I have been using my wood fired Mugnaini Oven for about four years and absolutely love it. I use…read moreit for pizza but also have been baking sour dough bread in the oven as well as roasting Chicken and Vegetables. It is such a beautiful way of cooking. And the company Mugnaini did a wonderful job making the oven and installing it for us. One of my neighbors builds restaurants and he had tried a few different ovens for his home before getting a Mugnaini oven. He said it is night and day using Mugnaini over some of the other options. The oven bricks come from Italy and bring the magic to our home.

I truly regret having to write a poor review for this company and oven. I will say that the oven…read moreitself is pretty good. What is so disappointing is the poor service and complete lack of willingness by Mugnaini to stand behind their product and mistake. When I ordered my oven I explained to the salesperson that it would be several months before I would be able to assemble it. I was told that the refractory mortar included with the oven had an expiration date but would be good for at least a year. Approximately four months after receiving my oven I began assembly. Upon opening the mortar we found it already dried and unusable. The mortar had a expiration date on the container. The product had in fact expired 4 months BEFORE it had even been SHIPPED. Whether by mistake or a disregard for the date I was shipped mortar that was no good MONTHS before it even left Mugnaini. I figured that mistakes happen and contacted Mugnaini and explained the issue. I even included a photo of the long expired product. I was completely shocked when the Mugnaini representative informed me that they would not stand behind their product and obvious mistake. I was told that I would have to buy more mortar at an exorbitant price from Mugnaini. Further I was told that I could not use mortar from any other supplier so I ordered more from them. This company is in the business of shipping ovens and related items. One would think that they would know how to ship them. Not so! They ship the very expensive mortar only to find a month later that their method does not allow mortar. At that point with my project months delayed soley due to Mugnaini's many mistakes they then informed me that I could easily buy replacement mortar from several sources on Amazon for a fraction of their overpriced product. In short, Mugnaini shipped defective and unusable products then tried to gouge me on a replacement for their mistake and lied about its availability elsewhere. I strongly suggest that anyone considering this oven do a lot of investigation before purchasing. There are lots of alternatives available from companies that stand behind their products and provide quality customer service. I would be happy to provide photo documentation of every fact represented in this review.

My family and I booked a sushi class with Chef Kao at the Seamus tasting room. He had everything…read morebeautifully set up and was ready to teach us how to make our yummy lunch. We started with some edamame appetizer, we got a bowl of miso soup and were taught to make 3 different sushi rolls. A big perk was Jim and his very tasty wines that came with the class. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there!

My 11yo daughter and I had a blast! It was a fun, intimate class, and Chef Keo was engaging,…read moreinformative, and so helpful. We left very full and excited to make some sushi at home!

We had a great time at the annual 'gingerbread house' event at Relish…read more Our 11 and 18 year old grandsons decorated a gingerbread house from the supplied kit and decorated it with the supplied candy. We'll be back next year for sure!

I did the foraging experience at Merriam Vineyards in Healdsburg. It was a really fantastic…read moreexperience overall, despite the downpour we found ourselves in. It was held at a beautiful winery and Healdsburg, and we were greeted with a glass of rosé. Donna was very communicative about the event, details and weather conditions before the event and engaging during the event. While she obviously couldn't control the weather, she was very effective at accommodating different comfort levels for walking in the rain. About half the group went back to the tasting room early. I stayed out with the group. Our guide David was extremely knowledgeable and fantastic at answering any and all questions. The lunch was both beautiful and tasty, and accommodated for both vegan and vegetarian needs. Overall a great day. I've already recommended it to several of my friends!

I stop in here fairly often, but just realized I had forgotten to show some love for this local…read morebakery. I stop in for the savory pastries as snacks often, but most recently I dropped in for a couple of sweet treats to take to a friend's house for dinner. We had Strawberry and Rhubarb tart and a couple of mini-bundt chocolate cakes. Both were a hit! Great bakery! Give them a shot!

I have been a big fan of Criminal Baking for several years now. They have stayed very consistent in…read moremaking great food and supporting the community in Santa Rosa. It has a kind of odd location in a warehouse building north of Railroad Square. I actually miss their old location near Julliard Park, but this location probably works better for their business. One of the main reasons I come here is their abundance of gluten free pastries. I try to avoid eating a lot of gluten as I don't feel great after eating it. They even make a few vegan gluten free options if you can't have dairy as well. They also have great savory bowls and breakfast burritos. On my most recent visit we ordered a breakfast veggie burrito and it was delicious! Lots of fresh cooked veggies! I recommend grabbing a packet of cholula hot sauce and putting it on the burrito! I also want to add a shout out to the Warrior Bowl! Delicious and healthy, although I don't get it at this last visit. I typically grab a gluten free muffin or scone. It's really hard to fine good gluten free pastries, but these are really good. On my last visit, I got a non-gluten free pastry and tried their cinnamon roll and an Ube Kite, which was a limited time special. The cinnamon roll was a bit dry, but these Ube kite was very good! Another thing I really like to get at Criminal is their pie. You can order whole ones or just get slices. They are excellent! The service is typically really great here! The only thing I don't love is the indoor dining area, which just feels a bit weird. Get a table outside or walk to a bench in the nearby park.

A fun, interactive, and incredibly well done "Travel Around the World" Smart Cooking and Wine…read morePairing Event. My team and I had an amazing experience at Miggi's Kitchen. We learned to cook with the Thermomix while working in teams at different stations, preparing dishes from around the world. It was hands-on, interactive, and a lot of fun - every dish turned out delicious. Miggi is a fantastic teacher: clear, detailed, confident, and incredibly knowledgeable. She explains techniques in a way that's easy to understand, and we all walked away genuinely better cooks. We also paired the experience with wine tasting and learned how to taste and appreciate wine properly, which made the evening even more memorable. On top of that, Miggi's fun, warm personality really brings the whole experience together. My office team loved it and is still talking about it. Highly recommend for team events or anyone looking for a unique, engaging culinary experience.

