We booked this as a team night out for a small startup crew, a mix of confident cooks and people…read morewho cook on special occasions. The mother sauces are a smart format for a group like that, since the techniques build on each other and nobody ends up standing around watching. Real hands-on instruction, a well set up kitchen, and enough room in the pace to talk. Would book again. :)

Came here for a tofu and tempeh cooking class, and got to meet some amazing, new people. The…read morebuilding itself was spacious with a great view of the horizon at sunset from the 4th floor. Chef Cassandra was very knowledgeable about showing us the five different recipes. It was fun cooking the food together, and then enjoying what we had made. Highly recommend a class here if you're interested.

My friend has attended several cooking classes & dinner events & invited me to attend the duck and…read moreEastern European wine dinner recently. The communal table seating is a fun way to meet new people, talk about shared passion for food & culture. The food was beautifully presented & delicious! Chef Gracie & her crew did a wonderful job. The dining tables had small appetizers waiting for us upon arrival to graze and enjoy until the formal service started. I overheard her say that she knew we'd be hungry so she prepared some wonderful breads & dips in advance. The strawberry soup was interesting, not too sweet but had savory toppings that added flavor & texture. The beet salad and duck were presented family style and the duck was perfection, tender & flavorful. Dessert (lemon gelato) was served individually & was a refreshing end to our meal. Each course was paired with a wine where the history of the wine was shared by the sommelier of the evening. Overall, a fun event with delicious food & we met some interesting people.

I took a cooking class here and had a lot of fun!…read more Parking is not convenient. The closest parking garages are still a 10 minute walk away. Luckily, it's in the Mission, so there are other things to do to make the parking garage fees worth it. They measure and prep the ingredients for you. The specific class I took didn't require much action other than combining, stirring, and a tiny amount of chopping. You're in groups, so you can skip doing anything you don't want to do. The assistants are friendly and super talkative. Eating at the big table with everyone else was fun. They had beer, wine, and a nonalcoholic cocktail as well. I came with someone, but I think going solo wouldn't be too awkward. It's almost $200 for 3 hours and it's pretty inconvenient since I don't live in the area, but I'd recommend it for a fun evening!

Came here for a team offsite for 20+ people. It was great to prep a multi course meal. Similar…read morefeedback to previous reviewers, the chefs didn't seem super friendly and happy to host us. With all the food cooking, the kitchen area got a bit smokey. I wish there was better ventilation. Overall solid 4 stars. We had crispy rice patties, veggie risotto, steak, and mini cupcakes. I would recommend for a team event. This was much better than the ramen making event with a different vendor we did as a team event last time.

To be honest, I expected a little better out of the full event…read more The Good: The recipes were easy and the food was good. There was enough space to go around and not be cramped (16 people on our team). They allow us to bring our own wine bottles. The Bad: The main chef was not very friendly. She was snappy, and sometimes upset when you ask her questions. She almost seemed like she did not want to talk to people or almost talking down to them. The other staff members were really nice. Out of 6+ ovens they had. Only 2 were working and NOT working properly. This is a cooking event space, and if there are no functional ovens, I think it defeats the purpose. In addition, most the knives were dull and barely cut well. You get to cook one of the 4 or 5 dishes. I would highly recommend you rotate the stations, and everyone learns a little more hands on. Way too much teaching compared to doing. Some might enjoy the simplicity, but for a high ticket price, I would expect more. I would say if they fixed the oven problem, and became a little more hospitable, then it would be an easy 5 star place.

Sour Flour had a booth today at the Noe Valley Farmers Market, San Francisco. It's not a farmers…read moremarket normally on my radar, but I spied a TGTG order $4.99, and given their high rating I opted to buy a spot. The order was put together upon my arrival which was comprised of 6 bagels, a small loaf, and 3 baguette shaped breads. Great baked goods and an excuse to visit Noe Valley on a Sunny Day, it was a win win.

We had SUCH a great time at a private starter workshop with Sour Flour! Oozie, our baker, was super…read moreengaging and explained everything in a way that made it easy to understand. The class was hands-on, full of laughs, and honestly way more approachable than we expected. We left feeling totally ready to make our own bread at home, including with our own sourdough starter. Highly recommend it if you want to learn, have fun, and eat great bread!

