Good Tastes of Tuscany - Day Classes
Good Tastes of Tuscany - Day Classes
Good Tastes of Tuscany - Day Classes
5
About
Cooking Classes in Tuscany - Wine Tastings in Tuscany - Excursions & Tours in Tuscany and beyond - Villa Rentals & Accommodations - Gastronomic Excursions - Hands-on Single-day Tuscan Cooking Classes - 7-Day Gastronomical Adventures - Tuscan Weddings & Events - Market Tours - Cheese & Olive Oil Tastings - Truffle Hunting. Good Tastes of Tuscany is a Cooking school in Italy near Florence that offers hands-on Cooking Classes in Tuscany. Enjoy a rewarding day or 2 or a week in the unique spacious kitchen of the Renaissance masterpiece in Villa Pandolfini with hands on cooking lessons with one of our qualified Italian chefs who will teach you all the tricks and techniques of the Authentic Tuscan cuisine... We offer a shuttle from Florence center. Your accommodations will be on a wine and olive estate close to Florence in the amazingly beautiful Villa Pandolfini.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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Jeffrey B
1 contribution
Oct 2016 • Solo
I'm a recent graduate of culinary school and worked as a sous chef in a gourmet restaurant in NC and decided to take the month long master course to further my education. This was absolutely the best experience of my life and everything in the course exceeded all expectations.
The first thing I need to address is the wonderful hospitality that the owner, Massimo showed. He is an exquisite person who cares a great deal of his school, and it certainly shows. He made me, and all of the other students I lived with in the house feel like we were in a family, which was a delightful surprise.
Moving on to the instructions from the chefs; all of them were extremely knowledgeable in their regions and food, and were able to pass their knowledge to all the students (professional and amateurs). I've met and worked with plenty of chefs who are extremely talented, but I've never met a group that were so patient and good with people.
My next point of review will the living conditions. There were a couple of people who opted out and decided to not stay on the campus; and in my opinion, they missed out. I, along with 4 others stayed at "casa Rossa" and it was absolutely breathtaking. Both literally and figuratively. There were olive trees, grape vines, a dog tree, a pool and an incredible view from the house that made waking up every morning spectacular. The driveway was a bit of a hike, but the exercise was welcoming after eating so much everyday.
Now, the most important part; the food. My grandmother was Italian and my boss had worked in Italy and NYC for a number of years (both made some of the most delicious food I've had). The menu was very genuine and well put together. It's very obvious there was a lot of thought in the menu. There were a couple days where we switched things up because they couldn't get the ingredients fresh or they weren't in season, and to me, that means a lot. The entire month, there wasn't a single meal that wasn't amazing.
In conclusion, this was a chapter in my life that I will miss more than anything. I hated saying bye to such an amazing atmosphere and such wonderful people, but I'm glad I had the opportunity. If anyone is having second thoughts, please don't. It's an incredible opportunity to learn about real Italian cooking.
The first thing I need to address is the wonderful hospitality that the owner, Massimo showed. He is an exquisite person who cares a great deal of his school, and it certainly shows. He made me, and all of the other students I lived with in the house feel like we were in a family, which was a delightful surprise.
Moving on to the instructions from the chefs; all of them were extremely knowledgeable in their regions and food, and were able to pass their knowledge to all the students (professional and amateurs). I've met and worked with plenty of chefs who are extremely talented, but I've never met a group that were so patient and good with people.
My next point of review will the living conditions. There were a couple of people who opted out and decided to not stay on the campus; and in my opinion, they missed out. I, along with 4 others stayed at "casa Rossa" and it was absolutely breathtaking. Both literally and figuratively. There were olive trees, grape vines, a dog tree, a pool and an incredible view from the house that made waking up every morning spectacular. The driveway was a bit of a hike, but the exercise was welcoming after eating so much everyday.
Now, the most important part; the food. My grandmother was Italian and my boss had worked in Italy and NYC for a number of years (both made some of the most delicious food I've had). The menu was very genuine and well put together. It's very obvious there was a lot of thought in the menu. There were a couple days where we switched things up because they couldn't get the ingredients fresh or they weren't in season, and to me, that means a lot. The entire month, there wasn't a single meal that wasn't amazing.
