50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration…read more We recently decided to celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary with a family dinner party and to mark the occasion with something truly special: hiring a private chef for the very first time. This turned out to be one of the best decisions we have ever made. Immediately after contacting Chef Camille Jeanty, her calm professionalism and genuine warmth immediately put us at ease. She took the time to understand our vision for the evening and even did a walkthrough to familiarize herself with our home and setup. She then created a stunning menu that perfectly matched our preferences, including a separate menu for our young grandkids! The evening was magical... every course was delicious with a real standout being the handmade Pappardelle Alfredo which prompted several requests for seconds! It was such a wonderfully relaxed, unhurried meal ... just what our "Italian vision" had imagined! What truly set this experience apart was Camille's individualized touch offering her bespoke dinnerware, beautifully curated flower centerpieces from a local Napa Farmer and even including a lovely, printed menu for each of our guests. It is also worth mentioning that Camille's well-trained staff were extremely personable as well as attentive! Our guests were raving, and we felt so pampered and celebrated. If you are considering a private chef for a special occasion, we wholeheartedly recommend Chef Camille Jeanty and her wonderful staff. Truthfully, they felt like family, and we gave them 5 Stars from start to finish! They helped turn our golden anniversary into a golden memory!

I reached out to book a farm cooking experience for a bachelorette weekend. From the start, there…read morewere red flags -- she missed our confirmed initial call entirely, and rather than reaching out to me, I had to call her myself. When she picked up, she explained she had just returned from a workout. During that call, I clearly communicated that our group would be staying at a hotel and would need an on-site venue -- not an option, a requirement. Despite this, I had to reiterate it again in a later email, suggesting she wasn't tracking the basic details of our event. Camille is really personable and kind-- I just felt like there was a lack of professionalism. After multiple email exchanges and weeks of back and forth, she sent a pricing breakdown on June 19th acknowledging she still needed to confirm farm availability -- while simultaneously letting me know I needed to sign a contract and submit a deposit by June 26th. I had already shared the experience with my group and gotten everyone excited. On June 24th, today, she informed me the farm had been booked and was unavailable. I want to address that respectfully. I confirmed the date and guest count with her over the phone during our very first call June 1st-- and reiterated both again in writing on June 19th. At that point, she had everything she needed to check availability. The farm wasn't contacted until June 23rd. I understand that securing a third-party venue has its challenges, and I have no doubt she works hard. But had the farm been contacted when she first had the date and headcount, we would have known much sooner and I wouldn't have shared the experience with my group prematurely. I wish her all the best and hope this feedback is helpful going forward.

Would give Playte 20 stars if i could! Amazing experience Chef Sandy and Chef Matt. It was so much…read morefun stopping by some of Sandy's favorite stands at the farmer's market and getting to chat with the business owners and farmers and learn about their process. The space that we made the food was so beautiful and spacious too. These two were super organized and just all around pleasant to spend the day with. One of the best coking classes I've ever been to hands down!

What a great experience! 6 of us joined in on a Tapas night of cooking. We relearned some basics…read morein cutting veggies, how to properly hold a knife. Things I thought I knew after cooking for over 50 years but it was surprising how much I learned. She broke down the cooking into parts that were easy to follow and it was so much fun to cook with everyone then eat together at a beautiful table. A real community activity. I highly recommend trying this. Well worth it. Wear comfy shoes!

Such a fun experience. Learned a lot from @julienapavalley. #cookingclass #napa…read more Well worth the money. Private cooking class with Chef Julie at her home in Napa Valley. Highly personal, engaging and interactive experience. We made pasta, fish and dessert. Along the way, we asked numerous questions, about everything from terminology to sodium in salt to types of Olive oil and how to properly dice. Julie is an expert and happily shared her knowledge. All of the ingredients were high quality, including the salt and balsamic vinegar, and the fish and the pasta. Each dish was paired with a bottle of wine, and Julie even had a snack for us to enjoy while we cooked. Julie's house is lovely. We dined al fresco on her patio underneath the large oak trees. We were scheduled for 4 hours but Julie took her time with us. We ended up being there for 5 and a half hours. It was a lovely experience and one that we would highly recommend.

We were the highest bidders at an auction for homeless animals. This bid included " Cooking with…read moreJulie." We were hesitant at first as we have been to cooking classes that did not impress. Chef Julie is pleasant, fun, professional, personable, a brilliant Chef and a master mind of Napa produce, meats, spices, wines and how to marry them all together. Would highly encourage you to include her on your next trip to Napa. Very impressed.

