I am basing this more on the cooking experience than the actual shop itself. Chef Lisa was amazing! We appreciated her energy - she was consistent and great throughout the 2.5 hour Argentine steak night experience. She involved everyone in the class and the food was delicious. We will definitely be back! read more

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What a fun outing! We now know hope to make Seminole pasta and spaghetti using a kitchen aide. You are in teams of four so coming solo may not be as enjoyable unless you're extraordinarily outgoing. Our chef, Diba, was knowledgeable and funny. read more

Sur La Table - Items of interest while waiting for the food to be plated. - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - North Bethesda, Maryland

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Amazing experience and lots of fun! I have been to many cooking classes around the DMV, but this one was so much fun and the best! The Chef/Instructor - Paula was amazing, very detailed and full of cooking tips to inspire you. The class offered was a Pasta Making class which was something I always wanted to do. I consider myself a great cook but pasta making has been something I have not mastered. Welp, I can honestly say after taking this class I left with the tools and skills to definitely hone-in on making exceptional pasta. The technique was well explained. W e even got a chance to produce two full meals to go with the pasta. Pesto Bow Tie Pasta & Pappardelle Pasta w/ Beef Ragu were the recipes of choice. The recipes were super easy to follow along and it was fun to work in teams, while mingling with other foodies in the class who enjoy food like yourself. Not to mention, the finish product was delicious!! In all, the cooking class was outstanding. It's a great date night or place to go with friends. Also, Sur La Table is an excellent store to find any and everything under the sun for the food enthusiast and inner-chef looking for inspiration to create great dishes and cuisines. I highly recommend the cooking class and checking out this store location. read more

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Went here with my work colleagues for a team building cooking class with Chef Edgar. This was my first experience and I'm not a cook or prep person, so I was happy to have work mates to share the experience. We were grouped together in 4 different groups of 4-5 people at each work station. It was a bit confusing at first, instructions weren't too clear to start, but after a little while, Chef got on a roll & we were doing better. We made & prepared a pasta dish, a salad and dessert and enjoyed eating our efforts at the end. Very delicious result. We were given time to shop with discounts offered if anything purchased that night. We all had a good time. Would I go back, probably not, but if I know any aspiring chefs, I'd recommend. Since I had no expectations walking in, it was enjoyable. read more

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I bought a gift for someone, and the salesperson told me I could always return it within 30 days. When I came back to return it with a receipt, unopened, still in shrink wrap, the Manager told me there was nothing they could do, even though the store had made the mistake. I called Customer Service, who directed me back to the Store Manager, who was smug the entire time with an "I told you so" attitude. I asked if they could escalate this, and neither the Store Manager, nor the agent on the phone were willing to give me anyone else to talk to or any help. Not sure if corporate has an iron grip here, or it was a manager who enjoyed power tripping, but this is far below the level of customer service I expect. Used to shop at this place, but not coming back if this is how they do business, quoting wrong info, then stonewalling instead of making things right. When I had an identical issue at Williams Sonoma, I was instantly taken care of. Not coming back. read more

I'm a Sur La Table fan, and I've been to this location a couple of times. I stopped back in this weekend when I was walking around Pike & Rose. I needed some help (I bought something they keep in the back), and the customer service was very friendly and helpful. The store is as large and well-stocked as the average location. If you're a Sur La Table fan, you'll like this location fine. read more

This is a review for Sur La Table online. Could not get to the store. Do yourself a favor and go to the store to look at the pieces you purchase. If you go online, returning any damaged items is an awful experience. Your email will bounce back, they will ask for pictures, then they bounce back. Then you have to go thru the process with an entity that takes care of returns. The bouncing back continues. It is difficult. This morning I received notice that two cookie trays are being sent to me- as a new purchase. Huh? I have not sent the damaged ones back yet. I simply wanted an exchange. Go to the store....easier! read more

We just got home from the "Cut Like A Pro" class with Chef Paula, at Sur La Table - North Bethesda, and it was dynamite. Fun, fast paced - but thorough - and after just an hour we feel like we've had a great foundation on how to build our knife skills. We're looking through the schedule now, to decide which classes to take next! Highly recommended. read more

