I have been wanting to take my kiddo to a caregiver and me cooking class for a while now. She is…read morefinally old enough and I felt like she was ready. I booked a Tuesday evening class during winter break. You get a confirmation email and that's it. I was worried about prep but they prepare everything for you and thought up everything as well. Small parking lot. They had us wash our hands when we arrived and then each kiddo had a color sheet with crayons. Nice touch but defeats the purpose of washing our hands first. The two of us shared a table with another mom with their toddler. Each toddler had their own set up to make 6 cookies. Everything was pre measured and it wasn't too messy. We were able to bake 6 cookies and use whatever toppings - she got to choose between chocolate chips, m&ms, white chocolate chips and these dried fruits. They read a book to the kids and then made milk shakes as a group. Each kid got a small cup and to place chocolate chips/m&Ms in. The cookies were really delicious and my child loved the milk shake. One thing is that you can't stop other kiddos from touching your items/food. Would return.

Great experience for people watching/interacting, and cooking without having to prep or clean!…read more Booked a shared table for 2 (4 people at a table) for an adult cooking class on a Saturday night. Pros: The shared table experience was great for meeting new people and having extra sets of brains for multitasking. Cons: Seating is random and the experience is shared; ie: one burner for 4, and the end products are shared. Our dish ended up being over-salted, and our experience was halved in interactive-ness due to the luck of the draw of seating. Never have I had a spoon or spatula taken away from my hands so fast before. And most certainly never have I had someone critique the knives and actively give the duller knife to us. This shared table experience was essentially a fight for all (for us). BUT this is just dependent on the attendees and who you're seated with. The other shared tables didn't seem to have such issues. For a more interactive learning experience, I recommend the private table to avoid the risk of randomization. On the bright side, we got to see how other couples interact, whether it was actively taking items from their partner's hands because they were doing the task wrong (ie: mixing eggs wrong??) or the couple next to us taking cute photos of each other and sharing drinks while enjoying their time together. The structure of the class was decent, organized, and well-paced. All ingredients were measured and prepared. Baking, cleaning, and chilling items were taken care of by staff. Prepping the dish (ie: battering items, mixing ingredients) and active cooking were the only things needed to be done. The instructor would explain the ingredients provided and the instructions during the instruction period for the dish at hand. Following the instructions, prep/cooking occurs while the instructor supervises and provides aid or guidance as needed. All in all, I had a great experience. The staff was nice, especially the instructor, and I felt taken care of during my cooking class experience. Would return for pasta night-- most definitely for the private table experience.

My wife and attended the Art of the Wok cooking class. Orange chicken, wok fried rice, dry-fried…read moreSichuan green beans, and Cantonese steamed milk pudding are a lot to cram into two hours. But all nine students participated and seem to have fun. We look forward to attending more classes. We learned more than just the recipes, such as where to place the cutting board, holding a knife, and the proper technique to fillet a chicken breast. I can certainly carry these tips to other recipes. The instructor was friendly, helpful, and attentive. Previous reviews gave Elaine a bad rap. Either this is a different Elaine or she has improved her courtesy.

My wife and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary by taking a date night cooking class here…read more It was hard to find a seat because of all the flies that were flying around on the food. Absolutely disgusting experience! I had the courage to walk back into the pantry only to be confronted by Lord of the flies and half empty used bottles of old vinegar. As for the instructor, she seemed quite new to the world of fine cuisine. It almost seemed this class was geared for children learning to cook, as most of the instructions were geared towards the mind of an eight year-old. As every day cookers, my wife and I learned absolutely nothing except to ensure a clean kitchen before starting meal prep. Obviously, we will not be returning to partake in anymore classes and I highly recommend others to look elsewhere. Sur La Table really needs to get their act together if they want to be taken seriously. Just a few suggestions for those that work there and read this review: 1) every group should get their own ingredients to prepare their own dishes 2) people should wash their hands before starting to touch any of the food which did not happen for our class, especially when you see them picking parts of their body that are quite unsanitary 3) should probably hire a real chef to teach the class so that we actually learned something about proper culinary practices 4) should probably clean the kitchen in between classes so that the number of flies in the kitchen does not rival that of a Porta potty at a heavy metal concert. Quite disappointing to pay $100 for meal that is equivalent to my worst day of cooking. Tata, David

We came with a group of 55+ people for a corporate event, and everyone had such a good time! The…read morecouple that runs this cocktail and pizza making class were so nice, super fun, and really engaging. Everyone had a blast. The drinks were yummy and the pizza was so good! I finally got to try making pizza from scratch. They had a real pizza oven and a ton of pizza toppings to choose from. I could see this being a great fit for not only corporate events, but birthdays, big get togethers, holiday parties. Just be sure to uber or get a shuttle because there isn't much parking in this residential area.

