Recently purchased cooking lessons with James for my girlfriend's birthday - After a lot of research, this was hands down the best option and didn't disappoint. James was quick with his replies and very professional from the beginning. He gave us several recipe options recipes from his site, and was open to receiving and offering suggestions. We ended up cooking Gnocchi (girlfriend's choice) and it was fantastic. Beyond the food, the overall experience was first class. James' home is beautiful, and he was very inviting as soon as we walked in the door. The night's mood was very casual and it felt like we were simply having dinner with friends. The biggest selling point for me was the private lesson aspect - there weren't 6 other couples there fighting for counter space - we asked as many questions as we wanted and received hand-on attention. James thinks it' important to keep groups small so his guests can get the most out of the experience (Although he does do group instruction sometimes - sounds like a lot of fun). We would definitely cook with James again in the future and have passed along his info to friends looking to do the same - Can't say enough good things about the experience (Also got me some bonus points with the girlfriend). read more

Boyfriend surprised me with a visit to James a couple of months ago. James was gracious enough to accommodate just the two of us even though he usually does parties of 4-6. We had lots of fun learning how to make new dishes and chatting about traditional Spanish cuisine. The food was delicious and I have a new-found appreciation for making my own pasta sauce :) read more

James was a great host and showed us some very delicious, but easy to make recipes! It was just my wife and I. He was great to talk to, explained where the dishes came from, and allowed us to get our hands dirty and cook a bit for ourselves. We had a great time and can't wait to go back with some friends! read more

First, I should mention that I have been depending on Yelp reviews to find everything from drug stores to hiking trails since moving to the Bay Area three years ago. Never until now have I actually written a review, but our fantastic experience with James as both host and chef encouraged me to take the plunge. (Besides, my friends and family are sick of listening to me rave about last week's top-notch cooking and dinner experience. Now it's your turn.) While looking for a unique graduation gift to give my favorite diploma collector, I stumbled upon CookWithJames completely unexpectedly. The reviews were great, and the idea of James's supper club was right up our alley: the most excellent, fresh, local food prepared in an absolutely beautiful home setting and in the company of other food- and conversation-lovers? Yes, please! We obviously have our pick of great restaurants around here, but I thought that this would offer a more unique and memorable all-around experience. Never having heard of such a kooshy arrangement, I of course figured I was missing the catch, so I e-mailed James and explained the occasion. His warm, complete and very prompt reply included a phone number. I did have a couple of questions and requests, and our host's absolutely accommodating manner left me (slightly selfishly) very excited about our upcoming dinner. (Really, how often do you call up the chef at your favorite restaurant three weeks ahead of time to make your reservation and chat about the menu?) Delighted that my graduate was as intrigued by the idea as I was, off to San Francisco we went. On Thursday evening, James graciously welcomed us into his home, where delicious appetizers and the other guests greeted us in the kitchen. He then guided us through the preparation of beautiful (and, as my mathematics-loving boyfriend commented, "very geometrically interesting") Romanesco broccoli, Cornish game hens with potatoes (so delicious!) and duck breasts with a simple cherry sauce (oh... my... goodness... The crispiness, the flavor...). I just had to pause while writing and indulge in a detailed memory of the culinary delights of the evening. On a more personal level, we also just couldn't have asked for a more delightful host. It's quite something to show up at the home of someone whom you've never met, mess up their kitchen with them, eat their amazing food, and somehow feel right from the beginning that you belong there. We honestly regretted leaving at the end of such a lovely evening, and we can't wait for more excuses to cook and eat with James again! Looking forward to seeing you there... read more

This was really fun for a small group. James was very friendly, welcomed questions and the food was delicious. Especially the peppers! His home is lovely and makes you feel comfortable right away. I would recommend this as a fun alternative to the usual dinner night at a restaurant. read more

James is a very nice guy and the cooking experience at his home is like cooking at a friend's place. He also makes a great paella.

