Chef Joni is a pro!! What a wonderful evening…read more From fresh herbs for our ragu from her garden, music reminiscent of Italy and pasta made from scratch - it was a perfect night! And also our latest night out since New Year's #2020. We started off munching on appetizers including rosemary almonds and some delicious cheese and crackers while we made our dishes. The last time I made pasta from scratch was in my seventh grade cooking class during which I was always worried about being late to the next class period since the teacher never left us time to clean up. And I had to bribe my Spanish teacher to not mark me late by giving him my finished product. Needless to say I did not remember anything and this time was a much more pleasant experience. The pasta machine is super cool and I won't share the secret to the best alfredo sauce...you'll just have to take the class and learn it yourself! Then while we let the pasta sit we worked on the ragu. Veggies galore and Joni is great at ensuring everything can be vegetarian and working with your dietary preferences. Joni shared many different techniques and also the science behind the making of the food. For example, reasons that cooking a veggie a certain way provides more flavor. For dessert, tiramisu. Honestly, we were stuffed but always leave room for dessert! Anything you don't eat you can take home! Joni is super organized and was very accommodating of my wild schedule. Her kitchen set up is outstandingly beautiful with high end appliances and also ensuring COVID-safe measures. Plus the candle-lit dinner and recipes to take home are just a few of the wonderful detailed touches. Plus LEFTOVERS FOR DAYS. Like leftovers for a week. Of it all! A great date night in Italy!

I found Chef Joni Sare on Cozymeal and booked her for my team offsite as my 3 other team members…read morefound her Master Italian Classics Cooking Class to be a fun learning experience. Boy were we right. If you don't read my full review, all I can say is that Chef Joni was an EXCELLENT instructor and my team members and I had such a good time. We were smiling ear-to-ear the entire time we were there. Highly recommended from this Yelp reviewer. Detailed review below: Communication (5/5): We used the Cozymeal platform for everything and found their interface amazing. Chef Joni was very pro-active and communicated with me several times before the event date on January 17, 2020. What stood out about this communication was that she really wanted to know us. She asked good questions like "Why did you choose this class?", "What do you hope to learn from it?", "What are your goals?" etc. Really appreciate this since she can cater the class to exactly your needs. She was also very accommodating when I told her that one of our team members was a vegetarian so she made sure she had a vegetarian option on hand during our class. Finally, before the event, she gave us extremely detailed directions to the location of the event (including a picture) and what to expect. Really outstanding communication here. Location (5/5): Her location is in her house located in Sunnyvale near major highways. Lots of street parking once you arrive so no issues on parking. The inside is well decorated and everything seems to be remodeled including her kitchen which was very modern. See pics to get an idea. Food (5/5): The Master Italian Classics Cooking Class contains the following menu: 1.) Antipasti - Cheese, crackers, almonds, pepper jelly to snack on throughout the whole meal while you are there 2.) Handmade Fettuccine Alfredo 3.) Ragu (Mushrooms, many vegetables) - Our protein was lamb for the meat-eaters and tofu for our vegetarian team member. 4.) Tiramisu - for dessert. I don't want to spoil too much of the class but I'll share some of the highlights for me at least. Preparing the Fettuccine Dough from scratch including folding it, kneading it, was a really fun experience. Also running through the dough through the pasta machine to stretch it and finally cut it into actually the noodles was such a cathartic experience. I'm really happy I got to experience that. The Ragu was so delicious and so healthy at the same time as we barely used any vegetable oil and we put in so many vegetables. Finally, the tiramisu making was actually pretty easy but delicious at the same time. Now that I have been through how to make Tiramisu, I am confident I can make it for a party without issue. Also, if you can't finish all the food you make, Chef Joni gives you take-out boxes to bring home so you can enjoy the food again! Our group also had leftover uncooked fettuccine and we got to take that home. Chef Joni (5/5): Last but not least Chef Joni was an excellent instructor. She was so bubbly and easy to talk to and really put the group at ease very quickly. She was masterful on dividing up certain tasks in the kitchen so we can all participate in the cooking journey and made sure we were doing the steps properly. We asked her so many questions during our time in the class and she happily answered every single one of them without being annoyed. It was nice to finish the class with all of us including Chef Joni eating at the table. Chef Joni's passion for cooking really shines through her class and we had a great time! Our team can't wait to come back. Thank you Chef Joni for a great class.

