I attended a beer making class with the Alameda Elks and I had an absolute blast! Hans is a…read moregracious host with a true appreciation for beer and beer making. The snacks and soft pretzels were superb. The garden was stunning and the beer was delicious. I will definitely be back!

Loved the different varieties of pretzels! Also the variety of mustards, chocolate and cheese!…read moreThe beer was delicious! The garden is full and beautiful! Can't wait to go again

Five stars all the way to the amazing Chef Sara!…read more I have decided to treat my wife (who loves Indian/Pakistani food) to a cooking class, and I can honestly say that I can't think of anything that would have brought her more joy than these three wonderful hours with Sara. She was super friendly, hospitable and funny, and she even surprised us both by baking a birthday cake!. I must confess, I've never liked Indian food, but after tasting the chicken tikka masala with naan that we made, I changed my mind! My wife said that this was by far the best meal she's had in her life!!! Thank you Sara for making this the best birthday gift ever! Gabriel.

My sister had the brilliant idea of arranging a cooking class for my birthday. After a few internet…read moresearches of East Bay Area options, we settled on learning the art of Indian cuisine with Chef Sara. We couldn't be happier with our experience! Due to the winter holidays, when I booked the class, there was no group schedule posted online. After a quick email exchange, I was able to pick a date that was convenient for us. This worked out great for us because we ended up having a private lesson (we were unsure if our date was advertised and were pleasantly surprised when we learned it would be just us). When we arrived, Chef Sara gave us some warm Masala Chai tea (which was delicious). She picked out 3 main dishes for us: Chicken Korahi (Pakistani dish, a tad spicy due to our request); Cauliflower Curry; and Chana Dal (lentils). To top it off, we had chopati (similar to naan) and fried Pakora Dal dumplings (common to eat when it rains). Chef Sara was very pleasant, informative, and flexible to our interests. At the beginning, she asked if we preferred to watch her cook or help along the way. We chose the latter, although she did most of the leg work. The result was amazing - we were hungry by the end, but not starving because she gave us some tastes along the way. We learned some great tidbits, which was a treat for me since I love to cook, but haven't ventured into the world of spices and techniques that Indian cooking offers. The only downside for us was having to travel to the Hercules location (we were hoping for Berkeley or Oakland), but it was worth the trip. All in all, cooking with Chef Sara had a very homey feel (partially because we are in her home, but also because of her down to earth style). Highly recommend signing up for a class! We hope to return with our significant others, perhaps for a special occasion.

Laney's culinary art program was such a delightful experience…read more In the two years of being apart of Laney Culinary Program it taught me mandatory skills about the cooking industry while learning exotic skills and safety techniques. Here's the rundown: If cooking is something you enjoy, the 2 year program will go pass so fast! Each morning we had to be at school in the kitchen fully dressed in our uniform ready for breakfast service, usually before sunrise. In the first semester we learned a variety of sanitation safety skills while also being introduced to the first semester main kitchen and lunchroom. First semester focused on teaching sanitation safety, utensil knowledge and knife skills. Second semester was a little different . Students focused on measurement and learned the difference in weights of food in standardized recipes. Also skills obtained were portion control as well as hospitality management. Learning how to work together in the busy lunch room fixing lunch to the hungry faculty helped gain teamwork and communication skills. Third semester however was much more complex. You are transferred to the other side of the school with a whole new kitchen. In third semester you cook fresh exciting exotic new dishes for the schools bistro restaurant. Third semester taught people skills and was much more hands on. Focusing more about culture and discovering new cuisines around the world. Also in third semester you are introduced to cooking and serving as a waiter in the Bistro. You get an trial run of cooking and working in the industry hands on. Fourth semester of Laney Culinary is a breeze it's everything your have learned all wrapped up. You get to run and invent your own full course recipes with classmates and execute it at the end for final completion of a passing grade. In the end of the two years you graduate with an A.S degree, Food handling Certificate, and a Safe Serve certainly; not to mention wonderful new friends and mentors and a great experience. Mandatory kitchen accessories and certificates as well as books are required. It's Nothing to worry about until fully settled in class.

James was a pleasure as a host and a teacher! He is not only an amazing chef but he loves to host…read more He warmly welcomed us, showed us how to make pizza and let us be social amongst friends. Felt like our own kitchen. I would highly recommend.

