Beautiful and lovely bread place - fresh bread every morning alongside the Hopewell Farmer's Cafe…read more Sourland's sourdoughs are to die for and of exceptional quality (way better than Whole Foods). The secret is out as they seem to sell out of certain breads later in the day

From the owner: Mary Parr and her team of bakers are still sharing their love of sourdough through hands-on bread…read moreclasses, bread subscriptions, and a monthly bread club that bring whole-grain organic bread and sourdough goodness directly to the community.

I first met chefs Ian Knauer and Shelley Wiseman when they were the guest pizzaiolos at Liberty…read moreHall Pizza, serving up some unique and amazingly delicious pizzas. Shortly thereafter, my wife and I signed up for the Fundamentals cooking course at The Farm Cooking School - a six class series covering everything from knife skills to roasting, poaching and braising. What we experienced was far better than we expected. These are hands on classes, where we learned about the ingredients, how to utilize them and why they worked in each dish we prepared. At the end of each class, we all sit down and enjoy a delicious meal that by itself would likely cost as much as the class if we bought it at a local restaurant. What a bargain! Since that first series, I've taken over 30 other classes, and continue to take classes every week. I've made French sauces, Mexican moles, Italian pastas, Indian curries, pies, breads, and just about everything else you've seen on a plate. The variety and quality of classes and the food we've eaten has been amazing. Through these classes and the down-to-earth teaching styles of Ian and Shelley, I've learned that it's possible for amateurs like me to prepare meals that taste as good or better than those I get in restaurants. I walk away from classes thinking "Wow, that was so delicious. I can't wait to try this at home!"

I attended the Farm Cooking School for a pasta making night! Overall, it was a great experience! We…read morehad the chance to make 3-4 different pastas and worked as a group through each item. However, the class was unorganized. Despite arriving on time, the class had already started. People were tasked with items to start on and no one greeted us or told us where we could help. It made the beginning of the class feel weird and made us feel not welcomed. The pasta was delicious and the overall value was great! Arrive extra early or have the potential to walk in confused!

Great service and the food is delectable! Will defintely go…read morethere whenever we are visiting this area!

Stopped in for lunch one time, and another time tried some of their food at a local community…read moreevent. Both times, the food was tasty, and service was pretty solid. Inside the restaurant, the ambiance is pretty nice, and they have a good amount of room in there, plus lots of different options for food. I think I've had tacos and flautas, and I've appreciated both. I'd forgotten this was nearby in the area, would be open to going back again for lunch!

My friend and I got to experience the amazingness of Chef Brian. We had him for a girls night. He…read morewas super friendly , explained all the dishes and what went in them. He served us and cleaned up after so we didn't have to lift a finger. The food was so delicious every bite of everything was amazing. Try recommend giving him a try

I was given Brian's contact information when looking for a private chef for a birthday event of 7…read more He was great with communicating and made sure to answer all questions and requests. His menu options range from all foods and flavors making it hard to choose. I requested a specific fish and dessert and Brian delivered and nailed every dish! By the end of our 4 courses not only were our stomachs full and in bliss, it was a group consensus that we couldn't have asked for a better experience! This was the first time I've ever hired a private chef, but I promise you'll be booking with L&S for all your events as will I!

My wife took me here on my birthday and what a find this was! They typically do cooking classes,…read morebut if you come for a meal, you're in for a treat. We sat at the chef's table and had a limited 4 course selection to choose from. It began with a wonderful tuna crudo that was light and almost summery with the strawberries and cucumbers that surprisingly complimented the incredibly flavorful tuna. The spinach gnudi was a small salad that also had a number of components I would have never dreamed to combine, but they all paired nicely with each other. The main course was a lamb that was perfectly cooked, and though I didn't care for the accompaniment of figs, the rest of the dish more than made up for it. To finish off, we ended with asian pear crisp. You don't often see Asian pears incorporated into cooking. However, Asian pears actually being one of my favorite fruits this was welcome surprise and fantastic way to end the evening. Or so it would be, had they not brought out an additional crem bruele for my birthday, which was also excellent. I very very much enjoyed my meal here and wouldn't hesitate in recommending it to anyone. Sitting at the chef's table is also a special treat as I thoroughly enjoyed watching that process that is traditionally kept behind closed doors. I will definitely be making a return trip whether it's for new menu offerings or to try one of their cooking classes.

I brought my husband here for his birthday celebration. The fixed menu had all sorts of different…read moreand interesting items. There were 4 courses, each one with 3-4 choices for diners to pick from. We sat at the chef's counter so we got to see how the staff worked and how the entrees were put together. Each course is a somewhat small portion but packed full of flavor, and altogether it's a decent amount of food. Overall an expensive but worthwhile experience, great for celebrating special occasions.

Cooking classes with Anne in her beautiful home are nothing short of incredible! Living in…read moreManhattan, I've taken cooking classes at larger places like William Sonoma and culinary institutes, and this is such a nice change of pace. Classes are personal, educational and not intimidating. I took a class on summer menu and we used seasonal ingredients (many of which came from her garden!) and everything was DELICIOUS. Because Anne runs the business herself, she was able to talk to us about the menu and what we wanted to learn, etc. I can't recommend it enough! I can't wait to come back with friends for a couples night (which she said she would arrange).

Anne's love of cooking and appreciation of good, fresh food is obvious and infectious. Her class…read morewas fun, informative and relaxed, and her recipes are interesting but not intimidating. The entire experience was terrific - from the teaching, to the lovely, peaceful, clean setting, to the delicious meal we prepared and enjoyed. Can't wait to go back!

