Tucked away on Old Lancaster Pike in Hockessin, Delaware is Chef's Haven, a small gourmet prepared…read morefood shop where Chef Mark has been teaching the local populace how to make really great food for the last 20 years!!! In the rear of the shop, past the fine cheeses, freshly baked baguettes, and clam chowder that is to die for, Chef Mark has a small kitchen area and raised settings for 10 lucky people to sit, watch and learn as Chef Mark and his Sous Chef Ethan prepare a themed menu upon which the class participants get to enjoy. And enjoy is truly an understatement!!!! I've taken three of the classes and have booked three more. My first class was Italian steak which began with a hearty white bean, escarole, and sausage soup, followed by a fresh and balanced panzanella salad, which the class dined happily on while Chef Mark prepared the main event. It was a 2+ inch thick steak topped with Gorgonzola cheese and a caramelized onion sauce. The taste, size, and quality of this steak was not to be believed!!! Chef Mark must have some deep connection to the Beef Gods themselves. In short, a magnificent meal where I met some very nice people, learned a lot from Chef Mark who is low key but very personable and full of entertaining stories of his life and career as a chef including tips on buying quality, healthy, ingredients!! My last class was a Greek themed class. It began with a tasty starter of slices of his fantastic, and freshly made baguettes and a dipping sauce of whipped feta, topped with finely diced green onion, garlic, and sundried tomato!! The Chef does not play when he is tempting your taste buds. It was delicious!!! This was followed by a Greek Lemon Chicken Soup which tasted so fresh, clean, and healthy, I designated it as the first new recipe I will try and make myself. The chicken, carrots, and soft rice in a yummy lemon tinged chicken stock was pure heaven!!! And if I hadn't already had a fork stuck in me, I'm done feeling the main course is ready!! 2 inch thick lamb chops sourced from the Greek Gods themselves, over crispy, browned roasted potatoes which were also covered with the pan drippings!!! Just kill me now so I can die a happy man!!! Or maybe just wait till after dessert!!! Once again, a fantastic meal taught simply by a fantastic Chef, and Sous Chef and enjoyed completely by a nice group of people who wanted to learn and expand their culinary horizons. Chef Mark and Sous Chef Ethan without a doubt nourished our minds and even more importantly our bellies!!! Take a class and savor the experience!!!!

Lovely evening watching Chef Mark prepare winter soups. Food was delicious and I learned plenty of…read morenew things!

I"ve been trying to find a good caterer for family gatherings and Alexander is the best. Food was…read moredelicious and Alex is easy to work with and very accommodating, even for a small order for only 10 people.

Need catering for your event. Look no further than Alexanders. Perfect to work with. Everything…read moreordered arrived in time and was wonderful. Could not ask for anything better. The garlic beef, chicken marsala and the scallops were perfection. Broccoli, scalloped potatoes and rice sublime. Don't fool around with anyone else. THIS is who you call for your in home event.

Fantastic experience at Haneeda's cooking class. I cannot wait to make an authentic Indian meal for…read moremy family now. I leaned so much. Haneeda was lovely and welcoming.

This interactive cooking class was so much fun! Haneeda explained all the spices we would be…read morecooking with, how we can find them and use them in different ways. Then we moved onto the food!! Oh my goodness, not only do you feel totally confident that you can cook these dishes on your own when you leave, before you actually leave you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Haneeda feeds you well! Do not eat before you come :) I'm not even joking when I say this was better than any Indian restaurant I've ever been to. She sends you home with all the recipes you made that day. Haneeda is so kind and generous and you can tell she really loves what she does and sharing her wealth of knowledge with everyone. I can't wait to come back and learn more!

As a rule, I'm usually resistant to "team building" experiences. But this was quite fun! First, I…read morelove to cook and second: I was relieved that we weren't doing anything outdoors since it was 100° outside. Robin steals the show for sure. She is a fantastic personality and knows so much about cooking to help make it accessible for those that are not comfortable with it. She is funny and chock-full of information...I picked up a bunch of great tips from her. The dishes we made were simple and were delicious. Thank you Robin and Joe for a great time!

My daughter attended a birthday party here and had a great experience. Robin, who is the owner and…read moreinstructor was good with the kids. They all got chefs hats to wear. Each child got to make a pizza (on a tortilla) as well as decorate a cupcake to look like a minion. The kids had a great time and got to do karaoke when the cooking was done. I would definitely explore this as an option for parties, team-building, or a night out.