We spent our last evening in Seattle with Chef Traci and it was so much fun! First, she is an…read moreamazing human being who clearly loves and gives so much back to the community she lives in. Our evening started with a tour of the market and we had a total blast tasting samples along the way. The special relationships she has built with so many of the businesses there made our tour extra special! Our group was small which made the cooking class so fun. We whipped up a fabulous meal in not time and everything tasted great! I appreciated her willingness to customize the menu based on my food preferences. We left feeling full and not just in our bellies but also in our hearts for the special evening we had!! Thank you Traci!

This spring I surprised my wife with Chef Traci's Market to Table cooking class at Atrium Kitchen…read more It was an amazing experience, and I'm already wondering when I can bring out-of-town guests. Chef Traci kicked off our morning class with freshly baked pastries as we discussed what we might want to cook that day. Then we headed into Pike Place Market, stopping at multiple businesses to meet the owners and try their delicious products. I've been to Pike Place many times, and there were a handful of shops I was experiencing for the first time. It really felt like we got VIP treatment because of the friendships Traci has built over the years. We picked out a beautiful King salmon and halibut cheeks at Pike Place Fish Market, and I even got to throw and catch a fish! Traci was knowledgeable and shared Pike Place Market's complex history along the way. Once we returned to Atrium Kitchen with our ingredients, we created two beautiful mains with the salmon and halibut, plus a couple of sides with the seasonal market vegetables we had picked up. Then it was time to dig in and enjoy our feast while chatting with Chef Traci and the other guests. There is something very special about being in Pike Place Market early in the morning before the throngs of tourists arrive. I highly recommend the morning tour and cooking class. It felt like a perfect way to experience Seattle's most famous attraction.

My husband and I stopped by Whisk for a cooking class on my birthday. We chose the Pollo a la Brasa…read morePeruvian Kitchen class and had a wonderful time. Chef Jen who was overseeing the course was informative and had a fun sense of humor as she walked us through the steps of preparing the whole chicken, assembling the salad, making the sauce, and cooking the rice. You are greeted with a drink before the class begins, and everything is prepared for you in advance. There are also kitchen assistants that assist with clean up and set up between major steps of the lesson. Once the major steps were done, we were given time to peruse the storefront and offered 20% off as we waited for the food to finish cooking and as the chef and kitchen assistants prepared the stations for dinner. The lessons aren't cheap, but I would do it again for the service, quality of the lesson, and the delicious food you get to eat afterwards. The owners are also very friendly and care about your experience. If you're looking for a fun activity to do with a friend, date, or family, I highly recommend giving the lessons here a try!

My visit here pretty much started off online, where my bestie and I decided to sign up for a…read moredumpling class and found this place. We were put on the waitlist after doing so but then got a text several days later saying two spots opened for us, so I snagged our seats as fast as I could. Really appreciate the staff on the other line for reaching out to me and "reserving" my spots unless I let them know I'm not interested! Getting here, there is the Meyden Garage that offers 3-hour free parking for customers of Whisk and other surrounding businesses though most spaces inside there did not have the signage saying that so it was confusing parking around there. Getting inside the building, you'll see what can only be described as a haven for chefs and aspiring cooks of all levels; you have cooking tools, pots and pans, cookbooks, plates, neatly folded cloth napkins and a bunch of other things strewn around in such a colorful and organized manner. The kitchen for our cooking class was clean and spacious, with all the ingredients we need prepped and set out in front of us. We worked in pairs prepping and cooking all our dishes throughout. Chef Thanh Tang was very informative and engaging throughout the whole process, and the other staff working with him were efficient in cleaning used utensils and keeping everyone's prepped items in check. Instructions were very clear, and directions flowed very well since we made one dumpling after another! Since both of us don't really cook and we had many questions to ask, it took us a bit to catch up with the rest of the class, but all the folding techniques became much easier to do thanks to our teacher. For this particular class, we pan-fried the shrimp and chive dumplings, while the wontons and steamed vegetable dumplings we prepped were steamed while we all took a break. As for the spicy green beans, I actually had the chance to stir-fry a non-spicy version of them in front of the class! All the food we made here was really good, and we came close to having to box some of it home too! Everything here was worth the $150 per person from the experience to the food, and I'd take another class here in the future! For reference, the class I took is called "More Dumplings, Dumpling?" and ran on a Saturday from 5:30-8:30pm though that's just a timeframe since I did stay slightly longer just to finish my food!

