We attended Market Foray's cooking class in January, and it was one of the most enjoyable and…read moreeducational experiences I've had in the kitchen. We started with a trip to the farmer's market, where Laurence pointed out different items and talked through the differences in different types of food (green garlic was new to me!). We later met at her home, and the cooking began. She did a good job of rotating the tasks throughout the group, and explaining the techniques as she went. We got to taste as we went, and after all the chopping was done, wine was served. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the other participants were friendly and engaged, making it a fun, social experience as well. And, of course, the best part was sitting down at the end to enjoy the fruits of our labor. The dishes we prepared were full of flavor and creativity, and I walked away feeling incredibly satisfied and inspired to keep cooking. I highly recommend this class to anyone who loves food and wants to expand their culinary horizons. Whether you're looking to learn new techniques, discover fresh ingredients, or just have a fun day out, Market Forays is a fantastic choice.

Amazing experience! It was great shopping and cooking with Laurence. She opened the group up to a…read morewhole new world of ingredients from the local farmers market and fish market. We made a whole array of dishes and they all were so simple to make yet so delicious. I would highly recommend taking one of her classes and I would happily do it again

As a birthday present, we did a cooking class with Kathryn and had the best time. We chose the…read moreSyrian menu and Kathryn taught us so many fun facts about the region and food. She is a true delight and the meal was excellent. Those spiced potato cakes were to die for! I would love to try one of her other menus or wine pairings in the future. This makes a great gift or special experience when guests visit. Highly recommend!

Kathryn made my 10th wedding anniversary such a wonderful experience. We celebrated in Pismo Beach…read morewith our kids and my mother in law, and rented an AirBnB right on the beach. From the moment I reached out to Kathryn, she was warm and friendly, detailed, upfront, responsive, and very communicative. She even worked with me to offer something new for the main course which was a new recipe she just tried for a recent event, and asked lots of questions to ensure that the food she was going to make suited our preferences. Kathryn accommodated our request to have dinner on the patio, and her presentation was amazing! Kathryn's warmth and friendly personality extended to the evening of the dinner as well. Kathryn's food was SO delicious!! Everyone gobbled everything up, and my kids couldn't get enough of the tzatziki! The wines that Kathryn chose for the courses paired very well. The fish was soooo good that there was nothing left on anyone's plates! Everything was delicious - shrimp fritter, tzatziki / pita, pomegranate salad, orange roughy with veggies and cous cous, and the chocolate mousse that was so light and yummmmmy! We had the full service meal option, and Kathryn explained all the courses and the wine nicely throughout. A huge plus was that our kitchen was spotless at the end of the evening, which was so nice not to have to worry about cleaning up at the end of the night. What an amazing experience - thank you Kathryn for making our anniversary dinner so memorable! If you are vacationing in Pismo Beach, or even if you live in the area, I would highly recommend that you reach out to Kathryn!

I purchased a basket of food for two from Nimita's Cuisine, for my daughter-in-law's birthday,…read morewhich was delivered in person by Nimita herself. My daughter-in-law is vegetarian who enjoys the types of food that Nimita makes (curries and healthy vegetables).. She loved the delicious food that she said was "perfectly spiced. She thought the food basket gift was super thoughtful and she loved meeting and talking with Nimita , a very warm and kind person.

Nimita was a pleasure to work with during my wedding planning process! She catered our Indian…read moresnacks before our ceremony in Santa Barbara. She hosted an amazing tasting for my husband and I's families and everything was so delicious! On the wedding day, her team went above and beyond to make sure all our guests were happy and we got RAVING REVIEWS from guests who LOVED the food! I got a chance to try her Samosa Chana and Pav Bhaji in the afternoon of the wedding day and they were AMAZING! Such great flavors and ingredients. I would definitely recommend Nimita and her team to anyone wanting Indian food at their wedding in the Santa Barbara area!

