We were looking for a unique experience for our 11 year old son's birthday. He and his friends are…read moresuper into sports and steaks, so I started searching Yelp and came across Chef Philly Phil, who shares the same passion for food - especially steak! I couldn't recommend him more for your special dinner and evening. Among other reasons why: Communication: He was incredibly responsive and thorough from day one. He answered my questions and helped me prep everything from the food to the kitchen set up to make the night a success. Very professional and helpful. Kid-friendly vibe: Chef walked into a wild house with 6 fifth grade boys watching the Ram's championship game. He was so positive and there for it all! He adjusted his tip sessions during commercials and kept the boys super engaged even with so much going on. FOOD: He and Tiffany prepared creamy mashed potatoes, homemade herbed butter, multiple cuts of steak and fresh broccoli - all of it was INCREDIBLE. The flavors were some of the best we've enjoyed. Thank you, Chef Philly Phil and Tiffany!

I met Phil at a Christmas party where he was cooking for a friend of mine, and I was completely…read moreblown away by how delicious everything was. Every dish was incredible! Later I found out that Phil prepares and delivers personal meals for people who live alone or just want amazing home-cooked food without the hassle. Now he brings me a week's worth of meals every Thursday, and I honestly look forward to it every single week to see what he's made next. His pot roast was unbelievable--honestly even better than the one I make, and I consider myself a pretty good cook! Everything he prepares is thoughtful, flavorful, and clearly made with real skill and care. Phil also offers personal cooking classes. I'm planning a pasta night with a few friends where we'll make our own ravioli and sauce together, enjoy a bottle of Chianti, and learn from a truly talented chef. I can't wait! If you're looking for a fantastic personal chef, weekly meal service, or even a fun cooking experience with friends, Phil is absolutely the person to call. Highly recommend!

My daughter and I took the Special Pasta Dinner event this afternoon. 8 students were chauffeur…read moredriven to the Hollywood Farmers' Market, which is a certified market which means that all vendors actually grow what they sell. Porsche pointed out the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Hollywood that she attended. She gave us pointers on how to shop at farmers' markets and buying produce and allowed us a few minutes of free time to shop on our own. Once back at EATZ, where Porsche is also a cooking instructor, we had Mimosas and snacked on baguette slices and very fresh goat cheese in olive oil that she purchased from the market. We began with the panne cotta - yes, life is uncertain, start with the dessert!! This dish needed time to set. We prepared the fresh beautiful strawberries for the dessert as well. Each team of 2 had their own cooking station and burner. Just perfect for all of us. We made the pasta with basil and set it aside to soften. We worked on the roasted tomatoes with garlic and then the stuffed mushrooms with spinach, shallots, garlic and cream cheese, sprinkled with bread crumbs. We began the meat sauce and when the roasted tomatoes were ready, Porsche pulsated them in a food processor and added it to our meat sauce. Our workout began as we rolled out our pasta. Yes, that was definitely a workout, but so rewarding. We all got the technique down. We learned the correct thickness of the pasta and how to cut and separate them before cooking. Definitely a good appreciation for handmade pasta!! We were then treated to a delicious meal of our own creation!! Devine!! Porsche will be emailing all the recipes after the class. My daughter and I highly recommend take a great afternoon with Porsche and taking her class. She has several menus to select from and we will definitely return in the future!! Thank you, Porsche - you are amazing!!

I was looking for something new and fun to do on my day off and came across this San Pedro Food…read moreTour. Something new as I have never done a food tour before. I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised. This tour was full of great information about San Pedro and fantastic food. Chef Porsche was very knowledgable and suggested of other places to visit besides the stops on our tour. The tour included 5 stops and it covered burgers, cuban food, fish and chips, bake goods and a stop at a tea house. Our tour started off at Bunz Gourmet Burgers ( small mom and pops shop) fantastic burger. Will have to come back for more. We went to Cuban restaurant called Punto Cubano with great character and decor. There we had a cuban sandwich that was amazing. Obviously there's other stuff in the menu that you are more than welcome to order at your own cost. We had a delicious flan :-) we had a few stops in between and learned about the San Pedro Port history and other spots. We then hit The Whale and Ale (English pub) for some delicious fish and chips. Alcohol not included in the tour but available for purchase. I couldn't help myself so I had a guinness. We then went over to Hojas for some delicious chai tea that hit the right spot. Hard to pick a favorite as everything was very very good, and if I may add the food portions are just right. Enough to leave you stuffed. Overall the tour was fantastic. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for something new and fun to do. It supports local businesses and is something that you can do on a date, with family, friends or even Solo. You'll meet great people on the tour. I look forward to future tours from Chef Porsche. Thank you Porsche for introducing me to a new are in San Pedro that I would've not know about on my own but will definitely be visiting again soon.

