My husband and I had the most incredible date night at the Epicurean Theatre! We attended the…read more"Dinner with a Master Chef" class on Friday, July 18th 2014. Our instructor was celebrity chef, Whitney Miller, winner of Master Chef (season 1). The Epicurean Theatre is a gorgeous and very modern culinary classroom in the Epicurean Hotel in South Tampa. The culinary classroom has a kitchen in the front of the theatre for the instructor/ chef and stadium-style seating for the students. (If you want a seat near the front of the class arrive early!) Flat screen televisions are located in the front corners of the classroom to display close-ups of the food as it is being prepared. The layout of the classroom allows participants to eat and drink while watching a cooking presentation. After the chef completes each course of the meal the Epicurean's wait staff serves the dish. Whitney Miller was so charming and entertaining throughout our class. I loved her stories about growing up in Mississippi and being a contestant on the Master Chef. Her menu in our class included some of her favorite Southern dishes: First Course: Arugula Salad with Grilled Figs, Homemade Buttermilk Ricotta Cheese, Crispy Prosciutto and a Citrus Vinaigrette (Wine Pairing: Schiopetto Pinot Grigio) Second Course: BBQ Shrimp and Cheese Grits (Wine Pairing: Black Bird Rose) Third Course: White Chocolate Bread Pudding (Wine Pairing: Rosa Regale) Everything was so delicious and I cannot wait to make these dishes at my home! Confession: I probably won't make my own ricotta cheese for the arugula salad because who has time for that?! We received so many great cooking tips from the class and I plan on purchasing Whitney's cookbook so I can introduce my husband to more Southern cooking. If you are interested in taking a class at the Epicurean Theatre I highly recommend it! They offer a variety of classes from cupcakes to cooking to wine or even speaking a foreign language. They even offer brew bus tours! The classes range from $45-$125. Our Master Chef class cost $65 per person which wasn't a bad deal in my opinion considering we received a two hour demonstration from a celebrity chef, a three course meal, and three wine tastings. Can't wait to take my next class at the Epicurean Theatre!

I went to a great event here called Cupcakes and Cocktails held by Chef Beth Lukens, who owns and…read moreoperates the local company Cloud 9 Confections. Everything about this event was fun. Just like you see on cooking shows, Beth stood in front of the 3-tiered seating area, with a camera on her, and a camera overhead showing inside the pot she was cooking in. Beth is an experienced baker, and I loved that in addition to demonstrating how to make the Bourbon Chocolate Pecan cupcake, she also gave us helpful tips for substitutions and shortcuts. In addition to cupcakes, the event included 3 cocktails, specially designed to compliment the cupcakes we would be taking home. Pumpkin Prosecco - made of champagne and pureed pumpkin, Hard Apple Cider - made with gin, cider, and fresh crushed grapes, and a Bourbon Cocktail - but after the first two drinks, I have no recollection of what went into this last one. It was great, though! :-) Roger, the bartender from the hotel restaurant Élevage, came in each time to explain his concoction, which was really a nice personal touch. After Beth demonstrated how to make the first cupcake, all the participants went down to group stations where we got to frost our own cupcakes. She had all the different cupcakes lined up for us, as well as the different bags of frosting. First we did our own Bourbon Chocolate Pecan cupcake - by scooping out the inside to fill it with pecan filling, then frosting it with a thick bourbon chocolate buttercream, and sprinkling roasted pecans on top. Next was the Hard Apple Cider cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream. And finally we did the Pumpkin Spice cupcake, with a sweet cream cheese frosting. I have to admit, there was a LOT of taste-testing the frosting, even after the cupcakes were all frosted. Beth even provided plastic cupcake containers, so our 6 masterpieces (2 of each flavor) could travel in safety and comfort. I would definitely do another event here - it was very well organized, and in addition to the promised take home cupcakes, we were also provided with recipes on how to make the different cupcakes and frosting. The only thing that wasn't cool, and wasn't mentioned ahead of time, is that you had to pay $5 for valet, which also meant tipping too. I think the Epicurean Hotel needs to include this in the cost of the class, or let people self-park in the spots they have available for the wine store or bakery. Other than the parking, an A+ event from start to finish. Support local small businesses and go check out Beth's webpage, too - yum!

Me-this is one of the best Italian meals I've had in years…read moreMy wife-except for Rome Me- noo ... I didn't say that. We didn't really do fine dining in Rome and this was better than anything we ate. It's not Spiaggia, or trying to be Michelin style, but just amazing food. Pappardelle with veal pounded thin, mushrooms, and I think some truffle in the sauce. Mixed green salad with burrata. With only 16 seats, we got takeout. Me and grandpa split the dish and didn't finish it. I think it was 46$. Salad for three came with 4 burrata ( is there a plural form) which was less I think grandpa said $25 but that's a guess either way. I can't believe how affordable this was. In Jupiter Fl where I live it would have been 50% more and not nearly as good. Sorry Jupiter-your rent is too high. I can't believe our Airbnb is a block away.

Probably one of the best meals I've had in Tampa. Little place - maybe 5 tables in it.read more

There are prerequisites that you don't learn about until it's too late. The faculty is…read moreuninterested in helping students. The 'enrollment counselor' was all in until I signed and the it was crickets...what a sham.

A warm and welcoming environment. Definitely the best college I've been to. The instructors…read moregenuinely care about your success.