Our group of 12 just completed an "around the world" cooking class with Miggi and we could not have…read morebeen happier. What a great environment - even better food, and Miggi was very entertaining and informative. We will definitely recommend this to friends. John S

I found this Pop-up event & thought its a nice idea. I t was a delightful evening, hands-on class &…read morethen we had dinner. The event held in the Chef's beautiful house & everything was well organized, well prepared & extremely flavorful! People at the group were very sweet & enjoyable to cook with. I highly recommend any event with Chef Mashav. She is really professional & knowledgeable!

What a fantastic tour by Mashav (the owner and the chef of Le Couloir)! Richmond neighborhood in SF…read moreis known for its mix of cultures, but Mashav masterfully uncovers all the hidden secrets and gems - Secrets only someone who lives in this community is familiar with. And she does that through food and hand-picked dishes that you will never uncover without a guide. Even though locations may change per tour, our group tasted a mix of cultures and got some stories behind the dishes, the restaurants, and their owners. Few examples - * Russian cuisine - Herring with a pickled onion on fresh bread * Indian street food - I was surprised how much I enjoyed this vegan street snack - I would have never ordered anything without meat, and I dislike spinach, but the fried spinach snack was mind-blowingly good. * Mexican - Quesadilla with plantain. Again, no meat but it was soooooo good. * Chinese - Glazed Pork and pork-filled bun I won't spoil the surprise for some of the other locations. And more, and more - Total of about 7-8 places. You won't stay hungry, guaranteed. The walk itself is not challenging; there are no hills to overcome, even though it's San Francisco. Don't wait - Just go!

Sergio and his team catered our wedding, and it was UNREAL. From the start, Sergio was so great to…read morework with! Our initial tasting was wonderful, and he was very responsive to the different tweaks we wanted for the menu. Leading up to the big day, he worked seamlessly with our planner and the venue manager to ensure he had everything he needed, which set the whole day up for success. He and his team not only prepared amazing food, but their service and help with setup and teardown made the evening so easy and enjoyable for us and our guests! And on the food-- So. Good. We had folks raving for weeks about the appetizers and dinner, and every single thing knocked it out of the park. Our investment with Sergio and his team was one of the best we made for our wedding and would 11/10 recommend to everyone!

Chacho's Catering was hired for my birthday dinner in Sonoma while staying at an Airbnb. It was…read moreabsolutely fantastic! Coordination and planning the menu was easy. We considered several private chefs. Chacho was very responsive and easy to work with. While he has menu options on his site, he was flexible with requests to modify. He also made incredible margaritas. If you like ceviche, you must have his. Off the charts delicious. The quality of the food, presentation, flavors were all excellent. Our guests were blown away. He was on time and the kitchen was spotless when he left. We will absolutely work with him again. My birthday dinner was special and memorable because of this experience.

Holy. Smokes. What an amazing, incredible, unforgettable evening we had! Lindsay, Lucas and…read moreSavannah were awesome! Our family was celebrating a milestone birthday at an Air BnB on the Russian River and were so excited to book Elyse for the big birthday dinner. We had twelve people, eight adults and four kids, and the entire experience was perfection from start to finish. Elyse's menu is extensive and everything sounded so amazing, it was hard to choose! We finally landed on our final selections and everything was absolutely mouthwatering and to die for. Lindsay, Lucas and Savannah were super professional, kind and personable; it really added to the entire evening having them as part of our family. Highly HIGHLY recommend Elyse and her team for any and all events. You won't be disappointed!

Yesterday we celebrated our joint retirement (husband and I) with 35 friends at a local park in…read moreSanta Rosa. Elyse and the Brass Spatula did a bang up (excellent) job on finger-food dinner drop off. The food all tasted incredible; well seasoned. For example, the beef sliders were on fresh soft brioche buns, the beef was seasoned and cooked beautifully to medium and it was topped with a well done caramelized onion jam and the bread was brushed with a savory aioli. All the dishes were that way. They provided more than enough food for our party, dropped off on time, nicely plattered on non-plastic platters with non-plastic serving utensils. Elyse's communication was prompt, clear and consistent. I highly recommend the Brass Spatula for your next event.

My husband and I had the chance to experience a dinner by…read more "Cuisines By Lela", Private chef, Linda McCullough, last night. I cannot rave about Linda and her staff enough Her food is exquisite from appetizers to dessert ... absolutely delicious with such attention to detail and presentation. Her stories between courses were engaging and endearing ... talking about the recipes she still uses who were her grandmother's and how she procures herbs and veggies from her own garden..... loved it all !! And the food THE BEST SHORT RIBS I have ever tasted. Every epic bite was so full of rich flavor All the food was THE BEST EVER AND the house was left immaculate, everything cleaned and left better than how she found it I cannot recommend Cuisine by Lela more highly. A dining experience you won't soon forget !!!

We hired Linda to cook a private dinner for my grandmother's 90th birthday, and she was absolutely…read moreoutstanding. From start to finish, the entire experience was seamless and so special. Every single dish Linda and her team prepared was absolutely incredible. The flavors were perfect, the presentation was beautiful, and it was clear that she uses high-quality ingredients. My family is still talking about the meal! Linda was so much fun to work with during the planning process. She nailed the menu right off the bat and the food exceeded all expectations! Her energy added so much to the evening. She is professional, warm, and made the whole night feel effortless for us so we could focus on celebrating with my grandmother. If you are looking for a private chef who is talented, creative, and a joy to have in your home, I cannot recommend Linda highly enough. She made our family dinner truly unforgettable! Thank you, Linda and team!!