I had the most amazing experience with Tracy's catering at a friends bday party and I am looking…read moreforward to using her services on the near future. Kudos to excellence!! The food was amazing

Tracy and her team helped us feed clients during our corporate event. The kitchen staff are…read morefriendly, very helpful, and professional. The food was great and there were many compliments from our guests. They can work with you and make adjustments along the way. Thank you!

This is the most complete and wonderful art studio I've been to. They have pottery making, pottery…read morepainting, glass and fabric art to do. The teachers are very friendly. The owner's dog is also super sweet. I painted a pottery, didn't make it from scratch but picked the unpainted one from the shelf and paint it. They have special colors that can make very pretty texture and requires no skill whatsoever. It's very relaxing and fun. They'll fire it for you in 1-2 weeks, then send a text for pick-up. It's a long drive from me but the pottery I got is really worth it!

We went for a Valentine's Day throwing class! It was the best time!!! Alyssa was such a great…read moreteacher!! We will be going back to paint our pottery and will definitely take another class of some sort! Sarah the owner was also an amazing host!

My experience with Chef Jen was amazing, professional and classy. I can't recommend Chef Jen highly…read moreenough. As we began planning meals for a week for a party of nine, I probably tweaked the menu three different times and at least once while we were there on vacation- she was unbelievably accommodating with everything thing I changed and every request I made. She accommodated every single change with pure flexibility-to include a Father's Day brunch with omelettes and homemade Bloody Mary's and mimosas! Food - the food was great. Seasoned, beautifully presented and packed with flavor! Every meal -breakfast, lunch and dinner was excellent. Each night was a different homemade dessert-My son said the cheesecake was the best cheesecake he had ever had! Service- Chef Jen was extremely professional. She treated her Sous Chef, Chef Zelda with nothing but respect. They prepped, cooked, packaged leftovers and cleaned EVERYTHING. Me and my family were able to just enjoy the food. Extra- when a member of my party became ill, Chef Jen made a bowl of homemade chicken soup. It was such the perfect touch for my guest and extremely thoughtful. I would hire Chef Jen again in an instant and would highly recommend her for any event you want catered.

Loved Chef Jen, we were really excited to work with her for our wedding. Wrote her a check that she…read morewas unable to cash because our bank put a hold on our account when we went out of town for our honeymoon. We realize this was a huge inconvenience for Chef Jen, but the way she handled it made us feel pretty bad. See picture of text message for an excerpt of our exchange with Chef Jen. She thanked us for our "measly cheap ass" tip. Not only did we use her for our wedding, but we have referred her for multiple events that she has since booked with our friends & family. Pretty disappointing that this is the way she has chosen to conduct herself.

Chef Ronnie is amazing! My husband organized a surprise birthday dinner party for us and two of…read moreour close friends. Chef Ronnie came to our house with his assistant Lisa (I think - sorry!) and they were both just awesome. Ronnie is super down-to-earth and totally friendly. My friends and I were super obnoxious and loud and asking ridiculous questions and he seemed to have fun right along with us. Also, and maybe this should have come first, but his food was also absolutely amazing. He worked with my husband for almost two months coming up with a menu that I would love...and I did. Wow. The first course of a salad was amazing and it just got better from there to the pesto pasta, the shrimp dish, the steak and then two desserts! We were absolutely stuffed. He also left the kitchen cleaner than before he got there! I would highly recommend him. Definitely 5 stars!

Ronnie and his assistant were amazing. We had friends to dinner and I thought it would be nice not…read moreto cook or worry about anything in the kitchen, the food was excellent, he is extremely trust worthy and pleasant and we just loved him. I would work with him whenever I have a dinner party. Thank you Ronnie Highlights: carrot honey soup, pear tart

Chef Daniel recently gave me one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had. For my birthday,…read morehe prepared a custom four-course meal for my husband and me in our home, and it was truly incredible. To start, he created the most amazing charcuterie board with bacon-wrapped dates, fresh fruit, and a wonderful selection of meats and cheeses. We also enjoyed a delicious caprese salad with buttered toasted baguettes, followed by flavorful chicken masala served with rice, roasted veggies, and naan bread. For dessert, he made my favorite: yellow cake with chocolate frosting, made even more spectacular with fresh whipped cream and berries. Beyond the food, Daniel is so personable and fun--he created a warm, relaxed, and entertaining atmosphere throughout the evening. He even cleaned the kitchen afterwards, which was such a thoughtful gesture. I will never forget this experience, and I can't recommend Chef Daniel enough if you want to make your event truly special!