In an article published in January of this year, Chronicle Staff Writer Janine DeFao wrote…read more"Culinary speakeasies ... are popping up in cities in the Bay Area and beyond, across the country and around the world. Part of the thrill, of course, is the hipness factor, the ego-inflating I-know-something-or-somebody-you-don't-know feeling that comes with being on a VIP list." So naturally, when the opportunity for me to eat at one of these "homegrown supper clubs" arrived I jumped at the chance, particularly since my friend and former colleague, James Stolich, was at the helm. I had no idea what to expect when I arrived at the beautiful San Francisco flat James lives and cooks in. After a tour of their home, I joined James in the kitchen to watch him in action as he prepared a six course meal for twelve. His marble counter and timeless appliances are the stuff self-professed epicureans like me dream about (while living in studio apartments with little counter space and undersized refrigerators.) Having known James in a primarily professional capacity (we worked together at a UK-based digital business consultancy during the height of the dot com boom) it was a joy to see he's as adept at cooking as he is as an interactive producer. The crowd on Friday night was as eclectic as it was international. As Pia is from Italy, the Italians were well-represented. Other folks hailed from a variety of exotic locales including Queens, Atlanta, Romania and France. While some folks congregated at the table, others mingled in the kitchen either helping James or quizzing him on his preparations. The night began with champagne and appetizers which included prosciutto and roasted cashews with olive oil, sea salt and lime. The subsequent six courses were wonderfully prepared, seasonally appropriate and above all, delicious! From the burrata cheese and golden beet salad to the restaurant-worthy sweet tomato gazpacho and the handmade gnocchi, I was thoroughly impressed at every turn. If you're growing bored of the restaurant scene or just want to try something new, I highly recommend Cook With James.

What a fun way to spend a few hours! We purchased a Travelzoo deal to take the Ethiopian cooking…read moreclass which was located at a warehouse in Oakland. We had a full class of 12, and each pair was in charge of preparing and cooking a vegetarian or a meat dish. In the beginning of the class, our instructor discussed the various spices and we had the opportunity to try them. Afterwards, she assigned various tasks and dishes for each pair to do. Everyone made a different dish which provided variety. However, everyone used the alicha (yellow) spice so all the dishes were yellow. I wish we had the opportunity to use the red spice. The best part of the day was actually eating everything that we made. We also had the opportunity to drink honey wine. If you want to cook Ethiopian food at home, you can purchase the spices from Brundo.

Really enjoyable cooking class. Our class was small with only 4 people, but Adey says there are…read morenever usually more than 8, so she's super attentive. We had a groupon that covered the class, a few take-home spices, a cookbook, and we had plenty of leftovers to take home as well. Adey and her assistant Brandon were awesome (Brandon kept us topped up with honey wine)!! Really fun class if you already enjoy Ethiopian food, or if you, like my mom, enjoy learning different cultures through cuisine! It was nice to be able to buy the few extra ingredients necessary to replicate what we made in class. Bonus that they accept bank cards.

Name a more productive way to pass the time during a pandemic than to study for the PMP. Before I…read moretook CJ's Virtual PMP Master Class, I was having a difficult time grasping PMP concepts and process framework through self-study. His use of relatable analogies and engaging anecdotes activated parts of my brain that I feel helped convert concepts into my own logical ideas and practical experience, thus helping me to remember the content. If you've ever fallen asleep reading the PMBOK, then this course is for you - definitely 100% worth the investment!! I ended up being the only student in the course due to a group rescheduling and was given the option keep the course or roll into the next one. I decided to take the course and although I'm sure solo is a very different experience vs. group, feel very fortunate to have had this sort of "coaching" type experience. The statement on the course webpage "Guaranteed to run on dates listed" is 100% accurate. Case in point - CJ is a devoted Dodgers fan and instead of watching the world series live, opted to hold the session scheduled for that evening which speaks volumes about his dedication to his students' success and his profession! I didn't even know there was a baseball game on. I still can't believe I was able to memorize earned value management formulas in less than an hour. CJ shares tried and true best practices to help prepare for exam day as well as valuable test-taking approaches that I don't really see anywhere else. After each session I felt even more energized and motivated than the last. Thanks so much CJ!!

Great PMP prep instruction! I learned so much. CJ makes the PMI info interesting and fun!…read more Took his class through Project Management Academy:)

Not going to go into a negative rant. All I know is after 2 minutes on the phone with her, I knew…read moreshe was not the lady for me. What a Wack-a-doo! Wouldn't take a class from her if you paid me. After seeing all the stars on yelp, glad she's helping somebody! Good luck. And God bless!

Psalm is amazing! I've always had a slim build which…read morerequired no work to maintain. I recognized how horribly I ate once I got pregnant. I never had to worry about weight gain so calories and nutrition were never on my radar. My feeble attempt at healthy eating was derailed by misinformation and miseducation. I was so clueless about what was actually good for me and my little girl! I was determined to turn that around! I met Psalm, the Collard Gal herself, at a vendor health fair given by my job/union. She lured me in with some raw food dessert samples and quickly turned me onto the green smoothie recipes on her site. I've been hooked ever since! I'm in no way a health food expert but I certainly know how to enjoy it. I've been broadening my horizons too! There is a vegan protein class that I'm signed up for! Hehehe! I'm being adventurous and it has paid off thus far! Jerk tempeh here I come! Highly recommended.

This place is great I highly recommend it! The food is tasty, healthy and this place has greatly…read morehelped me with my dieting routine! Great stuff, Love It!!!