In conclusion, this was a chapter in my life that I will miss more than anything. I hated saying bye to such an amazing atmosphere and such wonderful people, but I'm glad I had the opportunity. If anyone is having second thoughts, please don't. It's an incredible opportunity to learn about real Italian cooking.
Written November 7, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
callenbrandt
Rochester, NY18 contributions
Jun 2014 • Friends
When we finally made the decision to take a week long cooking class in Tuscany I took the research seriously. I investigated four other options and created a pro's con's worksheet and we picked Good Tastes of Tuscany. After some back and forth e-mails and conversations with Meghan we booked the week of June 8.
The two of us joined 4 other fabulous ladies in la Casa Rosa on the estate. We had never met the other ladies until the day we arrived. We felt the lucky ones because the chemistry in the house was perfect. Why not? We had the love of cooking, touring and savoring wines in common. The house was rustic but very comfortable. Even with 97 degree temps we were comfortable without air conditioning in the evenings. We were in an upstairs bedroom with one double bed and one single with a newly renovated bath. The mattress was comfortable and the room spacious with plenty for storage for our stuff. But, the outside veranda was the favorite gathering place overlooking the greenery of the Tuscan hills and colorful flowers.
Going into town did turn out to be further than we expected, but Meghan was very accommodating with providing drop-off and pick-ups.
The cooking classes exceeded our expectations with Lucianno, the chef, as the star of our week. Be sure to go on the trip to the market in Florence with Lucianno he makes it a touring adventure with tasting of balsamic vinegar, aged cheeses. Plus, he will guide you to where to buy all of those culinary gems you want to bring home.
Pick this school for a combination of cooking pleasure, treasure chest of cooking tips, making new friends, and fond memories to warm your heart for a lifetime.
The two of us joined 4 other fabulous ladies in la Casa Rosa on the estate. We had never met the other ladies until the day we arrived. We felt the lucky ones because the chemistry in the house was perfect. Why not? We had the love of cooking, touring and savoring wines in common. The house was rustic but very comfortable. Even with 97 degree temps we were comfortable without air conditioning in the evenings. We were in an upstairs bedroom with one double bed and one single with a newly renovated bath. The mattress was comfortable and the room spacious with plenty for storage for our stuff. But, the outside veranda was the favorite gathering place overlooking the greenery of the Tuscan hills and colorful flowers.
Going into town did turn out to be further than we expected, but Meghan was very accommodating with providing drop-off and pick-ups.
The cooking classes exceeded our expectations with Lucianno, the chef, as the star of our week. Be sure to go on the trip to the market in Florence with Lucianno he makes it a touring adventure with tasting of balsamic vinegar, aged cheeses. Plus, he will guide you to where to buy all of those culinary gems you want to bring home.
Pick this school for a combination of cooking pleasure, treasure chest of cooking tips, making new friends, and fond memories to warm your heart for a lifetime.
Written August 4, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Haylee84
Gold Coast, Australia37 contributions
We booked in for a one day cooking class with Good Tastes of Tuscany as a fun way to break up the museums and churches with a bit of a different experience. We were not disappointed - it ended up being what we raved about to friends and family once we returned home!
The day begins with being picked up at a central site in Florence near the city centre by mini bus. They took us to a lovely (huge) villa where we were greeted by the very friendly coordinator Elizabeth (an Australian ex-pat now living in Italy). After a quick espresso and introductions to the other class members we met our cooking instructors and began to prepare the daunting 6 dish menu.
Initially we were apprehensive that our lack of any previous training might make the day difficult however we were closely guided into creating what we modestly refer to as the best meal of our trip! The instructors are a lovely older Italian couple with a lot of great tips and most importantly they laughed along with us as we fumbled with the pasta dough.
Accompanying the meals was delicious (and plentiful!) wine from the region and before we knew it we were seated at the table with new friends and huge appetites.
The day wrapped up with us wishing that we had booked another lesson but armed with the recipes (in a book with many others), a good tastes apron and lots of great memories and photos. After goodbyes were said we were dropped back into Florence with enough time to see some more sights!
Here is what we prepared to make you hungry...
- Bruschetta with black cabbage and sausage (tastes so much better than it sounds)
- Eggplant and walnut ravioli (made from scratch!)