A friend and I were looking forward to taking a macron class. We both bake and were excited to learn tips/tricks. However, the instructor was far from an expert - she just read from the recipe the whole class. They put you in groups of four, which makes it difficult to get hands on experience - and was not mentioned in the class description. Most of the macrons stuck to the silpat mats, and the instructor took them out of the over too soon. Lastly, I now have a lovely scar on my arm from the instructor walking into me with a hot baking tray. She apologized but I was a bit surprised I wasn't offered any form of first aid. There was nowhere on the site to submit comments/complaints so I submitted to the help desk. They said they'd look into a refund - that was nice, as I hadn't asked for one and was just looking to submit comments. Not long after they closed the ticket saying only the store manager was able to approve refunds. They said they'd look into reached out again, but I just received another notice that the ticket was closed. I never write reviews but feel strongly that Sur la Table was an horrible experience. Would not recommend the classes, and their customer service was basically non-existent. Very disappointing! read more

What a delightful visit! I had a very specific gift idea in mind and the friendly ladies at the counter were most accommodating. They listened patiently to my need and promptly offered me several options to resolve my shopping quest. The store is bright, easy to navigate, and checkout was speedy. Cuisine well, my friends! read more

Chef Patrick was great! I took his Spanish spread cooking class at Sur La Table today and really enjoyed it. He was engaging, easy to follow, and made the class both fun and informative. The dishes were creative and delicious, especially the toasted walnut romesco sauce, which was a standout. Highly recommend taking a class with him! read more

Beware of purchasing items as it is incredibly difficult to get refunded. I purchased a cast iron double burner and on first use it cracked due to defect. It's taken a great effort (including two trips to the store and talking to customer service who referred me back to the store) to get the correct dollar amount refunded despite having the receipts. I will not shop at this store again. read more

This was my second time taking a Sur La Table cooking class: however, last time was probably 8 years ago. This ended up being a small class only 7 people so 2 groups. Since our friends also signed up, we were in the group of 4 together. Instructions- 4/5 - since there were only 2 groups, instructor ended up giving instructions to 1 group at a time- and at times, doing too much for us. I would rather the instructor demo up front then we do it. However, Instructions were clear. We got to learn different techniques and used different kitchen appliances. After about an hour of prep work and instructions, the dishes went into the oven. For the next 30 minutes, we got to shop in the store while the appetizer, entree, and dessert finish in the oven. Food was definite 5/5. We would definitely return for another class. In fact we have already signed up for another class next week. read more

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A dear friend gifted this cooking class, which we enjoyed immensely. The instructor (Erica) was friendly and engaging. Also shoutout to the two assistants that kept the cooktops clean and helped with supplying ingredients and what not. Class participants- there were 5 couples including ourselves - all seemed to have some cooking experience so the class went by smoothly. The theme of the night was - Dinner at Tuscany. The menu was consisted of Pasta with zesty herbs and scallops, and donuts for dessert. The experience reminded me of pizza baking parties my kids had many many years ago, haha. A great venue for a date night. read more

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My wife had been talking about taking one of the cooking classes offered at the SLT in Bethesda for quite some time, but couldn't because her best friend is unable to stand for any length of time, which is a requirement for the class. Who sits while actively preparing and cooking a meal? In any event, these are two-hour classes so it is entirely too long for someone with mobility issues. I thought it would be a fun idea for the two of us, so I booked one of these classes as a stocking stuffer gift this past Christmas. She was overjoyed at the prospect and I made sure to pick a meal we would both enjoy (I don't do seafood or cheese so any meals featuring either of those two were out for me). I chose the "Date Night: Winter in Paris" class, and the meal consisted of strip steak in a flamed brandy and mustard sauce, salad greens tossed in an herb vinaigrette and frites (fries, basically). Our instructor, Chef Kara, was very knowledgeable and skilled and led us through the process. I have to say, we really enjoyed the class - couples were paired up so there are four people per station, four learner cooking stations in total. At no point was there any awkward silences or boredom as we went through prep to cook (or assembly in the case of the salad) for each item for the dish. The frying part was the only thing that wasn't perfect - they use electric griddles which only go up to 350 degrees - ideally you'd fry potatoes at 375, so the process took longer than intended and the end result, while crispy, was a bit lighter than I'm used to. They were good enough, however. Everything was already pre-measured, but the vegetables needed to be prepped so if you have no knife skills, make sure your partner does - or learn on the fly as some of the other attendees did. I won't bore you with the specifics of the recipe, just know we had a really good time and are checking our schedules so we can take another one - one of our nephews has expressed an interest when we told him and his partner about it so we'll do a foursome for the next class. This is a great date night activity, if you're so inclined! read more

