At home with Chef Laurence Literally. My wife and I---and…read moreanother lovely couple---spent a morning and afternoon in her home, where she treated us to an east-going culinary adventure. In a handful of hours she shared her years of cooking experience in such a cordial, pleasant manner that even a kitchen novice could be comfortable. The more experienced in the kitchen gained tips and skills. (I can now confidently make a Beurre Blanc sauce, one of the French Master Sauces, to which we added a few strands of saffron and a generous dash of cayenne.). Beyond the food---a soft and tender halibut with the aforementioned Beurre Blanc, a fricassee of vegetables, a fresh garden salad with homemade ricotta sprinkled on it, and a blood orange upside-down cake----we dined on the presence and persona of Chef Laurence herself. Not only is she a chef extraordinaire but she is a wonderful person who shares her life as easily as she shares her home. When you sign up for her session, you get a four-course meal that consists of great food, culinary knowledge, exceptional hospitality, and an experience with a pleasant beautiful person who reminds you of the pleasures life has to offer.

We attended Market Foray's cooking class in January, and it was one of the most enjoyable and…read moreeducational experiences I've had in the kitchen. We started with a trip to the farmer's market, where Laurence pointed out different items and talked through the differences in different types of food (green garlic was new to me!). We later met at her home, and the cooking began. She did a good job of rotating the tasks throughout the group, and explaining the techniques as she went. We got to taste as we went, and after all the chopping was done, wine was served. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the other participants were friendly and engaged, making it a fun, social experience as well. And, of course, the best part was sitting down at the end to enjoy the fruits of our labor. The dishes we prepared were full of flavor and creativity, and I walked away feeling incredibly satisfied and inspired to keep cooking. I highly recommend this class to anyone who loves food and wants to expand their culinary horizons. Whether you're looking to learn new techniques, discover fresh ingredients, or just have a fun day out, Market Forays is a fantastic choice.

I hired Betti to bartend for a small (20 people) wedding reception and she was excellent! She was…read moreable to bring glassware and bar tools which was one less thing for me to worry about. She also provided free lemonade and ice tea which the young folks loved. She came early, set up on her own and stayed after the guests left to clean up. Her communication was great and the price was fair. Would absolutely hire her again.

Unfortunately, I did not have a great experience and would not recommend The Kitchen Door for a…read morelarge wedding or event. Betty has many positive reviews, which is one of the reasons I hired her, so my assumption is that smaller events may be a better fit for her business. However, based on my experience with a wedding of over 100 guests, I would not hire her again. The overall customer experience, communication, staffing, and execution did not meet expectations. Positives: * Betty was very helpful during the initial planning process. I originally reached out looking for bartending services, and she was able to provide catering, dinnerware, linens, and other items that reduced the amount of rentals I needed. * She created a beautiful custom menu and was accommodating when guest counts needed to be updated. * The appetizer presentation looked great and was well received by guests. * The enchilada soup was good. * She provided a cake knife for our cake cutting. * Food service itself was not excessively slow despite the size of the event. Negatives: * The staffing and service provided did not match what was outlined in our contract, and there was never any acknowledgment, explanation, or follow-up regarding those issues. * Our contract included two bartenders, but only one actually showed up. While the bartender who was present had a good attitude, I was told by guests that he arrived approximately an hour and a half late. I did not even realize until afterward that my friends were pouring me drinks, and guests were serving themselves drinks while waiting for bar service. * We ran out of food, despite six guests from my final headcount not attending, 14 of the guests being children, and three people that I know of not eating due to there being no food available. * There were no plates available when appetizers were first being served * We also did not have enough utensils for guests, and plastic utensils had to be used. I would have rented plates and utensils if that's what was needed. But I was told that she had them, which she did but not enough. * Communication became increasingly stressful after booking and I often felt uncomfortable asking questions or making updates. * I was contacted for final payment before the payment date outlined in our contract, which created unnecessary stress as I had intentionally planned my RSVP deadline around the contract timeline. * a little bit before the wedding, concerns regarding the venue change were raised (not kindly). I had previously asked what would be needed at the venue and was told that power was the primary requirement, so that was my understanding going into the event. There appeared to be a miscommunication regarding additional needs, including concerns about water access that had already been discussed prior to the wedding. While a solution was ultimately worked out and water was available on the wedding day, the way these concerns were communicated created unnecessary stress during an already busy and emotional time.