Superb. I have taken the 12 week series and individual classes at KOF and taken courses at other…read moreschools. KOF is head and shoulders above all the others. Chef Olive told the class that his students don't eat out because they realize that, "I can make this better at home"; which I thought a bit exaggerated, but then I thought more about it and realized, based on my experience, he is right. These courses are so well thought out; you will learn a ton, will be taught by well qualified, energetic chefs, will begin to eat healthier and better, and you will absolutely have fun. Enjoy.

Love me some Berkeley! These cute little storefronts are definitely part of the reason. This place…read morehad sushi, coffee, Tibetan jewelry and organic ice cream with a cooking school upstairs we all wandered around and really enjoyed our time spent here... We all got a scoop of Serotonin ice cream and tasted a few of their exotic flavors like saffron and lavender a few nostalgic flavors like butterscotch & pistachio they were all delicious.

I don't know where.. but I read somewhere that someone had a decent meal here at a very reasonable…read moreprice. So I thought why not give it a go. At $15 for 5 courses I was like...you can't even buy all the ingredients. (Avocados cost $1.50-2 each so $15 seemed like nothing) Space: Nothing fancy. Clean. It did feel a bit awkward having so few tables in such a large space. I almost felt like I was in some school cafeteria. Service: Except for having difficulty getting hold of them via phone, the service in the evening was excellent. The instructor came out and gave us suggestions and answered questions and it was all very nice. Food: Some people in my party thought food tasted gross. Particularly the chicken dish..which one person thought looked and tasted like dog food ((harsh!)) However for $15, most dishes were decent. Pizza we had for appetizer and the fried mozarrella stick salad was pretty good. Shrimp risotto...I initially thought that it was mashed potatoes because I couldn't taste or see rice grains that you should see with risottos. Flavouring was a bit bland too. Tuna tartar - it was wayyyyyy too spicy and salty. There was a lot of soy sauce at the bottom. For the entrees, initially we all picked a dish each. Then the instructor came out and said that for a "large group like ours" that he would recommend a sampling of ALL the dishes. We literally got 3 dishes of each main dish (there were 5) for the whole table. After that he said that if we wanted to try more of anything that we could. I felt like we were at a AYCE buffet haha. - Shaking beef with crispy rice - not bad. Beef seasoning was a little too salty but totally edible - Steak - probably the best entree out of the lot? - Pork with polenta - it was okay. - Chicken - definitely not their best... - Fish - was okay. Dessert was probably the best dish. It was some kind of an apple filled spring rolls with cream and honey? It was crispy, not too sweet and delicious. The total came to around $20 per person for the meal which, considering the amount of food we got, was amazing. Ohhhh and they are very generous with their wine pours too. Half glasses are $3-4 each (and I'd say it's equivalent to a single glass at a normal restaurant). Their full glass was literally to the brim. I was nicely buzzed with a glass of wine here. Would I return?.. That's a tough one. While I thought the value was great, the food wasn't amazing. If I feel like cheap dinner but don't feel like fast food, then yes I would probably come back.

