I cannot say enough about John and Dyann at the Refuge Chef! They provided the amazing catering for…read moreour small wedding at the Overlook House in north Portland. It began with a personalized menu based on our preferences and ideas, tasted at their home in Ridgefield. We were immediately impressed with their responsiveness, creativity, and the focus on fresh, quality ingredients. During the wedding planning process, Dyann was helpful and friendly, offering to do many of the day-of tasks that I needed at a somewhat DIY venue. She put me at ease as she was very knowledgeable about timelines, flow, and keeping everything beautiful. They made it easier, providing table cloths and other materials, so we didn't have to search out as many bits and pieces for a single use. On the day of, everything ran perfectly smoothly. The food was beautiful, and many of our guests mentioned it was the best wedding food they'd ever had! The attention to detail demonstrated a care and thoughtfulness that belies their passion for their business. The menu included smoked salmon, beer-braised short ribs, and beautiful salads and sides. At one point, I noticed that the bubble wands I'd brought never made it to tables, and I commented on it as I walked into the house. I came out perhaps ten minutes later, and what magically appeared? Bubbles! Dyann heard me mention it and kindly took care of it! I recommend them without hesitation.

When I went there, one of the teachers was so irrational and, frankly, crazy, that she made it…read moreimpossible for me to finish that course. The other reviewer seems to have taken just one weekend class, which will not give an accurate assessment. Some instructors are indeed friendly - but one in particular was a nightmare to work with! I've had all sorts of teachers, from aloof to hardliners, but what you absolutely do not want is somebody with personal issues who takes it out on their students.

From the owner: Degrees and Diplomas in Culinary Arts, Baking and Pastry, and Restaurant Management.read more

Hipcooks Portland absolutely knocked it out of the park with Indian Food Night! Lead chef Lacy and…read moreassistant Annie created an experience that was equal parts informative, fun, and unbelievably delicious. From learning techniques and spices to understanding the "why" behind the dishes, the class struck a perfect balance between hands‑on cooking and approachable instruction. Every dish we made was incredibly tasty, and the atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and full of great energy. It truly felt like a community‑building event, not just a cooking class. My wife and I had a fantastic time and left inspired (and very well fed). We will definitely be back for future classes. Highly recommend Hipcooks Portland--and huge kudos to Lacy and Annie for such a memorable night!

Had the greatest Indian cooking class with Lacey! Learned a-lot of valuable tips and made a…read morefantastic meal!

Went in for the first time today... amazing! The food was fresh and the atmosphere was so relaxing…read moreand Beth was very informative of the upcoming events. We are definitely going to make this a regular stop. Heck, we are even going to try a "pasta" making event....FUN!

Love the oatmeal spice cake,blueberry buckle,mudslide brownies. Also have had…read more Pasta dishes, meat loaf and a very good sweet potato casserole love it.

I attended a private cooking class last week as a corporate holiday event. It was a blast! The…read moreteacher was organized and thorough with her preparations and cooking instructions. We had a group of around twelve people and everyone was kept occupied with some task, but not so busy that they couldn't sip their wine and chat. Once our meal was prepared, we sat down at one long table and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. I will certainly return again on my own, and I highly recommend this as a group activity. What's great is that Class Cooking is not only next door to Burnt Bridge Cellars but the same couple who owns Class Cooking also co-owns the winery. They utilize both spaces, at least for our private event. And the wine is delicious!

I wish i could give this business a rating, how ever - never had a chance…read more If you wake up with a sore throat and fever on the day of your scheduled the class, you better show up, regardless how you feel or who'm you may get sick in the process, otherwise kiss your money good bye! This business expect you to know that you may be sick the day of class SEVEN DAYS in advance, to be able to reschedule. How ever, to be able to read their policy on cancellation, you need a password to get to the Terms & Cancellation site. So schedule your summer cold carefully. They may be in the hospitality business - but not very hospitable. $80 lesson to learn!

