We just learned that there is a Hot Stove Society weekly live radio show/podcast hosted by Seattle…read moreCelebrity Chef and Restauranter extraordinaire Tom Douglas. The show is broadcasted on KIRO radio and streamed on YouTube. You can also listen on a podcast. It is filmed in the industrial kitchen at the Hot Stove Society Cooking School in downtown Seattle. The best part for us is that we learned you can buy tickets to attend a taping of the show and it includes a freshly made breakfast. We immediately signed up and attended the one this past Tuesday. It was so much fun as we were treated to freshly made sticky buns, Shakshuka and Greek yogurt with granola. All of the food was delicious. The show being recorded was also fascinating to watch with lots of behind the scene activity capturing our attention. The guests on the show were informative and entertaining and some door prizes were given away to some audience members. After the taping, we got to take photos and talk with Tom, his staff and the guests. We really enjoyed ourselves and were well taken care of (and well fed!) by the staff. I recommend attending one of these shows for a great behind the scenes look and informative discussions about food and cooking from some local experts.

My wife and I had a great time here, so this review rating is a bit unbalanced. Being spectators to…read morea live podcast production was really fun and educational. Tom Douglas and his daughter were great hosts and their guests were engaging as well. We enjoyed the food that was served as well. What bothered me to the point of dropping 2 stars was being offered a mimosa when we were seated, without being told it was not included in the price of our experience. I was not prepared for the steep charge for the drink when we were getting ready to leave at the end. Had I known in advance, I certainly would have politely declined the offer. It just really left a bad taste in my mouth which took away from what was otherwise a great experience.

I've never written a review for anything before, but had such a bad time, feel like I need to…read moreshare. So here's your warning: if you go with a group of friends or family prepare to not be able to talk to each other. All she did was yap the whole time (some of it informative but most of it was her just talking about her life). When I tried to have a quiet side conversation with my friend she shushed me! I paid a lot of money for a private class for my friend's birthday thinking it would be a fun light-hearted experience, but I felt like I was in a college lecture instead. Not only did I find the whole experience to be unpleasant, but I also left very hungry! We didn't get to eat all the food that we made AND PAID FOR because she put it away. The food was good but nothing about that experience was worth the money

I had a chance to check out Diane's artisan food class with 5 app and 1 dessert (all vegetarian!)…read moreand found Diane to be super entertaining. I don't think of Diane so much of a chef but much of a friend who doesn't intimidate you with fancy chopping and cooking skills...but rather more like someone who you can feel free to enjoy talking about food and its origin, helping prepare a healthy meal right in the kitchen. What I like most about Diane's style is that her food contains at most 4-5 ingredients. I also appreciate that Diane tried her based to source her ingredients from local producers...(e.g. vote and put your money where you support!). They are simple, health focused, practical and easy to prepare, especially for someone like me who doesn't have as in depth kitchen skills. She didn't intimidate me at all with all the stuff I didnt know what to do or how to use around the kitchen. Overall, I highly recommend Diane's class. I wouldn't say its full blown madness of cooking involved, but rather more light coming and entertaibment of the party you are taking your class with! If I had another chance, I would definitely love to take Diane's class again for sure! P.S. I also appreciated she followed up and sent us information about the local vendors that we can get the ingredients we used in the class and the recipe of the dishes we made that day.

I hosted a cooking class/party at Cucina Casalinga for my birthday and it was absolutely perfect…read more Michela's skills and talents both in cooking, and perhaps more important, in making people feel welcomed and included were obvious. As she coached us through making pasta and sauce she laughed and joked with the guests, ensuring that everyone was included and enjoying themselves. She helped me plan the menu, worked with me to arrange for flowers, and wine. She and her staff cleaned up the whole thing, leaving us nothing to do but have more prosecco and enjoy ourselves. Overall the experience of working with Cucina Casalinga and Michela could not have been better in any way. I am a fan!

The best ever. They were amazing and a ton of fun for our group!!! Highly recommend.read more

We were in Seattle for the weekend and had the chance to go to Luigi's restaurant. Wonderful food,…read morevery friendly service. Highly recommend! We had four different dishes and all were superb!

My fiancé and I received a cooking class as a Christmas gift and we were very excited to redeem it…read more Being a lover of food and the kitchen, I was excited to learn something new. Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by a friendly person that escorted us to the back of the restaurant to our class. The class was very intimate (6 people) and Bill was our host. He made sure we were comfortable, knew what was on the menu that night, and was very knowledgeable. The one thing that I enjoyed about this class was it was very simple--- creating complex flavors using simple ingredients. I was chopping/cooking with ingredients that I knew and the 6 of us worked together to create a 5 course meal. AMAZING!!! I would highly recommend this class because it literally felt like I was cooking with family. So much fun!