5 course meal for $15 (3 stars)…read more YOU ARE THE GUINEA PIG!!! AND... quality ingredients used (occassionally put to waste); depends whos doing the execution. - Food, hit or miss - Price, can't go wrong with 5 courses for $15 - Service, friendly but professional.... uhm ... (yup dot dot dot) - Ambiance, very clean space Decided to finally come and try Le Cordon Bleu Restaurant at the CCA. My expections, uncertain. Are you suppose to have high or low expections for students cooking food and you are the guinea pig? I can't complain, $15 for a meal that fills you!!!! Must make reservations and they only take x-amount of people a night. We were seated, greeted, and served. Level of professionalism is, well, don't expect it. I felt like I was talking to friends instead of staff. Good thing but kind of bad thing; this is a "restaurant". My friend mentioned that the service kind of sucks and the food was hit or miss. yup, it was a hit and miss for me. And service, i didnt care much because it's a student ran restaurant but we had to ask when to bring the next plate out for us, constantly asking for more water, and when asked to pack the left overs, to them it means "throw in garbage". And NO TIPPING; 15% is included to go towards some scholar fund. thanks for the experience! HEFFER-STYLE STATUS. (**SEE PICTURES***) Meal #1) MUSHROOM AND CHEESE PIZZA - i think they forgot to mention the other ingrediants... bacon and asparagus. This was okay. I only had one piece and removed the bacon (sorry, can't eat pork or redmeat at this time). Meal #2) "first plates" LEVAIN FERTINE w/ ASPARAGUS, SHRIMP AND LOBSTER BISQUE - when we took our first bit the first words that came out of our mouth was "interesting". All we got from the waitress was that it was a 16yr old starter; kinda dont know what that means. So the "interesting" taste came from the 16 yr old starter? I wasn't that much of a fan of this plate. Meal #3) another "first plates" MIXED GREEN SALAD WITH PANCOTTA, MAYTAG BLUE, AND CANDID PECANS - and again, they failed to mention there are two crunchy slabs of bacon ontop. What if there were vegans in the joint, they'd be shocked. Wasn't a fan but did munch on it. Best part was the candid pecans Meal #4) "main plate choice" Had an option between Grilled Beef short ribs, roasted chipotle chicken, or fried fish & chips. My homegirl got the Grilled short ribs and liked it; no picture of it. Portion was just too damn small. ROASTED CHIPOTLE CHICKEN - it came out looking pretty. two piece of chicken stacked nicely, garnished with some cilantro leaves, laying ontop of a bed of chipotle sauce. The taste was was okay/good for what it is. UNTIL i turned my chicken over and saw (see loaded pictures) and said, that doesnt look very appetizing. The chipotle sauce was good and had these little black balls split in half that tasted like pototoes. Also on the side was this chicpea"hash" that was like on a pie crushed masa; liked it but wish pie crused like masa texture wasn't so hard (it felt like of stale). My portion was pretty decent! Then i looked over and saw at a different table and wish ordered the fish & chips. ***PALATE REFRESHER** (suppose to be served before the main dish but we got ours after) served in a small cup was a purple-pink sorbet. with something else chopped on top and watercress sprouts. I am not a fan of the watercress sprouts but everything else was good. Meal #5) "chef's choice dessert" CAKE DUET - I was a fan of this, however my friend was not. Reminded me of pudding cake. The portion of this was huge, we barely put a dent in it. Will I be back? The group of students tonight is their last class. I won't be back for a few weeks/months until the new wave of students have had some experience in the kitchen first. LOL. But it's a hit or miss; maybe next experience will be a hit. Until the next review....

This a a FREE, that right I said FREE baking and pastry program offered at the City College…read moreDowntown Campus. The class all aspects of baking and pastry, from yeasted doughs, and breads to laminated doughs, and cake decorating. The class is a big commitment--6am-noon, M-F for 2 semesters but when you are done you will have no loan to repay. The instructor is baker with over 30 years experience and she know how to teach adults form all backgrounds. I am very happy I found this class--before plunking down 25k for the Sf baking institute (which I am sure is a great school but completely out of my price range.)

So you know how, when you are suddenly thrust into the world of reality after 15 to 20 years of…read moreK-12 + college, you are shell shocked at myriad things? Not the least of which is the feeling that school was a big pile of horse manure, cuz no place can operate without a bottom line. Yeah, don't scoff at me; it happened to you, too. That sense of self is a takes-one-to-know-one. This baking program? The antithesis of the la-la land my undergrad program was. This is the vein I *wish* my original higher educational path had run in, one much more like an apprenticeship. The one that says, "Hey, welcome, glad you want to learn; let's throw you into the realistic mix get your hands dirty, let you screw up or succeed in your own time. And let's call it all a learning experience so you don't have to pay me and I don't have to pay you, but we both still end up very satisfied, and with what we originally sought." The formidable Chef Betsy instructs, and talk about a woman of multiple facets... to describe it in words may be impossible, to learn from her teaching scratches the surface. If you're interested in dedicating yourself to two full semesters of hard mental and physical work to learn the basics of commercial baking, I could not dream up a better program.

Chef Tom was amazing! Everything we ate was delicious! He accommodated all of our food…read moresensitivities. the whole thing experience was a highlight of our trip!

We hired Tom for a small group dinner at a house we rented - he was wonderful! Great communication…read moreleading up to the event, good ideation and menu recommendations, and most importantly of all, a truly fantastic meal and experience. Everything was perfectly prepared and brought out richness and depth of flavours across a variety of textures and combinations. Tom is a wonderful soul to boot and we really enjoyed his company. Highly recommended!

