PHILADELPHIA – At 1206 Arch Street in Center City, the pasta machine has been running for ten years. Anna Maria Florio set up her cooking studio across from the Pennsylvania Convention Center in July 2016, and the routine has barely changed since. Strangers arrive, roll pasta side by side, cook a full meal with their own hands, then sit down and eat it together. They then leave with the recipes and often new friends.
La Cucina’s story starts a little earlier, a few steps away. Florio first built the business inside Reading Terminal Market, turning cooking classes and demonstrations into something people came back for. A Philadelphia native born to Italian parents, she spent childhood summers in Campania, where she learned to cook and eat the way her family did. The table, full of delicious food, the atmosphere, loud and unhurried, is what she set out to recreate.
“People come in as strangers and leave making plans to see each other again. We set the table the way I grew up with it, everyone cooking and talking and eating together. I think it’s something people are missing, and I get to hand it back to them one class at a time.” Florio says.
Every class works the same way. Guests arrive to fruit and cheese, then cook from start to finish, hands in the flour and at the stove. Florio teaches the technique and the reason behind it, so people can make the dish again at home. Classes stay small, beginners are welcome, and the kitchen is BYOB. The team cooks around vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free guests.
People book La Cucina for all kinds of reasons. A pasta class as a birthday gift. A date night with more to it than another dinner out. Friends marking an occasion, or two families meeting over a rehearsal dinner. The studio hosts private events of every kind, from bridal showers to bachelorette parties, seated for up to 50 with receptions up to 60.
Companies figured this out early. When people cook together, they talk differently than they do in a conference room. The room gets louder, someone makes a mistake, and everyone laughs. Being directly across from the Pennsylvania Convention Center makes the studio an easy walk for conference groups and visiting teams. Companies including Amazon, KPMG, Vynamic, and FS Investments have brought staff through the kitchen for team building.
Philadelphia Magazine has named La Cucina a Best of Philly honoree and The Inquirer recognized it as a Philly Fave for its cooking classes. Ten years in, Florio is still the one who picks up the phone.
About La Cucina at the Market
La Cucina at the Market is a Philadelphia Italian cooking studio and private event space owned by Anna Maria Florio. Located at 1206 Arch Street in Center City, directly across from the Pennsylvania Convention Center and steps from Reading Terminal Market, La Cucina offers hands-on Italian cooking classes, date night experiences, private events, corporate team building, meeting space, and Gnocchi to Go. The kitchen is BYOB, accommodates vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free guests, and has discounted parking nearby.
Email: anna@lacucinaatthemarket.com
Media Contact
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Name
La Cucina at the Market
Contact name
Anna Maria Florio, Owner
Contact phone
(215) 922-1170
Contact address
1206 Arch Street
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Zip
19107
Country
United States
Url
https://www.lacucinaatthemarket.com/
