I first met chefs Ian Knauer and Shelley Wiseman when they were the guest pizzaiolos at Liberty…read moreHall Pizza, serving up some unique and amazingly delicious pizzas. Shortly thereafter, my wife and I signed up for the Fundamentals cooking course at The Farm Cooking School - a six class series covering everything from knife skills to roasting, poaching and braising. What we experienced was far better than we expected. These are hands on classes, where we learned about the ingredients, how to utilize them and why they worked in each dish we prepared. At the end of each class, we all sit down and enjoy a delicious meal that by itself would likely cost as much as the class if we bought it at a local restaurant. What a bargain! Since that first series, I've taken over 30 other classes, and continue to take classes every week. I've made French sauces, Mexican moles, Italian pastas, Indian curries, pies, breads, and just about everything else you've seen on a plate. The variety and quality of classes and the food we've eaten has been amazing. Through these classes and the down-to-earth teaching styles of Ian and Shelley, I've learned that it's possible for amateurs like me to prepare meals that taste as good or better than those I get in restaurants. I walk away from classes thinking "Wow, that was so delicious. I can't wait to try this at home!"

I attended the Farm Cooking School for a pasta making night! Overall, it was a great experience! We…read morehad the chance to make 3-4 different pastas and worked as a group through each item. However, the class was unorganized. Despite arriving on time, the class had already started. People were tasked with items to start on and no one greeted us or told us where we could help. It made the beginning of the class feel weird and made us feel not welcomed. The pasta was delicious and the overall value was great! Arrive extra early or have the potential to walk in confused!

This was of the best brunches I've ever had in Jersey! I came here with my family because we saw…read morethat this place is run by a famous chef (Maricel) and that they even offer cooking classes. We were quite hungry so we ordered one of the tower sets and some other stuff like lumpia and eggs. I loved the tower- it featured a superb mix of meats, potatoes, eggs, and sweet pastries. I will definitely say either share it or come super hungry because I was stuffed to the brim by the end of the meal. Service is super fast and efficient too. The owner did rounds to talk to everyone as well which felt quite inviting. The vibe inside is also nice and cozy, and the tables are spaced pretty far apart so it doesn't feel crammed in there. Overall, highly recommend as one of the best Filipino spots and brunch spots in the central Jersey area.

Maricels Kitchen Is Bitchen!…read more What a imaginative way to serve several dishes at 1 time. Usually called a boodle or Ramadan, where the layout several dishes on leaves on the table, all dishes were served on a 3 tier tower. Cute for a celebration. The towers immediately brought to mind English tea service, with finger foods displayed on two- or three-tier stands. The customer service truly stood out, from the attentive waitstaff to the three chefs who came out to greet us--including Chef Maricel herself--the hospitality felt warm and genuine. The dining room is cozy and inviting, with a mix of sofas and chairs giving living-room vibe. They offer two preset towers, and we ordered the first: The Classic Filipino Brunch Tower, which included: Siomai, Crispy Shrimp, Ukoy (sweet potato and vegetable fritters), Pork Tocino, Beef Tapa, Bangus (milkfish), Garlic Fried Rice, Fried Eggs, Salted Eggs with Tomatoes and Atchara, Homemade Pandesal, Suman, and the Chef's selection of homemade pastries. It would be great if guests could choose items from a list or make substitutions. There were no substitutions allowed, so we had to pick the tower with the fewest items we wouldn't eat. I especially wanted the Torta Talong from Tower 2, but it wasn't available as a side dish. The siomai was the first item cooked--it arrived cold and had started to harden. Everything else was delicious. Since the towers are meant to be shared, providing tongs would be a thoughtful touch and more hygienic for communal dining. We also ordered a few side dishes. The Lumpia Shanghai were fresh and delicious, though a few were still pink inside. The Baked Siopao was dry and lacked sufficient meat and sauce. The Empanadas, however, were the clear favorite--fresh, flaky, generously filled with savory seasoned beef and vegetables, and baked to perfection. Every bite was a flavor explosion, and we were literally fork-fighting over them. The Sans Rival was the perfect ending to the meal--so good that we ordered an extra slice to take home. **BYO LIQOUR** I would love to take my Mom for a dinner.