Sur La Table - The Cooking class Kitchen - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - North Bethesda, Maryland

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The cooking class was amazing. The teacher was so real and educating. The only complaint I have is I wanted to register while I was in the store for a class for several people and they would not let me register in the store not such a good idea. read more

I booked a kid's summer camp cooking class for my 11 year old daughter in early August ... Global Flavors. Thought it would be a fun class although pricey for a 2-2.5 hour a day but something she could do with a friend and hopefully learn something. My daughter eats a variety of things, not super picky but hands on and up for a challenge. The first two days were a flop; my daughter and her friend were not happy that they didn't prepare or cook the food themselves and they didn't like the food either. Third day they had a different chef, this was the only good day, and I had hope for the rest of the week, although there was no improvement. By then, there was no point in reaching out to the store, as the camp was almost over. Classes were never even two hours, sometimes it was slightly over 1 hour (when parents arrived the kids were playing non-cooking related games), one of the chefs didn't seem to have cooking knowledge, didn't allow kids to prep food, and the kids didn't like the food (food shouldn't be super fancy for kids). Overall, felt the service provided wasn't close to the cost. Looks like the reviews for the adult cooking classes are mostly good, perhaps they don't think the kids will complain or tell their parents. I understand this was a kids cooking camp and I wasn't expecting my daughter to be an Iron Chef after taking this class, but completely not worth the money and a disappointment! read more

When you need a unique item for your culinary skills- this is your tool store. There were a number of items that had a special twist on an item. I found a pepper mill but instead of turning it you pull a lever that causes the mill to spin inside. They did jot have any cast iron items as we were lookin for a burger smasher read more

Sur La Table - Rolling pin door handle - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - North Bethesda, Maryland

Not a real cooking class. Everything is set up ahead and we just chopped and put things together. Not really worth the price. We had fun but I can't say we really learned anything new. The instructer just read instructions for us to do, but didn't explain much of anything. One could learn more from YouTube. We were told to wait until the end to eat anything, so the food was cold by then. They did give us the recipes at the end, so that was helpful. In all, I would not take another class from this company. read more

Worst customer service ever! Purchased a tea kettle. It did not perform as expected - low whistle sound was barely audible. Spout too hot to touch to pour the tea. Manager would not accept return or exchange because. She said it wasn't in new condition - small water mark on rim. I rubbed it off. She wouldn't take the item. Store at Pike and Rose, Bethesda. read more

Sur La Table - Tea kettle - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - North Bethesda, Maryland

Great selection, customer service and quality products for the kitchen. I don't live in the area but if I did I'd check out some of their cooking classes. Highly recommend this store. read more

Merchandise is all very appealing. Blake helped me handle a return and was an absolute saint, which I very much appreciated. Would shop here again and am also curious to check out the cooking classes, which sound very cool! read more

I took my Mom to a 2 hour evening cooking class here last night and it was so much fun. I picked a class that had great menu items for us and the chef (Abrar Alshantir) was so nice and made the class fun/informative and it went by way too fast! We ended up working with another mother/daughter duo since they pair you up in class and it worked out well - the class had the right amount of people and the ingredients were all prepped for us before we arrived. They let you borrow aprons as well so you don't have to bring your own. After you cook you get to eat what you made and they give you carryout boxes for your leftovers! We will definitely take more cooking classes there in the future. read more

Sur La Table is one of those stores you go into knowing damn well you don't need anything. And even so, you walk out with something. This store is nicely laid out -- they definitely maximize the space to display as many items as possible. And yet, I don't feel crowded when I'm in there. I don't really cook; I do thoroughly enjoy baking, but I rarely do it. So to brush up on my skills, I decided to take some classes! The classroom holds up to 16 students: 4 stations with up to 4 students each. The stations get kind of crowded if there are 4 students, so you do have to step aside at times. And if there's an Alpha personality in your group, you may end up doing very little. Southern-Style Backyard BBQ with Chef Kinnina. Kinnina was an absolute gem. She was thorough but concise, friendly, and helpful. This entire meal was fantastic!! Global Donuts with Chef Michael. Michael was friendly, but all over the place. The groups were all at different stages of the process because he didn't really lead the class. We kind of just did our own thing. The donuts were just meh. Cast Iron Comfort Food. I forget which Chef led this class, but she was great. Fried chicken was juicy and delicious. I learned the most in this class. I will most certainly take more classes at SLT. read more