The class for my daughter and I ended up being 30 minutes out of at a private home and it was…read morejust the chef and the two of us. We didn't feel comfortable. We tried to cancel but were charged . When I tried to cancel my cozy meal monthly subscription they billed my card again the very same day. I tried to speak with them about it, they end the chats and will not take my phone calls. They still have my credit card information.

Chef Washington was very professional and really engaged with the group. He was very good at…read moreexplaining what to do for all skill levels and ensured that everyone had a good time. The food and the whole experience was spectacular!!!

Chef Will led us on a tastebud teasing tour of Pike Place Market that was far more than just a…read moresampling of some goods. We were taken to specialized shops where we heard from the experts about their history, their craft, their passion for food, and then also got to try the treasures. Cheese, gelato, truffles, chowder, salmon, pizza, chocolate, and more. This was both informational and also very entertaining! We loved the interactivity that Chef Will fostered as well as the foods he shared with us. The grand finale was my husband getting to catch and toss a fish at the most famous part of the market. So much fun! We absolutely recommend this tour and would happily return for another round.

I used to scoff at food tours. Didn't really see the point of paying someone to show us around…read moretourist traps and tell us where and what to eat. Yeah, I was being a cynic. Then my wife signed us up for a food tour of Pike Place Market through Eat Seattle Tours. By the end of this experience, my whole perception of food tours had completely changed. Let's back up a bit. The evening before the tour, my wife and I strolled through Pike Place Market. We tried out food from a couple of famous spots, and called it a day. Quite honestly, I didn't get what all the fuss was about and didn't have high expectations for the tour. It turns out I was completely wrong about Pike Place Market too. It had more to offer than I could have ever imagined. And I have our tour guide, Chef Nels, from Eat Seattle Tours to thank for this. Nels, a former professional chef, led our group on an excursion through the marketplace, which turned out to be much larger than it looked. Besides the main area where the famous fish market is, it extends several levels below and stretches across the street, and includes a number of narrow alleyways. All told, it covers like 9 acres! Along the way, we learned some unique and interesting history behind Pike Place Market. For example, did you know that the most photographed spot in the entire marketplace, a Starbucks, is not the original location, contrary to popular belief? We also sampled lots of delicious food, of course. Highlights included: -A cheese biscuit that was buttery and crumbly (don't remember where Nels got it); -Clam chowder from one of the most famous clam chowder shops in the country, Pike Place Chowder-it was easily the best clam chowder I've ever had by a country mile, primarily due to the fresh clam meat; -Cheese curds and lentil soup (Nels offered us the famous mac and cheese or lentil soup-we went with lentil soup since we had their mac and cheese the day before) from Beecher's Handmade Cheese. The cheese curds were my favorite things I tasted during the entire tour. They tasted like fresh string cheese. I would have never thought to try this out at Beecher's. -Chocolate-covered cherries and nuts from Chukar cherries. Loved these so much that we went straight to the shop after the tour to buy some more for ourselves. Each thing we tasted was perfectly portioned. We tried over half a dozen things and I felt neither overly stuffed nor hungry when it was all over. Nels, who is officially licensed to provide tours at the marketplace, appeared to have a great partnership with all the businesses we tried food at. He would zip in and zip out of each establishment with a tray of samples. I do have to say there were a couple of items I tasted that were disappointing. First was the carnitas taco at Maiz. I wanted to like it since Nels talked it up so much. He described it as incredibly good and a tour favorite. However, I found both the tortilla and carnitas to be overly dry. It was borderline inedible. It could have seriously used some sauce, avocados, or something to add juiciness and flavor. That being said, I did like the little story Nels gave about the restaurant itself, how it was inspired by a two-year-old Maiz tortilla that the business owner found and tasted. The second item I did not care for were the arancini balls at Friends of Carmela. They were pretty bland-tasting and nothing to write home about. All in all, it was a wonderful and memorable experience. If I could give this review more than five stars, I would. Hats off to Nels for the fantastic job he did. I could tell he has a passion for his job and a genuine interest in sharing his knowledge of the food scene at Pike Place Market with locals and visitors alike. He truly opened my eyes to what food tours could offer, and has inspired me to seek out more food tours in other cities that I plan to visit in the near future.