- Artichoke risotto
- Baked pork with grapes
- Roasted potatoes with sage and rosemary
- Pears cooked in red wine and served with vanilla custard and reduced red wine syrup (divine!)
We highly recommend this to anyone wanting to try some traditional Tuscan cuisine - we'll be back ASAP!
The day begins with being picked up at a central site in Florence near the city centre by mini bus. They took us to a lovely (huge) villa where we were greeted by the very friendly coordinator Elizabeth (an Australian ex-pat now living in Italy). After a quick espresso and introductions to the other class members we met our cooking instructors and began to prepare the daunting 6 dish menu.
Initially we were apprehensive that our lack of any previous training might make the day difficult however we were closely guided into creating what we modestly refer to as the best meal of our trip! The instructors are a lovely older Italian couple with a lot of great tips and most importantly they laughed along with us as we fumbled with the pasta dough.
Accompanying the meals was delicious (and plentiful!) wine from the region and before we knew it we were seated at the table with new friends and huge appetites.
The day wrapped up with us wishing that we had booked another lesson but armed with the recipes (in a book with many others), a good tastes apron and lots of great memories and photos. After goodbyes were said we were dropped back into Florence with enough time to see some more sights!
Here is what we prepared to make you hungry...
- Bruschetta with black cabbage and sausage (tastes so much better than it sounds)
- Eggplant and walnut ravioli (made from scratch!)
- Artichoke risotto
- Baked pork with grapes
- Roasted potatoes with sage and rosemary
- Pears cooked in red wine and served with vanilla custard and reduced red wine syrup (divine!)
We highly recommend this to anyone wanting to try some traditional Tuscan cuisine - we'll be back ASAP!
Written February 13, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brice P
Jersey City, NJ12 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
A frustrating experience recently that is hopefully an outlier. Upon arrival, our chef was nice but frantically preparing a menu and locating items through the kitchen. There was no real warm welcome. We had to wait about 30 minutes for groceries from the grocery store to use, during which we just stood around awkwardly. We were told the meal was vegetarian and our chef was a vegetarian chef with a restaurant in Florence. The problem is, he was (forced?) to use recipes from a book on display in the industrial kitchen we were in that he was unfamiliar with.
Instead of being a calm, fun experience, this class was filled with 5-10 phone calls from the chef asking where various tools and pans and implements were. When telling us how to make his vegetarian broth, he discovered two of the three ingredients (white onion and celery, basic ingredients a kitchen should have) were nowhere to be found. This chef was cooking from a recipe book that he was unfamiliar with so there was a lot of “hmm” and questions coming from him towards the recipes, which took much longer to do because of the unfamiliarity. Because of this, our group of four was basically working one at a time and taking turns due to lack of familiarity.
Because of all this trouble, we never finished cooking all the items we should have. We spent over an hour prepping a short crust pastry and filling for it, as well as cracking eggs for meringue. Mind you, the kitchen did not even have the proper tin for this dessert so it was doomed from the start. The owner had to run out and get cupcake tins, which the pastry did not work with.
The third item of the meal, a delicious risotto, was finished right at the 5 hour mark at 3PM. Our chef had to leave but we basically asked politely how to taste the pastry and cream. He threw something together but we never made meringue. In the last 20 minutes, we had to eat a full plate of creamy blue cheese risotto and a small pastry tart. Even though we ran out of time with the chef, we were never made welcome to stay and finish our dessert. We had to quickly eat it, without meringue and out of a tin that was incorrect. We were not allowed to stay despite never finishing our meal and were essentially kicked out by the owner.
This was the worst experience and an absolute WASTE of a day in beautiful Firenze.
Instead of being a calm, fun experience, this class was filled with 5-10 phone calls from the chef asking where various tools and pans and implements were. When telling us how to make his vegetarian broth, he discovered two of the three ingredients (white onion and celery, basic ingredients a kitchen should have) were nowhere to be found. This chef was cooking from a recipe book that he was unfamiliar with so there was a lot of “hmm” and questions coming from him towards the recipes, which took much longer to do because of the unfamiliarity. Because of this, our group of four was basically working one at a time and taking turns due to lack of familiarity.
