Home of Eclectic Soul Food
A youth cooking program from Plates On Deck
The Culinary Court
Real cooking, real knives, real food — taught to kids ages 11 to 13, one rank at a time.
Join the interest listOur first group is limited to six students.
Not a craft class. A kitchen.
Most kids' cooking activities hand out pre-measured cups and call it a day. The Culinary Court teaches the actual craft: how to hold a knife, how to season by taste, how to read a recipe and then cook without one.
Students work in pairs at their own stations, cook something real every session, and eat what they make. They learn to clean as they go, because that's the job too.
What keeps them coming back is the ladder. Every student enters the court as a Lad or Lady and earns their way up. Ranks aren't handed out for showing up — they're earned by demonstrating the skill.
The progression
Six ranks, from Lad to King
Each rank has a skill a student has to show before they move up. Everyone starts at the bottom, and nobody skips a rung.
Lad & Lady Everyone starts here
Kitchen safety, sanitation, knife grip, and the vocabulary of a working kitchen.
Page
Knife cuts, measuring, mise en place, and reading a recipe start to finish.
Squire
Heat control, sautéing, seasoning by taste, and one full dish start to finish.
Knight
Timing several components at once, and cooking without a written recipe.
Noble
Menu planning, cooking for other people, and running a station.
King & Queen
Plan, shop, cook, and serve a full meal — then mentor a new Lad or Lady.
The details
What to expect
- Ages
- 11–13Our first group is deliberately narrow in age.
- Group size
- 6 studentsSmall enough that every student gets real attention.
- Format
- WeeklyAbout two hours per session, over roughly eight weeks.
- Where
- DavenportLocation, dates, and cost go out to the interest list first.
Who's teaching
Chef Ken
Co-owner, Plates On Deck
Before starting Plates On Deck, Chef Ken spent seven years at the Boys Club of New York as Youth Program Specialist and Culinary Program Director, building and running culinary programs for kids.
He has since competed on Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race and taken first place at FusionFest and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show. The Culinary Court is a return to the work he started in.
Two adults are present at every session. All adults working directly with students are background screened, and we use portable induction burners rather than open flame.
Get on the list
Six seats.
We're building the first group now. Add your family to the interest list and you'll be the first to hear when dates, location, and cost are set.
This isn't enrollment and there's nothing to pay. It just tells us you're interested — and helps us decide how many groups to run.
You're on the list. We'll be in touch as soon as dates and location are confirmed.