One of the best and fun classes I have attended. We booked city of cocktail for my gfs birthday for…read more16 attendees. It was a seamless process with booking reached out to Amy the event coordinator, super easy to work with. Kevin the instructor and owner was what made this event so much fun! The stories, the jokes really made the event so much fun! He is really knowledgeable and really helped the group make some really delicious drinks like an old fashion and cosmo! Highly recommend coming and booking with them!

Great class and experience! I booked a cooking class as a team building night and it was such a fun…read moreway to work together in a new way. We made three different types of empanadas and all were delicious! As a novice cook myself I feel much more confident in the kitchen with the skills I learned at the class and I can't wait to book another one! Thank you Chef!!

From the owner: Welcome to Chef Prep Kitchens! We are a cooking school and event planning service dedicated to…read moresharing culinary knowledge. With over 10 years of experience in professional kitchens, we are a brand led by a Culinary Institute of America graduate and proud member of the American Culinary Federation. Join us for hands-on cooking classes or let us help plan your next event. Together, we can make your culinary dreams come true!

I cannot say enough great things about Jess! This past weekend she taught a class of 4 adults and…read more3 kids (of which one is a 3.5 year-old) in my mid-sized kitchen. She was extremely knowledgeable, patient, organized, and fun! Everyone had something to do, and everyone had a great time! I asked her to come on short notice, and she was very accomodating. She crafted a menu that included a vietnamese summer roll appetizer, two protein main dishes, two vegetable side dishes, and a salad. We all agreed that we never had such great summer rolls before, and the rest of the food was equally delicious. The flavor profiles of the dishes were complex, but not hard to make. She gave us all the know-how to prepare, cook and season the food properly. It was so fun to take a class, then enjoy the fruits of our labor. It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday night with family! Clean up was also a breeze. For a family of seven, including all the cookware, I only had to do one load of dishes in the dishwasher. I only washed the serveware and one non-stick baking dish by hand (my normal practice). I didn't even realize as we were cooking that Jess had been so efficient in her use of the cookware and bakeware. I think Jess would be helpful to anyone, skilled or not in cooking, who wants to learn how make a delicious meal in an efficient way. I will definitely be calling her again for more lessons, and I would recommend her to everyone!

My sweet, sweet boyfriend bought me three cooking lessons with Jess for Valentine's Day. She sent…read moreme a questionaire to fill out before our first session. She found out my strengths and weaknesses in the kitchen. She was wonderful! She came in, gave us a binder with all recipes and plans on how to overcome my challenges and gave us great, new, fresh recipes to try on our own. Not to fail to mention, all were very healthy! I even learned how to properly chop an onion! She has a great amount of knowledge of cooking and had answers to all of my questions. I'd highly recommend her for a special gift for someone, bachelorette party, or even just something fun to bring friends together and get them cooking!

Great recipes and wonderful cooking videos. individual support is available and encouraged. I…read morejoined 3 weeks ago. As suggested I took it slow- one recipe at a time, watched the videos and really started to follow my plan this week. I have been stuck at a certain weight for ever, and finally dropped below that # this week by 2 pounds. this is a lifestyle not a diet. My husband also loves the recipes.

Such a fun and educational experience. As soon as you walk in everyone makes you fell welcomed, you…read moreare not being judged, everyone is there to learn how to cook. No previous cooking experience needed what so ever. Class is great for all levels: beginners, pros, never touched a knife before type of people. Class is fun and energized... I was somewhat skeptical at first but by the end of the class all I wanted to do was go home and cook some more. You start off by an introduction of the class and what they are all about. Then they explain to you the layout of the kitchen and what 3 recipes you will cook that day. You work off your cooking station and in designated teams. They teach you safety tips and tricks while you cook. The class I attended was great.... They are all about healthy cooking with healthy ingredients. Only downside is pricing.... Average about $50-$60 per class, once a week, 5 or 10 week programs offered. That unfortunately is a bit much for my wallet but like I said its worth it if you can afford it. . Great place to go with friends for a night out.

Chef Cindy and Amy were wonderful hosts for my daughter's birthday party last summer. They put in…read moreso much care and effort to make sure every child had a meaningful role in preparing the food, which made the experience both fun and memorable. The party was a great success! Thank you as well for accommodating three different recipes--including a Michelin-star one. Highly recommend Chef Cindy!

Cindy's cooking school is top-notch. Both of my daughters REALLY enjoyed her classes and camps…read more They are fun and informative and they learned to cook! My younger daughter even tried out for Master Chef Junior when she was 12, fueled by the incredible confidence and skills obtained while under Cindy's tutelage! I also took a few of her adult classes and they were great too!

