Definitely stop in if you're in the area(even if it requires a minor detour). Such a cute store…read morewith filled with unique antiques, vintage finds, and local products too. Paul was so personable and appreciative, will definitely be stopping again when we're back in the area!

Enjoy browsing the eclectic mix of country life items. I always find something interesting here! A…read morefun experience.

My wife and I first attended a Capital Cooks class back in late 2023. It was so casual,…read morecomfortable, and educational that we decided to sign up for another class. Since then, we've learned how to make our own sushi, sour dough, pastries, street foods, pasta, stuffed grape leaves, chocolate mousse, Mexican foods, Mediterranean foods, baklava, paella, and so much more! We rarely eat out anymore since we now know how to confidently make it ourselves, and our own cooking now tastes so much better than at a restaurant. We've even lost weight - bonus! And the tips for where to find ingredients and make our own vanilla extract for just pennies have been amazing! I needed to leave this review because for the second Christmas in a row I've made paella as I was taught at Capital Cooks by Caroline and it turned out so amazingly perfect! The family non-stop kept complimenting how great it tasted, and it got devoured. Thank you, Caroline, for what has become our new Christmas tradition meal, and it's actually fun to cook it! You're amazing. Your husband Paul is awesome! Thank you both for the education you've given my wife and me. We are already signed up for a couple more classes in the coming months!

If I could give this place 10 stars I would! We booked for a team holiday activity and we had so…read moremuch fun. Everybody is a chef here. Even if you don't normally cook, they will teach you. We chose dumplings around the world we made sweet potato pierogies, we made chicken and cheese and mushroom and garlic dumplings. So good! You make your own dough! Theresa was amazing. So friendly and funny. We had a blast. We brought our own chef hats too! Aprons provided. You are going to need one!

While we weren't able to use Sarah's team for our event due to scheduling logistics, I wanted to…read moreleave a review because I was blown away by how easy it was to work with her for a short notice event. -Sarah responded to my inquiry and we were on the phone within minutes to discuss an event that was less than a week away! -She clearly loves what she does and cares to make your event 100% special and catered to food preferences and dietary restrictions. I was so impressed by how quickly she could come up with various dish ideas based on details of the event and the venue (in our case an Airbnb) -for those booking during covid, she takes safety precautions very seriously and ensures your comfort level -she sources fresh local ingredients for delicious meal combinations I'd certainly recommend Sarah and her team for catering and hope to book her sometime in the future!!

This was the absolute best catering/private chef experience I could imagine. The food was…read morescrumptious, unique, beautiful, and so, so tailored to our needs. Everything was vegan, vegetarian, and organic -- perfectly pleasing the vegans and meat eaters in the group (including one VERY picky eater). The owner is kind, thoughtful, punctual, and super creative. The team was extremely health and safety conscious. We will always remember this experience.

I recently attended a NYC bakery class where we made three different pastry selections: babka,…read moreblack & white cookies and crumb cake. It was a great class and I loved the snacks he provided while we learned. It was slightly hands on which is just how I like it. It wasn't too crowded and the other people at my table were friendly and had taken other classes so let me know what to expect. I'd definitely return as he is passionate about what he teaches.

Chef Gio is running a very professional operation that is informative, enjoyable, and tasty. My…read morewife and I attended a class offering instruction on American Regional Pizza. More specifically, Detroit vs. New Haven pizza. We've had Detroit style pizza prepared by a handful of different local establishments in the area over the last five years with no two being alike. Some we enjoyed more than others. Neither of us has ever experienced New Haven style pizza, but I'm acquainted with a number of friends who seriously rave about New Haven "apizza" and are willing to do a road trip there in order to compare some well known New Haven businesses. This class with chef Gio seemed like the golden opportunity to experience "apizza" without enduring the approximately six-hour roundtrip drive. There were about twenty-three students in this class seated at three long tables capable of holding eight each. Beer and wine are available for purchase. The wine can be purchased by the bottle or glass using wine cards in a self-service dispenser. We were satisfied with the carafes of water that were provided at each table. While sitting at the tables provides a reasonable view of what chef Gio is doing at the chef's table, a large overhead monitor ensures that there is no bad seat in the house. The printed recipes provided are intended for your note taking. They only list the ingredients and not the techniques needed to make your end result. With chef Gio's tips and explanations of how, when, and why certain ingredients are combined, it would have taken a twenty-five page book if a regular recipe were provided. Some hands-on experience is provided to give you a feel for what can not be explained in any other way. An example in our class was oiling the rectangular pan for the Detroit pizza and properly spreading the dough in the pan. I've never worked with dough that felt like this. When the dough was ready we also provided the toppings of cheese, pepperoni, and sauce. The New Haven pizza took less time to make so, while our Detroit pizza was proofing we were eating the "apizza." While it was very tasty, I now know that it is not a style that I'd be willing to drive 160 miles for. It was too thin and crispy for my liking. As for our Detroit pizza, it definitely was delicious but not up to the standard of what I can enjoy from a couple of the local establishments, even though we used quality ingredients. The amount of time and work it would require making it at home vs. having one in thirty minutes is a no brainer. Chef Gio's classes are fun, entertaining, and culinarily enjoyable. The only recommendation I would offer is to bring a cushion for the stool you will be sitting on.

Spoon and Whisk is an independent store with quality high end kitchen supplies. I came today…read morebecause they offer a Knife Sharpening Service. I have three knives that need sharpening. I have been satisfied with the results in the past. I also checked out the sourdough baking supplies. I purchased a beeswax bag made in Vermont to store a loaf of bread. It keeps it fresh. I am amazed at the large amount of stock in this store ranging from lots of metal cookie cutters to Lodge pans to a large assortment of timers to a variety of baking pans to kitchen utensils. The owner or staff person was very helpful. He was available if needed. You can browse if you like.