The food is delicious and well-balanced. The dessert menu has plenty of options. Service is…read morefriendly and efficient. The atmosphere is casual and welcoming. I tried the chicken bowl, and it was great!

I'm not surprised the cafe has closed. They made it soooo very difficult to buy anything.read more

I purchased a basket of food for two from Nimita's Cuisine, for my daughter-in-law's birthday,…read morewhich was delivered in person by Nimita herself. My daughter-in-law is vegetarian who enjoys the types of food that Nimita makes (curries and healthy vegetables).. She loved the delicious food that she said was "perfectly spiced. She thought the food basket gift was super thoughtful and she loved meeting and talking with Nimita , a very warm and kind person.

Nimita was a pleasure to work with during my wedding planning process! She catered our Indian…read moresnacks before our ceremony in Santa Barbara. She hosted an amazing tasting for my husband and I's families and everything was so delicious! On the wedding day, her team went above and beyond to make sure all our guests were happy and we got RAVING REVIEWS from guests who LOVED the food! I got a chance to try her Samosa Chana and Pav Bhaji in the afternoon of the wedding day and they were AMAZING! Such great flavors and ingredients. I would definitely recommend Nimita and her team to anyone wanting Indian food at their wedding in the Santa Barbara area!

Chef Robért was absolutely amazing. What a great experience, our friends really enjoyed the meal…read more Chef was very professional from start to finish. The presentation was beautiful and the food was absolutely delicious with every course as amazing as the previous. We will definitely do it again. It felt good to be so pampered in our own home.

From the owner: Chef Robert offers personalized menus for small groups and events. We work with each client to…read moredesign a menu to your preferences, taste and dietary needs. We firmly believe in sustainability and organic products to ensure healthy, tasty, and beautiful meals. With years of experience in Michelin level restaurants and hotels, chef Robert will satisfy the most discerning palates.

As a birthday present, we did a cooking class with Kathryn and had the best time. We chose the…read moreSyrian menu and Kathryn taught us so many fun facts about the region and food. She is a true delight and the meal was excellent. Those spiced potato cakes were to die for! I would love to try one of her other menus or wine pairings in the future. This makes a great gift or special experience when guests visit. Highly recommend!

Kathryn made my 10th wedding anniversary such a wonderful experience. We celebrated in Pismo Beach…read morewith our kids and my mother in law, and rented an AirBnB right on the beach. From the moment I reached out to Kathryn, she was warm and friendly, detailed, upfront, responsive, and very communicative. She even worked with me to offer something new for the main course which was a new recipe she just tried for a recent event, and asked lots of questions to ensure that the food she was going to make suited our preferences. Kathryn accommodated our request to have dinner on the patio, and her presentation was amazing! Kathryn's warmth and friendly personality extended to the evening of the dinner as well. Kathryn's food was SO delicious!! Everyone gobbled everything up, and my kids couldn't get enough of the tzatziki! The wines that Kathryn chose for the courses paired very well. The fish was soooo good that there was nothing left on anyone's plates! Everything was delicious - shrimp fritter, tzatziki / pita, pomegranate salad, orange roughy with veggies and cous cous, and the chocolate mousse that was so light and yummmmmy! We had the full service meal option, and Kathryn explained all the courses and the wine nicely throughout. A huge plus was that our kitchen was spotless at the end of the evening, which was so nice not to have to worry about cleaning up at the end of the night. What an amazing experience - thank you Kathryn for making our anniversary dinner so memorable! If you are vacationing in Pismo Beach, or even if you live in the area, I would highly recommend that you reach out to Kathryn!

