When I first showed up on Suzanne's doorstep last fall, I didn't even know how to hold a knife,…read moremuch less use one. To me, an oven was 'that thing in the kitchen with lots of knobs on it, taking up space.' I blame a decade of living in Manhattan after college, a college cafeteria that was actually good, and even before that, lovely parents who probably took care of too many things themselves. Flash forward to six months ago, and there I was: a recent transplant to Marin--apparently, a land of dinner parties. I felt hopeless, and knew I'd soon have to start hosting guests at my house. Gulp. Then I found Suzanne! She is calm, kind, knowledgeable, and fun. Low-key, but somehow still high-energy. It's an excellent combination for a cooking instructor. Most of her classes feel like small gatherings of friends, even when no one knows each other--and that's really a credit to Suzanne. I've made lots of wonderful things in class, and successfully replicated them later, at home. I've also learned skills there--not just recipes--so I'm generally able to find my way around the kitchen much better than before. I haven't hosted a super fancy dinner party quite yet, but my oven is no longer something strange and vaguely scary. Learning how to cook properly is a true life skill--one I really wish I'd picked up earlier! So in a way, Suzanne has changed my life :) I'm not a beginner anymore, but I still go to her classes often. Lots of people who can already cook go, too--just to learn some new tricks and tips. I always learn something! I also just think they make for a fun evening. And if there's any other complete beginners out there... Trust me, if I can do it, you can!!

I had no idea what to expect with Cooking by the Bay. What I found was a welcoming atmosphere that…read moreencourages everything from beginner- to expert-level questions. The class provides all the equipment and foodstuffs, and ends with a fantastic meal; made more delicious because you can say it was your own handiwork! Suzanne is warm and attentive. Her home is perfect for hosting the small, private cooking lessons. With a total of 5 people attending our class, we worked as a group to create 4 dishes. She taught us some basic technique, as well as secret tricks of the trade. I highly recommend that you sign up for a class. You'll be glad you did!

Christa and her team at Marin Cooking are top notch professionals!…read more Recently, we hosted an intimate dinner party in our home and I wanted the menu and service to really shine for my guests. Christa made wonderful recommendations and gave me plenty of menu options to choose from. She and her team arrived promptly and proceeded to work their magic in the kitchen. The dinner was absolutely sumptuous and the service flawless. Our guests were so impressed and many asked for second helpings! Thank you Christa for making our dinner party such an easy and memorable occasion. Marin Cooking will be catering all of my events in the future!

I hired Christa to cater a small dinner party in my home. Christa was really great working with me…read morein the planning process and providing menu options to meet various dietary restrictions. On the night of the event I was blown away. The food and presentation surpassed my expectations. All of my guests commented on how the food was gorgeous and delicious. You can tell that Christa really loves what she does. Christa truly helped make the evening a special event. I would hire her again in a heartbeat. In fact, I may never cook again for a party!

We used it for a recent meeting. Great service, great facilitate, good price and AWESOME mission…read more Keep up the good work.

We hosted a small after wedding brunch at the Key Room and the experience exceeded expectations in…read moreevery respect. Darby was a gem to work with and helped make the event planning go so smoothly. The event staff during brunch was outstanding. They were efficient, friendly, hospitable and so very accommodating in every way. And the food was amazing. All in all the Key Room experience was better than the wedding venue. In fact, the food at the Key Room was much better! I would not hesitate to hold another event here. The icing on the cake is that all proceeds from these events go to support Homeward Bound of Marin in their mission to provide housing and build employment skills for the homeless and people facing crisis. You won't go wrong having your event here. Ten stars!

This cooking class was fabulous. Valerie is so nice, welcoming, and patient. My wife and I have…read moresome specific dietary needs, and Valerie offered to customize a class menu for us so that we could cook what we can actually eat! She was so friendly and accommodating, and the menu items she chose were delicious. She's a great instructor, and allowed us to take a hands-on approach and prepare the meals ourselves as she provided guidance. When the class was over, she gave us the recipes for the meals we cooked to take with us. Since the class, we have made every dish multiple times and love them. We will definitely schedule another session to soak up some more of Valerie's expertise. We highly recommend Valerie and Tutti Benvenuti!!