I had never been so excited to go to school in my whole life. For my birthday The Wife and the…read moreMother in Law had teamed up to get me a smoker grill to compliment my gas grill and a seven hour class with the NW BBQ and Grilling School. Ladies, want to make your man really, really happy? Buy him this class. You arrive at the school to the wafting aroma of wood chips and charcoal as the smokers and grills are all ready to go as you arrive. Traegers, grills, a big green egg... it's all there, all the best equipment. After checking in and getting to know your classmates it's into the classroom/kitchen for some "chalk talk" about the basics and then prepping some dishes. The main lesson that Stu (the instructor) tries to get across to you from the start is that barbecue and grilling are a "concept" and that there are almost no wrong answers. The answer of the day was, "Yep". How long does that cook for? Yep, it cooks until it's done How much cayenne pepper should I put in that sauce? Yep. Should I use hickory wood or applewood or mesquite? Yep. The time went by so fast as we prepped St Louis style ribs two ways, steamed and smoked. We prepped chicken several ways from beer can style grilled to smoked. We made our own barbecue sauce and smoked chicken wings. We made an amazing pulled pork and grilled apples and nectarines and stuffed green peppers. We grilled sweet potatoes and regular potatoes and spaghetti squash. Then, at 2:00, we had to do the best part of the school, we ate everything we made. But is it over? Hell no! Bloated from food from drink and in a semi-coma, Stu takes you back out to the grill to show you how make grilled pizza. The man is a devil. In between Stu dropped pearls of wisdom on us to make our own personal grilling experience better. Stu told us the best places to buy our meat, the best thermometers to use, the best liquids for injecting and more importantly, what not to do and use. If you go you'll be surprised at how laid back it is, and yet how intensely the information comes flying at you from every direction. You get to bring BYOB and many did, from beer to soda to water to wine, people brought their favorite grillin' beverages. You can also bring take home containers because let me tell you, you and your classmates are not finishing all that food. At the end of the class the email you all the "concepts" (recipes) to keep. I ran right home and made grilled pizza's for the Wife, the Mother in Law and the Tax Deduction. I was a freakin' hero. Isn't that the way it should be? A man, grilling for his family. Next week, pulled pork and grilled potatoes. Super Bowl at my place, Yeeps!

Interesting to read the varying reviews ranging from 1 star to 5 stars. My review is somewhere in…read morethe middle. One thing to remember is that in the past that had been different instructors. A review for one instructor may not reflect another instructor's class. Stu was the instructor for the class I attended. There were pros and there were cons to the class I attended. To begin with I did not find that he was pushing sales items too much as one reviewer mentioned. It's nice to know what is available and he had it available. Prices were not high. He also had different spices and rubs but none of them were pushed in this class. I felt Stu covered an awful lot of information in a very short time. I think it might have been a little too much with too many people for what was presented. However, with that said, I also think everyone walked away with a great deal of knowledge from the class. For the most part it was very good. A slide presentation was shown and moved along with a few items. The presentation and all the product knowledge from the class was available for sale as well as a website link to all the recipes. There was no way he could have covered all the information in the presentation on this class and stay within the time limit. The slide presentation was very nice and the ability to have it once you left the class, even nicer. Food items prepared were done in several different ways using spicy seasonings and not so spicy seasonings. In addition to brisket, ribs, chicken and pork, he also demonstrated cooking several different vegetables on the BBQ. There was a lot of food to eat and to take home. I believe we all learned a lot. However, with all those compliments about the class, there was definitely a big con with Stu. At the beginning, I actually thought about booking a private session for family. However, that was before he repeatedly used sexual innuendos and insinuations in his presentation. He thought he was funny using them as examples over and over again. He wasn't funny and it was extremely unprofessional. In addition, it left several in the class feeling uncomfortable. No way would I invite that behavior in our home with family. Thus, what would have been a 4 or 5 star rating, is dropped to 3.

All three of my kids have done classes at The Merry Kitchen and absolutely loved it! Most recently…read moremy daughter had her 8th birthday party there and everyone had an amazing time. The kids were so engaged and excited about what they were making and Julie did a wonderful job creating a memorable experience. And the food was delicious!

Wonderful for hosting kid's birthday parties! Chef Julie thought of everything and the kids had an…read moreamazing time. Highly recommend this for a fun party spot for your kiddos.