Sur La Table - Cast Iron Comfort Food class: Brussel Sprouts, Savory Bread Pudding, and Fried Chicken. - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - North Bethesda, Maryland

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A friend and I took the Valentine's Day French macarons class and had a fantastic time. I really hope I can replicate what I learned at home. When we got there, my friend and I were told by one of the teaching assistants that we couldn't stay together. She directed us to where our stations would be (opposite ends of the classroom). I was quite disappointed. Luckily the instructor asked if we were together and when we said yes, she asked someone who came alone to move over to another group. We were very appreciative and all the groups worked out fine. I don't see why the assistant couldn't make the extra effort considering my friend drove an hour to get to the class. Our instructor, Elizabeth, was excellent. She spoke as if she was a regular teacher in a school. She kept the pace going even though the class was 3 hours long! She asked us to put away the print out of our recipes and pay attention. I think that was a great idea. We shouldn't be focused on taking notes but actually trying out the techniques that she is showing us. Our first batch of pink macarons came out looking the best in the entire class but our second batch was not so "pretty." lol. Elizabeth was kind enough to say that it was probably the oven temperature. Macarons are not easy to make. There are so many factors that go into making the perfect little cookies. The fillings that we made were great. It was a lot to take in because we made two fillings. There was definitely a lot of techniques to understand and practice. If you've never had any baking experience, all of this will be new and maybe slightly overwhelming. There is standing the entire time. I had to get a stool and some of us shared it every now and then. There is parking right around the corner in a garage. I was told by someone else who has taken a class there the week before that he was not allowed to take anything home that he made. That sounded so wrong. It was an Indian cooking class. He was told that because they weren't licensed to give out food, he wasn't allowed. I would think that if you paid for the class, you paid for the food. This is to say that I think that was unfortunate that he was told that and I am curious as to the explanation. But we were allowed to take our macarons home in nice cardboard boxes provided by SLT. read more

Soooo I love to cook. I love learning new dishes, kitchen tricks, etc. so I signed up for a cooking class with Chef Lindsey. This location: This Sur La Table is located at the Pike & Rose Center, I think that is what it is called, lol, in Rockville or rather "North Bethesda". There is plenty of parking and plenty of shopping and places to eat right outside its doors. It is on the same strip as Starbucks, H&M, and Sephora. The Store: It is really big and for those of us that love kitchen and cooking nic nacs and thangs, lol. They have everything. Even things that you think you need but really don't, lol. The class: So I signed up for the Cast Iron Comfort Cooking class. There were only four of us which was actually pretty cool because we were able to have more interaction with the instructor. We made 3 dishes (Crispy Chicken Thighs w/Brussel Sprouts and Pancetta, Savory Mushroom, Tomato, & Parmesan Bread Pudding, and a Rustic Apple Tart w/ Almond Pastry) and Chef Lindsey also was gave us great education on cooking and caring for a cast iron skillet. Not only that she gave us other great tips when it comes to cooking in the kitchen. You have plenty of time to cook and eat each dish with room for questions as well. Cost: Now the classes themselves can be a little pricey, butttt if you sign up for their email list, they sometimes offer discounts on various classes. So if you are looking to brush up on your cooking skills, check out one of their classes. You will have a great time! read more

I decided to try something new for date night. A friend recommended Sur La Table to do a cooking class. The theme for the cooking class was "Celebrating the French Quarter." On the menu was chicken & andouille sausage gumbo, shrimp n grits, and banana foster. Our chef Was Lindsay. She was great. She took the time to explain what we would be doing and why. She gave demonstrations when needed and lots of encouragement. It was four people to a cooking station, but I felt like we all got to do some cooking. We got the recipes for all the meals we made in class. The recipes were generous portions. I was stuffed when I left. The only thing is that I wish I could take the leftovers home. I would take another class. read more

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We were gifted a lovely 13x9 baking dish, Sur La Table brand made in Italy. It quickly developed a crack through the middle after only modest 350F cooking. Clearly a defect in the pan, crack along an internal grain. I attempted to return the dish for a comparable replacement, but was denied since I didn't have the original receipt. This store/company does not back up their products-very disappointed. read more