I started my first culinary class with Chef Barbara back in 2015. This is when the new Shop Rite…read morestarted Culinary workshops and I was hooked! I learned so much and it was a fun experience! Very disappointed when Shop Rite discontinued the program. She's now been running culinary classes much further away from me, but it was so worth the trip! You can participate or just observe. The food is always delicious and you leave pretty stuffed. She's the best! I highly recommend attending her class!

Chez Barbara and her team catered an engagement party for myself and my fiance at my future in-laws…read morehouse.When my fiance and I arrived at the party they were setting up, they seemed to be extremely organized and knew every step of the process. By the time guests arrived, a waitress was ready to serve the Hors d oeuvres, she was professional and friendly at the same time. They kept rotating them several times so all guests were offered each at least twice. The Hors d oeuvres served (after confirmation with my future mother-in-law) were: Baby Bella Caprese Stuffed Mushroom Eggplant and Holland Pepper Bruschetta Battered Dripped Shrimp with a basil herb remoulade Asparagus wrapped with Prosciutto I've only had the bruschetta, and a lot of it, and found it to be delicious. The guests kept taking the Hors d oeuvres so I imagined they enjoyed it and weren't just hungry. While the Hors d oeuvres were served, Barbara and an assistant were working on the main dishes. Our buffet included: Italian Antipasto salad with Imported Chianti Wine Vinegar (contains, mild provolone, olives, grape tomatoes and artichoke hearts with Romaine & Radicchio) Chicken Castelli (artichokes, sundried tomatoes and black olives in a very light chicken & white wine stock) Pork loin wrapped in Pancetta Black Truffle Cheese Sacchetti (pasta purse) with a fresh & roasted tomato sauce. Seasonal Grilled Vegetable Platter with Fig Balsamic glaze Assorted Breads I've had the pasta purse (and a lot of it), the Italian Antipasto salad and the seasonal grilled vegetables. Everything was good but I simply couldn't get enough of the pasta. Dessert was also served afterwards, accompanied by tea and coffee, but I am not much of a dessert person so skipped it for the most part. The food was delicious, they left the kitchen looking great afterward, the service was impeccable and the whole experience seemed seamless. Highly recommended!

We love cooking class here! We had a lovely experience and my kids really enjoyed it. We good to…read moretry more classes soon.

Casey never fails to let the kids have fun learning about food. She is great at answering all the…read morecooking questions my 6 year has. He fully enjoys her classes and always is impressed at how yummy the recipes are. He space is always so clean and she is very cautious and makes sure to social distance the kids where possible. She has hosted both an adult and kid party for us. We have zero complaints. She truly goes above and beyond. She definitely loves what she does and let's that shine through teaching her classes. We had the pleasure of also being part of the Yelp elite group and got to make yummy lava cakes. Attached are some pictures of how they came out.

I spent Sunday afternoon attending a cooking class with a few of my friends and had an amazing…read moretime. The food was delicious, the owner super charming and the experience overall was fantastic! Highly recommend going with some friends or even a mother/daughter outing.

Our group selected a cooking class here which included dinner with pasta-making as the only…read morehands-on portion of the evening. We only mixed flour and water together to roll out pasta. For $125/person, I had expected better tasting food though. The small appetizers (spinach salad, prosciutto, Parmesan, olives) may have been put together from a grocery store. For the pasta that we rolled out, the staff only added a plain tomato sauce. The side of vegetables was overcooked and mushy. Tiramisu was all right. We can blame the taste and texture of the pasta on ourselves, because we made it, but I had expected the rest of the food prepared by professionals to be better. No drinks were included -- Healthy Italia is BYOB. There was a nice intro video from the owner telling us about her history and philosophy. She said that she doesn't measure ingredients, and only mixes by feel. How does one teach a cooking class like this? If someone is taking a cooking class, they are less experienced and need precise measurements and instructions. Our flour and water were measured for us, so I guess they do measure something. We were never told the measurements, so didn't have any recipe or any specific learnings to take home. I enjoyed the social time with my group, and especially the long table set out for our group in true Italian fashion. It made us feel like a big cohesive family. However, for $125/person, I felt like we could have had a true learning experience elsewhere or had a much better Italian dinner at a restaurant with drinks. In fact, on the subsequent evening, a few individuals from our group went to a restaurant and ordered similar items served at this cooking class, and the food was remarkably better. And yes, it was less than $125/person with drinks.