An Unforgettable Bouchaine Experience!…read more My three girlfriends and I had the most amazing tasting experience at Bouchaine Vineyards. From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed and truly special. Our wine educator, Rob Fischer, was absolutely wonderful. He was warm, knowledgeable, funny and genuinely passionate about Bouchaine. He shared the winery's rich history in such an engaging way and made our tasting feel personal rather than rehearsed. Rob was a huge part of what made our visit so memorable. We especially loved learning that Bouchaine is the oldest continuously operating winery in Carneros and sits along the southern edge of Napa Valley, overlooking the beautiful vineyards near San Pablo Bay. We were also impressed to learn about the remarkable women helping lead the winery: proprietor and president Tatiana Copeland and president and winemaker Chris Kajani. The setting is gorgeous. We relaxed on the beautiful patio, surrounded by vineyards, and enjoyed the peaceful Carneros scenery while tasting some exceptional wines. It feels tucked away from the busier parts of Napa Valley, which makes the experience even more special. Rob also told us about the new wine cave currently being built into the hillside. It sounds incredible, and we are already looking forward to returning when it is finished! Bouchaine offers everything you hope for in a Napa Valley tasting: excellent wine, fascinating history, beautiful surroundings and personal hospitality. Thank you, Rob, for making four girlfriends feel so special. We will definitely be back!

ChatGPT recommended Bouchaine Vineyards based on my preference for a slower, quieter tasting…read moreexperience surrounded by vineyards and gardens--and it was exactly right. The entire experience was stellar, beginning with a welcome glass of Vin Gris, which counts as one of the five wines in the tasting. We settled into comfortable, spacious semicircular couches with panoramic views overlooking the vineyards, gardens, and mountains beyond. What truly elevated our visit was Dulce, our hostess, who has more than 20 years of wine experience. She described each wine with such knowledge and detail that we were able to choose wines we genuinely enjoyed. But it was more than expertise. She shared her knowledge and passion so freely and with such heart that she made the afternoon feel special. Dulce is truly a gift to Bouchaine. The hospitality began even before we arrived. When we realized we didn't need as much time between wineries, we called and asked whether we could move our 3:30 tasting to 2:30. They accommodated us with grace. We ended up staying more than 2 1/2 hours and never once felt hurried. I especially appreciated the generous spacing between the seating areas, which gave each group privacy and made the tasting feel peaceful rather than crowded. The grounds were lovely, with purple agapanthus and black-eyed Susans blooming against the vineyards and mountains. Even the modern wood architecture--from the tasting room and offices to the beautifully designed bathroom--made us feel as though we were somewhere thoughtfully created and genuinely special. Every member of the staff we encountered was warm and welcoming. Some wineries you visit once because you're curious to experience them. Bouchaine is the kind of place I would return to simply because of how wonderful it felt to be there. Although I would definitely be getting the Gewurztraminer, Merlot, and Pinot Noirs again too.

Chef Brigitte is an absolute gem! We had a bachelorette party with 8 of us and she came right on…read moretime to setup and brought everything needed to make the tasty meal. She responds to emails promptly so it was very easy to coordinate with her. Some of us had dietary restrictions and she was able to accommodate our requests and tailored the menu to our preferences and within our budget. We did a Middle Eastern menu and she incorporated a lot of flavorful spices into the meal. We had a scrumptious dinner class. The bride was very happy! Highly recommend her for your special events or just a simple get together. She is friendly, professional, and talented.

Brigitte and her team did a fantastic job at our wedding of 30 people. Delicious food served…read moreprofessionally and with warmth, we wouldn't hesitate to have White Apron Chef support our next event.

We did a cooking class corporate event in Sonoma with the Epicurean Connection and it was the…read morehighlight of our trip. We really appreciated the kind, attentive and thoughtful owners and staff who taught us how to make butter from heavy cream, make a personal pizza with fresh and unique toppings, and sent us off with Thomas Keller chocolates and homemade Epicurean fromage, which is all the rage in the region. We would definitely do another class here. Support small and local businesses, you won't regret it!

So disappointed. I was so excited to do the cheesemaking experience and booked online. Showed up to…read morethe 3:30pm class 10 minutes early and the doors were locked and it looked like no one was inside the building. We tried calling the phone number multiple times and no one picked up. Also, knocked several times. Two other people arrived as well who tried knocking and calling to no avail. We waited until 3:45 until we gave up and left. After we left, we received an email saying we had been refunded and at the bottom of the receipt it said "We apologize as this order did not show up on our calendar until today. We look forward to hosting you in the future. Thank you, Sheana" (see attached screenshot). I think this is deeply unprofessional on so many levels. Even if the reservation had only shown up today on their calendar (despite us booking it several weeks prior) and they weren't prepared, they had all the time before 3pm to reach out via email or phonecall to say they couldn't make the class. They didn't even try reaching out and instead we received a refund after the scheduled class time. Lack of communication is such a bummer considering we set aside a couple hours for this and we were so excited. Also, this is located in Sonoma which means it's out of the way for people who are visiting Napa and its vineyards. That's typically not an issue but considering we had to drive out the way and we got cancelled on after we waited for them is where it is an issue. Deeply unprofessional situation and hope they improve on communication soon.