Highly recommend James! He is amazing... Loved the experience. The food was the best paella I've ever had!! Will definitely go back or hire him! read more

My team at work spent a day with James and his girlfriend in his home. It was so much fun! We were really hands on and had great conversation in their home but when it was time to eat, they closed off the kitchen and served us in the living room. 1 star deducted because it was a little pricey for a cooking class and wine was not included. Other than that, would suggest to anyone! read more

I covet James' kitchen. I also covet his cooking skills. Fortunately, it's possible to learn some of the latter -- and I did, in a fun, educational, delicious evening at his "Cook With James" cooking class. He warmed us with a friendly greeting and glass of wine to begin, then gave a bit of history about the dishes (in this case, Pasta alla Carbonara and Pork Saltimbocca), then set us to work. Because he broke down the steps of preparation, not only did we learn about the cooking process, but many people had the chance for hands-on cutting, seasoning and pounding. (Yes, pounding. Want to get out your frustrations? Smack a slice -- or 12 -- of pork shoulder with a tenderizer.) It was a friendly group, the ingredients were organic and healthy, and the final product was delicious. An excellent value for $50. read more

We had a really fun time and a delicious meal. We still use the recipe. The only thing I would have changed was to have a little tiny bit more cooking advice. He gave us some, but I wanted a bit more. All-in-all, a nice guy and a good way to spend an evening. read more

I took my friend to Cook With James for her birthday a couple years ago and I STILL make the paella that he taught us. Great instructor and atmosphere! read more

Cook With James is truly a unique experience! We held a team event here for our office and were incredibly delighted to enter the hospitable home of James. We made homemade pasta, sipped wine, and dined on some of the finest food we have tasted in the city of San Francisco. James was a great teacher and took the time to walk us through each step, while also expertly coupling our courses with wine pairings. We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend this experience to anyone, especially groups! read more

Believe the hype! James was a wonderfully warm and welcoming host, he has a beautiful kitchen, and the food was amazing. He taught to all cooking levels in the group and was a great source of culinary knowledge. And he was flexible with us, if we wanted to be more involved in the cooking or drink wine and more wine and just take it all in. And the food was just plan delicious. He does gift certificates too, it's a great present idea!! Thanks James for a truly lovely evening! read more

For Christmas I surprised my husband with a wonderful evening to cook with James. I ended up inviting some other friends and we had a blast. The evening started off with wine and appetizers and moved into the "Italian themed" cooking preparations with the assistance of James. Not only was James extremely knowledgeable about our evenings feast he also answered all of our questions and gave us some tips on where to get some wonderful local ingredients. His cooking style was very simple and rustic which we all loved....nothing fussy or uptight about it! I would recommend this to someone who enjoys good food while getting involved in the cooking preparations...it gave my husband and I something different to do in SF. I will definitely do it again very soon! Thanks James! read more

My brother in law and I surprised my sister with a 30th Birthday Cooking Class dinner party with James, who was very accommodating. My sister was surprised to arrive home and find a 6'5" man cooking in her kitchen asking her "who are you"? Ha! It was perfect! The food was excellent and the recipes were straightforward. I'm still dreaming about the gnocchi all sorrentina, that sauce was the perfect balance of sweet & salty! James did a wonderful job of engaging with us as much as we wanted to be engaged, but not forcing the party to participate more than they wanted to (there were some guys very interested in watching the game). James has always been quick to respond to my questions and also as I've asked questions after the dinner about the recipes, etc, he has responded immediately to those! We've made some of the recipes since our party and they've been easy and delicious! This was unquestionably money well spent and something that I would do again (if only I lived in SF!). James, thank you for helping us put together such a special evening for my sister's big 3-0! read more