Because of all this trouble, we never finished cooking all the items we should have. We spent over an hour prepping a short crust pastry and filling for it, as well as cracking eggs for meringue. Mind you, the kitchen did not even have the proper tin for this dessert so it was doomed from the start. The owner had to run out and get cupcake tins, which the pastry did not work with.
The third item of the meal, a delicious risotto, was finished right at the 5 hour mark at 3PM. Our chef had to leave but we basically asked politely how to taste the pastry and cream. He threw something together but we never made meringue. In the last 20 minutes, we had to eat a full plate of creamy blue cheese risotto and a small pastry tart. Even though we ran out of time with the chef, we were never made welcome to stay and finish our dessert. We had to quickly eat it, without meringue and out of a tin that was incorrect. We were not allowed to stay despite never finishing our meal and were essentially kicked out by the owner.
This was the worst experience and an absolute WASTE of a day in beautiful Firenze.
Written March 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
goingitalone
New York City2 contributions
Sep 2011 • Solo
If you don't know anything about cooking this is probably perfect for
you. I am over 60 and have been cooking for my family for many years
and have adult children who also are accomplished cooks. I don't have
a degree in culinary arts but have sold food to restaurants and been
approached to teach cooking classes in New York City. As I know a lot
about cooking, this, for me was a waste of time, energy and money from
the beginning. Emails and phone calls were not answered very promptly
and fter asking many times if these classes were hands on or
demonstration, I got answers such as "If we bought a pork loin for
every student, we would go out of business,"from one of the owners via
email. Stupidly I signed up thinking it would be all right.
Being told to be at the meeting point in Florence at a specific time
as the van would leave without me, I arrived 10 minutes early. One of
the owners was to pick me up but she showed up over fifteen minutes
late making me late for the first class I was taking. She told me
about the professional kitchen I would be cooking in which was less
professional than my home kitchen. There were plastic bowls in the
kitchen and knives which have not been sharpened in ages and won't cut
soft vegetables such as zucchinis and tomatoes. When I asked for a
sharpener from the chef, I was told there wasn't any way to sharpen
them. And the cutting of vegetables was one of the few hands on part
of the class for most people. Most of it was demonstration. Making
pasta was a hands on section of the class. But instead of giving each
person the flour and eggs to make pasta dough, the class was divided
into three sections one for each of three groups (twelve people in the
class making each group four people). So at least three people didn't
get to do much for the pasta dough. And instead of rolling the dough
by hand which is the traditional way, a pasta roller was used which
doesn't make the dough very tender. Anyone could read the ingredients
in the cookbook (more on that later) but getting experience on the
feel of the dough when it is ready to roll and rolling it by hand
should be something everyone gets to experience. The teacher basically
made everything else with the except the chicken liver pate for Tuscan
crostini and the risotto. The chicken liver pate was something I
wanted to learn to make and was allowed to make some of it but not
allowed to use the immersion blender to puree it. For the risotto, I
taught two people to make it during the class as I make it at home all
the time.
The chefs use recipes from the cookbook the owners have written but
make adjustments to them so if you don't follow and take notes, you
really don't have the recipe to take home. They change measurements as
well as ingredients to accommodate their preferences as well as what
is available for the class. There are only three wooden spoons in the
drawerof utensils to be used and very few strainers. There are two
ladles of different sizes but that is all. The utensils were sparer
than those in my house and reminded me of renting furnished beach
houses. And the plastic bowls are usually metal in a professional
kitchen and in kitchens where cooking is taught. They are not
something I didn't see all over Italy as they were easily available.
I signed up for two 5 hour classes on two consecutive days which were
the advanced classes. What apparently made them advanced was the fact
they were five rather than four hours which included eating what had
been prepared. Most of the participants in the class had little
experience in the kitchen and some confessed to me that they never
have cooked. These were the people who expressed they had learned some
things in the class. The students who knew something about cooking
(incuding the women in the class who had cooked for their families for
years might have learned little or nothing. They people who were so
un-advanced they didn't know what egg whites beaten to stiff peaks
were, much less could they do it in the small plastic bowl they were
given and the hand mixer they were supplied with. This was normal for
the class (a word I use loosely to describe the experience).