RESTAURANT (The Grove)-- Lunch was fantastic!…read moreSat outside under the Olive Tree canopy : ) Peaceful Service was perfect. Salads, starters, and main dishes were great. Smoked fish Benedict :0 Wine selection was a bit limited and they were out of our preferred wine : ( Also....walkaround the garden and go upstairs to see the old kitchen ware!!!

Came here for the black food and wine event and it is a very nice venue!! It's very modern and…read moreupscale! A very large spacious venue that has a nice outside lawn to dance and have vendors. It's two stories with an outside patio. It has a lot of space inside to even dance inside. I will come back here if they have more events out here in Napa. Very nice beautiful venue! The parking can be bad but it's alot of street parking and valet. -Marshay D.

I already cook at home, so, chopping/peeling carrots and frying up small pieces of appetizers was…read morelike being at home. But I came for a team building function and connected with the folks I work with. Together in sweet harmony, we cooked up a plate of potato, beets, & carrot pancakes. We had other teams making different dishes and when we all finished, we had a presentation throw down. Prettiest plate wins a prize. I thought our team had the prettiest plate but another team took the prize - boo hoo. Instructors were very helpful and nice. The working kitchen was amazing, wish I could have a similar scaled down setup for my own home! I know I can make this dish again but it was a lot of ingridients and too much prep work. So, I probably won't make it again. They provide you with endless wine and water. And you get a glass of bubbly at the beginning of the class. Good experience. Nice place. Beautiful area. Wonderful staff! Plenty of parking. Good place to host a special event like a wedding/birthday/anniversary.

Fabulous experience here today with our little family of 7 on Easter Sunday for brunch!…read more We brought all four kids (from 11 to 22) and the mom-in-law for an Easter "station" buffet brunch. We arrived about 10 minutes before the doors opened for our seating at 12:30. We only had to wait about 5-10 minutes before we were ushered into the big dining area - and the four adults were greeted with nice mimosas. Our table was comfortable and within 90 seconds, all the kids and adults scattered - going to the various stations for omelettes, waffles, bagels and lox, seafood, quiche/biscuits & gravy, and prime rib and pork loin carving stations. The food was lovely and nicely presented. The cute bunnies in the centerpieces and the festive nature of the decor, made it very charming. Coffee was very good and the bar (& the food stations) never got overly-crowded. The kids loved getting their own plates of food of their choosing - I mean who doesn't love having a hundred+ delicious-looking choices laid out before you. (My favorite of the day was the homemade potato hash with peas and the delicious pork loin which I loved dipping in the prime rib's creamy horseradish sauce.) The desert and the fruit tables were a hit too... We saw many plates of watermelon and jellybeans coming back to our table (our junior high schoolers) and we had to laugh, because our kids were just totally having the best time. Cheers to the staff at Ramekins for killing it today - great job!!! Fab event! We will totally be back!

I had no idea what to expect with Cooking by the Bay. What I found was a welcoming atmosphere that…read moreencourages everything from beginner- to expert-level questions. The class provides all the equipment and foodstuffs, and ends with a fantastic meal; made more delicious because you can say it was your own handiwork! Suzanne is warm and attentive. Her home is perfect for hosting the small, private cooking lessons. With a total of 5 people attending our class, we worked as a group to create 4 dishes. She taught us some basic technique, as well as secret tricks of the trade. I highly recommend that you sign up for a class. You'll be glad you did!

Suzanne has created something very special: an approachable cooking class where you learn not just…read moreto create some delicious dishes but also tons of practical, hands-on tips around cooking in general. I learned far more than I ever expected and feel very inspired to cook more, and better. Take her class, you won't regret it. She makes it really fun!

Southern raised girl here. Initially I was like " how southern can he be... from Napa?"…read moreI was pleasantly surprised. Chef David was selected for his southern cuisine. We started with the crab cakes that were amazing. Light and full of crab meat. Then the salad, yummy and filling. The main course, fried chicken with a light crunchy batter, lobster Mac n cheese and asparagus. No lie, I was full after the salad. The main course was so good and then there was bread pudding with pecans. Everyone ate their plates clean. So the next morning, guess what I had for breakfast; leftovers which were better than ever. Chef David was professional in his cooking and serving. He arrived set up, served, cleaned and my kitchen looks nice and clean. He was so nice and the food is so good Great job Chef David

Chef David was incredible! He arrived at the house while our group was out wine tasting and he got…read moresettled and cooking smoothly. Dinner was ready about 30-45min after we arrived back at the house. David set the table, plated and presented each dish, and did all of the dishes! On top of the delicious meal, he made it so easy for all of us. I absolutely recommend the risotto and bread pudding. Thank you Chef David!!