We had a great time at the annual 'gingerbread house' event at Relish…read more Our 11 and 18 year old grandsons decorated a gingerbread house from the supplied kit and decorated it with the supplied candy. We'll be back next year for sure!

I did the foraging experience at Merriam Vineyards in Healdsburg. It was a really fantastic…read moreexperience overall, despite the downpour we found ourselves in. It was held at a beautiful winery and Healdsburg, and we were greeted with a glass of rosé. Donna was very communicative about the event, details and weather conditions before the event and engaging during the event. While she obviously couldn't control the weather, she was very effective at accommodating different comfort levels for walking in the rain. About half the group went back to the tasting room early. I stayed out with the group. Our guide David was extremely knowledgeable and fantastic at answering any and all questions. The lunch was both beautiful and tasty, and accommodated for both vegan and vegetarian needs. Overall a great day. I've already recommended it to several of my friends!

I cannot say enough great things about Bree and her partner at Chef's Table Catering! We had a…read moregroup of 13 friends renting a house in Healdsburg and looking for a treat-yourself night-in with a private chef. After a LOT of research, I finally found Chef's Table and could not have been happier with our experience. Bree was such a thoughtful and prompt communicator, she took into account everyone's dietary needs and preferences. We hade several menus to choose from that were custom built for our group's needs. The end result was an amazing coursed meal that everyone in the group loved. Dinner was perfectly prepared, coursed out perfectly and left everyone raving. They even packed up leftovers and cleaned our rental kitchen until it was spotless. It goes without saying I would HAPPILY hire them again and anyone who has a chance to work with them should jump at the chance. Thank you Bree!!

Bree Ann hosted cooking lessons for a group of 15 for my 30th birthday at our family's house in…read moreGuerneville and we had a blast! She and my husband were communicating for weeks leading up to it to develop the menu based on the freshest ingredients currently. She did a great job of keeping it fun and interactive, light-hearted, but also really educational. We decided on learning to make pasta from scratch and she brought a giant box of fresh chanterelle mushrooms for a mushroom sauce. The entire meal was delicious. When the group started backing out of the kitchen mid-cooking, Bree Ann finished preparing dinner for us. She also cleaned up everything after, which was a nice surprise. I highly recommend Bree Ann to anyone. Such a more fun way to spend the night with friends rather than at a restaurant.

What a fabulous experience. I would definitely recommend making a reservation here for a special…read moreoccasion. The price is so fair and the students were so professional and friendly. Their courses were booming with flavor and so balanced too. Their was clear intention with their combination of flavors. I hope to be back here soon!

The Culinary Institute is awesome. The main building where the classes take place is beautiful,…read moreinside and out. There is an adjacent, smaller building where you can go for dinner. The ambiance is fairly nice. The current culinary students are both the chefs and the servers. The food is very good, with recipes that change from time to time. It's a choice of a three-course or a four-course meal, with an optional wine pairing. You will have multiple choices for each course. Everyone in our party said that their food was very good. If you do want to have dinner at the CIA, be sure to make your reservations asap. They are usually booked up solid, pretty far in advance.

I have been using my wood fired Mugnaini Oven for about four years and absolutely love it. I use…read moreit for pizza but also have been baking sour dough bread in the oven as well as roasting Chicken and Vegetables. It is such a beautiful way of cooking. And the company Mugnaini did a wonderful job making the oven and installing it for us. One of my neighbors builds restaurants and he had tried a few different ovens for his home before getting a Mugnaini oven. He said it is night and day using Mugnaini over some of the other options. The oven bricks come from Italy and bring the magic to our home.

I truly regret having to write a poor review for this company and oven. I will say that the oven…read moreitself is pretty good. What is so disappointing is the poor service and complete lack of willingness by Mugnaini to stand behind their product and mistake. When I ordered my oven I explained to the salesperson that it would be several months before I would be able to assemble it. I was told that the refractory mortar included with the oven had an expiration date but would be good for at least a year. Approximately four months after receiving my oven I began assembly. Upon opening the mortar we found it already dried and unusable. The mortar had a expiration date on the container. The product had in fact expired 4 months BEFORE it had even been SHIPPED. Whether by mistake or a disregard for the date I was shipped mortar that was no good MONTHS before it even left Mugnaini. I figured that mistakes happen and contacted Mugnaini and explained the issue. I even included a photo of the long expired product. I was completely shocked when the Mugnaini representative informed me that they would not stand behind their product and obvious mistake. I was told that I would have to buy more mortar at an exorbitant price from Mugnaini. Further I was told that I could not use mortar from any other supplier so I ordered more from them. This company is in the business of shipping ovens and related items. One would think that they would know how to ship them. Not so! They ship the very expensive mortar only to find a month later that their method does not allow mortar. At that point with my project months delayed soley due to Mugnaini's many mistakes they then informed me that I could easily buy replacement mortar from several sources on Amazon for a fraction of their overpriced product. In short, Mugnaini shipped defective and unusable products then tried to gouge me on a replacement for their mistake and lied about its availability elsewhere. I strongly suggest that anyone considering this oven do a lot of investigation before purchasing. There are lots of alternatives available from companies that stand behind their products and provide quality customer service. I would be happy to provide photo documentation of every fact represented in this review.

Visited the CV Starr center for a birthday and am always impressed by the magnificence of the…read moreentire project especially in light of where it is located. It's a great place for parties, to swim and work out. They also offer classes in many different areas. It's part of the local Rec district and one of the eight man made wonders to visit on the Mendocino Coast.

