We loved it! Had an amazing evening learning how to make pasta with this hands on experience. I…read morewould definitely recommend and would love to take another class!!

My boyfriend surprised me with a pasta making class with La Bella Pastarella for my birthday and…read morewhat an amazing experience!! Monica and Leo were great hosts and super friendly. I can't believe how much we learned, they were so knowledgeable and explained everything with the perfect amount of detail to help us understand exactly what was happening as we cooked. We made three delicious pasta dishes and we left their home feeling confident in our pasta making skills. Weeks later we're still talking about the food we made and looking into buying our own pasta roller. They made my birthday one to remember! 10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Mama's Circle is a wonderfully supportive judgment-free space that Elizabeth does an excellent job…read moremoderating. She is a wonderful group leader. Each week she helps new moms probe the questions and concerns they have by facilitating group discussion. In doing so, she adds lots of her own useful knowledge as well as gathering thoughts from the group, striking the perfect balance between a wise mentor and friend.

One of the best decisions I made as a new Mom was join Elizabeth's Mama's Circle! It's a great…read moreopportunity to connect with other mamas, share in this journey, and speak your mind in a warm + welcoming, supportive space. As a mom herself, Elizabeth leads each class with experience and an attitude towards being a parent (and life in general) that is refreshingly honest. Having also taken her prenatal and postnatal yoga classes, I can't say enough good things about her. Thank you, Elizabeth, for creating this awesome "village" of mamas!

I have so enjoyed my sewing lessons with Allison, who could not be a kinder or better teacher. I…read morehave been taking the workshops with several other students, which gives me the opportunity to learn from their projects as well as my own. The studio gives one a chance to learn a creative life skill in a little haven of quiet and calm.

I took the Intro/Beginner class with Allison and it was such a treat! Not only is she a fantastic…read moreteacher, but the atmosphere in her little backyard studio is incredibly warm and inviting. I was super intimidated by the ins and outs of my sewing machine before I began, but by the end of the first class I was ready to dive in at home - and not only ready, but inspired. Not even a year later and I've made tops, overalls, dresses, etc. I hope to take more classes in the future and I genuinely wouldn't consider going anywhere else. A great teacher makes all the difference and you'll find that here.

Went with owner Alison Marriott on a private tour of Virginia wineries to look at venues and…read moreavailable wines in Loudoun county. Alison was very helpful navigating the area (how on Earth can you figure out which wineries to go to?) and explaining the difference in the varietals we tried. She also asked questions of the venue I would not have thought to ask, and I found two possible locations for my event (and learned which wines made it through the difficult 2011 growing season!) As someone who enjoys wine but really needs a little extra help, Alison has been my go-to "wine Rolodex" and was invaluable to learning what options were available in Loudoun County.

I hosted a small dinner party to celebrate my husband's birthday and had it catered. Thought it…read morewould be fun to have someone come in and do a wine pairing with the meal and talk to the guests about wine throughout. I was referred to Alison and she was AMAZING. She went above and beyond, talked to me about the choices prior to the dinner, seemed willing and able to work with any budget and her selections were fantastic. She was engaging, down to earth and entertaining. everyone loved it and her. She also took a few pictures of the party, which I'd forgotten to do so I have lasting memories of a very special night. I would definitely use her again.

Participate in a Simply Indian cooking demo and feel like you're part of a Food Network studio…read moreaudience...except without cameras and therefore much more interaction with the host. _____________ OVERALL You don't just watch a cooking demo, you get to interact with Rupen, learn way more than about the dishes Rupen cooks, and best of all, you get generous tastings! _________ TEACHER I know Rupen teaches at Whole Foods on P Street but he demo'd at my company for an APIA Heritage Month event. -Thorough on the details, Rupen talks about ingredient history, substitution ideas for health alternatives, the history behind dishes, and always has something to say. -He more than welcomes questions. If I attend another one of his classes, I'm going to bring questions with me because I have direct access to an experienced chef. -Despite his teaching ways, he's funny. I don't know where he got his presentation skills from, but it's obvious that he's very experienced in talking to a variety of people. ______ FOOD I think Rupen cooks traditionally. For example, his butter chicken tastes slightly less creamy than restaurant butter chicken, but it's still soooooo good. Rupen cooked way more than he said he would (tasting serving sizes). I guess that's good for me because I got to get a bigger portion than expected. _____ TIP If you have tupperware, bring it just in case there's leftovers and you want to take something home.