Came here for a team event. After a heavy day of fiery debate and hacking, I wasn't sure if I was…read morein the mood for more feverish competitive activity with the same people but I was quite wrong and a good time was had! Just make sure you save some patience for figuring out the parking, especially in the summer days when you have to dodge kids in swimsuits. The event we did was essentially an Iron Chef-style competition, but we first had a happy hour of charcuterie cheese and fruit and an open bar (although the line for cocktails was a bit backlogged). We were divided into two groups with an assigned chef each to coach us through a 90 minute cooking session to come up with a meal plan consisting of our designated protein (my team got Salmon and the other team got chicken), 2 vegetarian sides, and a dessert. We had nearly access to a seemingly infinite amount ingredients to work with, but not all! Some ingredients even came from the garden outside but mostly the pantry is well stocked with so many different herbs, spices, cheeses, sauces, etc. Not to mention all kinds of kitchen equipment. We feared 90 minutes wouldn't be enough but it seemed to be just enough time without feeling too harried to brainstorm and come up with a plan, split up and prepare various dishes, plate for the judge as well as each other (to eat buffet style after the presentation). Each group selected a presenter to talk through the dishes and then we went to the main dining area to partake in each others' creations - with more drinks! The staff who judged the dishes had a lot of goodness to say about all the creations and the winning team got bragging rights and a blue mug. We dined right on Lake Union by huge windows such that it felt like the event turned into a fancy dinner cruise from there. All in all it was a great event and a great opportunity to connect.

Blue Ribbon Cooking and Sanders Estate made our daughter's wedding and reception a spectacular day…read moreto remember for us and our guests. From our first meetings touring the venue and meeting with our event planner, Elizabeth, I instantly knew we were in great hands, with options abounding from which we could select to tailor our event. The food options were all supreme, and the service of the event staff throughout the wedding and reception flawless. Elizabeth seamlessly guided us through myriad details of options and alternatives as we planned the wedding and reception. The DIY options alone allowed us flexibility on costs. Among the many other venues we considered, the volume of options and one-stop-shopping were little to none elsewhere. Blue Ribbon Cooking offers the conveniences we wanted for this big day. And, Elizabeth's attention to detail in the setups of florals and table décor were spot on, every detail exactly as our daughter wanted. The bartender made the signature cocktails perfectly for our guests, and our guests were served without delay. She was also super engaging with our guests. The mansion itself as an option for the bridal party to stay the night before the wedding was a huge draw to selecting this venue. The aesthetics of the home and property provided a beautiful and inspiring atmosphere, making the wedding and reception feel like a fairytale and we were blown away. If you are looking for a venue and catering experience to make your event super special, particularly a wedding, this is the venue and caterer to choose.

I stumbled into the shop this weekend by accident. It was a very pleasant surprise! The selection…read moreis fantastic. It is well curated and there are so many cool cookbooks I've never seen at other stores. They even have books that aren't cookbooks, like children's books about food. I picked up two! I only had about 30 minute to spend but I could've spent at least an hour perusing. They have a small sale section. They also have staff recs and explanations about the books highlighted. The person working was friendly and kind. I'll definitely be back!

This place is the sacred ground for food and book lovers!…read more The staff is super helpful and friendly. I ended up purchasing a few handmade cards by the front register cause they were fun, funky and within my budget. The front count bottle necks a little bit by the front door but overall such a fun and positive experience.

We just learned that there is a Hot Stove Society weekly live radio show/podcast hosted by Seattle…read moreCelebrity Chef and Restauranter extraordinaire Tom Douglas. The show is broadcasted on KIRO radio and streamed on YouTube. You can also listen on a podcast. It is filmed in the industrial kitchen at the Hot Stove Society Cooking School in downtown Seattle. The best part for us is that we learned you can buy tickets to attend a taping of the show and it includes a freshly made breakfast. We immediately signed up and attended the one this past Tuesday. It was so much fun as we were treated to freshly made sticky buns, Shakshuka and Greek yogurt with granola. All of the food was delicious. The show being recorded was also fascinating to watch with lots of behind the scene activity capturing our attention. The guests on the show were informative and entertaining and some door prizes were given away to some audience members. After the taping, we got to take photos and talk with Tom, his staff and the guests. We really enjoyed ourselves and were well taken care of (and well fed!) by the staff. I recommend attending one of these shows for a great behind the scenes look and informative discussions about food and cooking from some local experts.

