Really excellent products and knowledgeable staff. I have shopped there 3 or 4 times have spent a…read morelot of money there. I cherish retail, know times are hard, and wish the manager (owner?) seemed more aware that customer happiness is, kind of, pivotal. She is bitter and prideful - her own worst enemy. Suggest she find therapy, self-love, and forgiveness, or be bought-out. A friend I dined with recently said he found her (thinking it's the same person) to be "miserable". Peace.

After walking past this shop a few times not willing to risk the certain damage to my bank account,…read moreI could no longer resist the power of colourful Le Creuset pieces, and the shine of stainless steel. A retail space in the beautiful new Atrium it's bathed in light with high ceilings and almost floor to ceiling glass front windows. With cooking classes, and a full kitchen, this is sure to become a great spot to spend your time. They have a ton of excellent quality kitchen tools, a small but good selection of cook books (unless I maybe missed some?) and a lovely selection of locally produced food items. I chatted with a really friendly girl at the counter about how their new shop was doing and she was excited to tell me about their success and the things they offered. I somehow managed to leave empty handed, but this is a great new addition to the Victoria food scene, and sure to inspire curious cooks to be more creative, better equipped, and very well fed. They are embracing local food, seasonal ingredients, and looking to serve the local food community, which earns them a solid five stars.

I had a wonderful time attending the Flatbreads of Italy class! In 3 hours, we got to make two…read morebreads: fougasse and focaccia. Both turned out absolutely delicious and instructions were very clear - I actually feel comfortable recreating these at home. Our instructor was Cat, who was extremely knowledgeable and kept the class going at a great pace. I also really liked her humor! I found her jokes super funny and she kept me engaged, never bored. We got to sample lots of the instructor's bread at the end of class and took home our own breads, which were HUGE. Plenty to share with family and I froze some too.

Took a baking class with my daughter and a friend. The project itself was engaging, and our cakes…read moreturned out well. The problem was the instructor, Leah Starr, who was consistently rude and condescending. On our way home afterward, my daughter asked, "what was wrong with her?" No idea - no one in class acted out of turn or caused problems. It was very unprofessional. Unfortunately, when I followed up with the school to ask, they said you're not able to find out the instructor's name in advance, which is enough for us not to take a chance on going back.

This guy is a complete joke. He is a gun owner, and takes his guns in for work at a relative's…read morehouse. He took a gun in last week. When he came to pick it up, he was handed an agreed upon bill of $75.00 for work completed. He said ok, went "back to his car to get his wallet." A few minutes later, he returns with a cheap bottle of wine and some duck eggs. He quickly handed them to the gunsmith, leaving him bewildered, and then scurried off to his car like the little cockroach he is; leaving without paying. Three people witnessed this. Next time you sign up for one of this guy's 100$ cooking classes, make sure you pay him in Play-Doh.

The London Chef has a won a big ol' place in my heart. Well, stomach really. This recently opened…read moreunique new concept in the Victoria food scene is the work of Dan and Micayla, who have a very romantic story. The London Chef is part cooking school, part cafe, part catering, part dining room, and all heart. My first visit was prompted from a tweet proclaiming the best breakfast sandwich ever. Off I marched with a friend in tow. The cafe front has a selection of baked treats, muffins, croissants, and quiche nestled in between fresh salads and sandwiches for lunch. The breakfast sandwich was warm ciabatta topped with aioli, three layers of slice meat, cheese, two eggs, and homemade tomato sauce that doesn't deserve a lowly name such as ketchup. $10 with a cup of Discovery Coffee, this creation changes weekly and I think is only available on Saturdays. They're using local seasonal ingredients and have a great selection of ready made items to go, including soups, stocks, dips and specialty items from other local food producers. Peek beyond the cafe front and you'll find a beautiful open kitchen filled with stainless ranges for their cooking classes. They do lunch and learns for $25 where you can stop in for lunch, learn to prepare what it is you'll be eating, skip the work, and enjoy the lunch. I haven't done this yet, but I'm really looking forward to taking some of their classes. Beyond the kitchen is a communal dining table made from a single piece of reclaimed Fir that's over five hundred years old. It's stunning. Friendly conversation, while encouraged through the communal seating arrangement, is hard to do until the food is gone. Talking is too distracting and the food is too good. Excited to watch them grow, this gem is sure to be around for a long time to come.

This spring I surprised my wife with Chef Traci's Market to Table cooking class at Atrium Kitchen…read more It was an amazing experience, and I'm already wondering when I can bring out-of-town guests. Chef Traci kicked off our morning class with freshly baked pastries as we discussed what we might want to cook that day. Then we headed into Pike Place Market, stopping at multiple businesses to meet the owners and try their delicious products. I've been to Pike Place many times, and there were a handful of shops I was experiencing for the first time. It really felt like we got VIP treatment because of the friendships Traci has built over the years. We picked out a beautiful King salmon and halibut cheeks at Pike Place Fish Market, and I even got to throw and catch a fish! Traci was knowledgeable and shared Pike Place Market's complex history along the way. Once we returned to Atrium Kitchen with our ingredients, we created two beautiful mains with the salmon and halibut, plus a couple of sides with the seasonal market vegetables we had picked up. Then it was time to dig in and enjoy our feast while chatting with Chef Traci and the other guests. There is something very special about being in Pike Place Market early in the morning before the throngs of tourists arrive. I highly recommend the morning tour and cooking class. It felt like a perfect way to experience Seattle's most famous attraction.

