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From left, Jenny Tremblay West, owner Christine Wansleben and Laurel Herman.
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Mise en Place is located at 104 Shockoe Slip.
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Mise en Place offers a variety of classes covering topics from paleo dishes and winter cocktails to Italian and Mexican specialties.
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Inside Mise en Place
Follow the cobblestones and turn into Shockoe Slip to find Mise en Place cooking school, led by Executive Chef and owner Christine Wansleben. Mise en Place marks its 15th anniversary this December and is commemorating the milestone with a guest series of classes led by a squad of the city’s culinary stars.
“We wanted to do something to celebrate 15 years,” says Wansleben. “We thought, 'Let’s highlight and not only bring in chefs but different people we’ve worked with.' ”
The motto at Mise en Place: Food is a story. Through frequent public classes, private events and parties, Wansleben and her team seek to create an educational, hands-on experience where learning ranges from knife-sharpening skills and herb identification to the basics of roasting chicken, one-pan dishes and globally inspired specialties.
“People come to us, and they want to know [that] whoever they are talking to can give them great advice and tips and techniques — we bring in people from all different culinary backgrounds,” Wansleben says.
“It brings people together,” explains Wansleben, who says one of the school's biggest clients is Capital One. “Afterwards they say it was a lot of fun — there’s something for everyone.”
So how did Mise en Place, the longest-operating cooking school of its kind in the Richmond area, come to be?
After graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in retail and marketing, Wansleben lived in New York City and worked in the garment industry. She became a regular at local markets and would re-create recipes on a small stove in the hallway outside her tiny studio apartment.
“I liked to cook for myself because I couldn’t afford to go out,” she says.
In 1996, Wansleben began taking night classes at the Institute of Culinary Education, at that time known as Peter Kump's New York Cooking School. She completed a 300-hour internship at Chanterelle, a four-star French restaurant in Tribeca headed by the future James Beard Award-winning chef David Waltuck — it was there she learned the importance of running a tight ship.
Wansleben later went on to work at 11 Madison Park, a venture led by Chef Danny Meyer (that he ended up selling in 2011), and witnessed the details of a restaurant coming to life from beginning to end.
After landing in Richmond a month before 9/11, she served as the catering chef for A Sharper Palate. “I enjoyed teaching and talking to people, and there was no freestanding space where you could do that, so I kind of took the idea by the reins and started a business plan,” says Wansleben, who admits one of her biggest obstacles in launching her business came from the banks.
"All these old male bankers said, ‘This proposal looks great. We can’t help you, but when you open my wife would love to come down,’ " she says. Wansleben would later receive a microloan through the Richmond Economic Development Authority.
Today, nearly 15 years later, Mise en Place has established itself as one of the few culinary institutions in the city offering classes.
The commemorative guest series of classes led by industry professionals launches Jan. 24 with chef and restaurateur Jason Alley. The lineup of culinary experts includes a mix of small-business owners new and old and restaurateurs who will highlight their skill sets.
Each class is 90 minutes and costs $50 per person; there are 40 slots available per class. The series features Mike Ledesma of Perch, Matthew Tlusty of Saltbox Oyster Co., Maggie Bradshaw of Truckle Cheesemongers, Rachel Bolling of Lush Cupcakes, Tanya Cauthen of Belmont Butchery, Julie Heins of Secco Wine Bar, Morgan Botwinick of Whisk and Scoop, Ian Merryman of Tiny Victory, David Hahn of Salt & Forge, and Joe Lajoie of River City Woodfire.
“This can appeal to people who are interested in a certain chef or business,” says Wansleben. “Ninety-nine percent of the classes are hands-on, and that’s what separates us. It’s also a great way to try food from places you’ve been wanting to visit.”
In 2010, Wansleben brought on Jenny Tremblay West, former owner of Sweetest Thing Pastry, to the Mise en Place team. The duo met through a meetup for women in the food industry. "She had her degree in pastry but was great at everything,” Wansleben says.
Three years ago, Laurel Herman, chef at Good Foods Grocery and author of "The Inner Kitchen" and "The Blissed Out Chef," came on board, sharing an extensive knowledge of healthy eating.
“I’ve been really fortunate, says Wansleben. “Not every chef or food professional is a good instructor, not everyone can talk to an audience. I think one of the reasons for our success is we're appreciative. We're an extra, no one had to come to our place, but we think we offer something unique."