Some really great recipe education opportunities in a nice intimate setting. In my one class so…read morefar, I learned how to cook salmon properly and a great lentil dish. Both are regular additions to menus at home that my kids love. Definitely enjoyed the class and the recipes and would recommend!

I have been sending my daughters to the after school programming for years. Really impressive…read moreoperation. The food Jenny and Hope come back with is DELICIOUS and healthy. The girls have been inspired to help me out in the kitchen too. The owner is very responsive and has been flexible in making accommodations. Thanks, Lizzie and team!

This was my first experience; my daughter did a group holiday baking class. It was a little…read morechaotic. The business is run through the owner's home kitchen. There are 3 ovens which helped and a big island for prep space, but I didn't see anything going on that I couldn't have taught my daughter at home. The effort and intent was definitely there but the price for 1 person ($105) was way too high for something like this IMHO.

I wouldn't call it a cooking school, for the class we attended was more of an interactive culinary…read moreexperience. The class isn't designed to ensure that everyone get equal instruction/ demo or time interacting with each dish. Many components were already prepped, so I did a lot of asking to get caught up to speed as to what the ingredients were and how they were prepared. Tim, the head chef was fantastic - friendly, accommodating, and an overall great host. Snacks and beverages were available upon arrival, which was nice because we waited at least 20 minutes after the start time to actually get started. Tim then gave a brief introduction and some cooking tips. We then dispersed to different stations. For the next hour or so, we bounced from station to station to learn about different dishes and participate in making them. Sometimes there was chef instruction, sometimes not. I wish there was a chef at each station to get our money's worth. I noticed a lot of people wandering aimlessly and looking a little lost. I was sad to miss out on learning a couple dishes. Overall, for the price, I wish it was more organized/efficient. If you're looking for a casual cooking experience, then this is a lovely place to go if it doesn't break the bank. For me, it was too expensive for me to confidently recommend to others.

FANTASTIC cooking experience at Cavallo Point Cooking School!…read more The theme of our cooking session was "New Orleans Crawl." The menu consisted of: Jalapeno Biscuits Eggs Sardou Crab Cheesecake Shrimp & Grits Chicken Gumbo Beignets Max is 18 students in a session; a cozy fit around the dining table. Tim was our main chef and a wonderful host as were his two assistants. This class is interactive as much as you want it to be. If you're intimidated to participate or not comfortable being around the kitchen, that's ok. Feel free to listen and watch but these classes aren't cheap. It wouldn't hurt to get your hands dirty. Realistically, you won't be able to participate in preparing every dish; choose the dishes you're most interested in. When all is done, the students sit around the dining table to share the meal. There was plenty to go around more than once. My favorite was the Shrimp & Grits, Jalapeno Biscuits, and Beignets. YUM! The room is HUGE, clean, and beautiful. They offered a delicious charcuterie board but the drinks were extra to my surprise. I highly recommend arriving half hour early to find parking. Valet parking is available. The location is GORGEOUS. After class, you can sit outside on their porch and enjoy the sun, have a picnic on the grass, or walk around the area and take pictures of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate. It is stunning when the sun is out! A wonderful experience!

My nephew started the program he was on time engaged and really enjoying the experience almost…read morecompleted until they dropped him from classes saying he was not vocal enough to work in a kitchen. Really dropped from classes because not vocal enough. Don't recommend unless you don't mind being let down.

Great food, local celebrity chefs, good company, supporting local do-gooders, cooking class/demo,…read moreFresh Starts Culinary Academy graduates cooking in the kitchen while guests watch and are entertained by chefs doing their thing in the demo kitchen. Proceeds from the cooking demos go to support the nonprofit Homeward Bound. "I am your chef, not your doctor," Chef David Lawrence from 1300 on Fillmore was friendly welcoming funny and great at creating tasty French English Jamaican Southern comfort food. Traditionally prepared with island spice, southern warmth and lots of heavy cream and butter. He started with his signature Shrimp and Steel Cut Grits. That was creamy heaven in every bite. He then followed by another of his signature dishes, the Maple Syrup Short Ribs. With these he made a sweet dry rub and then seared the meat, added the mira poix, sautéed until caramelized, added broth, and some special ingredients and viola... (3 hours later if cooking at home). He finished with a Sweet Tea Pana Cotta. Between each demo Chef Lawrence walked around the room and answered questions, talked to guests and made for great company. The only thing that I would comment less than positively about the whole event was that I was scolded by the busser when I attempted to help by stacking my and my guests dishes. She said in a frantic whisper "don't stack your dishes I will get penalized". I don't know what that means but I wish her the best and hope she doesn't get "penalized" for my needing to get my plates out of my way.