I wouldn't call it a cooking school, for the class we attended was more of an interactive culinary…read moreexperience. The class isn't designed to ensure that everyone get equal instruction/ demo or time interacting with each dish. Many components were already prepped, so I did a lot of asking to get caught up to speed as to what the ingredients were and how they were prepared. Tim, the head chef was fantastic - friendly, accommodating, and an overall great host. Snacks and beverages were available upon arrival, which was nice because we waited at least 20 minutes after the start time to actually get started. Tim then gave a brief introduction and some cooking tips. We then dispersed to different stations. For the next hour or so, we bounced from station to station to learn about different dishes and participate in making them. Sometimes there was chef instruction, sometimes not. I wish there was a chef at each station to get our money's worth. I noticed a lot of people wandering aimlessly and looking a little lost. I was sad to miss out on learning a couple dishes. Overall, for the price, I wish it was more organized/efficient. If you're looking for a casual cooking experience, then this is a lovely place to go if it doesn't break the bank. For me, it was too expensive for me to confidently recommend to others.

FANTASTIC cooking experience at Cavallo Point Cooking School!…read more The theme of our cooking session was "New Orleans Crawl." The menu consisted of: Jalapeno Biscuits Eggs Sardou Crab Cheesecake Shrimp & Grits Chicken Gumbo Beignets Max is 18 students in a session; a cozy fit around the dining table. Tim was our main chef and a wonderful host as were his two assistants. This class is interactive as much as you want it to be. If you're intimidated to participate or not comfortable being around the kitchen, that's ok. Feel free to listen and watch but these classes aren't cheap. It wouldn't hurt to get your hands dirty. Realistically, you won't be able to participate in preparing every dish; choose the dishes you're most interested in. When all is done, the students sit around the dining table to share the meal. There was plenty to go around more than once. My favorite was the Shrimp & Grits, Jalapeno Biscuits, and Beignets. YUM! The room is HUGE, clean, and beautiful. They offered a delicious charcuterie board but the drinks were extra to my surprise. I highly recommend arriving half hour early to find parking. Valet parking is available. The location is GORGEOUS. After class, you can sit outside on their porch and enjoy the sun, have a picnic on the grass, or walk around the area and take pictures of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate. It is stunning when the sun is out! A wonderful experience!

James was a pleasure as a host and a teacher! He is not only an amazing chef but he loves to host…read more He warmly welcomed us, showed us how to make pizza and let us be social amongst friends. Felt like our own kitchen. I would highly recommend.

In an article published in January of this year, Chronicle Staff Writer Janine DeFao wrote…read more"Culinary speakeasies ... are popping up in cities in the Bay Area and beyond, across the country and around the world. Part of the thrill, of course, is the hipness factor, the ego-inflating I-know-something-or-somebody-you-don't-know feeling that comes with being on a VIP list." So naturally, when the opportunity for me to eat at one of these "homegrown supper clubs" arrived I jumped at the chance, particularly since my friend and former colleague, James Stolich, was at the helm. I had no idea what to expect when I arrived at the beautiful San Francisco flat James lives and cooks in. After a tour of their home, I joined James in the kitchen to watch him in action as he prepared a six course meal for twelve. His marble counter and timeless appliances are the stuff self-professed epicureans like me dream about (while living in studio apartments with little counter space and undersized refrigerators.) Having known James in a primarily professional capacity (we worked together at a UK-based digital business consultancy during the height of the dot com boom) it was a joy to see he's as adept at cooking as he is as an interactive producer. The crowd on Friday night was as eclectic as it was international. As Pia is from Italy, the Italians were well-represented. Other folks hailed from a variety of exotic locales including Queens, Atlanta, Romania and France. While some folks congregated at the table, others mingled in the kitchen either helping James or quizzing him on his preparations. The night began with champagne and appetizers which included prosciutto and roasted cashews with olive oil, sea salt and lime. The subsequent six courses were wonderfully prepared, seasonally appropriate and above all, delicious! From the burrata cheese and golden beet salad to the restaurant-worthy sweet tomato gazpacho and the handmade gnocchi, I was thoroughly impressed at every turn. If you're growing bored of the restaurant scene or just want to try something new, I highly recommend Cook With James.