We celebrated my 35th birthday in Colico with two experiences we'll never forget. Chef Marco hosted…read morea private cooking class where we made panzanella, fresh pasta with butter sage, and a chocolate bonet for dessert. He was patient, fun, and taught us so much about Italian food history. The next night, Chef Roberto prepared an incredible multi-course dinner. We started with bruschette and impepata di cozze (mussels with garlic, parsley & black pepper), then enjoyed pizzoccheri and risotto with radicchio & sausage. For mains, we had melanzane alla parmigiana and sea bass baked Mediterranean-style, finishing with torta della nonna and panna cotta with berries. Every dish was bursting with flavor, made with fresh ingredients and so much passion. The kitchen was left spotless afterwards, with plenty of leftovers for the next day. Truly the highlight of our trip--highly recommend booking with both chefs!

We gathered with friends at a villa outside Como to spend Christmas together and high on my list…read morefor our visit was to hire a local chef for an authentic dining experience for our group. Chef Marco hit it out of the park! He was wonderful and easy to communicate with to arrange a custom menu and arrange the details. He then came to our villa and cooked and prepared a stunning 4 course meal that had us all so full and so impressed. We are still in awe of his amazing gnocchi and out of this world tiramisu. If in the Como area taking a class or enjoying a meal prepared with Chef Marco is a MUST!

Cook in Milano is a wonderful cooking experience! Chef Ornella is the best! She has lots of great…read moreadvice and recommendations while cooking. And the food is amazing! It was a small group which made it very special. I would recommend this experience for everyone coming to Milano.

Clara's class provided a great opportunity to experience Milanese culture from the unique…read moreperspective of a local's kitchen. Her attention to detail is impeccable, from the drawers of flour separated by grind, to the personalized recipe book that was waiting for us on her coffee table upon our arrival. After a quick meet and greet, we donned our aprons and went into the kitchen, where a schedule listed the various tasks needed to prepare three courses plus dessert by 2pm. The environment is fun and casual, and everyone becomes friends while rolling out fresh pasta dough, soaking lady fingers in espresso, and preparing the mise-en-place for a bolognese. While a lot of the prep work was done in advance of our arrival, I think Clara did a nice job finding a balance between keeping it hands on and maintaining a reasonable pace. Admittedly, there were a couple of points where I was just "helping mom" with dinner and doing scut work, but in all fairness, in a kitchen of seven people, without a clearly designated leader the morning would quickly devolve in a literal case of too many cooks. Clara is totally receptive to questions the entire time, and her pedigree as a chef, baker, and sommelier adds a high degree of credibility to her lessons. The class is appropriate for people at every skill level. Newcomers will feel at home chopping carrots while experienced cooks are given the chance to man the stove and adjust seasonings. For me, the highlight was the meal itself, and not only because the food was excellent (fresh tagliatelle were perfect, homemade tiramisu was the best I've ever had). At the end of a long day that begins in a kitchen full of strangers, you sit down at a table with friends. To me, this is the whole point, and Clara hit this mark perfectly. I'd highly recommend this class to anyone headed to Milan, and plan to seek out similar opportunities in my future travels.

Amazing experience in Milan to cook with Aurora! We booked directly through her and had an amazing…read moreexperience alongside 4 other guests. Upon arriving, we were greeted with appetizers (chestnut rolled in pancetta, smoked tomatoes, bread and cured garlic) and some prosecco. After doning our aprons, we got to work chopping, mixing and preparing the food under Auroras tutelage. On the menu was risotto with osso bucco, tagliatelle noodles with a meat sauce and dessert was tiramisu! The wine was flowing all night long! The coolest part was making fresh pasta- it's actually so easy to make with just some flour and egg. Will definitely have to try at home! Seriously guys- sign up for this experience. Aurora also let us "play" with the dough and make some tortellini and had an extra mid meal snack of some fruit marzipan and almond Nougats. At the very end- you get a certificate of completion, an email with the recipes and a very full belly! We also brought home the leftover tiramisu!

From the owner: Scuola di cucina e società di catering. Le sorelle Landra, maestre televisive de La Prova del Cuoco…read moreguidano gli allievi nell'elaborazione delle ricette: le lezioni sono teorico pratiche, tutto da crudo deve diventare cotto, presentao ed impiattato. Catering a domicilio, chef a domicilio, organizzazione feste

Great shop with so many pretty things. Italian wood ornaments, trays, boats, kitchen things and…read moredecor. Beautiful pieces.

Tacchi Luigi is located "Up the Hill" from the Bellagio water front. It is also known as "Bottega…read moredel Legno", and is apparently one of the oldest shops in Bellagio. It has been founded and managed since 1855 by the Tacchi Family. They specialize in various hand-carved wood items, including a very unique olive wood dish that I purchased. The selection is extensive and I thought that the floor view port (to some historical thing I'm guessing) and the wood working shop in back were pretty cool. The Family member helping me didn't win any awards for engagement, although Gayle thought he warmed up a bit as time went on. At the same time, he gave me some good tips on taking care of my piece and wrapped it for its home journey really well.