I found this Pop-up event & thought its a nice idea. I t was a delightful evening, hands-on class &…read morethen we had dinner. The event held in the Chef's beautiful house & everything was well organized, well prepared & extremely flavorful! People at the group were very sweet & enjoyable to cook with. I highly recommend any event with Chef Mashav. She is really professional & knowledgeable!

What a fantastic tour by Mashav (the owner and the chef of Le Couloir)! Richmond neighborhood in SF…read moreis known for its mix of cultures, but Mashav masterfully uncovers all the hidden secrets and gems - Secrets only someone who lives in this community is familiar with. And she does that through food and hand-picked dishes that you will never uncover without a guide. Even though locations may change per tour, our group tasted a mix of cultures and got some stories behind the dishes, the restaurants, and their owners. Few examples - * Russian cuisine - Herring with a pickled onion on fresh bread * Indian street food - I was surprised how much I enjoyed this vegan street snack - I would have never ordered anything without meat, and I dislike spinach, but the fried spinach snack was mind-blowingly good. * Mexican - Quesadilla with plantain. Again, no meat but it was soooooo good. * Chinese - Glazed Pork and pork-filled bun I won't spoil the surprise for some of the other locations. And more, and more - Total of about 7-8 places. You won't stay hungry, guaranteed. The walk itself is not challenging; there are no hills to overcome, even though it's San Francisco. Don't wait - Just go!

A fun, interactive, and incredibly well done "Travel Around the World" Smart Cooking and Wine…read morePairing Event. My team and I had an amazing experience at Miggi's Kitchen. We learned to cook with the Thermomix while working in teams at different stations, preparing dishes from around the world. It was hands-on, interactive, and a lot of fun - every dish turned out delicious. Miggi is a fantastic teacher: clear, detailed, confident, and incredibly knowledgeable. She explains techniques in a way that's easy to understand, and we all walked away genuinely better cooks. We also paired the experience with wine tasting and learned how to taste and appreciate wine properly, which made the evening even more memorable. On top of that, Miggi's fun, warm personality really brings the whole experience together. My office team loved it and is still talking about it. Highly recommend for team events or anyone looking for a unique, engaging culinary experience.

Our group of 12 just completed an "around the world" cooking class with Miggi and we could not have…read morebeen happier. What a great environment - even better food, and Miggi was very entertaining and informative. We will definitely recommend this to friends. John S

What an awesome experience! Whether you're and experienced woodworker and just want to make…read moresomething cool or a total novice with zero wood experience, this is the place for you! Michael provides clear instructions, quality equipment, and personalized advice to help you through the build process. Classes are flexible and he allows you to customize your project however you like. It makes the project feel much more personal! I took the cutting board class and he let me choose my materials (I chose walnut with maple), size of the board, and unique touches that I thought looked cool (rounded edges, handles). I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. It's fun to say to be able to say that you built something with quality materials that is going to last for years! The class took about 4 hours which I thought was totally reasonable. And I walked out of there with a finished project that I could show off right away. The shop is easy to get to and Michael works with you on scheduling to make sure you complete your project in a timeframe that works for you. The whole thing is really easy convenient! I'm looking forward to returning and taking other classes!

I had a great day learning from Michael this week. He's patient and flexible with the curriculum,…read moretailoring the session to exactly what I needed and asked for. I learned the proper a/k/a safe way to use: miter saw, jointer, planer, table saw, track saw, and router table all in one day. He's open for collaboration on future projects outside of the fixed classes, so when I come up with something that goes beyond any of my skills, we'll work together to design and execute. Awesome experience all around. Lesson learned: safe woodworking means no gloves and no long sleeves, so prepare to keep your core warm for sessions during the winter months.