Attended his class at Living Social. I'm South Asian and know how to cook indian food however I…read moredefinitely learned new things from his class. He's incredibly personable and funny and makes you feel welcome to be in the kitchen. His recipes are simple and even transferable, he gives great inspiration. We made butter chicken, tilapia steamed in banana leaf and eggplant curry. The tilapia was probably the most amazing fish cooked indian style that I have ever eaten. We have made it at home a few times since the class. I would definitely attend his cooking class again! You won't be disappointed.

I've been to a paint and sip event before and I was expecting a similar experience when I signed up…read morefor Paint Amore's "Paint and Chill" event at Selina DC on Friday. I arrived at Selina around 7pm and was directed to the lower level where the event was taking place. The check-in table at the front displayed a selection of well-used paint brushes and paint-stained plastic cups. The dimly lit room had three rows of tables set up with tiny blank canvases. The lady at the check-in desk never asked me for my ticket or my name. Instead, she directed me to select one of the laminated images on the table to "sketch." I saw that a few other attendees had on aprons, so I grabbed one of the paint-stained aprons to protect my clothing. I'm no artist, so I asked the staff member for some guidance on sketching the image I had chosen and she simply stated that I needed to draw it freehand. I helped myself to a few paint colors after figuring out that I needed to grab my own materials. I joined my friend at one of the three 4-person tables in the cozy room and made my best attempt to sketch the image using a pencil before applying the colors with my paintbrush. I completed my 10 x 8 inch painting in no time and it looked nothing like the original laminated image. Even though it wasn't a masterpiece, I found the act of painting pretty relaxing. The conversation at my table and the playlist streaming in the background were bomb! They made an otherwise lackluster experience worthwhile. I do wish this event included some wine and snacks to nosh on while we painted. That and larger canvases with sketched images and a quick orientation to attendees as they entered the room would have made this event even better. 2.5

What a fun experience this was! Booked on Eventbrite, Paint Amore offers the opportunity to paint…read morein an inclusive, fun and encouraging environment. I think that this would be a great date night plan, or fun activity for friends. Definitely geared more for adults, just because of the alcohol available and more adult playlist. Pros - Relaxed vibes: The vibes were so happy and upbeat. Folks talking, laughing, and singing along to the music. The studio is clean, well organized, and bright. - Friendly: All the staff is so helpful and friendly. They immediately make you feel at home, show you where all the paint and tools are located, guide you to your seat, and put you at ease. - Be creative: I like that there is no pressure here to follow a certain style, paint a certain picture, or complete things in a certain amount of time. You are able to follow your heart, be creative, and draw whatever you want. There are some outlines and photos available to copy if you want inspiration, but there is no pressure to do this, either! - Lots of supplies: Paints of every color, brushes of every size-- lots of cups and plats and paper towels and smocks. A dryer to dry your art as well. This studio is well stocked-- everything you need to direct your next masterpiece is here! - Fun conversation: You get seated at tables with your party, but also with other groups, so you can converse and socialize as you paint! - Affordable: I paid about $25 per person for the general admission experience, which I found to be a great value! Other: - VIP experience: The VIP experience allows for you to paint in a blacklight room, with neon paint! Not sure what the pricing is for this, but it seemed pretty dope!

I recently took a virtual wine class led by Ashwin and organized by my apartment's management…read morecompany. He emailed everyone with photos and a description of the two bottles of wine that we should buy for class, with alternatives suggested. Was very impressed with Ashwin's ability to engage us over Zoom, educate us in an approachable and warm way, and answer our questions without pretentiousness (what's the best glass for this type of wine?). What distinguishes Ashwin from, say, just Googling a question about wine is that Ashwin actually has a point of view that he isn't shy about sharing (like his opinions about the homogenization of the big champagne brands vs. grower-made champagnes). Especially during the time of COVID, his Zoom classes are a welcome distraction--and an excuse to drink more wine. Totally recommend his classes as a fun group event.

Ashwin makes learning about wine fun and informative! We attended 2/4 (and we will attend the next…read moretwo) virtual tastings as part of a series through Equity Apartments and now we look forward to Tuesday nights being fun, informative, and interactive! He makes wine approachable and has adapted his business to these challenging times to keep people learning about wine, tasting wine, and having a good time!

I signed up for the Intro to Docs film class and I honestly had a blast! We were divided into 3…read moregroups and our instructor gave us the tools we needed to make a short documentary. We had all the guidance we needed and more importantly we had a great time doing it. Sam is a great instructor and we learned a lot. I cannot wait to take an editing class or a more advanced class there.

Intro class too short (instructor sometimes finishes editing for you), film becomes property of…read moreD.I.P., encouraged to make more of a commercial for local businesses rather than any meaningful documentary! Would take $ elsewhere, such as a college class or purchase my own camera.