Great staff, clean pools, great classes. We are so lucky to have this in our little town.read more

The reviews here may seem a little different, as some reviewers are former students rating their…read moreexperiences at Napa Valley Cooking School and some happen to be diners at the school's seasonal restaurant. I happen to be in the latter group, and I have to say that I am impressed by the students on campus, the education they're receiving, and the quality of food they're putting out! I came in today for a lunch, expecting a fancy, multiple course meal; which is precisely what I got! What made the experience more rewarding was getting to learn a bit about the cooking school's seasonal restaurant. The recipes are created by the students, or at least partially so, and the servers working within the school's restaurant are also students as well. As a former college student that worked in food service during my undergrad years, it was great to see the level of professionalism and dedication the students brought to the table (literally!), and I was impressed by the seamless ability of the students to work both in front and in the back of the house. Usually within the industry, it's one of the other. To have a student chef who happened to develop your recipes also serve you is a treat in itself. The food, of course, was the other treat. I could go on about the meal's decadence: the juxtaposition of the light, flaky crust and the thick, hearty mushroom gravy in the mini pot pie appetizer, or the tenderness of the pork belly that literally melted in my mouth. Words wouldn't do the meal justice. But I will leave a few short words for the dessert: the single best carrot dish I've ever had. And this is coming from someone who will 95% of the time choose savory over sweet. (I'm saying 95% because I would have been content with four courses of the carrot ginger pana cotta today and I'm not ashamed to admit it). To the students and instructors of the cooking school: well done! I look forward to visiting your spring menu when the time comes.

We are eagerly anticipating our NVCS lunch. We have been coming for several years now and have…read moreenjoyed every meal we have had. Delicious lemon grass coconut soups, bread rolls, halibut, smoked chicken, cream pies.... Is your stomach growling yet? Reservations go fast so you have to be on it to get a seat at the table.

Wonderful food! Chefs were knowledgeable, creative and great teachers. The atmosphere was…read morecomfortable and the views from the outside were amazing!

We had such a great time with DJ and Kent!…read more The family enjoyed a vegetarian cooking class as a Christmas present for my mom. DJ greeted us with hugs and a glass of sparkling wine as well as an incredible view of the mountains. Each of us learned a few fun new skills and our end products were so tasty. If you're looking for a fun experience in the Calistoga area give DJ and Kent a call!

My friends gifted me a sushi cooking class with Sur la Table on a Saturday night. It was a really…read morefun time. They call it Date Night but they should say Have fun with your friends either way two amazing teachers John and Jonas. We made chicken Yakatori skewers, a spicy salmon roll, and vegetable tempura. The class was lively, engaging, and because we like to cook, we threw curve ball questions to the teachers - they loved it and had a good laugh. The next table over were also having fun, and everyone bonded and the whole experience was amazing. Two thumbs up - beginner to intermediate - everyone will have a great time. Great night out! Give it a try! We enjoyed the class and the food! Highly recommended

Yeah it's pricey but when you are looking for kitchen tools why skimp? Be on the lookout for…read moredifferent sales. No matter the line length- it moves quickly

I hired Maria to cook for 15 of my pals for my 40th birthday. She was fantastic! Maria was fun to…read morework with on the menu, has a ton of creative and tasty dishes, and was generally just a joy to be around. Everyone loved the food, and Maria even gave us some background on the preparation of each before she served each dish. It was a blast. Highly recommend!

Maria was the chef for my small wedding of 20 people at a house that we rented in St. Helena. I…read morecan't describe how perfect everything was. Maria is extremely easy to work with and was able to customize a menu that suited our taste and what we were looking for. Her food is amazing and she only cooks with the freshest and highest quality ingredients. Not only was the whole dinner delicious, her staff is also extremely accommodating and did everything from the set up to food prep to clean up after everything was over. Maria is now my go-to chef for Sonoma County-I would hire her again in a heartbeat!

No idea this was smack in downtown Fort Bragg. Step in and check out the museum as it is not…read morepricey. The immersion short movies are fun to experience. The bones are real and amazing to see as well as the work they do. Time well spent and a nice break from shopping. However the gift shop has some nice local items to choose from

Unfortunately, I wanted to share feedback from a recent visit to the NOYO Center for Marine Science…read moreduring our trip to FB. After seeing a post on Instagram, we were excited to visit and planned our afternoon around arriving at 2:30 p.m. on a Friday. Although the posted hours were 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., we found the Center closed with a sign indicating it would reopen at 3:10 p.m. We waited, ordering a smoothie at a nearby shop and returned shortly after reopening. Upon entering, I noticed the "No food or drinks" sign. Wanting to respect that policy, I asked the staff member at the front desk if there was a trash can where I could dispose of my smoothie cup. Rather than directing me to a nearby receptacle, she instructed me to use a public trash can outside and then began lecturing me about single-use plastics after noticing my disposable cup. The interaction was abrupt, unsolicited, and delivered in a tone that felt dismissive rather than welcoming. After locating a public trash can several storefronts away, I returned hoping to put the interaction behind us. While we were browsing the front area, the same staff member went outside to address a family near the entrance. From inside the Center, her tone and gestures appeared more like a reprimand than a courteous request, creating an atmosphere that felt unwelcoming. When I approached the desk to purchase admission, I mentioned that I work for a large land conservation organization that restores habitats, builds trails, protects open space, and supports sustainable agriculture. I told her, "We're on the same team." I shared that not because I expected different treatment, but because it underscored an important point: every visitor deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect, regardless of their background or profession. Staff members are often the public face of an organization's mission, and the way they interact with visitors directly influences how that mission is perceived. This experience did not diminish our support for marine conservation or the important work your organization does. However, it did leave us with a negative impression of the Center and, unfortunately, reflected poorly on the organization as a whole. I hope this feedback is received in the constructive spirit in which it is intended, as I believe a welcoming visitor experience is essential to building lasting public support for your mission.