Chef David was so professional and at the same time personable he also helped us customize a menu…read morethat satisfied everyone. I did a lot of research in finding a private chef, and I found him different in the fact that other chefs had other people come to the house whereas David appeared himself and gave that personal touch - in my research, the other chefs would bring the food and have some of their staff serve it, whereas Chef David prepared everything fresh and cooked it to perfection- It was all done in a timely manner, and he not only prepared, but cleaned up afterwards - I will always use him in the future and can't wait to plan another event for family and friends. Thank you, Chef David.

My brothers and sister and I and our spouses (eight people) have been flying to Florida annually…read morefrom all over the US to celebrate with our mother, age 103, near her place in Venice. This year we hired Chef David to come to our vacation rental in Nokomis to create three dinners every other night during our week there. He worked with us to develop an amazing menu for each of the three meals, arrived with all the ingredients, prepared and beautifully plated each course (appetizer, salad, main and dessert), and left the kitchen spotless. A delicious experience! When we come next year we hope we can work with him again. He is a gem!

Chef Annie was great! My hubby got me this experience so I could learn some knife & chopping…read moreskills. I was given a choice of menus. Chef Annie came with all the stuff: cooking utensils, pans, crepe maker & all the groceries. She taught my daughter & I how to chop, braise, poach, & cut up vegetables the easy way. We made the whole menu with assistance, she answered all our questions & got lots of tips. It was the best present ever! Annie even cleaned up after us! Can't wait for our next one!

While I did not work with Chef Kathy (she was unfortunately already booked on the date of my…read moreevent), I received quick responses and helpful suggestions.

This was an experience of a lift time..I have attended may similar programs but noting as…read morepractical, inspirational and fun as this culinary experience Thank you for sharing your home and your passion for food. The personalized approach was fantastic . Everyone should go. Even if you say I know how to cook...You learn something new and appreciate the love of food.

Private cooking class with the famous Giuliano Hazan. His Mother, Marcella, is world renowned and…read moreknown as The Italian Godmother of Cooking. We've been waiting years to get in and Giuliano did not disappoint. Fabulous! Fun! Phenomenal Food.... and we cooked it! Risotto with Zucchini and Shrimp, Baked Salmon and the piece de resistance Cantaloupe Gelato!

JUST WOW. If you dont eat anywhere else in LBK, eat here!!…read moreNormally we pretty much dine on seafood the entire time. Tried this place just for something different. Very small on the inside and the hours open are minimal, but WOW was the food amazing!!. Service was top notch. Watress was incredibly knowledgeable and attentive. We started with the antipasta and burrata cheese, pesto was the best part. Could put that on a shoe and eat it. Had veal saltimbocca and the chicken parm. Pasta is made in house and you can definitely tell. Veal was tinder and well presented chicken you could cut with a fork.. we were stuffed to gills.. this place will for sure be a regular spot on vacation in lbk.

By far the best meal I've had in 6yrs living on Longboat Key. I'm actually mad at myself that this…read morewas only my first visit...what an amazing, authentic Italian restaurant with reasonable prices. Bruschetta, meatballs, branzino & tiramisu all surpassed expectations

The Paella is amazing and the Santiago cake is not to be missed! They also carry Kas, which is my…read moreaddiction. Lovely people- please support this great storefront in Gulf Gate!

Ordered paella. What a disappointment. A couple of tiny, tiny shrimp & tiny scallops, no chorizo, a…read morecouple of pieces of pork. Pieces of zucchini & eggplant and lots of rice. $20 per portion. I have paella recipes. None of them include zucchini or eggplant but they all include jumbo shrimp, muscles and calamari and/or lobster, chorizo & chicken. Fatima is a nice lady but her paella leaves a lot to be desired for anyone who has had authentic Spanish Paella. She won't be seeing us again.

This place is beautiful and very peaceful. You can even have a business meeting here. My waitress…read morewas very friendly. I ordered the special, which included soup, your choice of pasta, and a drink. I loved this place and would come back many times.

Amazing boutique restaurant in Brandon, a hidden gem! Fantastic service, authentic food and wine,…read moredelicious desserts.