All in all, these classes were a waste of time and money. And is it
advanced? Well, the regular class is 4 hours, both include the time it
takes to eat after the food is ready and I suspect there is no
difference. Everyone making pasta would have not cost the owners a
significant amount of money and something would have been taught to
everyone hands on instead of listening to someone tell what they were
doing. Even the meat one day was preseasoned and tied before the
class. As for the chefs, one was quite good and good at explanation
the other mediocre at best. After taking three series of cooking
lessons in Bologna and Tuscany, I know anything is better than this
school. Don't bother if you are really interested in cooking as you
won't get too much experience and learn anything here.
you. I am over 60 and have been cooking for my family for many years
and have adult children who also are accomplished cooks. I don't have
a degree in culinary arts but have sold food to restaurants and been
approached to teach cooking classes in New York City. As I know a lot
about cooking, this, for me was a waste of time, energy and money from
the beginning. Emails and phone calls were not answered very promptly
and fter asking many times if these classes were hands on or
demonstration, I got answers such as "If we bought a pork loin for
every student, we would go out of business,"from one of the owners via
email. Stupidly I signed up thinking it would be all right.
Being told to be at the meeting point in Florence at a specific time
as the van would leave without me, I arrived 10 minutes early. One of
the owners was to pick me up but she showed up over fifteen minutes
late making me late for the first class I was taking. She told me
about the professional kitchen I would be cooking in which was less
professional than my home kitchen. There were plastic bowls in the
kitchen and knives which have not been sharpened in ages and won't cut
soft vegetables such as zucchinis and tomatoes. When I asked for a
sharpener from the chef, I was told there wasn't any way to sharpen
them. And the cutting of vegetables was one of the few hands on part
of the class for most people. Most of it was demonstration. Making
pasta was a hands on section of the class. But instead of giving each
person the flour and eggs to make pasta dough, the class was divided
into three sections one for each of three groups (twelve people in the
class making each group four people). So at least three people didn't
get to do much for the pasta dough. And instead of rolling the dough
by hand which is the traditional way, a pasta roller was used which
doesn't make the dough very tender. Anyone could read the ingredients
in the cookbook (more on that later) but getting experience on the
feel of the dough when it is ready to roll and rolling it by hand
should be something everyone gets to experience. The teacher basically
made everything else with the except the chicken liver pate for Tuscan
crostini and the risotto. The chicken liver pate was something I
wanted to learn to make and was allowed to make some of it but not
allowed to use the immersion blender to puree it. For the risotto, I
taught two people to make it during the class as I make it at home all
the time.
The chefs use recipes from the cookbook the owners have written but
make adjustments to them so if you don't follow and take notes, you
really don't have the recipe to take home. They change measurements as
well as ingredients to accommodate their preferences as well as what
is available for the class. There are only three wooden spoons in the
drawerof utensils to be used and very few strainers. There are two
ladles of different sizes but that is all. The utensils were sparer
than those in my house and reminded me of renting furnished beach
houses. And the plastic bowls are usually metal in a professional
kitchen and in kitchens where cooking is taught. They are not
something I didn't see all over Italy as they were easily available.
I signed up for two 5 hour classes on two consecutive days which were
the advanced classes. What apparently made them advanced was the fact
they were five rather than four hours which included eating what had
been prepared. Most of the participants in the class had little
experience in the kitchen and some confessed to me that they never
have cooked. These were the people who expressed they had learned some
things in the class. The students who knew something about cooking
(incuding the women in the class who had cooked for their families for
years might have learned little or nothing. They people who were so
un-advanced they didn't know what egg whites beaten to stiff peaks
were, much less could they do it in the small plastic bowl they were
given and the hand mixer they were supplied with. This was normal for
the class (a word I use loosely to describe the experience).
All in all, these classes were a waste of time and money. And is it
advanced? Well, the regular class is 4 hours, both include the time it
takes to eat after the food is ready and I suspect there is no
difference. Everyone making pasta would have not cost the owners a
significant amount of money and something would have been taught to
everyone hands on instead of listening to someone tell what they were
doing. Even the meat one day was preseasoned and tied before the
class. As for the chefs, one was quite good and good at explanation
the other mediocre at best. After taking three series of cooking
lessons in Bologna and Tuscany, I know anything is better than this
school. Don't bother if you are really interested in cooking as you
won't get too much experience and learn anything here.
