonstration from the head chef before participants head to their stations to prepare a full meal themselves. Culinary instructors guide guests through each step, while kitchen assistants handle cleanup between courses and take care of the dishes afterward.

“You learn something new while also having fun along the way,” Del Carpio said.

The studio also hosts corporate team-building events and private parties, giving groups an opportunity to work together in the kitchen.

Del Carpio said the idea is to make cooking approachable, even for people who don’t consider themselves particularly skilled in the kitchen. The chefs serve as both instructors and hosts, helping guests enjoy the process as much as the finished meal.

And while participants leave with new cooking skills and a meal they’ve prepared themselves, Del Carpio hopes they take something else home, too.

“We want to be the cooking story that people are able to tell,” he said.

No membership is required to attend a class. Guests can browse the schedule and book individual sessions online.

Taste Buds Kitchen is located at 102 W. Main St., Suite H, in Smithtown. Visit the website for class schedules or to plan birthday parties or other private event bookings.

Take a walking tour

Photos by Julianne Mosher

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Top: Taste Buds owner Cesar Del Carpio leads a recent cooking class at his new shop in Smithtown. (Credit: GLI/Julianne Mosher)