Chef Oliver does a superb job! From the moment he sits down to understand the event and helps you…read moredefine the menu to when he leaves kitchen - knives packed up - he manages to eliminate any stress you might have with his comforting presence and can do attitude. He goes on to deliver food that satisfies the soul (even with all the strange dietary requirements you and your guests might be bringing to the table). It's been nothing but a pleasure to have him in our kitchen. Chef Oliver has catered several medium sized events (30-40 people) for us as well as dinners for just the two of us when we were too busy to cook for ourselves. Every event has been a food success! He has the timing down and can manage to work in any kitchen site unseen. Our super foodie friends chat Chef Oliver up wanting recipes and tricks which he gladly walks people through. Out picky eaters leave having found food they can enjoy and our hearty eaters leave feeling full to the brim but knowing we still have leftovers. We're happy to have found someone who we can trust to do an outstanding job every time!

From the moment I started working with Chef Oliver, the experience was lovely. He was amazingly…read morehelpful and flexible in creating a menu for a group with a number of dietary restrictions and preferences. The great experience continued on-site. Chef Oliver was super chatty and friendly and answered all of our food questions. He was involved in conversation when it was appropriate but knew when to let us be. He also was quick on his toes--the house had a garden and when we inquired about using an ingredient from there for a little side dish, he was more than willing to create something (delicious) for us. The meal was amazing. The portions were a great size and his explanations of the dishes were perfect. We even had some leftovers to enjoy the next day. Overall I would love to have Chef Oliver cater another party for me and the entire Kitchit experience was really pleasant and positive!

I find Mexican cuisine amazing. I mean really, how many delicious permutations of corn, cheese,…read moretomatoes, beans and peppers could you come up with?! Tacos, bureeetoes and quesahdilluhs don't count, folks. And yet the richness and diversity of the fare is astounding. Three hours with Edible Explorations unlocked the magic, we discovered it's all about the spices! Offering cooking classes in a welcoming Oakland home, private group lessons and catering, Edible Explorations will take you for a ride with fresh, organic ingredients, authentic Oaxacan recipes and colorful context/history. The tamale session gave us a solid foundation for whipping up these pockets of corn goodness, and I'm now inspired to host my own tamale fiesta! At $40-60 (sliding scale), the investment for two meals, fun times and tasty education is outstanding. I want seconds! Mole, you haven't seen the last of me...

Can you saw AUTHENTIC, Yummy, tasty and amazing all in one sentence?!....well, I just did and that…read moreis what Becca and Edible Explorations IS! It is an exploration into another world of Mexico that I had no idea was there until i started taking classes from Becca. The unique chicken tamales we did with amazing mole sauce were to die for. We made rice once with a sprig of mint in it! who would have thought that rice could be so flavorful?.... The most amazing thing I have eaten would have to be these things called MEMELAS They are fresh prepared masa (what you make for corn tortillas) hand flattened out, grilled on each side, then topped with her amazing refried black beans, home made verde (green) salsa and Queso fresca (fresh cheese) and topped with avocado....ok, i'm drooling now. oh! and we made fresh chile rellenos!!! with an amazing tomato sauce. She also teaches you about the culture (which she tends to specify to Oaxacan) which I knew nothing about until taking some of her classes. All organic food and local and great as a gift for someone (catering) or for a class to take and improve your friends and loved ones with tastes from Mexico that they have never tasted before!

EVERYTHING!! I've had vegan things here and there but never a full meal…read more So, having "From the Garden's" menu was more than spectacular! It was incredible and delicious!! AND the service was top notch!! I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend!!

We were so nervous about hosting a vegan wedding, but it was one of the first decisions we made as…read morea couple. We chose to have our wedding in the bay area in large part because we saw the other reviews from Its From The Garden and knew we wanted them to be a part of our big day. They masterfully blended our three requests: parts of Persian culture, parts of Southern culture, and a colorful venue. They came up with a delicious menu that was bright and colorful, with a focus on edible flowers -- even in the cocktail and the butter! We were nervous about having tofu on the menu, since that can be polarizing. After hearing about our taste preferences, Chef Kyle convinced us that the tofu would be a hit among the rest of the menu, and it totally was -- we got more compliments about the tofu than any other dish! Non-vegans complimenting our tofu was totally unexpected and so thrilling. They also coordinated our rentals for a too-reasonable fee, and that ended up being more helpful than we expected. Our venue didn't have a kitchen, and they figured out how to build the kitchen, get all the rentals in the venue at the right time in the right place. Everything went off without a hitch. And the appetizer cheese menu was SO SO good. I could eat their charcuterie plates for every meal forever. They were the highlight of our wedding, and I'm so glad we flew across the country to have our wedding with Kyle and Ashley. They crushed it.

I loved the New Years Vegan Soul Food dinner that Chef Gelb prepared!…read moreThis was my first time attending one of his dinners and it won't be the last. It was a unique experience sharing a meal with kind strangers in a studio. Our chef kept bringing out one delightful dish after another. My favorite foods happen to be the cashew based macaroni and cheese and the pecan pie with pecan ice cream. I highly recommend attending one of Philip's events!!!