My wife and I had a great time here, so this review rating is a bit unbalanced. Being spectators to…read morea live podcast production was really fun and educational. Tom Douglas and his daughter were great hosts and their guests were engaging as well. We enjoyed the food that was served as well. What bothered me to the point of dropping 2 stars was being offered a mimosa when we were seated, without being told it was not included in the price of our experience. I was not prepared for the steep charge for the drink when we were getting ready to leave at the end. Had I known in advance, I certainly would have politely declined the offer. It just really left a bad taste in my mouth which took away from what was otherwise a great experience.

Renee has been such a gift to our family. I'm a busy mom and we're often running from one thing to…read morethe next, so having delicious, healthy food already prepared at home has made our weeks so much easier. Everything Renee makes is thoughtful, fresh, and genuinely delicious. She's also incredibly kind, reliable, flexible, and easy to work with. I always looked forward to the days she cooked for us--and honestly, just the feeling of opening the fridge and knowing dinner was taken care of. If you're looking for a personal chef who makes beautiful, nourishing food and is also just a wonderful person to have in your home, I can't recommend Renee enough.

Delicious, thoughtful, pure, and incomparable. Fire and Earth Kitchen has changed my family's lives…read morefor the better! We absolutely love Renee. You can tell she is thoughtful, kind, and efficient. Her communication and respectful ways make all the difference when someone cooks meals for you in your home. She is very responsive to our messages and always sends a menu for our review and input before the week's visit. I can tell she puts a lot of thought into what she prepares and thinks about our needs when suggesting each menu item. I don't usually enjoy people in my home while I'm working, but Renee is a delight and unobtrusive. Of course, she'll talk with you if you want, but there is no forced anything or awkwardness with her. She has a great vibe and will get right to work. She knows her craft so well that before you know it your home smells wonderful and your kitchen is as clean as it was before she got there (I honestly don't know how she does it). Renee has been cooking six servings of three meals for us flawlessly since we first met her. She even catered a large garden party we had last year where you could tell quantity did not jeopardize the quality of her food. Every bite was packed with delicious whole ingredients and no corner was cut. Renee can meet all of our dietary restrictions (gluten, dairy, nightshade, seed oil, and some nut intolerances) and offer meals that are incomparable to what we can find in restaurants or cook for ourselves. I cannot stress how delicious everything is. There has never been a time when we weren't blown away by her creations. The balance of flavor and spice is some of the most unique and delightful I have ever tasted. You can tell she's constantly learning new recipes and perfecting them for herself and her clients. Take a look at her Instagram! I'm always so intrigued by what she's up to. Her meals bring comfort and variety to our home. Not everyone in my family is vegan or has even tried vegan food before. Renee has proved time and time again that veganism is delicious. I'm thrilled we are one of her clients and grateful for every meal she makes. I would recommend her to anyone, 100%.

I wasn't sure what to expect from my first sushi making experience. It seems like it would be…read moreridiculously hard to craft an edible roll. I was 100% sure that I would look like an idiot trying to recreate a delicacy that is made with such grace. Tracy made it easy and fun for us to enjoy ourselves while making some outstanding sushi. Everything is set up to be foolproof (for the most part, I still found a way to mess a few things up), so you don't have to worry about it. You'll be interacting with others who are making things for the first time, and are just looking for a different type of date night. Tracy was also teaching us methodology and science behind why sushi is made a certain way in Japanese culture, even going as deep as helping us prepare rice to a certain temperature before using it. And it's good that they make the process simple here, because you're making your own dinner at the end of the night. The sushi class is a fun one, because you eat as the night goes on. You start off by making a couple hand rolls, then some another sushi course (blanking on the name), and end up making a massive sushi cake as the final dish, something I have never even seen or heard of before. I love what the pantry is doing for the community by having these cooking classes, and I can't wait to get back in here to try some more.

Had a really fun sushi making class. We were so full at the end we couldn't eat everything we…read moremade. It was well attended. Appreciated the option for a glass of wine or seasonal housemade soda drink. It took three hours, which was in part because it was a little disorganized. That's long time to sit there. The room is beautiful and well equipped. I would go back.