Unfortunately, I did not have a great experience and would not recommend The Kitchen Door for a…read morelarge wedding or event. Betty has many positive reviews, which is one of the reasons I hired her, so my assumption is that smaller events may be a better fit for her business. However, based on my experience with a wedding of over 100 guests, I would not hire her again. The overall customer experience, communication, staffing, and execution did not meet expectations. Positives: * Betty was very helpful during the initial planning process. I originally reached out looking for bartending services, and she was able to provide catering, dinnerware, linens, and other items that reduced the amount of rentals I needed. * She created a beautiful custom menu and was accommodating when guest counts needed to be updated. * The appetizer presentation looked great and was well received by guests. * The enchilada soup was good. * She provided a cake knife for our cake cutting. * Food service itself was not excessively slow despite the size of the event. Negatives: * The staffing and service provided did not match what was outlined in our contract, and there was never any acknowledgment, explanation, or follow-up regarding those issues. * Our contract included two bartenders, but only one actually showed up. While the bartender who was present had a good attitude, I was told by guests that he arrived approximately an hour and a half late. I did not even realize until afterward that my friends were pouring me drinks, and guests were serving themselves drinks while waiting for bar service. * We ran out of food, despite six guests from my final headcount not attending, 14 of the guests being children, and three people that I know of not eating due to there being no food available. * There were no plates available when appetizers were first being served * We also did not have enough utensils for guests, and plastic utensils had to be used. I would have rented plates and utensils if that's what was needed. But I was told that she had them, which she did but not enough. * Communication became increasingly stressful after booking and I often felt uncomfortable asking questions or making updates. * I was contacted for final payment before the payment date outlined in our contract, which created unnecessary stress as I had intentionally planned my RSVP deadline around the contract timeline. * a little bit before the wedding, concerns regarding the venue change were raised (not kindly). I had previously asked what would be needed at the venue and was told that power was the primary requirement, so that was my understanding going into the event. There appeared to be a miscommunication regarding additional needs, including concerns about water access that had already been discussed prior to the wedding. While a solution was ultimately worked out and water was available on the wedding day, the way these concerns were communicated created unnecessary stress during an already busy and emotional time.

I hired Betti to bartend for a small (20 people) wedding reception and she was excellent! She was…read moreable to bring glassware and bar tools which was one less thing for me to worry about. She also provided free lemonade and ice tea which the young folks loved. She came early, set up on her own and stayed after the guests left to clean up. Her communication was great and the price was fair. Would absolutely hire her again.

So far, I have taken five classes from Grandma Ingrid and Nicolle and I have learned a lot and…read morereally enjoyed each experience thoroughly. The classes are held in an over 100 year-old family home and it is very warm and inviting. It is fun to attend the hands-on classes and there are always interesting fellow attendees to meet. Ingrid has a lifetime of experience with home cooking and as a Master Food Preserver for the San Luis Obispo Cooperative Extension Office and her knowledge base is vast. I highly recommend taking a class from Ingrid and Nicolle to anyone who enjoys cooking and wants to learn something new. An added bonus is that breakfast and lunch are included with each in-person class and you get to take home whatever you learned to make, plus handouts and recipes.

Attended my first cooking class with Grandma Ingrid & her daughter, Nicolle. I would give them 10…read morestars, if I could. It was so fun and I learned so much! The classes take place in a quintessential 100+ year old farmhouse. All the participants are snuggly seated in their home but everyone was lovely and having a wonderful time (tip - there will be 2 demonstration tables, sit at the one with the hanging camera. Talk about front row seats!). My class was candy making. We were supplied with a small recipe booklet of around 10 different candies. Plus, you'll also get recipes for the food they serve. Yes, that's right - they feed you! You get a light breakfast & lunch, all homemade food from Grandma's kitchen, including homemade bread. The farm homestead isn't hard to find. Just know that the last two 'streets' are dirt roads and you'll have a private parking attendant (Grandpa) waiting to direct you. It was very easy to make reservations online & they provide excellent communication both before & after the class. The cost was sooo worth it! Can't wait to sign-up for my next class.

It was the weekend and walking 'round my hood I didn't want to wait a long time for food. CTC had a…read morefew people seated but wasn't so crowded that I would faint from hunger before being served. The concept is quick Italian. With pasta dishes and different main dishes along with sides. They run a deal if you build a full meal and it runs about $15. The staff were nice and I could tell they really wanted to do a good job. The problem really was the food. It lacks fresh flavors and reminded me of an airport restaurant. Everything is clearly pre made, which in itself isn't awful. It just really tasted reheated. Risotto: what was touted as "yellowtail" was canned tuna. Very fishy smelling and even worse tasting. I thought it was a bold special and imagined a seared sliced fish over the risotto. What I got was akin to cat food. I couldn't even choke down a small fork full so I did something I freaking hate doing, I complained to the manager. He did end up taking the dish off of my bill which I appreciate, especially since I honestly found it so awful I couldn't finish a bite. When I gave my reason he did say something troubling. He said the chef uses fish stock in a lot of his dishes which A) should be noted for those who are allergic and B) still doesn't account for the canned fish overwhelming the dish. Hopefully he saw I wasn't being difficult and giving honest feedback. Anyway, I'm happy he did the right thing. Mozzarella sticks were free with yelp check in and average. Roasted potatoes were good but are more like potato wedges and not fingerling are small whole roasted potatoes. Which is fine but unexpected. The tiramisu comes in a cup and tastes mostly of whipped cream. The set up and outside are cute. The staff work hard and really tried to give a great experience. The problem really is the food. It's bland at its best and inedible at its worst. With more restaurants opening in the area soon I would not bet on CTC for the long haul unless they start to put better food on their plates.

