Culinary Institute of America at Copia

The Culinary Institute of America’s new campus is gorgeous. There are wine tastings, the fantastic Restaurant at CIA Copia, a great gift shop and cooking classes for the public.

“Family funday” themed classes — pizza making or cooking with “hidden” vegetables — start at $15 per person. More complex classes geared toward adults, like making handmade cheeses or sourdough bread, last a little more than an hour and hover around the $25-$35 range.

The Restaurant at CIA Copia is exactly what you’d expect from the famed culinary school. It’s modern. The open kitchen model creates a sense of excitement and intimacy to fill the massive dinning room. And the food is beyond reproach.

Although the menu changes seasonally, there are constants like the Copia burger, which will make you tear up it tastes so good. And at $16, the tender burger with white cheddar cheese, house dill pickles and perfectly cooked french fries is a filling, steal of a meal.

Be sure to stop next door at the Oxbow Market, which is a treat in and of itself. Highlights include Fieldwork Brewing Company, where you can bottle your favorite beer on tap for $16, and Oxbow Cheese & Wine Merchant, which offers cheeses and wines from around the world. Check out “locals night” from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Tuesday, where the merchants offer discounts and debut special items.