Our asian fusion class with chef Huda was amazing. We had so much fun learning and the food was…read moredelicious from the appetizer to the dessert. We can't wait to do it again.

My friend and I had an exceptional evening with Chef Landi. We went to his Vegan Mediterranean…read moremeal. This was my third experience with the Chef and I find him to be wonderful! Not only superb recipes, but a wonderful teacher as well. Chef is affable, knowledgeable and has wonderful stories of his cooking experiences both in the states and abroad. Every time I leave, I want to cook more and try these great recipes. I'm not a vegan, but no one would ever know these are vegan recipes. Delicioso!

We had Chef Jason and his staff cook an awesome dinner for my wife's 50th birthday. She loved it…read moreand so did everyone who attended.If you are looking to do something special for someone special, you will be very pleased as we were.It was a house party for 15 guests in Wilmington, Delaware. Everything was beautifully prepared , and the service was excellent. When it was all said and done, they cleaned up the entire kitchen so that my sister in law , who hosted the party, did not have to do a thing.We were very satisfied and hope to use chef Jason again. People said it was one of the best at family gatherings ever. What more can you ask for than that?

From the owner: Once Upon The Palate is a private in home chef business that offers private in home gourmet cooking…read moreservices. We strive to utilize local and sustainable ingredients in all of our menus. We specialize in Gourmet dinner parties, "From scratch" prepared meals for the week prepared in your home and frozen. We also provide services such as Cooking Demonstrations and Cooking classes.

Reading Terminal Market is reminiscent of Faneuil Hall in Boston, in that there are lots of local…read morefood places concentrated in a *tiny* area. The overall purpose of the market is to feel full, and to feel like one of hundreds of people. And there are so many visitors around lunchtime and later. The walkways between the various cafes, bakeries, and food spots wer streams and rivers of hungry people. So many options of local Pennsylvanian delicacies were available, and seating was plentiful. There was a main seating area in the middle of the market, where you could see classes of high school students being lectured by teachers, workers on their lunch hour nibbling on a snack, and tourists and visitors frantically looking at all the visual splendor and fragrant cookery. Each individual business in the market has something to contribute to the overall experience. If you are close to the market, I recommend going during breakfast, lunch, and dinner to see the difference in food options. I also recommend going before lunch because it is usually a little less packed. Parking is going to be a hassle, so find parking where you can, and try to walk there!

Cute demo kitchen on Row D between 7th and 8th Ave in the bustling Reading Terminal Market! A cozy…read morespot that hosts cooking demos from local chefs and restaurants, cooking classes, and frequent samplings from various merchants/chefs/restaurants during Friday lunchtimes. Gear: Its equipped with 6 gas burners, 2 ovens, 1 refrigerator, 1 (small) sink, and 1 essential dishwasher. There's one huge counter for workspace or dining. Seating: 12 people at counter, 20 seated (or 30 if mingling). There is an option to extend to the larger side room adjacent to City Kitchen (rented from RTM) - which holds an additional 30 seated (or 40 if mingling). I need this space for Thanksgiving and Christmas soirees!

The cooking school in the Willow Grove Giant is one of my family's favorite places to go. They…read moreprovide classes for kids and adults. We've done the kids classes and most recently had my boys' birthday party there. Chef Dan who runs the school is excellent! I cannot say enough about him. He is great with the kids and makes the class entertaining and delicious! My children love going there! I highly recommend a birthday party with Chef Dan. He took care of everything and there was no stress! I even had to throw in a few last minute guests on him and he handled it like a pro. He made the boys birthday party a special one to remember!

What a great resource for local residents. The Chester County Night School provides inexpensive,…read moreinteresting classes on diverse topics ranging from digital photography and creative writing to yoga and local history. I've personally taken several Polish language classes through the Night School. The instructor was great and you can't beat the cost - around $100 for 8 weeks. I've also enjoyed classes on the history of espionage and volleyball through the Night School. For adults who enjoy life-long learning, but aren't concerned with earning college credits, the courses offered by the Night School are perfect. No tests or grades - just the fun part of learning. This wannabe professional student is a fan.

I've taken many classes at CC Night School. Their catalog is filled with creative classes like…read moreblacksmithing, glassblowing, aqua spin (the classes that I took). If you want to learn it, they'll teach it. It's a great resource for the community. And since they're nonprofit, their prices are reasonable.