Nice &helpful owner,plenty of range to fit any budget &displayed attractively…read more Love food,love gadgets& I go here to find gifts for my foodie friends:).

Their Knife Sharpening is worse than terrible. My knives…read morewere duller after the 'sharpening' and close to ruined. They are Wüsthof knives and Wüsthof- Trident of North America store in Norwalk is the place to go for professional sharpening.

This gourmet cooking store has the added bonus of a coffee bar inside the store. You can grab a…read morelatte and browse away. The selection here is incredible. Anything you could need or want for your kitchen and cooking adventures. Minus one star for a rude, unpleasant staff interaction.

The first time I had something from Let's Start From Scratch was at Hartford's Open Studio last…read moreyear. Molly makes such amazing treats, some of which are GF & vegan which is great. She is so sweet & creative, and you can really tell she loves what she does! She makes edible cookie dough, chocolate peanut better cereal bars, cookies, fruit popsicles, tons of baked goodies & prepared meals as well! One of my favorite treats are her berry bars, packed with berry goodness. They are the perfect healthy treat! Follow her on Instagram @letsstartfromscratch to stay updated about where she'll be next, and to see some amazing food porn! She's usually at events in the Hartford area like Know Good Market etc. If you like healthy homemade food, that actually tastes good & is packed with flavor you have to try one of her creations!

Ok, let's just talk about the chocolate peanut butter cereal bars. I may have eaten 5 in one day,…read moreand I've got no regrets. Let's Start From Scratch is a joy & Molly is just the best. I came across them as a vendor at the West End Farmers' Market (a 2 minute walk from my home) last summer where they've got a weekly rotating menu of from-scratch baked goods, fresh popsicles in fun, inventive flavors, spritzers, sauces and so much more. Let's Start From Scratch also features an amazing lineup of prepared meals that inspires me to eat a bit healthier without sacrificing great flavor (there's this one sweet potato / brussels sprout / cabbage coconut curry dish that's to die for). Plenty of vegan, vegetarian & gluten free dishes as well! Did I mention homemade choco tacos and macaron ice cream sandwiches? Molly is going to be a vendor at WEFM again this season so don't miss out!

What a great experience! The food was absolutely delicious and for such an amazing price!!…read more We were impressed with each and every course. The service was wonderful. Our server was a bit nervous but did a fabulous job. She was very attentive. We talked to one of the coordinators after dinner and she showed us around to their other facilities and we were just so impressed. Theme night: Spain App: Tapas plate (fried goat cheese with honey, peppers, crispy potatoes with a yummy sauce, mussels, and an unbelievable rib) Dinner: Steak entree with amazing sauces. Steak with a blue cheese sauce, a green sauce with the tomatoes and a semi spicy/cream sauce with the crispy potatoes. Dessert: My boyfriend and I chose separate desserts. Chocolate and vanilla burnt cheesecake with a chocolate sauce. Dulce de Leche ice cream. The only two things I didn't care much for was the crispy wafer that went with the ice cream (that was just preference) and the peppers in the tapas (because they were just boring ). Ps- bring a wine bottle! They charge a $5 corking fee but it is byob. :)

It was a pleasure to dine at the Casola Dining Room. It's a lovely room with great ambiance with…read morehope in the air. The students are friendly and make more of an effort than some of those who are toiling away in some area restaurants. Having been a student (many moons ago) in the same culinary classes at SCCC, it was wonderful to try their offerings. Tonights menu selections of appetizers, entrees and desserts were from Provence. It started with a choice of Vegetable Soup with Pistou (basil and garlic like pesto without pine nuts), Nicoise Salad or a Provencal Vegetable Tart. I chose the Vegetable Tart. I will tell you that the tart filling of diced vegetables (tomatoes, zucchini and onions) only complimented the delicious flaky and light tart. Kudos! I selected for dinner the trio of lamb chops which also had a medley of diced vegetables. (Other selections available were the Chicken Provencale, Bouillabaisse, and Grilled Ratatouille with Israeli Cous Cous.) Being a fan of both lamb and seafood, the decision of what to have for dinner was difficult. I went with the landlubbers lamb. It was delicious, a wonderful dark pink (not totally rare and cold, but lovely warm and juicy) and tasty chops. Last but not least were 3 choices of desserts: Petite Four Assortment with Raspberry Sorbet, Chocolate Pot de Creme and a Pear Almond Tart. Again, difficult to decide but when with the Chocolate Pot de Creme. Very delicious smooth dark chocolate topped with whipped cream and a lovely decorative chocolate swirl with a small spoon shaped cookie! All in all, a wonderful meal from the future chefs in the industry. My only comment would be the students could have a little more tutoring on proper pronunciations and ingredients of dishes being served.

I went to Herrington's yesterday and had the good fortune to run into Arlen in paints. I was there…read moreto buy paint for my front door -it's black , the house is Saybrook Sage. I love the combo but i can't tell if my door is shut from the street or I'm just seeing the hall,lol. Anyway I explain that to Arlen and say maybe a coral? She says oooh I love the black/sage scheme too. Do you have any of the green left? Why not try using it as an accent around the windows/lights on the door?I bought some tape and some small brushes and it looks awesome! And I can tell the door is closed That folks is why you use a store like this rather than a big box store. She listened and came up with a creative and cheaper fix. I always use Herrington's because their employees are the best!!!!

They charged me $300 more than they quoted me, ordered a pre- framed door when all I wanted was the…read moredoor, ordered it in the wrong color and delivered in by dumping in on the front porch which was CLEARLY in the process of being painted When we weren't there to supervise. It will now cost me more money to have the doors installed and painted. Because of course they don't provide installation. I've renovated houses before in several different parts of the country and this place is not the place to go for materials.