Attended class last night. I do not recommend Sur La Table Cooking Class. Waste of money and time. Recipe, ingredients and instructor good, but poor execution by Sur La Table. It was pricey cooking exhibit. Only 9 people in class with four (4) burners available and no recipe, but Sur La Table required 4 persons to one (1) burner with instructions provided by instructor. It's not a cooking date night when 3 people watch one person cook. Although mature adults, we were treated like small children. Sur La Table does not permit attendee to touch the blender and pulse 3 times to make the dough for crepe. Only the instructor is allowed to use the blender. Save your money, watch a cooking video. Sur La Table needs to make class more hands on for all participants to learn and experience how to cook the advertised meal. read more

I had a terrible experience with booking a cooking class with this location and the customer service. My friend gifted me with a class. The date she originally gave, I was out of town. I called both the location and customer service line to reschedule our classes. They rescheduled hers but not mine. They call on the day of the original class date saying I missed it and couldnt get a refund. So I bought ANOTHER class... they called said the class didnt have enough people so they cancelled. We then asked for the next class but only 1 spot was available. She got her refund but since i didnt take the spot, i technically couldnt get it. Terrible experience. read more

We are huge fans of this chain. They generally have a good selection of everything kitchen including high end brands. Their prices are closer to MSRP rather than Amazon, but it's hard to beat their customer service and knowledge of products being sold in the store. The staff is always willing to help and offer production information and suggestions. They also have a good selection of bakeware and baking pans, and accessories like spatulas, etc. that are essential in any baking kitchen. The occasional coupon always makes the trip worthwhile :) read more

Never noticed this store before or even heard of it in Pike and Rose but my friend did and who would've thought, theres a legit kitchen in the back of the store where you can take cooking classes! So COOL! Apparently there cooking classes as well as skill technique classes. My gfs and I came for the cooking class and it was a lot of fun! We came on a Friday night and had Chef Mike as our chef. He was very friendly and funny. My group came for a gfs birthday and he was such a great sport and jokester! He made the class go very smoothly and was a great teacher. We learned cooking techniques and made dishes! We made delicious pear salad with sherry vinaigrette, steak with red wine sauce (YUM!), had fries with a truffle mayo, and chocolate mousse. He had 3 other helpers in the class which attended to us if we need helped. I really enjoyed the class because there were 4 teams and 16 of us in a class. It was nice because in small groups of 4, we were all able to take turns to cook. Each team had their own utilities to use, the helpers set everything up for us before we got there and kept the place clean. Everything we made we got to eat, it was all delicious. They made it very easy for us to learn how to cook. The store front was large and organized and had huge amounts of kitchen gadgets. Everyone in the store was also very nice and friendly. We got to take a break while cooking where Chef Mike was showing us different knives and recommendations that he had. I would totally come back to take another cooking class! read more

Taken a few classes here and all have been good. Each instructor is a bit different but always learn something new. There is plenty of food made. Alcohol cannot be drank during class. read more

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We attended the "Taste of Spain" for a birthday celebration. Hubby and I first time trying a cooking class. We were clueless and I admit I can only cook basic stuff. When we got inside the cooking class it was overwhelming with lots of ingredients but our chef was good. She explained everything before we start cooking and how to hold knife correctly, and cut onions and other ingredients. Also, she made it fun the entire process. Everything we cooked was delicious except for the paella, we felt there was something missing on the ingredients. We will definitely come back and try different classes. read more

Absolutely love the concept of this place. They are a kitchen store with a cooking class component. The cooking classes do require you to purchase tickets in advance for different types of classes-- ranging from baking sweets to a handmade pasta italian dinner. I attended the latter class which was a gift for a special occasion. I was very excited for this experience as it was my first time making pasta from scratch. The class was two hours long on a Saturday night and on the pricier side (about $80/person) so my expectations were high. The class began with introductions and a rundown of what the class consisted of. We made two different types of pasta, took a ten minute break to check out the store/items sold and then ate a pre-made dessert. My main criticism would be that I was a bit shocked that you were forced into teams of four when it is branded as "date night." I was expecting to laugh and learn with my significant other, not be judged by people more experienced than me. We were both completely new to handmade pasta and aren't the most experienced chefs at all, and we were hoping it would be more learning rather than telling us what to do and expecting for us to figure it out. It did not help that the other half of our team was always ahead of the instructor. Moving forward, I think it might be a good idea to match teams/groups based on skill level and/or years of experience. I was probably the youngest in the class by over twenty years, and while I still enjoyed it very much, it was annoying and discouraging at times to be behind because my pasta was too thin or my dough was too floury. The instructor Lindsey is critical but in a funny, necessary way. I could feel her glaring at me from the corner of my eye whenever my technique was off. Her speciality was putting people on the spot which was funny (when it wasn't me). Her assistant was very sweet and offered coffee to everyone at the beginning of the class. I would probably try another course here sometime in the future, but am not sure the $80 is worth it. read more