I can't speak for the entire school, but I had a very bad experience trying to enroll in a night…read morewood working class. I had previous experience in woodshop classes I took at Mount Tam high school in Marin, so I wasn't a novice. I paid the fee and enrolled in the class. However, when I met the teacher Ray, he decided not to let me take the class. I think he just didn't like me. Disappointed, I tried to get a refund but the school wouldn't give it to me, so I had to open a dispute with my bank. None of my calls or emails to the school or the teacher were ever returned regarding the class or the possibility of taking future classes. It felt like the class was a private club not open to outsiders. Its this kind of elite snobbery that gives rich cities like Palo Alto a bad name.

I am all about learning something new. I have taken classes from financial, to building your own…read morewater fountain to a basic sewing class. Classes are mostly held at Palo Alto High School on Embarcadero Road and El Camino Real across from the Town and Country Shopping Center. They follow the semester system. I get a hard copy catalog in the mail. You can register online, by phone, by fax and by mail. How easy is that? Classes are very reasonable and can range from $35 on up to $200 depending on how often it meets and the types of supplies you pay for. Geared toward the adult, so evening and weekend classes. They have arts and crafts, cooking, financial, computer, language, music, health and fitness, birdwatching, dancing, acting, CPR and first aid, ...you name it.

I first discovered The Market's catering when Palo Alto Players (the theatre company down the…read morestreet) started using them for opening night receptions. The desserts and savories stood out as more handcrafted and gourmet than other similar caterers in the area, and the theatre staff were extremely complimentary about their helpful team, interesting selection, and reasonable pricing. I learnt that The Market also donated items to one of the nonprofit's fundraisers, and their real and continued support of the community is a huge plus in my book. Since then, I've used The Market for catering 3 times. The first was a mini platter that owner Emel custom-created based on my preferences, and the quality and variety--even at a small platter size--were a surprise and delight. I appreciated her meticulous and hands-on work, and this first order made The Market my go-to caterer. The other 2 times were recent, for 60-80 person events, and I worked with Paola for both. Though the platters seem much less customisable now (maybe it was only possible with Emel), it was a smooth and easy process to select from their online catering menu, which sufficiently and accurately described each item. Paola responded within 24 hours to the online order form and provided the opportunity to review the proposal before taking credit card payment over the phone. She is wonderful to work with: everything was timely, efficient, and reliable. Of note: the grazing board (high quality and luxurious), the raspberry bars (my absolute favourite--I hope they never stop making these!), and the fresh fruit platter (indeed fresh and ripe, elevated with surprising/exotic fruits). I've been glad to continue recommending The Market's catering service to friends. Note: at the moment, delivery of catering orders is not available on Sundays.

We had a mediocre experience with The Market catering…read more We struggled to get in touch with them to place our initial order for a small event. We sent multiple messages and voicemails that went unreturned for several days. Just as we were getting ready to change plans and look for a different vendor, we heard back (they had been out on vacation). We decided to still give them a try. (Note: the owner response below suggests that they responded within 24 hours, but that doesn't match our experience - I think this misunderstanding is due to the fact that two of us coordinating the event had reached out to the Market . My initial inquiry submitted on their website went unanswered, and so a couple days later my colleague tried to call and left a voicemail. Eventually my colleague was able to connect with them to place an order. I actually never received any response by phone or email.) The food arrived on time, but the delivery team forgot part of our order. We tried calling both of numbers on the invoice associated with the Market, but they both went right to voicemail. We eventually got a hold of the delivery team and received our missing item halfway through our event. The portions we received were very small compared to the description. For example, "32 tea sandwiches" seems like 4-5 normal sandwiches sliced into 6ths - wild to pay $2.25 for each tiny sandwich slice. The quality of the ingredients seemed mediocre for the price (e.g. the bread seemed like basic bagged sandwich bread, sliced into uneven rectangles). The chicken skewers - the most expensive item we got - were surprisingly small. "Watermelon feta skewers bites" were about a third green olives (not listed in the description) which our guests found unappetizing - we would not have ordered this item if that ingredient had been disclosed. Salad was 99% plain mixed greens (the amount we received runs about $6.99 retail for organic mix at a specialty store). On the whole, most things seemed like we could have gotten similar-or-better quality items for a quarter of the price through Whole Foods. The plating for items was nothing special - again, supermarket take-away platters look about the same. It's really hard to justify the price we paid for the items we received. All in all, we found the service, food quality, and presentation to be unimpressive and overpriced, and the communication/delivery snafus made our event prep more stressful. Perhaps we caught them on an off day, but we were expecting more given the glowing Yelp reviews. Based on the experience we had, we'd recommend working with a different caterer.