About
Kitchen Table Maplewood Kids Classes and Camps offers hands-on cooking classes where kids prepare dishes such as pasta and sushi and take part in themed sessions like Taylor Swift album launch baking and The Bear-inspired cooking nights. The program also runs kids classes alongside adult and family classes, private events, team-building and networking events, birthday parties, and special offerings like a Bento Box family class, Family Pasta Class, New Year, Healthier You class, and Mediterranean Cooking class.
• Ages: 2–17 years old
Kitchen Table is a culinary studio staffed by seven chefs who teach lessons on meal staples such as pasta as well as more adventurous options like sushi, with a large wooden communal table used for shared meals. The studio specializes in teaching children ages 2 to 17 in a nut-free kitchen with noted limitations regarding ingredients from facilities that process nuts, and it is described as vegetarian-friendly. Classes typically include about 8 to 10 children to allow for personalized attention, and all private events are structured as hands-on cooking experiences rather than catering. Adult events are BYOB, and Kitchen Table offers gift cards for classes and includes a 15% administrative fee for public adult classes to cover staffing, ingredient costs, and processing expenses. Guests are advised to wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothing with sleeves that roll up easily, and adult participants scrub up and put on aprons at the start of class, with most drinking recommended during the meal.
The leadership team includes Owner and Lead Instructor Chef Lila Lea; Director of Adult & Family Classes and Private Events Dawn Yoselowitz; Lead Pastry Chef Chef Karen Nicholas; Lead Instructor for Classes and Camps Chef Lori Bright; and Kids Events Coordinator Tina Mitra. Chef Lila Lea is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan, has worked as a private chef and in catering, and previously ran a children’s cooking program on the Upper East Side. Dawn Yoselowitz is a former fashion editor at Seventeen magazine, has taught hundreds of local 2-to-5-year-olds, and designed mindfulness rooms at Tuscan Elementary, Maplewood Middle, and Columbia High School. Chef Karen Nicholas began her baking career at a local Maplewood bakery where she trained new staff and led teams during the busy holiday season, is a self-taught baker, and runs her own cottage bakery business. Tina Mitra coordinates kids events including birthday parties, attended the Petite Chefs class with her son for over a year, previously worked in recruiting and human resources for a high-frequency trading firm, and holds a degree in molecular biology and neuroscience from Princeton University. Chef Lori Bright has 15 years of experience as a preschool teacher and as a culinary instructor at a sleepaway camp, previously worked in private banking at Citibank, holds a degree from Binghamton University and an MBA in Finance from Adelphi University, and is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City.
Additional chefs at Kitchen Table include Chef Lena Barnett, who began baking in high school at a local Maplewood bakery, studied at Johnson & Wales University, traveled to France and Italy to refine her pastry skills, and holds an Associate’s degree in Baking & Pastry Arts, a Bachelor’s in Food Service Management with a concentration in Contemporary Pastry Arts, and an MBA focused on Hospitality. Chef Brian Bennett is a graduate of the Texas Culinary Academy with a degree in Culinary Arts, has extensive experience in catering, hospitality, culinary management, and private chef and consulting roles, has taught at Hudson Table in Hoboken and Eat Clean Bro, LLC, and specializes in Southern cooking, Texan ranch cuisine, New Orleans-inspired dishes, and classic French techniques. Chef Gilbert (Gill) Boyd is a Certified Executive Chef and Culinary Educator with forty years of experience, studied at Johnson & Wales University and Le Cordon Bleu Paris, spent nearly a decade teaching at Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles, served as Head Chef at The Farmers Kitchen in Hollywood, worked as Assistant Resident Chef at Sur La Table in Los Angeles and New York City, formerly worked with the Institute of Culinary Education, and is currently Lead Chef Instructor at Manhattan’s Apex Technical School for Culinary Arts Training. Chef Melissa Ghelani trained as a chef in Seattle, has over 13 years of experience teaching people how to cook, blends classical French and Italian training with Tex-Mex roots and a love of Indian spices, and is experienced in cooking for dietary restrictions and allergies. Chef Afi Green is a lifelong vegan and a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta specializing in Patisserie and Baking, launched Kosmic Cake Art in Kansas City, managed a shared commercial kitchen in Kearny, New Jersey, and founded DIY Kitchen Diaries in Newark in 2020, offering plant-based cooking classes for all ages in community settings such as schools, community gardens, festivals, farmers markets, and private events. Guest Chef Tsipi Kaplan is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education with 17 years of experience as a chef instructor, runs a local catering business, and is a certified Functional Nutrition health coach. Chef Andrew Laracuente has over 13 years of culinary experience, became an Executive Chef at age 24, has worked in New York City kitchens, and founded Heartfelt Hospitality to provide private chef services, bespoke catering, and cooking classes.
Kitchen Table states a mission to gather the ingredients of community and to teach people how to share and care for one another while creating good food. The program is described as empowering children to develop essential life skills and fostering a love of food in a fun, safe, and hands-on environment, and it engages with the community through classes in its studio and through staff who also teach in schools and other community locations. Kitchen Table has been featured in Morris & Essex magazine’s Best of 2024 issue and in Vicinity Magazine, November 2025.
Parent and participant feedback includes comments that Chef Lila “runs a great class” and that a Kinderchef student “keeps asking to be signed up for cooking class.” Families in the Bento Box family class described Chef Gill as “such a great teacher and so easy to talk with” and noted that their kids wanted to add the recipes into their regular rotation. Adult and corporate participants have described the classes and events as “exceptional,” “SO FUN,” “a great team-building experience,” and “a fantastic, fun experience,” and several testimonials highlight the shared meal at the communal table, the professionalism and friendliness of the chefs and staff, and the hands-on nature of the cooking.