Was invited to a girls' night out at Candyland Craft to decorate cupcakes, sip on wine, munch on…read moresnacks, and enjoy some good laughs! Walked into the store and it looked like a crafter bakers' dream! While walking towards the back for the class, I peeped so many unique baking supplies! This review is only based on the cupcake decorating class. Once we arrived, the supplies for the class were already provided at the seat. Six plain cupcakes was in a container, along with disposable icing bags, tips, food coloring, and bowl(s) of white buttercream icings. The instructor was nice and showed the class how to decorate the cupcakes into three different styled flowers; which was lots of fun! While decorating the cupcakes, we sipped wine, ate snacks, and enjoyed each other's company. Which we brought our own wine and snacks. One of the ladies from our group was able to connect to Candyland Crafts' Bluetooth to play music! It was an enjoyable time! =)

Beautiful and well stocked store with everything for a chocolate hobbyist. Chocolate is amazing too!read more

Gabby, owner/chef at Autumn Olive Food Works is the most warm and wonderful human we have met in a…read morelong, long time. She is inspirational, creative, flexible, accommodating, and very, very cool under pressure. Gabby hosted a private affair at our home recently. She curated the most incredible menu that took into consideration all kinds of dietary components (vegetarian, hard core carnivores, those with celiac, and picky little eaters). It was seamless, delicious, and enjoyed by all. AND, she managed to pull off this exquisite multi part meal with no power - yes no power. We had a large storm come through the evening of our event and Gabby was limited to the grill and candle light. She was so relaxed and easy going and managed to produce a magnificent, sumptuous meal with everything, bar one of the desserts that needed the oven to bake off. I would highly recommend Gabby for your next event, whether it be a formal occasion, garden party, or intimate family gathering. I certainly can not wait to use her again.

I wish I could give 10 stars to Autumn Olive Food Works. My band conducted a a very long music…read morevideo and Gabby prepared literally BEAUTIFUL and healthy good for us all day. Apart from the fact that it was absolutely delicious and grown from the land, we truly needed healthy and filling food to have energy for the shoot. Pizza and other junk food wouldn't have given us the energy to perform at the highest level. And if that wasn't enough Gabby is truly one of the Kindest and most accommodating people I've ever met. She's a true artist, and it was beautiful to have her a part of our creative process. The video came out great and kickstarted a lot of our career, and We have her to thank! truly the food and service from Gabby is one of the most special memories I have of that time. The artists and crew were treated like royalty. If you ever have an event, book her!!!

My wife took me here on my birthday and what a find this was! They typically do cooking classes,…read morebut if you come for a meal, you're in for a treat. We sat at the chef's table and had a limited 4 course selection to choose from. It began with a wonderful tuna crudo that was light and almost summery with the strawberries and cucumbers that surprisingly complimented the incredibly flavorful tuna. The spinach gnudi was a small salad that also had a number of components I would have never dreamed to combine, but they all paired nicely with each other. The main course was a lamb that was perfectly cooked, and though I didn't care for the accompaniment of figs, the rest of the dish more than made up for it. To finish off, we ended with asian pear crisp. You don't often see Asian pears incorporated into cooking. However, Asian pears actually being one of my favorite fruits this was welcome surprise and fantastic way to end the evening. Or so it would be, had they not brought out an additional crem bruele for my birthday, which was also excellent. I very very much enjoyed my meal here and wouldn't hesitate in recommending it to anyone. Sitting at the chef's table is also a special treat as I thoroughly enjoyed watching that process that is traditionally kept behind closed doors. I will definitely be making a return trip whether it's for new menu offerings or to try one of their cooking classes.

I brought my husband here for his birthday celebration. The fixed menu had all sorts of different…read moreand interesting items. There were 4 courses, each one with 3-4 choices for diners to pick from. We sat at the chef's counter so we got to see how the staff worked and how the entrees were put together. Each course is a somewhat small portion but packed full of flavor, and altogether it's a decent amount of food. Overall an expensive but worthwhile experience, great for celebrating special occasions.