I've been attending Phil's dinners and dinner concerts since it was first called "In the Mood for…read moreFood". That's over ten years now and I have never been disappointed. He uses only the freshest ingredients and creates incredibly delicious all vegan dishes. I am not a vegan but if all vegan food were this good I would be a convert. He uses locally shopped ingredients including some of the finest local tofu and tempeh makers. He is about to publish his second cookbook and no doubt it will reflect the same rich cultural varieties he has presented in the first one and in the meals he has prepared. Vegan interpretations of MIddle Eastern, Thai, Chinese, Southern U.S., or whatever you wish all are lovingly prepared and served with both pride and joy. The music (not every meal) is an eclectic assortment of some of the finest musicians in the Bay Area and beyond. Phil, in addition to being a fine chef, is a musician, a shakuhachi player (that's a Japanese bamboo flute) and teacher. His deep connections to the music community allow him to invite some amazing colleagues who play in intimate house concerts. There is a sort of core "regular" crowd that I enjoy seeing but there are frequently newcomers and out of towners who go on the adventure to this non-descript West Oakland loft. The crowd (no more than 20) has always been a great part of the experience. I guess I drank the Kool Aid, ate the tofu, or whatever but I am forever sold on the Sound and Savor experience. This is definitely one of the great joys of Oakland and the East Bay.

As a treat for some of the men in our family, I reached out to Yoav to arrange a group cooking…read moreclass for 6 adults. We settled on a Middle East Feast, and throughout the process of making arrangements and sorting out a menu, Yoav was not only easy to reach, but proactive and thorough. When the day came, he and his mom arrived on time and well prepared with ingredients, recipes, aprons, kitchen towels, you name it, he had it! We had such a wonderful time learning to make dishes we'd not heard of before, better knife skills, the science behind what we were making, and just hanging out with Yoav and his lovely mother. Yoav is a delightful, easy-going, engaged teacher and clearly loves what he's doing. As a result, we loved it too - and the food was fabulous!! Even if you're a well-seasoned cook (pun intended), this is a cooking class well worth taking!

Per Yoav's voicemail: He is no longer taking on clients as he got a job in a restaurant, but you…read morecan leave him a message if you want!

Did a virtual online cooking class from Sacred Kitchen and received a box for the class. It's very…read morewell-thought-out: the attention-to-detail for the box and class is amazing! There's great signage and directions. Chef Jesse is inspiring and fun. I can't recommend Sacred Kitchen enough for an online class for friends, family, coworkers, etc.

Sacred Kitchen, is one part "Top Chef", one part lunch/dinner party, and one part leadership…read moreworkshop. We divided up into teams to make a multi-course meal under the guidance of their seasoned chef facilitators. The entire experience was so much fun and I learned many new qualities about my co-workers. At Sacred Kitchen, cooking together becomes the frame for a real-time conversation about leadership and relationship at work. After the excitement of cooking, we sat down banquet style, and ate our delicious meal. chef Jesse guided our conversation and shared insights. We left with delighted palate, beautiful recipes, along with tips and tricks from kitchen professions! Chef Jesse was super helpful planning the menu course, venue selection and everything I needed to plan this amazing team event. Thank you Chef Jesse and The Sacred Kitchen Team: David, Nora, and Jeremy. It was such a unique cooking experience I ever had!

You wont find more delicious love-infused food anywhere. These food gurus go beyond cooking up…read moregreat tasting meals and delivering right to your doorstep, they truly care about the nourishment they are providing. I literally have never felt so good in my body than after a meal from Nourishing Ritual. Their food is all I want to eat each week! The ingredients are fresh and clean; the combinations are always on point and the flavors are like a symphony in my mouth every time. Sure you can spend hours trying to get outside your same tired recipes, shopping for ingredients and cooking all day but why when you can have the joy of eating food lovingly prepared and shared by these incredible chefs! Take if from someone who has been eating their meals for a long time now, it's worth it. It feels like coming home every day to the most scrumptious home-cooked meal from someone who cares about you-what could be better?

Totally in love with their meal delivery service, it's been a true life changer for me. As an…read moreentrepreneur, I have a hectic daily schedule with little time to cook--knowing there's always organic, nutritionally sound food in my fridge has made my life SO much easier. My body feel much better too after 11 months of this service--I feel lighter and more energized. Molly gave me a nutrition consultation that really helped me dial in the best diet for me, and they also offered me a free herbal tea blend to kickstart my health. All their dishes have been delicious so far, made with creativity and love. The sourcing was really important to me also, and these ladies are obsessive about it--all organic, high quality ingredients. I can tell the difference from other food services I've tried that were priced similarly, but fell short on quality. All in all, I'm hooked. A life enhancing service that I can't imagine being without! Thank you ladies for all your hard work.

I hired Lucy to help our family because my diet has become so unhealthy from juggling work and…read moreparenting. I've tried several healthy delivery food options out there but always get sick of them after a while because the meals are too healthy or boring. The customization of Lucy's meals perfectly balances health/nutrition with taste. She only uses healthy oils, sugar alternatives, tons of veggies and herbs, and she does all gluten and dairy free per our request. It's also awesome to be able to request my favorite dishes and try new ones. I always throw random ethnic dishes at her, and she somehow nails it every time! I work in mental health, and I'm a strong advocate for parents outsourcing if they can afford it. It creates jobs for others in our community and relieves stress, which helps us to show up better for our children. Totally worth it!

Lucy did meal prep with us once a week for about 6 months. She was professional and reliable, and…read moreshe engaged my kids in the cooking process. The food was also tasty! It was a big help to cross one dinner off my to do list, and she also often helped with food prep for other days of the week. Highly recommend!