Last updated April 16, 2026.
• Ages: 2–17 years old
Kitchen Table is a culinary studio staffed by seven chefs who teach lessons on meal staples such as pasta as well as more adventurous options like sushi, with a large wooden communal table used for shared meals. The studio specializes in teaching children ages 2 to 17 in a nut-free kitchen with noted limitations regarding ingredients from facilities that process nuts, and it is described as vegetarian-friendly. Classes typically include about 8 to 10 children to allow for personalized attention, and all private events are structured as hands-on cooking experiences rather than catering. Adult events are BYOB, and Kitchen Table offers gift cards for classes and includes a 15% administrative fee for public adult classes to cover staffing, ingredient costs, and processing expenses. Guests are advised to wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothing with sleeves that roll up easily, and adult participants scrub up and put on aprons at the start of class, with most drinking recommended during the meal.
The leadership team includes Owner and Lead Instructor Chef Lila Lea; Director of Adult & Family Classes and Private Events Dawn Yoselowitz; Lead Pastry Chef Chef Karen Nicholas; Lead Instructor for Classes and Camps Chef Lori Bright; and Kids Events Coordinator Tina Mitra. Chef Lila Lea is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan, has worked as a private chef and in catering, and previously ran a children’s cooking program on the Upper East Side. Dawn Yoselowitz is a former fashion editor at Seventeen magazine, has taught hundreds of local 2-to-5-year-olds, and designed mindfulness rooms at Tuscan Elementary, Maplewood Middle, and Columbia High School. Chef Karen Nicholas began her baking career at a local Maplewood bakery where she trained new staff and led teams during the busy holiday season, is a self-taught baker, and runs her own cottage bakery business. Tina Mitra coordinates kids events including birthday parties, attended the Petite Chefs class with her son for over a year, previously worked in recruiting and human resources for a high-frequency trading firm, and holds a degree in molecular biology and neuroscience from Princeton University. Chef Lori Bright has 15 years of experience as a preschool teacher and as a culinary instructor at a sleepaway camp, previously worked in private banking at Citibank, holds a degree from Binghamton University and an MBA in Finance from Adelphi University, and is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City.
Additional chefs at Kitchen Table include Chef Lena Barnett, who began baking in high school at a local Maplewood bakery, studied at Johnson & Wales University, traveled to France and Italy to refine her pastry skills, and holds an Associate’s degree in Baking & Pastry Arts, a Bachelor’s in Food Service Management with a concentration in Contemporary Pastry Arts, and an MBA focused on Hospitality. Chef Brian Bennett is a graduate of the Texas Culinary Academy with a degree in Culinary Arts, has extensive experience in catering, hospitality, culinary management, and private chef and consulting roles, has taught at Hudson Table in Hoboken and Eat Clean Bro, LLC, and specializes in Southern cooking, Texan ranch cuisine, New Orleans-inspired dishes, and classic French techniques. Chef Gilbert (Gill) Boyd is a Certified Executive Chef and Culinary Educator with forty years of experience, studied at Johnson & Wales University and Le Cordon Bleu Paris, spent nearly a decade teaching at Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles, served as Head Chef at The Farmers Kitchen in Hollywood, worked as Assistant Resident Chef at Sur La Table in Los Angeles and New York City, formerly worked with the Institute of Culinary Education, and is currently Lead Chef Instructor at Manhattan’s Apex Technical School for Culinary Arts Training. Chef Melissa Ghelani trained as a chef in Seattle, has over 13 years of experience teaching people how to cook, blends classical French and Italian training with Tex-Mex roots and a love of Indian spices, and is experienced in cooking for dietary restrictions and allergies. Chef Afi Green is a lifelong vegan and a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta specializing in Patisserie and Baking, launched Kosmic Cake Art in Kansas City, managed a shared commercial kitchen in Kearny, New Jersey, and founded DIY Kitchen Diaries in Newark in 2020, offering plant-based cooking classes for all ages in community settings such as schools, community gardens, festivals, farmers markets, and private events. Guest Chef Tsipi Kaplan is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education with 17 years of experience as a chef instructor, runs a local catering business, and is a certified Functional Nutrition health coach. Chef Andrew Laracuente has over 13 years of culinary experience, became an Executive Chef at age 24, has worked in New York City kitchens, and founded Heartfelt Hospitality to provide private chef services, bespoke catering, and cooking classes.
Kitchen Table states a mission to gather the ingredients of community and to teach people how to share and care for one another while creating good food. The program is described as empowering children to develop essential life skills and fostering a love of food in a fun, safe, and hands-on environment, and it engages with the community through classes in its studio and through staff who also teach in schools and other community locations. Kitchen Table has been featured in Morris & Essex magazine’s Best of 2024 issue and in Vicinity Magazine, November 2025.
Parent and participant feedback includes comments that Chef Lila “runs a great class” and that a Kinderchef student “keeps asking to be signed up for cooking class.” Families in the Bento Box family class described Chef Gill as “such a great teacher and so easy to talk with” and noted that their kids wanted to add the recipes into their regular rotation. Adult and corporate participants have described the classes and events as “exceptional,” “SO FUN,” “a great team-building experience,” and “a fantastic, fun experience,” and several testimonials highlight the shared meal at the communal table, the professionalism and friendliness of the chefs and staff, and the hands-on nature of the cooking.
Last updated April 16, 2026.
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