We recently coordinated with Chef Daniel his cooking expertise for our daughter's 30th Birthday…read moredinner. We were all amazed of the delicious food prepared by Chef Daniel and Sous Chefs. We definitely recommend Chef Daniel, delicious food and excellent service! Thank you so much Chef Daniel for an unforgettable dinner experience you provided to our guests.l! ‍

I ordered a pack of solid colored gift bags from the website. I received notification the next…read moremorning that my order was ready. Pickup was quick and easy. My item was on a shelf with other orders. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to help myself and asked one of the employees who took it off the shelf for me. I was in and out in less than 5 minutes. The bags are nice and sturdy and will be useful throughout the year for gift giving.

My mother and I've been loyal Michaels customers for years as full-time artists and hobbyists,…read moreunfortunately the customer experience at this store, specifically at the Vista Store in Torrance, has declined significantly. I hope my feedback warns other customers and helps management understand what's happening at the store level. A few days ago, I went in to quickly pick up an online order after receiving both email and text confirmation that it was ready. My name wasn't on any of the pickup bags, so I asked for assistance. A manager briefly looked around, said he would check by the registers, and then proceeded to count cash in the register instead of helping me. After I approached him again, he passed me off to another employee who also couldn't find the order. I eventually noticed a bag with my name on the floor behind the register. They scanned it, and I left. When I opened the package later that night, I realized not only was the bag dirty--with a footprint on it--but the product inside was the wrong brand. I had ordered a specific brand on sale, and they substituted an Artist Loft item without informing me. The receipt label didn't match the product at all. I returned to the store the next morning, where the female manager told me they had substituted their own brand because the original item wasn't in stock. That explanation made no sense--if a customer orders Prismacolor, you don't replace it with Artist Loft. When I questioned it, she impatiently said, "Well, I'm returning it for you," with no apology, empathy, or effort to acknowledge the mistake. Not only did I waste over 30 minutes during the initial pickup, but I also had to make a second trip to return their error. A simple, sincere "I'm sorry" would have gone a long way. While I was there, I asked about another pending order. They told me if the item was on the shelf, I can get it. Even though the item showed available at this store, we couldn't find any. I ended up canceling it. More waste of time! Later that afternoon (4:11 p.m., Dec. 3), I called the store because the website was now showing the item in stock. The person who answered the phone cut me off with, "No, I'm too busy," without any courtesy or suggestion to call back. The level of rudeness at this store has become consistent and noticeable, even my young child has commented on it. This pattern of dismissiveness, errors, and lack of customer care is extremely disappointing. I hope regional or district management takes these issues seriously and restores the professionalism and positive atmosphere Michaels was once known for. (I've never shopped at Hobby Lobby until recently, and the vibe there is completely the opposite. It's warm, friendly, and the price of same brand products WAY cheaper than Michaels!!!) A few additional concerns for fellow customers: Many art supplies are significantly cheaper at Hobby Lobby, Amazon, or Dick Blick online. I genuinely prefer supporting local stores, but not at the expense of higher prices and poor treatment. When returning online orders paid through PayPal, you can request a cash refund. Store employees stubbornly claim they can only issue store credit, but when I called to ask, customer service confirmed that is NOT true. I now have over $100 in store credits! And I'll tell you next why I wouldn't opt for Michaels store credits. At the Redondo Beach location, an employee scanned two store credit receipts--each worth over $80--and told me they had no balance. He even asked if I wanted to throw them away. I later confirmed this was his error, but when I brought it up during a future visit, the same staff member simply shrugged while leaning on the register with his leg up. He no longer works there, but the value of those credits was never recovered, and I never received so much as an apology. Another ongoing concern is price inconsistencies. As someone who shops at Michaels often, I know the prices and watch for coupons like most loyal customers. However, the prices on the shelves frequently do not match the prices at the self-serve kiosks. I've asked for assistance on this four or five separate occasions, and it's surprising that the issue remains unresolved. Even worse, staff often appear visibly irritated when the discrepancy is pointed out. Right before a recent 40% promotion, prices on many items were increased in the kiosks but not updated on the shelf displays. I picked up a few items, excited to finally use the long-awaited 40% discount. At the register, everything rang up at the higher price. When I asked about it, I was told that "the overnight crew forgot to change the tags," even though every version of the item was still marked at the regular price on the shelves. In the end, it would have been cheaper to buy the items at their regular price with the standard 25% coupon than during this so-called 40% sale. I wondered why I still shop there. I guess because we are creatures of habits!