This place rocks. Ian rocks. He walked me through everything, pointed me in the right direction,…read moreand was knowledgeable. Love to see such an incredible family business and very happy this place exists. Give them all your business!!!!

Friendly people working here. They even baked some cookies for patrons visiting the store so that…read moreyou could snack while shopping (this was right before Christmas). I found the prices to be a little on the higher end, but it's also nice to support local businesses. Kudos to the older lady/mom of one of the owners who graciously wrapped the gifts I was getting for someone... and she did it complimentary.

I recently attended the "Hands-On Essential Building Blocks" class at The Chopping Block! The 9…read morehours of cooking certainly paid off with some delicious meals! Although I did think the chef in charge was very knowledgeable, and the meals did turn out fabulous, I was a little disappointed with the class structure for a few reasons. 1. For the price of this class, I assumed that we would all be individually learning to cook each component - that was not the case as we were put together into teams of four where we divided responsibilities. So not all building block skills were able to be practiced by all team members. I had chosen this class because I wanted to learn these building block skill hands-on. However, if you're looking to meet new friends this may just be the spot for you! 2. Like I mentioned, the meal we made was super delicious. But in my opinion, it's creativeness / the fact that it wasn't more simple skipped over some of the true basic skills needed in everyday kitchen use. For example, I wish we had learned more about pan use / heating up / etc. And because we had so many components to the meals, some of the lessons felt kind of rushed where we weren't necessarily able to dive deeper into those questions since there were so many people per amount of chef / helpers I do think that this is a great org, but perhaps I would have felt more bang for buck in a more specified topic / shorter class

I received a gift card for a cooking class for Christmas so decided to use it for a date night last…read moreweek. We chose a Cajun themed meal and it was a really good time. They were super organized. We were split into four groups and each group worked together to create a 4 course meal. Our meal consisted of bbq shrimp, Cajun crab dip, jambalaya, and bread pudding. The chef leading the class was really entertaining and had a lot of great pro tips. There were some other chefs assisting in clean up along the way and taking drink orders. My wife and I really enjoyed our experience and can't wait to come back.

I've had the opportunity to do multiple virtual cooking classes with The Levantine Kitchen and Chef…read moreCharles. The classes were accessible, straightforward, and, most importantly, fun! Charles is patient and highly knowledgeable. He helps make the meal and gives tips along the way for cutting vegetables, storing food, and seasoning. After the classes, the recipes we used went into my regular rotation for dinners which speaks to how easy he makes it! I will definitely be contacting The Levantine Kitchen for future classes.

Charles delivered a truly superb light buffet dinner, consisting of two dips and three different…read moresalads. Each salad had a unique and special flavor. There was a salmon and artichoke salad, a chicken and arugula salad, and a carrot and beet salad. The dips were Muhamara and hummus. Guests couldn't stop raving about the food. I will definitely be in touch with Charles to arrange another event. Highly recommend. Planning for the event was easy and delivery was prompt even considering downtown Chicago traffic on a weekday at 5:30 in the afternoon.

I've had the luxury of hiring Chef Izzy on multiple occasions, and each meal was nothing short of…read moreperfection. From appetizers to grilled meats to deserts every thing Chef Izzy made was stunningly delicious. Aside from his skills in the the kitchen, Chef Izzy is one of the most personable, charming, and cultured people I have ever met. I have friends who rave about an evening with Chef Izzy as one of the most unforgettable dinners of their lives.

From the owner: Chef Izzy Chicago is a two-person operation with the ability to provide additional staff…read more Specialties: Clean food and Mediterranean fare. When Izzy isn't cooking for corporate affairs or private home functions, he's supplying catered food for a vast array of events. Book him for culinary educational experiences, cooking entertainment, or just to get the job done. Izzy's humor and charm alone will make any food event enjoyable. But he's committed to providing a thoroughly delicious memory for everyone he serves.

Charming, inviting, and truly magical time at Bon Vivant in Albany Park…read more From start to finish, you feel a community with the 15 other cake makers there. Tasty treats and the best mock tail I've ever had started the party as you got to know your table mates. Amanda - our hilarious and patient leader, did a wonderful job explaining the steps, and letting us create our own path when it came to the decorating. Anika was also super sweet and was the behind the scenes magician. I can't wait to go back. I'm so proud of what we all did. Truly a unique and uplifting experience.

This was an AMAZING experience! Emily really has created something so special and magical with…read morethese classes. It was very beginner friendly and such a learning experience. I will definitely return for more classes!

