Photo courtesy of Le Creuset
Cooks of Crocus Hill has been the standard bearer for high-end kitchenware in the Twin Cities since its founding in 1973. Like national chains Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table, the local company offers a mix of upscale cookware, kitchen gadgets, artisanal pantry items, and cooking classes—but with a greater community focus, selling CSA shares of local meats and hosting local sommeliers. Though smaller than its three other storefronts, Cooks’ newest location in the North Loop carries colorfully enameled cast-iron cookware from French brand Le Creuset and professional-grade Wüsthof knives, as well as more affordable tools, such as Lodge’s $25 cast-iron skillets. The colorful pot-and-pan installation over the shop’s entrance touts its wide assortment of high-end culinary cookware, and a cooking school space in the back emphasizes its commitment to helping its customers make the most of their wares. And unlike Cooks’ other locations, here every food item on display is available to sample, encouraging shoppers to taste before they buy. • cooksofcrocushill.com