This was of the best brunches I've ever had in Jersey! I came here with my family because we saw…read morethat this place is run by a famous chef (Maricel) and that they even offer cooking classes. We were quite hungry so we ordered one of the tower sets and some other stuff like lumpia and eggs. I loved the tower- it featured a superb mix of meats, potatoes, eggs, and sweet pastries. I will definitely say either share it or come super hungry because I was stuffed to the brim by the end of the meal. Service is super fast and efficient too. The owner did rounds to talk to everyone as well which felt quite inviting. The vibe inside is also nice and cozy, and the tables are spaced pretty far apart so it doesn't feel crammed in there. Overall, highly recommend as one of the best Filipino spots and brunch spots in the central Jersey area.

Maricels Kitchen Is Bitchen!…read more What a imaginative way to serve several dishes at 1 time. Usually called a boodle or Ramadan, where the layout several dishes on leaves on the table, all dishes were served on a 3 tier tower. Cute for a celebration. The towers immediately brought to mind English tea service, with finger foods displayed on two- or three-tier stands. The customer service truly stood out, from the attentive waitstaff to the three chefs who came out to greet us--including Chef Maricel herself--the hospitality felt warm and genuine. The dining room is cozy and inviting, with a mix of sofas and chairs giving living-room vibe. They offer two preset towers, and we ordered the first: The Classic Filipino Brunch Tower, which included: Siomai, Crispy Shrimp, Ukoy (sweet potato and vegetable fritters), Pork Tocino, Beef Tapa, Bangus (milkfish), Garlic Fried Rice, Fried Eggs, Salted Eggs with Tomatoes and Atchara, Homemade Pandesal, Suman, and the Chef's selection of homemade pastries. It would be great if guests could choose items from a list or make substitutions. There were no substitutions allowed, so we had to pick the tower with the fewest items we wouldn't eat. I especially wanted the Torta Talong from Tower 2, but it wasn't available as a side dish. The siomai was the first item cooked--it arrived cold and had started to harden. Everything else was delicious. Since the towers are meant to be shared, providing tongs would be a thoughtful touch and more hygienic for communal dining. We also ordered a few side dishes. The Lumpia Shanghai were fresh and delicious, though a few were still pink inside. The Baked Siopao was dry and lacked sufficient meat and sauce. The Empanadas, however, were the clear favorite--fresh, flaky, generously filled with savory seasoned beef and vegetables, and baked to perfection. Every bite was a flavor explosion, and we were literally fork-fighting over them. The Sans Rival was the perfect ending to the meal--so good that we ordered an extra slice to take home. **BYO LIQOUR** I would love to take my Mom for a dinner.

I was there for an industry event for the food industry. It's located just outside the Dayton…read moreindustrial area inside a business strip mall area close to the Wawa. Not the easiest to find or to park. The team at Grape Escape prepared some very nice appetizers and buffet dinner complimented by their various wines. I enjoyed their Cabernet Savnignon which took a bit to get used to. Ed Ventura is the owner and wine master. He knows what he's doing and was able to answer questions from a very inquisitive group. Basically they don't sell bottles of wine. What they do is provide training and classes for wine making as well as the opportunity to make your OWN wine using their facility and grapes. The grapes are mostly imported from different regions including South America. The grapes are crushed there and fermented into different types of barrels including American Oak. You can purchase an entire barrel or as little as an 1/8 of a barrel. I don't know the cost, but apparently they have a loyal repeat customer base. You can then bottle off your own brand of wine for social events or private use. I found the entire event to be educational and inspiring.

We were invited by friends to take part in a red wine making, from crushing to bottling...i cant…read moreexplain the middle step too well because we were there only for the crush and the last step, bottling. At the start, i was reserved about committing to a large batch of wine, having received diy wines in the past as gifts that were fit for cooking, at best... So we shared a quarter barrel. I knew when we got to the bottling and tasted some of the rich old vine zin that we had barrel stored for the past 7-8 months, that we didn't order enough. The wine, only in its youthful state, was outstanding, comparable to zins you'd pay $75+ per bottle for in a wine store. And it will only get better with some age and stable storing. We'll begin to enjoy more around the Fall/Winter holidays. We were were going to give this wine as a holiday gift, but decided its better that we serve it and drink it ourselves! We are signing up again for this fall's red crushing and will try some other varietal next, i tasted their cab at the bottling and it was also delicious!

Gabby, owner/chef at Autumn Olive Food Works is the most warm and wonderful human we have met in a…read morelong, long time. She is inspirational, creative, flexible, accommodating, and very, very cool under pressure. Gabby hosted a private affair at our home recently. She curated the most incredible menu that took into consideration all kinds of dietary components (vegetarian, hard core carnivores, those with celiac, and picky little eaters). It was seamless, delicious, and enjoyed by all. AND, she managed to pull off this exquisite multi part meal with no power - yes no power. We had a large storm come through the evening of our event and Gabby was limited to the grill and candle light. She was so relaxed and easy going and managed to produce a magnificent, sumptuous meal with everything, bar one of the desserts that needed the oven to bake off. I would highly recommend Gabby for your next event, whether it be a formal occasion, garden party, or intimate family gathering. I certainly can not wait to use her again.

I wish I could give 10 stars to Autumn Olive Food Works. My band conducted a a very long music…read morevideo and Gabby prepared literally BEAUTIFUL and healthy good for us all day. Apart from the fact that it was absolutely delicious and grown from the land, we truly needed healthy and filling food to have energy for the shoot. Pizza and other junk food wouldn't have given us the energy to perform at the highest level. And if that wasn't enough Gabby is truly one of the Kindest and most accommodating people I've ever met. She's a true artist, and it was beautiful to have her a part of our creative process. The video came out great and kickstarted a lot of our career, and We have her to thank! truly the food and service from Gabby is one of the most special memories I have of that time. The artists and crew were treated like royalty. If you ever have an event, book her!!!