Classic Cooking Academy’s Chef Instructors

Andrew Schmidt

(Executive Chef)

Staff
Chef Andrew is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with over 10 years of hands-on kitchen experience, making him the perfect candidate to lead our kitchen operations. Chef Drew has an extensive background in plant-based/seasonal menus, refined and rustic cooking techniques, as well as classical French and Italian culinary training. His passion for, and education of, food history/traditional cultural recipes opens the door for a deeper understanding and appreciation of recipes, covering not just how we cook great food, but rather why we cook it in a certain, special way. In his own words, “I aspire to share the stories and artisanal crafts that illustrate how food and drink is an eternal bond between us all.”

Chef Pascal Dionot
(Chef Emeritus/Founder)

Pascal/Practical

Born in the Champagne region, Pascal Dionot trained in France, Germany and Spain before arriving in the United States. Chef Pascal has an education and background that is among the finest; his passion for fine food and the best in culinary training served him well throughout Europe, inspiring him to capitalize his skills in America. In 1979, he became Executive Chef at the Hay Adams Hotel in Washington, D.C., a venue for the wealthy, powerful, and snobby. He then joined the faculty of L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland and taught there for 18 years. Chef Pascal became founding partner of Restaurant 2941 in Northern Virginia and it subsequently acquired great acclaim by all who dined there. In 2006, Chef Pascal relocated to Scottsdale and, thus, began his planning for his own culinary school. As a Frenchman in the desert, Chef Pascal thoroughly enjoys bringing his background to the heartland of America. As of the start of 2024, Chef Pascal has officially passed ownership of Classic Cooking to his son Jeff. Chef Pascal is currently acclimating to retirement while still happily aiding in teaching however he sees fit.

Sharon Lunardi

(Lead Instructor)

A second generation Italian, Sharon Lunardi is deeply attuned to equal parts family and food. Sharon is very familiar with the cuisine and culture of the Tuscany/Genoa region. Moving to Arizona in 2009, Sharon graduated from Le Cordon Bleu with a degree in Baking and Patisserie. Her experience in catering stems from working with Santa Barbara Catering in Tempe. In Paradise Valley, she has spent four years running the Whole Foods bakery before joining the Classic Cooking team. She is now happy to bring the sheer joy and love for food, family, and friends through teaching recreational classes to young and old.

Always placing a high emphasis on family, Chef Lunardi is the perfect match for the head instructor in our kids’ and teens’ camps.

Susan Kolman

(Head of Pastry Series and Advanced Pastry Series)

Staff

For Pastry Chef Susan Kolman, leaving the heat of a corporate boardroom for the aromas of a pastry kitchen was one of her best decisions. She received formal training at L’Academie de Cuisine (Chef Pascal Dionot’s original cooking school) in Gaithersburg, MD where she learned classic French techniques and honed her skills in combining flavors and textures. Following graduation, she was Pastry Chef for several award-winning restaurants in Washington, DC earning rave reviews from guests and local media. She was also an Assistant Corporate Pastry Chef for AUI Fine Foods, a national industry leader, working alongside a number of the best pastry chefs in the world and fine-tuning and expanding her skills.

Chef Kolman also operates a side business where she designs artful cakes and other confections for interested parties. Click here to visit her website.

Linda Dunbar

(Chef Instructor)

Staff

As a recurring and respected instructor who’s dabbled in most of our class offerings, Chef Linda Dunbar is no stranger to Classic Cooking’s operations. A graduate of the 12-Week Pastry Series, Chef Dunbar has shadowed Chef Pascal Dionot extensively in order to refine her overall skill set. Aside from working at our establishment, she has also spent years as a high school instructor, so education comes naturally to her. In her off-time, Chef Dunbar enjoys being a master-gardener, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Steven Wagenbach

(Chef Instructor)

Staff

After graduating high school in 1978, Chef Steven Wagenbach pursued a career in the culinary field. He accepted an apprenticeship through Triton College in Chicago for three years. The program had rigorous classroom and restaurant experiences to complete his training.

Chef Wagenbach worked in the most prestigious restaurants Chicago had to offer. He worked as a saucier chef for two years at Sinclair’s restaurant, which ranked as a five star establishment located in Lake Forest. Then he decided to work as an assistant pastry chef at the Marriott Lincolnshire resort. Chef Wagenbach had a remarkable mentor who taught him to pull sugar and make elaborate desserts for four years. Finally, the Hyatt Gainey Ranch Scottsdale resort hired him as an assistant pastry chef in 1986. He designed and created wedding cakes, pulled sugar, chocolate truffles, and other delicacies.

Steven Wagenbach had the desire to become a classroom teacher. He received a degree in elementary school training and taught third and fourth grades respectively from 1996 to 2018. Steven worked in the Madison and Paradise Valley Unified School Districts over his career.

Now having settled in Arizona, Chef Wagenbach has a reignited passion to create dishes in the kitchen. 

Classic Cooking Academy’s Administrative Staff

Jeff Dionot

(Owner/Executive Director)

Having closely followed his parents as they opened, defined, and led Classic Cooking, Jeff Dionot is all too familiar with the operations and logistics of a cooking school. Since his adolescence, he has lent his manpower in assisting cooking classes, promoting upcoming events, and meeting with individual clients. Having earned his marketing degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Jeff helped to accurately promote Classic Cooking’s offers to as many target markets as possible. As of the start of 2024, Jeff has became the owner and executive director of Classic Cooking, hoping to stay the course with what the school offers. “There’s always room for improvement, but the bulk of our model has stayed tried and true,” he says. “We don’t need to redefine our business. We simply need to optimize it.”