5 Reasons You Should Visit Grandma Ingrid’s

Into the  countryside of Arroyo Grande, about 5 miles away from downtown is a quaint home with the scent of fresh cinnamon rolls wafting from the front door. Upon entering there is an undeniable feeling of warmth and love as Grandma Ingrid herself walks up to greet you with a great big hug.  And in that hug you know that you are about to have a delicious home cooked meal, the kind grandma would make.

The concept of Grandma Ingrid’s began when her daughter Nicolle decided to leave her ambulance position to pursue her love for cooking. Nicolle had noticed there was a need in the community to learn the basics of food preparation. So, who better to turn to than Grandma Ingrid? With a vast cooking history in San Luis Obispo County and over 50 years of professional cooking experience under her belt, Grandma Ingrid is no stranger to the kitchen. She has served as a food judge at the California Mid State Fair, was the director of food service for the local school district and helped bring the master food service program to the county. Grandma Ingrid has also spent time teaching cooking classes for: 4H, T.A.P , Avila Barn, Gopher Glen, Talley Winery and Peacock Cellars.

As Nicolle decided to pursue her dream, Grandma Ingrid decided to come out of retirement to share her recipes to all generations. This mother/daughter team has been killing it with their delicious meals and enjoyable classes. They’ve expanded their class selection over the years to include: pickling, kimchi, sourdough bread, cheese, pasta and more. When we were invited to their home this past weekend we could not help but be thrilled to participate in one of their many sold out classes.

Here are 5 reasons why you NEED to go to Grandma Ingrid’s

1. It feels like home – At Grandma Ingrid’s they want you to feel comfortable and relaxed. The family wanted to create an environment where you can learn how to prepare food without the pressures of kitchen perfection. Grandma and Nicolle are there by your side to answer your questions and guide you. They also keep the class size to around 20 people so you can have fun mingling and making new friends.

2. You get to learn something new – Bring home some of Grandma Ingrid’s personal recipes and wow your friends at your next party. If you have visitors from out of town who are looking forsomething interesting and local this is a great experience to show off life in the central coast!

3. You get to eat…A LOT! And their spread is the BOMB! – When you arrive you are greeted by tables full of freshly cooked food with ingredients straight from their garden. On top of this your ticket also includes lunch with MANY snacks! At the start of our class we had cinnamon rolls, popovers with a variety of homemade curd and Italian ice with berries. Lunch was baked potato – fully loaded, beans, fresh salsa, feta cheese with grape tomatoes and capers, cornbread with homemade butter and pickled veggies. When class ended there was cheesecake AND coconut cake! So come hungry and leave satiated.

4. You get to appreciate fresh and local produce – During your break you can take a tour around their backyard garden and see with your own eyes where your meal is coming from. The garden is full of beautiful flowers, vegetables and an outdoor patio to relax.

5. You get to take something home! – As if all the above wasn’t enough you get something to take home! If you take the sourdough bread class you will be gifted some of Grandma Ingrid’s 100 year old starter. During our “Cinnamon Roll & Popover” class each took home 6 cinnamon rolls. They can be baked there or taken to go. We chose to take ours to go and bake them at home for our neighbors. Let’s just say our neighbors love us even more ♥

So what are you waiting for? LIKE Grandma Ingrid’s Facebook page, FOLLOW them on Instagram and CHECK EnjoySLO.com for their upcoming events! This month they will be having classes on pickling, sourdough then cheesecake & creampuffs!!! Get your tickets early before it sells out!