I know this is super cliche, and that's usually not me at all, but there are literally not enough good things I could say about this experience. Let me explain. I bought the Yelp deal for a private cooking class/dinner as a gift for my boyfriend who loves food, cooking, and wants to learn to cook (more) or even perhaps go to culinary school. I emailed James as soon as I bought the deal and he was able to fit us in right away even though he told me he was very booked - I truly appreciated that. I set the night up as a surprise for my boyfriend and didn't tell him where we were going or what we were doing, only that he needed to be hungry. When we arrived my boyfriend was definitely a little weirded out that we arrived at a strangers house, but once James explained what was happening my boyfriend was thrilled. To start, James lives in an amazing apartment which makes the whole experience even more enjoyable. James introduced himself and talked to us for a bit before we got into the kitchen. He had some snacks all ready for us and then we started watching him cook and helping him as well - it was amazing. I don't think I've ever seen my boyfriend smile so much. It's an amazing feeling when you can make another person truly happy, and I just wanna thank James so much for that. Anyway, on to the important stuff - the food. It. Was. Am. Az. Ing. The pasta he cooked us (he was gracious enough to make me a veggie pasta and my boyfriend a meat one as I don't eat meat) was honestly the best we've ever had. ...he gave us SO much food, and that was only the second course. For our entrees he made us some more amazing stuff, again, two separate dishes, one with meat and one without. Those dishes, too, were delicious. After that came dessert, and even though I was almost positive I would burst if I ate another bite, what he made for us was so perfect and yummy I had to dive in. All the food, the great bottle of wine he provides for you to enjoy with our food (he not only gave us the bottle of wine to drink which was included with the deal, but he also gave my boyfriend several bottles of beer on top of that since he doesn't drink wine). This experience was phenomenal for two reasons - one, the food and the experience of making it and seeing it being made by someone else live and up close was so much fun and so damn good. Two, the host and chef, James. He was just, so, gracious. I don't think I've ever said that about someone, be he truly made us feel welcome, was entertaining but didn't hover, a great conversationalist and seemed truly happy to have us there. You MUST try this experience at least once. It was some amazing, we plan on doing it again. Since I was a kid I've always had this image of a perfect San Francisco night, and honestly, this was it. Thank you James, truly. And I apologize for my gross overuse of the word amazing. read more

We decided on Cook with James as a venue for a 7 person team event. From the first email inquiry through the actual event James was great. He was very responsive and totally professional. He also offered a wide variety of menu options. I asked him for some suggestions and after some back and forth ended up with a fantastic menu (Gnocchi and Saltimbocca) along with wine pairing suggestions. The event itself was very relaxed although everyone had a chance to be as hands on as they wanted to be. James, with the help of an assistant and his girlfriend, guided us through making a delicious meal. The ingredients were the freshest of fresh and James was able to tell us where everything came from; what farm, butcher, region, etc. Once dinner was ready we sat down to a formal table. James and his assistants served each plate in turn then to the kitchen to clean up and give us space. It was kind of a "best of" experience in that we got to do the fun parts of the dinner party in someone else's cool S.F. flat, and James did all the background work. I think everyone in the group had a great time...Thanks James! read more

I worked with James to host a Bachelorette cooking/dinner party. It was an awesome, unique and memorable experience. The venue was beautiful, the kitchen was very gourmet, James' instruction was expert and the food was delicious. Everyone had a wonderful time. read more

I think James wrote it best; this is an "underground supper club". It's unique, and my closest comparison would be the experience of sitting at the Chef's table in a restaurant. It's a personal setting where James (the Chef) greets you at the door and serves your meal while personally explaining each dish, preparation method and ingredients. This is something different then going to any of the numerous restaurants in San Francisco... This is a gathering of 8-10 people in a homey and warm environment to experience a culinary adventure. The dishes you'll have are amazing - James spends the day shopping for the freshest produce, fish and meat - explaining where they came from. Highly recommend for the experience and food..... and the food, OK, already said that. Also, plan this to be the night... You'll want to stay for several hours. I went with my wife; its good for couples, singles and friends - it's a mixed crowd. Do bring a wine for the event and be prepared to share with others. On our experience, James kicked in a few bottles of bubbly and red to complement the guest picks and food - but BYOW'ing is necessary. read more