Written September 22, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LovesToTravl
Charlotte, NC1 contribution
Jul 2015 • Couples
My husband and I traveled to Italy for 10 days and one of the things we were most looking forward to was taking a half day cooking class with a real Italian chef! We had received some good feedback about Good Tastes of Tuscany and decided to sign up for the introductory Italian cook class, An Italian Immersion. It's pretty expensive but it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip so we decided to go for it.
I emailed back and forth with June for a bit and we finally settled on an evening class on a Thursday. She was quite pleasant and very helpful. Unfortunately, the good experience ended there. They had put us in a class with other students who were on their last day of a week long class. Needless to say, we spent more time listening to them talk about their experiences and conversing with the chef than we did learning the basics. The chef didn't actually teach us many of the basics (didn't learn how to roll pasta or make a basic tomato sauce) because the other students had already learned that during the week. However, the worse part was yet to come. We found out about 2 hours after the class started that the owners had invited a family of 12 to join them for dinner (the family had to pay for this experience). And it seemed that we were going to be preparing their dinner and serving them. As time went by, the chef realized he was running behind and instead of teaching us, he was rushing around trying to prepare dinner for this family. We were his helpers and did what he needed us to do. I do want to point out that none of this was the chef's fault, he was great, but it was the fault of the owner and June who scheduled this awful class in such a way. Once the guests arrived, we prepared each course for them and ourselves, sat down to eat and then quickly got up to prepare the next course. It was horrible. We paid to be servers.
We confronted June and others and have emailed them numerous times but have received no responses. Please be very careful when you sign up with them, do not go directly through them but through an agency for your own protection. They have a great money making scheme. They make you pay excessively to be servers and charge the dinner "guests" for the meal.
I emailed back and forth with June for a bit and we finally settled on an evening class on a Thursday. She was quite pleasant and very helpful. Unfortunately, the good experience ended there. They had put us in a class with other students who were on their last day of a week long class. Needless to say, we spent more time listening to them talk about their experiences and conversing with the chef than we did learning the basics. The chef didn't actually teach us many of the basics (didn't learn how to roll pasta or make a basic tomato sauce) because the other students had already learned that during the week. However, the worse part was yet to come. We found out about 2 hours after the class started that the owners had invited a family of 12 to join them for dinner (the family had to pay for this experience). And it seemed that we were going to be preparing their dinner and serving them. As time went by, the chef realized he was running behind and instead of teaching us, he was rushing around trying to prepare dinner for this family. We were his helpers and did what he needed us to do. I do want to point out that none of this was the chef's fault, he was great, but it was the fault of the owner and June who scheduled this awful class in such a way. Once the guests arrived, we prepared each course for them and ourselves, sat down to eat and then quickly got up to prepare the next course. It was horrible. We paid to be servers.
We confronted June and others and have emailed them numerous times but have received no responses. Please be very careful when you sign up with them, do not go directly through them but through an agency for your own protection. They have a great money making scheme. They make you pay excessively to be servers and charge the dinner "guests" for the meal.
Written August 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We appreciate your very comprehensive review.
We also apologise for the delay in responding however those who could give the feedback were on vacation , August is the month of Ferragosto in Italy and most people go away.
Our classes are constructed in a way that each day the menu is completely new hence even if someone has been to our classes previously (we have many return clients) the experience is always different, 3 lovely young ladies who were with us for several courses that week had not made anything that was on the menu that evening ,as happy as we are they had such a wonderful time we apologise if their enthusiasm was not appreciated by you.
The class was structured as a complete 5-course menu for you to prepare, including hand-rolled pasta with sauce. It was only upon arrival to the kitchen did you mention your specific requests. The chef went out of his way to add in an additional two dishes for you for a total of 7 recipes. Alas, you then spent a considerable amount of time outside the kitchen seemingly arguing loudly with your husband and smoking cigarettes on a number of occasions. Although the chef tried to hold up the group to wait for you, eventually the class had to go on.
The chef also expressed difficulties trying to teach due to the large amounts of wine consumed during the lesson. Not only did you miss out on the instruction but the chef had to finish everything off towards the end to make up for your absence and the hold-up. We then sat down for what was a lovely meal with a couple of additional guests in attendance that had been to a show cooking lesson, owners of the school and two people that promote the classes . Although everyone else at the table was having a great time chatting to each other, you refused to speak with anyone.