Cooking classes, group fun, team building lots of options here . What a cool concept located right…read moreinside Armature works. Unfortunately we didn't have time but you can make reservations online at their website. I'd like to do it next time I'm in Tampa Website and phone number located on their front door is in my pictures

I took the make your own sushi class with Chef Ricky in Carrollwood…read more This class was so much fun and Chef Ricky is the best! It is in the chef's house, so don't be alarmed when the maps takes you to a neighborhood. I got this for my boyfriend for a birthday gift and he loved it. There were 6 people in the class, he has a beautiful home with so much space. The spots are nicely setup with everything you need. He teaches you to make sushi from scratch and helps you every step of the way. He is very detailed and will answer any questions you have as well as make sure you are doing everything correctly so no one gets frustrated. You can bring your own drinks, he provides wine glasses and water. The price is absolutely worth it, you make so many rolls of sushi that you eat while you cook and also get to take so much home with you, you will have sushi for days! You can find his Instagram @tampachefricky

Our experience with Chef Danh was incredible! He started the lesson with some delicious ahi tuna…read morenachos that he made for the entire group and some flavor sake. Then, he taught us how to do two rolls, one hand roll and one oniguiri. To finish we had green tea ice cream and he offered sushi kits to make at home. During the entire class he kindly explained everything with a lot of detail and was very funny. We highly recommend chef Danh and will come back for more sushi classes.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the sushi making class with Chef Stephen. He made the class very…read moreinteractive and fun to learn. I appreciated that this class was small and intimate. You can tell Chef has a passion for this because he made sure we all knew what we were doing, we could ask as many questions as we liked and he even provided me some short cuts on how to prepare certain things. He has a Gnocchi class coming up and I'm looking into signing up for that. I would highly recommend him.

I recommend the class I booked because of the chefs their interaction and the great experience I…read morehad. I find the website challenging and the knowledge of the people on the phone very minimal.

I was thoroughly impressed by AJ's Kitchen Drawer. Everything was exceptional--the instruction,…read morefood, people, and ambiance. I attended a work event where we were fortunate to have Chef Keith Simpkins. It's evident that Chef Keith is passionate about his work, and his enthusiasm is contagious. Chef Keith taught us how to make tiramisu, pasta, and pesto, which are all among my favorite dishes. I'm pleased to say that I left the dinner with improved cooking skills.

The absolute best experience ever. Third time here and it just keeps getting better! Came for the…read moreValentine Date Night and it was incredible. Chef is a great teacher, helpful and funny. Food is delicious and plentiful!! Perfect night out. Will be back again soon!

I recently hosted a networking event at Cheeseology, and I cannot recommend it enough! From start…read moreto finish, the experience was absolutely seamless, thanks to Kelly, who was amazing throughout the entire process. From booking to the end of the event, her attention to detail and professionalism made everything so easy and enjoyable. The atmosphere at Cheeseology was perfect--warm, inviting, and ideal for fostering connections. Everyone who attended had such a fantastic time! The instructors were phenomenal, bringing energy, expertise, and fun to the event. It was clear they were passionate about what they do, which made the experience even more memorable. One of the standout aspects of Cheeseology is their commitment to sourcing ingredients from local suppliers. It's such a thoughtful touch that adds to the quality and authenticity of the experience. If you're looking for a unique venue with a great vibe, exceptional service, and a focus on supporting the local community, Cheeseology is the place to go. I can't wait to host another event here!

Cannoli making class was fun…read more So the 3 stars is based on their customer service & how we were treated. 7 of us signed up for a week night class. We arrived late because we thought the class was 30 mins later than it was but we text them we were on our way. They were visible annoyed when we walked in & we did not get a warm welcome. I have to say there was only 2 people, a couple, in the class so it wasn't like we interrupted a big class. We were bringing the big class. And they had only poured milk into a pot & letting it warm up when we arrived so we had not missed anything. The whole class the women that worked there were not giving warm fuzzy vibes. It lacked fun & enjoyment honestly. We felt like we were treated like a nuisance & like we couldn't even laugh. The cannolis were good & we learned a lot.

All the photos show things Anastasia taught my hubs and I how to make during a 11 - 4 class this…read moreSaturday. It was amazing and lots of fun! Everything turned out great and the class taught us some really neat baking tips and tricks of the trade. We've attended a cake decorating class as well which was awesome, but this time we made and decorated: - Red velvet cake - Hubs made pineapple upside down cake, and as I am allergic to pineapple, accommodation was made by having me do peach upside down cake instead - Divinity cookies - Cake pops - Cupcakes We got to keep all the goodies we made, and boy howdy, they not only look great, they taste fantastic! Very much looking forward to the next class!

The flavor was good. But the appearance was not what I expected at 3.00/cupcake. I asked for edible…read moreimages of ninja /karate on cupcakes with white and red frosting plus 1 simpsons cupcake I provided an image for. I received 1 sponge bob cupcake not sure why and 36 cupcakes with torn images on them and a weird mixture of red, pink,white and orange icing. The cake pictures in the shop look beautiful I just don't think cupcakes are what they specialize in. Good thing kids will eat anything but it cost 116.00 to get something I could have done at home a bit neater.

This place is beautiful and very peaceful. You can even have a business meeting here. My waitress…read morewas very friendly. I ordered the special, which included soup, your choice of pasta, and a drink. I loved this place and would come back many times.

Amazing boutique restaurant in Brandon, a hidden gem! Fantastic service, authentic food and wine,…read moredelicious desserts.