Absolutely fantastic! Delicious. Relaxing. Educational. Comfortable. Three of us had a mini-dinner party with James last week -- and it was wonderful! I honestly didn't know what to expect...especially with our small group in this perfect stranger's home, but it was perfectly lovely! The evening started off with wine, and lovely appetizers. We had pre-selected the Roman menu which was delicious. The pasta dish was supposed to be over spaghetti, but one of us was just DYING to have rigatoni and James was more than accommodating about this. We had a fascinating discussion about the best meat and produce in the city and how yummy everything from Bi-Rite is. The tomato sauce was so simple and so flavorful. I definitely learned skills i could use at home in the future. We then transitioned to the meat dish and pounded any remaining life out of some thin cuts of pork shoulder -- then put some prosciutto and sage in the middle and folded them over to be cooked up. There is something so satisfying about beating meat with a tenderizer...just can't explain it. All the while, James gave us wonderful direction without being too overbearing. It felt like the perfect combination of cooking and observing. The quickly sauteed chard was also amazing! We sat down to enjoy our work and James joined us for conversation. He is so friendly and easy to talk to. Maybe i shouldn't set this precedent...but we stayed there chatting until midnight (dinner started @ 7pm!) sipping various after dinner drinks while engrossed in conversation. I felt like we escaped on a mini-vacation last week, but I guess we were just in the Haight! Great for groups with friends, gift certificates, families/siblings or even couples parties. I highly recommend it!! read more

i was told to have an open mind and an open stomach, not knowing what to expect is half the fun. inviting and friendly the moment you walk in. won't ruin the experience and fun, but the food was incredible and very filling. it's not little apps, but a full-on dinner with wine. they say bring your own wine in case they run out.... believe me, you don't need to bring your own. they have PLENTY! a true experience and well worth it. sit with pia, his wife... she is a BLAST, and joseph, they'll keep you laughing all night. if you're tired of the restaurant thing... you have to try this. you won't regret it. read more

We had a very enjoyable evening with James. It was as surprise evening for my husband's birthday and there were 5 of us. James was welcoming and such a great host! We learned how to make gnocchi and James had an amazing chicken dish and desert ready for us. We all had a wonderful time and it was well worth the price. I'd highly recommend him to anyone! read more

My husband got me a dinner with CookWithJames for my birthday and it was truly an amazing experience. James is a great host and is genuinely passionate about food. He uses top notch seasonal/local/organic ingredients in a simple fashion and the final product is also simply amazingly delicious! The price is very reasonable for the quality/quantity of food/wine that you get. I can easily compare his food to any top notch wine country restaurant we've been to. We'll definitely be back with friends! read more

James is fantastic. As an early birthday present, I snagged the Yelp deal for my wife and we headed over to James's charming Victorian in the Haight for an intimate dinner party. James showered us with attention and kindness, providing fascinating anecdotes about living abroad, great shopping tips for SF food markets, and some tricks to use in the kitchen. In the end, we had a delicious Italian meal ("Cooking of Rome") and some wonderful memories. Later that week, James even emailed us photos of the evening and recipes for all the dishes we cooked. A fun, yummy, unforgettable experience. Go cook with James! read more

We had our company holiday party with James last night. The food and atmosphere was excellent. James is warm and fun, and made us all feel at home. The food was to die for. This is a GREAT idea for parties or dates. It's fun and informative! read more

I was intrigued by the idea of a private cooking class and dinner and wowed by the price of the Yelp deal, so I signed myself and a friend up to make paella. We both know our way around a kitchen but neither of us had tried to make this dish, so it seemed like the way to go. We chose the chicken and sausage version since my friend doesn't eat shellfish but having learned the basics, I know I can improvise with other ingredients. Well, the whole experience was great from start to finish. James did the cooking, which was fine by us since we did the drinking and snacking on the delicious appetizers. James confirmed (and the meal proved) that great cooking starts with buying the best ingredients. I would have been happy with the deal just for the whiff of the smoked paprika he used! The flat is lovely, the kitchen would be the envy of any cook (that stove! that fridge!) and the conversation, including the clear explanation of the making of the dish as it evolved, was like chatting with a friend who just happens to be a terrific cook! The kitchen was soon filled with mouth-watering aromas and in much less time than I thought it would take, we were wolfing down one of the best dinners I've had anywhere at any price. While the food was top-notch, it was not "restaurant food" but wonderful and authentic Spanish home cooking -- to my mind, what good eating is all about. I highly recommend this experience for anyone looking for a very special night. Thank you, James! read more