New casual Italian street food joint in Little Italy next to the bustling Waterfront bar…read more Food was pretty good but not mind blowingly delicious. This place earns its fourth star as service was outstanding, prices are on par, there was no wait, and we got a small order of two fried mozzarella sticks for free with our Yelp check-in. It seems much of the food is pre-made and then heated up to be piping hot (like the lasagna). Some clearly seemed made to order, like the fried chicken and fried artichokes. There are tons of desserts in their display case, including tortes and traditional or strawberry tiramisu. I only really liked the sausage calzone ($5), which was pretty small but delicious especially the crust. The lasagna was huge for only $9, and tasted homemade (light not heavy or salty) but I wasn't wow'd. The fried artichokes (tiny pieces instead of big leaves) were on the soft side not too crunchy. The fried chicken ($9) which is a specialty here was just OK-- small panko-battered thigh cutlets with a decent flavor. The place was almost entirely empty on a weekend evening, and my dining companions and I were seated right away on the outside patio. There are not a lot of seats but this doesn't seem to be a problem. The bathroom is located down the block, and you have to get a key from the staff. My companions chose to wait until they got home because they didn't want to bother but I didn't find it too annoying. BOTTOM LINE: A nice place for a quick meal with excellent service, but food was not especially memorable. I might go back to try a tiramisu since in Italy tiramisu is better at takeaway places versus sit down restaurants.

I have always been a little intimidated to try Indian cuisine and Sholeh made it so easy! From the…read moregrocery delivery to the preparation of the ingredients to the actual cooking, it was flawless! I shared this class with my family and we all prepared the meal together and then enjoyed it together. The food was delicious, I asked to increase the portions since I was feeding a family of 6 and we had so much food! Leftovers for the kids lunch throughout the week and an absolutely fantastic meal and time spent together. Thank you for offering this class, I will see you in April for the Argentinian Empanada class!

Wonderful classes and the best dinners! Sholeh is engaging and informative. I have taken so many of…read moreher classes and loved all of them!

Chef Robért was absolutely amazing. What a great experience, our friends really enjoyed the meal…read more Chef was very professional from start to finish. The presentation was beautiful and the food was absolutely delicious with every course as amazing as the previous. We will definitely do it again. It felt good to be so pampered in our own home.

From the owner: Chef Robert offers personalized menus for small groups and events. We work with each client to…read moredesign a menu to your preferences, taste and dietary needs. We firmly believe in sustainability and organic products to ensure healthy, tasty, and beautiful meals. With years of experience in Michelin level restaurants and hotels, chef Robert will satisfy the most discerning palates.

I would hire a chef Steph again. It was my first time to hire a personal chef for a dinner party. I…read morelearned a lot and next time I'll have a few different requests. But overall food was delicious. She was very gracious and professional. She did not clear dinner dishes until everyone was finished. I felt like we had all the Time in the world and we're not rushed . Her chocolate lava cakes were amazing !When dinner was finished, all the dishes were in the dishwasher and the countertops were all wiped down. Everything was taken care .

Steph's the best!! Plain and simple. Her experience as a professional chef and her attentive,…read morehelpful approach are amazing! Great chef!!

I put in an inquiry for a private chef through Santa Barbara Chef Collective and was lucky to have…read morebeen paired with Chef Aspyn. We were a group of 8 friends and 3 babies traveling to Solvang for a weekend getaway, and we wanted to enjoy a quiet, delicious meal once the babies went down for the night. Booking through Santa Barbara Chef Collective was such a breeze--simple, straightforward, and catered to all our needs. Choosing the menu was super fun as we were given so many tasty options for each course. Chef Aspyn and her sous chef Alexis (who was so fun and sweet!) arrived right on time and quickly started preparing our feast. It was so nice how they set the table so we could enjoy an al fresco twilight dinner. Not only was every course delicious, but so, so beautifully plated. They also made us cocktails and mocktails (for the pregnant ladies), and kept our wine glasses full throughout the entire evening. It was clear that these chefs are not only skilled but passionate about their craft. To top it all off, they left our kitchen spotless - even washing baby bibs which we really appreciated. This dining experience was the highlight of our trip, and we couldn't have asked for a better meal. If you're considering a personal chef, I highly recommend Chef Aspyn!

Some of the best, most creative food and baked goods. From salads to appetizers to the absolute…read morebest chocolate chip cookies I've ever had.