Great experience! Good memories made. Worth it!!! Great location and atmosphere,nice peopleread more

My husband and I had the most incredible date night at the Epicurean Theatre! We attended the…read more"Dinner with a Master Chef" class on Friday, July 18th 2014. Our instructor was celebrity chef, Whitney Miller, winner of Master Chef (season 1). The Epicurean Theatre is a gorgeous and very modern culinary classroom in the Epicurean Hotel in South Tampa. The culinary classroom has a kitchen in the front of the theatre for the instructor/ chef and stadium-style seating for the students. (If you want a seat near the front of the class arrive early!) Flat screen televisions are located in the front corners of the classroom to display close-ups of the food as it is being prepared. The layout of the classroom allows participants to eat and drink while watching a cooking presentation. After the chef completes each course of the meal the Epicurean's wait staff serves the dish. Whitney Miller was so charming and entertaining throughout our class. I loved her stories about growing up in Mississippi and being a contestant on the Master Chef. Her menu in our class included some of her favorite Southern dishes: First Course: Arugula Salad with Grilled Figs, Homemade Buttermilk Ricotta Cheese, Crispy Prosciutto and a Citrus Vinaigrette (Wine Pairing: Schiopetto Pinot Grigio) Second Course: BBQ Shrimp and Cheese Grits (Wine Pairing: Black Bird Rose) Third Course: White Chocolate Bread Pudding (Wine Pairing: Rosa Regale) Everything was so delicious and I cannot wait to make these dishes at my home! Confession: I probably won't make my own ricotta cheese for the arugula salad because who has time for that?! We received so many great cooking tips from the class and I plan on purchasing Whitney's cookbook so I can introduce my husband to more Southern cooking. If you are interested in taking a class at the Epicurean Theatre I highly recommend it! They offer a variety of classes from cupcakes to cooking to wine or even speaking a foreign language. They even offer brew bus tours! The classes range from $45-$125. Our Master Chef class cost $65 per person which wasn't a bad deal in my opinion considering we received a two hour demonstration from a celebrity chef, a three course meal, and three wine tastings. Can't wait to take my next class at the Epicurean Theatre!

I have been to many wine tastings and pairings. The selection provided was Spanish Wines paired…read morewith several cheeses and chocolate. I much preferred the whites over the reds, but the experience the 2 ladies who walked us through the experience were awesome. We were fortunate to be in the front row so we had some additional interaction with the ladies. Very personable and relatable. Great experience!

Cannoli making class was fun…read more So the 3 stars is based on their customer service & how we were treated. 7 of us signed up for a week night class. We arrived late because we thought the class was 30 mins later than it was but we text them we were on our way. They were visible annoyed when we walked in & we did not get a warm welcome. I have to say there was only 2 people, a couple, in the class so it wasn't like we interrupted a big class. We were bringing the big class. And they had only poured milk into a pot & letting it warm up when we arrived so we had not missed anything. The whole class the women that worked there were not giving warm fuzzy vibes. It lacked fun & enjoyment honestly. We felt like we were treated like a nuisance & like we couldn't even laugh. The cannolis were good & we learned a lot.

My husband and I had a great time with Chef Alex and Andreas. We had a steak spinach dip appetizer…read moreit was delicious. Before cooking, Chef Alex started on the dessert chocolate molten cake with ice cream which we ate at the end of the class - it was delicious. During our class, we made a spinach salad, lobster mash, asparagus, and filet minion it was all delicious. We learned new cooking techniques which I am excited to use at home. The atmosphere was laid back, clean, organized, and welcoming. The people in our class were nice. Ingredients were already organized for us. All we had to do was cut up, season, or mix the ingredients. Chef Alex and Andreas were nice. If at any point I had any questions, Chef Alex would easily clarify any confusions. My husband and I look forward to signing up for more classes. Tip: If you are interested in taking one of Kitchen Social's cooking classes, sign up for the class you want ahead of time. During the winter season, most of the classes are booked weeks in advanced.

This was my second class. The first class I took was great…read more The chef was very prepared. They ask in advance if there are dietary restrictions. I am a gluten free vegetarian. Chef made sure restrictions were made and I was still able to enjoy the same meal as everyone else. The second class I took last night was awful. The chef was not prepared. I did not get the same meal as everyone else and only received carrots and mushrooms. There was no protein included in this meal and no starch. In addition he kept telling the class he had to do things special for me; so inappropriate. I doubt I can recommend this business to anyone.

I was thoroughly impressed by AJ's Kitchen Drawer. Everything was exceptional--the instruction,…read morefood, people, and ambiance. I attended a work event where we were fortunate to have Chef Keith Simpkins. It's evident that Chef Keith is passionate about his work, and his enthusiasm is contagious. Chef Keith taught us how to make tiramisu, pasta, and pesto, which are all among my favorite dishes. I'm pleased to say that I left the dinner with improved cooking skills.

The absolute best experience ever. Third time here and it just keeps getting better! Came for the…read moreValentine Date Night and it was incredible. Chef is a great teacher, helpful and funny. Food is delicious and plentiful!! Perfect night out. Will be back again soon!