Did you know macarons are gluten-free?…read more I took a macaron making class at The Gourmandise School, and it was quite fun & informative. Seeing the process on how those delectable treats are made, gave a greater appreciation each time I wolf one down. Clemence was a great instructor, patient with newbies, explaining things simply & gracefully. I thought creating the unique fillings would be the most daunting task, but they came out great. Located on the 3rd floor of Santa Monica Place, the classes at The Gourmandise School are the perfect opportunity for those intimidated by pastry-making & cooking. I had an absolute blast, and recommend everyone scheduling a future class at The Gourmandise School.

My partner and I took this cooking class as a date experience. While our chef was truly wonderful,…read morekind, welcoming, and very professional, the overall class didn't meet our expectations for the price. The class structure made it hard to learn honestly. instead of cooking step by step together, all instructions were given at once and we were left to cook independently, which was overwhelming and difficult to remember details like which ingredients to add/when, how long to cook things for and proper technique, especially for beginners. A power outage that required sharing burners added to the disorganization. We were also surprised to be required to share ingredients (including raw meat) with someone we didn't know across from us, which felt awkward for an expensive date experience. There was no clear wrap up at the end, and people began eating and leaving without much direction. Again our chef was great, and we enjoyed the stories and history behind the dishes, but overall the cooking lesson experience didn't match the cost or the hands on learning we were expecting.

What a fun experience! Our dept went here for our latest team building activity. Our dinner menu…read morewas centered around grapes from Cattani Family Farms. Our instructor was pretty awesome and made everyone feel at ease. We went over some basic knife cutting skills, making a grape and red wine reduction sauce, and searing proteins on the pan. While you don't necessarily cook the all the dishes in its entirety, you feel good about the finished product because the food was tasty. We were served four courses based on a seasonal menu. People can make reservations online for a sit down dinner. Whether you're a novice or a pro in the kitchen, this is a fun activity with friends or family.

What didn't go well?!??…read more Y'all, it was so freakin fantastic. We did the 6:00 seating and arrived at 5:50. They let us in (we were first) and sat us. You have potential at some point to share a table with others, especially if you are a 2 or 3 top party. Got waters right away. The menu (which we knew in advance during purchase) was our place setting. Food started coming out and was timed perfectly throughout the courses... took about an hour total for two of us - we did not do wine, although it looked amazing and I'm sure would pair perfectly with this food (both currently sober). I didn't get a picture of the first dish because I just wanted to enjoy everything but I loved it so much, I knew I would be doing a review. The first course had two types of mozzarella, prosciutto, pickled nectarine and a honey drizzle. Soooooooooo good. Probably our fav if we are totally honest. Second course was a salad with a grilled apricot, candied walnuts, and an oil based dressing. The peach really gave the flavor and made it a juicier like dressing. Make perfect bites with all ingredients. We both chose the duck which came on a bed of quinoa that I think had tarragon in it??? And a glaze with peaches. Again, ate a little of each with each bite and Suuuh good. I made the chef's kiss motion twice. Finally, for dessert a peach Melba.... Which is a peach that was torched to make a sugar crust, serve on vanilla bean ice cream with I think a strawberry type purée sauce with crumbs in it. *droooool** The ambiance was also wonderful. Perfectly lit, and the music was subtle and relaxing. I cannot say enough, how much we loved this!

Be very careful dealing with Leslie. My wife ordered some decorative plates, charged to a credit…read morecard. After a couple months they never appeared. Do to the length of time this took our credit card company (they're going to be gone also) would not rectify this transaction. Neither would Leslie. We have neither the plates nor the money from the credit card charge. We live in Santa Barbara trying to support local. BEWARE.

The promised to make something overnight (business card) and lost the order and did not have it…read more It was not complicated. Appointment or not. They are open for business.