Dishonest, ignorant and rude. That describes my shopping experience today at La Sur in Pike and Rose. I received a promotional mailing and email stating 20% off on all purchases. I have attached a picture of the promotion for clarity. I went there specifically to by a Bob Kramer paring knife, which they list for $199. They refused to honor the offer. First, they tried to switch me to another, far inferior knife that they had on special, sure they probably make more money on it, and they had the nerve to say the knife was just as good. Obviously, they don't know anything about what they are selling or are simply lying. Kramer is there absolute top of the line knife that they sell. Then they tell me I needed to show them the knife at the same price in and ad. I pulled out my phone and found it in about 2 minutes on the Cutlery and More website. Same knife clearly marked 20% off. The manager refused to look to look at it. I told her she was being dumb and was a bad business person. She had her goon tell me in a menacing way that nobody calls his boss names (dumb!!) and to leave the store. I am in disbelief how dishonest and rude La Sur was. You can find everything they sell at William Sonoma or on Amazon. I don't need to do business with cheats, liars and thugs. read more

Sur La Table - The store would not give the discount on the Bob Kramer knife. Bad people there. - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - North Bethesda, Maryland

Went to a bread baking class here a few months ago and had the best time. The instructor was very knowledgeable and I felt like I learned a lot about bread making. Would recommend a class here. Will definitely be taking another class in the future. read more

Sur La Table - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - North Bethesda, Maryland

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My girlfriend and I loved the cooking class. If you sign up for one PLEASE do yourself a big favor and get the class with Viviana. We had her the first time and she really made the experience so much fun. Tons of personality and the food was absolutely delicious. We definitely missed her and were lowkey sad when we found out she would not be teaching the class. Unfortunately she had to leave so we didn't get the honor of learning from her. Love Sur La Table but love Viviana more read more

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We went to SLT in Alexandria years ago for a date and thought it would be cute to come back as a double date for a relative's birthday. Although in a different state and city (Maryland), the quality of the course was still well maintained. Specifically we went on a weekend early evening for a date night class that taught us how to make an italian steakhouse meal which included steaks of course, gnocchi, as well as a dessert (Which was premade for us). I enjoyed that we were told to put our recipe packets away (good so that you focus and not just read off a recipe which can be done at home). The instructor was funny, energetic and kept our group on schedule although she was a bit feisty and spicy! I enjoyed her style but it doesn't work for everyone. A piece of feedback is that rather than saying a statement over and over, if people are not understanding, perhaps she could say "does that make sense? Or how about I explain it this way instead." Adult learners learn differently than children :). read more

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The five stars is based on both my shopping experience and having taken a croissant-making class with Chef Elizabeth T. This is a pretty new location. I'm finding that at this location, the staff are excellent at making purchase recommendations based on what you want to do with the equipment. They don't just go with a "Do you need any help?", but seem to be well-versed in cooking techniques and can make recommendations with elaboration on WHY it's good for your specific application and that doesn't necessarily mean they'll recommend the most expensive choice (at least with the staff I've dealt with.) Also, I took the croissant-making class because in this area, it's hard to find savory croissants. I'm not into sweet ones so I decided the only way to go was to learn how to make them myself. Chef Elizabeth was an excellent instructor. Doing it on my own wasn't an option because just reading the steps makes my head spin and knowing how things should look or FEEL between steps matters. Chef Elizabeth did a great job of explaining everything with hands-on "show and tell" before we attempted (with variable success) to replicate her technique. Our flubs were not a bad thing, though, because the great thing about the class is that I figured out what my pressure points would be when I'd try to make them alone at home. Our results in class weren't pretty because we were so busy trying to make sure we knew what to do that the dough and butter were getting warmer and much harder to work with. The class was the perfect "rehearsal." I decided to start making a batch entirely on my own the next day, before I started to forget things I learned. I moved with a lot more stealth at home, nothing got too warm, and I didn't have to keep sticking my dough in the fridge before turning again. I only stuck it in the fridge after the first turn (set of folds) and managed to do the next two turns quickly enough to avoid another chilling step. VOILA! The laminated dough looks even and beautiful, unlike the ones that were made in class :) Photos on my first home results were uploaded separately on this page. read more