Although Hart Kitchen is new, Chef Anne Hartis no stranger to the food scene. Sadly, her restaurant Provence Market Cafe, was lost in a devastating fire in 2019.
For years Hart has been looking for a space to do culinary classes in. And though 2020 hasn’t been filled with too much luck, Hart came across some when she found a large building in Clarksburg. The building which is divided into two spaces, a small restaurant with a bar, and a large open space, was just what Hart needed to create Hart Kitchen Eatery and Hart Cookery.
Hart Cookery can take up to 12 people but is currently only taking private groups due to COVID. “Eventually you’ll be able to go to HartKitchen.com, and see the available spots for a night, and you just go on and buy whatever spot you want.”, says Hart. But even with the private group restrictions, Hart Cookery has already seen the demand and interest in the new culinary classes, with multiple classes already booked out.
The cooking classes will also take a unique spin on what some may expect. “The premise of Hart Cookery is to cook what’s fresh and what’s local, so we will be teaching without recipes, the premise is the same as you would do in a grocery store…okay that chicken looks really good, this is why it looks really good, and why I am going to buy it over that fish…and then once the protein has been selected, look at what’s seasonal, and then working through the different developments.” explains Hart, “We will be doing three courses, a starter, an entree, and a dessert.”
The classes will also dive into going beyond “what it says”, and help students understand how something should actually taste and look. “You have to learn to watch to know what’s going on…”
Meanwhile, in the Hart Kitchen, you can expect to see the continued theme of fresh and local through their Classic American Regional dishes. Menu items include dishes from Canada, New England, New Orleans, etc. “We always do a very small core menu, but will always have a seafood of the day and a pasta of the day.” With menu planning every Monday, you can be certain that something unique and delicious is always in store for the weekend.
If you stop in and see some familiar faces from Provence Market… you’re not seeing things! The whole crew came back to work in Hart Kitchen! Which should be a pretty big hint at just how awesome this place is!
