About

John and Mica posing in front of location

It's a family affair!

Cook, Cork & Fork is owned by John and Mica Mahler.

While they may have opened CCF in 2015, the idea was sparked years earlier — on their very first valentine's together in 2007, when Mica surprised John with a private cooking class. Neither of them had ever heard of such a thing. They fell in love with it almost as quickly as they'd fallen for each other.

Nearly two decades, and a lot of blood, sweat and tears later, they are not only the proud owners of Cook, Cork & Fork — the premier cooking school in the northwest suburbs of Chicago — but they've also opened a beautiful wine bar right here under the same roof, The Cork @ CCF.

Combining John's love of cooking with Mica's love of wine has truly been a match made in heaven. Add their love of community, of giving back, of recognizing their responsibility to the place that has welcomed them — and what you have is a space built for humans. To connect and converse. To eat and to drink. And, when the spirit moves you, to cook to your heart's content.

Meet the Team (some of them)

Tracy Lemus

Chef Instructor

Tracy joined the team in 2017. She attended Cooking Hospitality Institute of Chicago and has worked in restaurants for most of her career.

She loves cooking anything and everything from scratch. Although she can bake really well, she says baking is the most challenging part of the culinary world for her because she likes to add or change ingredients to her liking.

When it comes to teaching classes, Tracy enjoys it because the guests truly want to be there and want to learn

Robert Aleksander

Chef Instructor

Robert joined the team in 2017. He attended Kendall College Culinary Program and has worked in the food service industry since 2012.

He initially served as the resident sushi-making instructor, which aligns closely with his favorite foods to cook, especially Asian cuisine.

Robert says there isn't anything he finds too difficult to make, aside from recipes with extensive ingredient lists like vegan chili. He enjoys teaching because food brings people together and he loves helping guests make any cuisine approachable.

Stacy Conway

Culinary Team Lead & Chef Instructor

Stacy joined the team in 2015 as a Culinary Assistant. She attended Escoffier International Culinary Academy.

Her favorite dish to cook is risotto because she finds the process calming as the rice transforms into a delicious meal. One of the most difficult dishes she has created is Seafood Stuffed Calamari.

Stacy loves teaching because cooking is a beautiful expression of feeling and allows people to share their love of food with others.

Donna Michael

Culinary Team Lead

Donna joined the team in 2019 as a Culinary Assistant. She has become an incredible asset to the team, assisting chefs during classes and events.

Her favorite foods to make are side dishes because they allow for creativity when the main entrée is simple. She says one of the hardest dishes she has made is sweet potato casserole because there are so many ingredients.

Donna enjoys working at Cook, Cork & Fork because guests leave with smiles and often make new friends during their experience.

JOIN OUR TEAM

Love all things culinary?

From Culinary Assistants to Servers & Bartenders, we have an amazing team that you can be a part of!

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★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"We had the best time learning to make pasta! Chef Dan was awesome! He was so funny and made the class so enjoyable. The food turned out delicious, we can't wait to make it at home. We will for sure be back for more classes, especially Chef Dan's classes!"

-Colleen

"Great ambiance, instruction and food! Like being able to purchase wine to go with dinner. Sitting down to eat the meal and receiving a hard copy of the recipes at the end. Highly recommend!"

-Maureen R

"Fantastic small business loved the wine selection and really enjoyed the nonalcoholic rosé since I was driving home. I have been here before for cooking classes too, and it was fantastic."

-Amy P

"Amazing wine bar owned by amazing humans! The vibe here is so cozy - perfect for both girls night or a date night out. The light bites are delicious and the staff is always extremely kind and knowledgeable. Cannot recommend them enough if you're looking for an enjoyable yet relaxing night out."

- Payton K