Macarons are exceedingly and exceptionally difficult to get to absolute perfection. If this were a…read moreplace with two or three Michelin stars, I might be a little tougher. However, for a neighborhood dessert shop, these were as close to macaron perfection as can reasonably be expected. What I'm referring to is the crust/shell. If I'm correct, a textbook-perfect macaron shell is firm yet as delicate as a frozen soap bubble, with a much softer dough underneath. With these, I felt as though a hair (and I'm not exaggerating) of the firmness transferred from the shell to the dough. Again, I grant grace due to the inherent difficulty of perfecting this delicate pastry. Where these macarons truly shine, and do so more than any I've had previously, is their filling. I was able to try a salted caramel and a coffee. Both of these had very distinct flavors, not simply a generic sweetness with hints of something. I could have immediately identified these flavors, even if you hadn't told me what they were. While it was later in the evening and not busy, I still want to give points to the friendly and personable individual working behind the counter. Thus, while perhaps not a cross-town destination, Andersonville's Macaron Bar delivers products that can perfectly satisfy a sweet craving.

We just wanted a little sweet after lunch. I swear I could eat a whole sleeve of these and still…read morewant more. My favorite was the black raspberry. I didn't taste the rosemary in the lavender, loved the gingerbread. Pretty little sweets, great gift idea. Happy we stopped.

My girlfriend ordered a cake for me for my birthday from this bakery and it was AMAZING!!! She…read moreknows I'm a dinosaur nerd and that I love disco stuff so she told them that I wanted a dinosaur disco cake and this place made the most impressive birthday cake I've literally ever seen in real life. And it tasted incredible too. The cake was yellow cake with vanilla buttercream and strawberries and I highly recommend it. Definitely order a custom cake from this place or even just order a standard cake because it tastes so good. Thank you for the best birthday cake ever :)

The cake turned out so amazing. The decoration was simple but gorgeous! I'm not typically a cake…read moreperson but these cakes are so delicious so moist and just the right amount of sugar! Loved it must try!!!

They really make the space count!…read more I decided to become a member ($50 a year for an individual) since I'm currently taking one of the virtual adult German classes. The membership gave me a discount on the class and so much more! I highly recommend the classes. My instructor is good about making everyone feel comfortable and included and has creative but fun ways to ensure everyone enjoys even the most challenging of topics, like grammar! Yes, I truly mean that German grammar can be fun! In addition to german classes, Dank Haus has so many different, affordable activities that you can sign up for. I've done the bilingual yoga classes - the meditation is all in English and the yoga part is all in German. Don't let the yoga all in German scare you off though! If you don't understand, you can just watch the instructor and mimic her. She's really good. The wild part is...the yoga classes only cost $5 each! Crazy! They were outside in the summer (on the terrace with a gorgeous view!) and soon to start up again this fall indoors. The cooking classes are also loads of fun. I've only been to one so far, but everyone was so kind and welcoming considering I went to it solo. I came out of the class happy I made some friends! Not to mention, each cooking class includes a drink in the price (choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic) so they're a great deal! If you're interested in touring the place, they offer guided tours and self guided tours by appt. You can do it via their website. I did a self-guided tour where I picked up a paper in the lobby of the highlights of what to see on each floor. I was surprised at how much history was crammed into even the hallways! There's definitely more than you think there is... I also requested to visit their library of books in German, since the public library is kinda lacking in that department. Their selection is excellent. They have everything from books to learn German to easy readers (short stories that aren't super wordy) to full fledged adult fiction to cookbooks. Id argue Dank Haus is a great place whether you know German, want to learn German, or know German. I wish I had learned about all the affordable activities they had sooner! All I know is I'll definitely keep on taking advantage of them

The Dank Haus is such a staple in the Lincoln Square community. If you haven't been here yet,…read morefollow their socials and get on their newsletter to find an event that interests you. On our latest visit, during the annual Open House Chicago architecture event throughout the city, we came in to appreciate the beauty of this big building. We popped up to the second floor bar to enjoy some beer and enjoyed watching the indoor shooting (not as scary as it sounds). The volunteers, regulars, and fellow patrons are always a good group to hang out with. If you're lucky enough to attend an event on the sixth floor, be sure to take photos out on the patio as the views are pretty nice! As far as transportation, it's right off the Western CTA Brown Line stop. There's paid parking on the closest streets (or lots). If you're willing to walk a few minutes, almost everything west of Western is free neighborhood parking.

This community garden was established in 2011 by then Alderman Gene Schulter. It was a dirty lot…read morebefore it was developed into this green urban space. It is completely organic, adhering to strict standards to keep it that way. I have had the pleasure of helping maintain the garden since the beginning. It is very well run by the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber, along with many really awesome community gardeners from the area. Plots vary from vegetable gardens to zen areas and we even have some hops growing from year to year. If you are interested in participating, contact the chamber. There is a waitlist for plots that you can be added to. The garden is usually locked but if you come by when some of the gardeners are around, you are more than welcome to walk through and admire the hard work as long as you respect the space.