Kim, Helen, Diep, Mia, Lisa, and Hoang have three of us a wonderful treatment with their new golden…read moremani and pedi. Such a wonderful treatment and they really took their time. My favorite time I've had here. I also love that my toes tend to last for 3 mo

My visit here pretty much started off online, where my bestie and I decided to sign up for a…read moredumpling class and found this place. We were put on the waitlist after doing so but then got a text several days later saying two spots opened for us, so I snagged our seats as fast as I could. Really appreciate the staff on the other line for reaching out to me and "reserving" my spots unless I let them know I'm not interested! Getting here, there is the Meyden Garage that offers 3-hour free parking for customers of Whisk and other surrounding businesses though most spaces inside there did not have the signage saying that so it was confusing parking around there. Getting inside the building, you'll see what can only be described as a haven for chefs and aspiring cooks of all levels; you have cooking tools, pots and pans, cookbooks, plates, neatly folded cloth napkins and a bunch of other things strewn around in such a colorful and organized manner. The kitchen for our cooking class was clean and spacious, with all the ingredients we need prepped and set out in front of us. We worked in pairs prepping and cooking all our dishes throughout. Chef Thanh Tang was very informative and engaging throughout the whole process, and the other staff working with him were efficient in cleaning used utensils and keeping everyone's prepped items in check. Instructions were very clear, and directions flowed very well since we made one dumpling after another! Since both of us don't really cook and we had many questions to ask, it took us a bit to catch up with the rest of the class, but all the folding techniques became much easier to do thanks to our teacher. For this particular class, we pan-fried the shrimp and chive dumplings, while the wontons and steamed vegetable dumplings we prepped were steamed while we all took a break. As for the spicy green beans, I actually had the chance to stir-fry a non-spicy version of them in front of the class! All the food we made here was really good, and we came close to having to box some of it home too! Everything here was worth the $150 per person from the experience to the food, and I'd take another class here in the future! For reference, the class I took is called "More Dumplings, Dumpling?" and ran on a Saturday from 5:30-8:30pm though that's just a timeframe since I did stay slightly longer just to finish my food!

The store has some cool kitchen gear but this review is mostly in response to the cooking classes!…read more Did their Italian-American Dinner Pasta Bolognese class with a Caesar salad and panna cotta with chef James! It was a fun experience. You show up and get greeted by their staff. You'll find your station and go to work! Some of the ingredients are pre-prepped which is nice otherwise you'd be there all night haha. The class was roughly 2 hours long and then we enjoyed dinner all together so roughly a 2.5 hour experience when it was all said and done. The fans kick in so it can be a tad bit loud when everyone is cooking but the instructor was great and made his way around the room to make sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to do. They had 2 additional staff members helping out to make sure any ingredients you needed were available. Plus - you get a glass of wine :) Fun date night!

I came here before the official opening and was warmly greeted by Shirley, the owner. A few hiccups…read moreas would be expected but nothing to speak of. The food was delicious, served simply and priced very well for the market. I would have taken a picture but forgot to and was half finished before I realized if forgotten. They are only open weekdays for lunch but the bistro will give you a very good window into their catering operation (the heart of the business). Well done.

Went for a great lunch today. Shirley had special Spanish…read moretapas, what a feast. And the fresh Bannock was fantastic. My wife also savored the lime cheese cake. Great little place with unique and very special food. Did I mention that the service was exceptional?

Victoria is a master cook and teaches in a very hands on method. Her commercial stove serves as a…read morecenter point next to her large butcher block island. Each student gets her recipes, a pencil for notes and an apron. She explains and then guides you through the preparations. Participation is expected but not required. When ready we move on to the huge stove where we cook the main dish. She usually adds an accompanying side dish with possibly a sauce. The finale is we all sit at her extra large table and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Each student can get direct supervision if the need arises, or asked for.

Victoria is a great teacher of all types of cooking. I have taken the Ramen Noodle class and Dry…read moreRub for meats. Both were loads of fun and left the attendees with a new set of knowledge and skills. I will be signing up for more!

I was passing town and decided to pop down and walk the shops. So happy this shop was open today…read more Going out of business and most things are 50% off. I purchased a cute shelf, a Whidbey Island puzzle and a beautiful black and white picture of WA! Thank you for having your store.

My friends and I came out to Whidbey, coincidentally for a little crafting getaway…read more We were surprised and pleased by this gem of a shop! By gem, I hope I'm not giving an impression that it is small. It's spacious and has a great selection of well-curated craft supplies (quality brands) and other fun items. We'll be back again next time we are in town.