This was one of the most fun experiences we've had. Fumiko is fun, informative and patient. She…read moretaught us the finer points of sushi making, and explained how important using fresh ingredients is.She is funny too. Her kitchen was clean, welcoming and easy to use. This class offers the opportunity to make 3 varieties of sushi. It was great and so much fun! Fumiko also offers classes in dumpling making and full 5 course Japanese dinners. If we are ever in the area again, we will be back!

This was my second ever cooking class, but it was really fun and a great experience! Came with my…read morehusband and in-laws. Ambiance: Tucked behind a home in a residential area, the building in the back has been renovated to be able to have these classes. It was clean, spacious, and felt very homey. You know it's legit when there's two full stoves and a ginormous sink with the hanging hose. Host: Fumiko's very friendly and welcoming and quite frankly, reminds me a bit of my asian grandmother (which was good and bad, bc I really didn't want to disappoint her with my terrible cooking skills). Along with the instructions, she mixed a bit of her own history and experience as well as the history of sushi making. It was very thorough with nice touch personalization. We even got a printed version of the recipes to make at home! Food: We made 3 rolls of sushi with increasing levels of difficulty. While Fumiko made most of the base ingredients, we were responsible for putting and rolling everything together. The ingredients (cucumber, avocado, tuna, shrimp, salmon, etc) were fresh and fun to work with. Overall, a great experience and I would love to come back and do her other classes! Everyone had a great time and I'm confident I can make some decent sushi (the basics at least) at home.

I was wanting to learn how to make pupusas for years when a former coworker told me about the…read moreclasses at el Centro. The price was reasonable and the instruction was excellent. The teacher was an actual practitioner...you know makes pupusas in a restaurant and we learned about every aspect of preparing a tasty pupusa meal. We learned how to make beans, the dough for the pupusas, and most importantly, the curtido. So good. I would definitely recommend this as a fun and informative activity! And if definitely go again!

From the owner: Latin American Cooking Classes at El Centro de la Raza a non-profit organization, focuses on…read moreproviding a variety of Mexican and other Spanish dishes to its local community members. Tamales, Pozole, Ceviche, Chile Verde are all authentic dishes normally found in select Mexican resturants. Learning to cook delicious dishes like this is possible here at El Centro de la Raza.

Michael's artisan chocolates are both beautiful and delicious. The samplers are perfect for special…read moreoccasions and gifts! After you order online, call to arrange pick-up with Michael. I didn't realize I needed to initiate the call; however, after I called in, the pick-up was easy with minimal contact. I purchased two sampler boxes, one for myself and one as a gift. After every piece, I kept thinking "alright that's my favorite!" As it turns out, I loved them all. And so did my gift recipients! Bonus that they came in gorgeous packaging. The macarons were also very good and melted in my mouth. My favorite macaron flavor was the lemon because it had a strong tang that cut through the sweetness. (Lemon is not usually my favorite flavor for dessert!) I'm disappointed that I didn't know about Hot Chocolat much sooner. But I do know that I will be back soon for more treats. Solid 5 stars.

Hot Chocolat's chocolates and Macaroons are the best in town…read more I sent some chocolates as a birthday present to my grandson. He loved all! Dark chocolate matcha Te, mango, vegan coconut ganache, dark chocolate pistachio I recommend all! He made a beautiful and exquisite assortment inside the box. Chef Michael makes the best Chocolates in town! He has great attention to detail. I called him with some details about my order. I had a breakdown with him because I just lost my husband. He was carrying and attentive. Today, I received his amazing chocolates and a box of the best macaroons so flavorful, colorful, just perfect! How sweet and thoughtful is that?! He sweetened up my day with a delicious treat Thanks Chef Michael!

Trust me! You will be pleasantly surprised! Better than most if not all the commercial wines you…read morewill find in the supermarkets/liquor stores! Students work the tasting room and are very proud of their accomplishments they serve to you. Drop by and say Hello to Patty, Harvey, Linda, Edrogan or whoever is there! They would love to see you and speak about their wines!

The Northwest Wine Academy is a hidden gem of West Seattle. Everyone working in the tasting room is…read moreknowledgeable and you can tell by their energy that they are excited about wine and sharing it with their community. Tastings are extremely affordable at $8 for a flight of 4 wines and can be mix and matched as you choose based on whatever is available. Know that not all the wines will be good - they're all student made - but having worked my way through all of the wines that were being served over summer I can say with confidence that you will be able to find wines you like here. And the staff will help guide you towards ones that will fit your palate. The outdoor space is lovely and separated from the park lot. So bring a book and try out some new wines from aspiring wine makers.