Three times during the course of the lesson when asked if you were enjoying the class you and your husband responded yes definitely and said how good the chef was.
No one was asked to serve , the girls felt at home and liked also to see the final touches to the food before being plated so wanted to bring the food to the table, everyone cleared the dishes between courses and you were specifically told to relax and enjoy your meal that you did not have to get up , it was a choice by those that did.
At that end of the full meal you requested your new apron, not only did you start speaking rudely and threateningly to June, you also started poking her, it was quite upsetting to those that witnessed it. Following your unacceptable behaviour, we felt it unnecessary to interact with you further. It is thus unfortunate to have to reply to you in a public forum since we were quite happy to forget about the entire experience. We do appreciate that you found June's initial correspondence to be pleasant and enjoyed the time passed with the chef and thank you for these nice comments.
We know that Chef Luciano goes beyond his call of duty to teach as this is his passion which is expressed so often by all. Also before leaving with the driver your comments about the chef were inconsistent saying he had not taught you , we asked for the Chef to come and discuss the situation and you then said "no , no he was brilliant I have nothing bad to say about him" with that you left in the car.
Written September 8, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Katherine
75 contributions
Sep 2016 • Couples
The class was okay and nothing bad about it, but I will outline the things that could have made it better and why I personally would elect a different class next time. It is probably 3 star but I gave 2 because for the cost I expect more.
1) the chef didn't have beer personality and wasn't an involved host. Other people in class who were there the previous day said that it was way better then so maybe I just hit a bad day.
2) we didn't do much actual cooking- lots of observing .... I am okay with this but I personally prefer a station and cooking my own things. Also as part of sharing you have people with tasting spoons sticking in pots to taste and reusing and that wasn't appealing to me.
3) no appetizers /drinks during process
You show up hungry to cooking class and very hard to cook for hours with no snack. In addition, friends who have done similar classes where the group watches the chef and cooks together had alcohol throughout the day. We had a glass at dinner. A little food and beverage would have improved the mood a lot.
4) the food was good but with the style of not making your own dishes no room to customize
5) based on other classes I think this was overpriced. Don't even have recipes as take home since the book they gave both in name and directions doesn't match what we actually cooked. Good recipes in there I am sure and I could have taken notes but on vacation I wanted to focus on enjoying the class and not recording.
1) the chef didn't have beer personality and wasn't an involved host. Other people in class who were there the previous day said that it was way better then so maybe I just hit a bad day.
2) we didn't do much actual cooking- lots of observing .... I am okay with this but I personally prefer a station and cooking my own things. Also as part of sharing you have people with tasting spoons sticking in pots to taste and reusing and that wasn't appealing to me.
3) no appetizers /drinks during process
You show up hungry to cooking class and very hard to cook for hours with no snack. In addition, friends who have done similar classes where the group watches the chef and cooks together had alcohol throughout the day. We had a glass at dinner. A little food and beverage would have improved the mood a lot.
4) the food was good but with the style of not making your own dishes no room to customize
5) based on other classes I think this was overpriced. Don't even have recipes as take home since the book they gave both in name and directions doesn't match what we actually cooked. Good recipes in there I am sure and I could have taken notes but on vacation I wanted to focus on enjoying the class and not recording.
Written September 30, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
foodieforlife10
New York City, NY2 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
They were late to pick us up by 15 minutes. We were kept waiting at a busy intersection wondering whether to stay or leave. Once there, we were made to wait another 30 minutes for another person who was running late. By the time we started our class, we were about an hour late from the stated start time. The kitchen setup was perfect for small groups. The chef was knowledgeable, experienced, and a great instructor. However, if you do not appreciate sexist jokes and male chauvinistic remarks, his jokes and comments may be offensive at times. For someone who does not cook that often, the class was difficult to follow. The chef's instructions were not consistent with the recipe book they provided, making it impossible to use as a helpful guide during the class. Instead of experiencing the cooking first hand and making the dishes from scratch, a great deal of time was spent making corrections to the recipes in the book. The owners of this fine establishment were pleasant to interact with at first, but by the end of the evening it was evident that they were only concerned about collecting their money and finding ways to maximize their profits, rather than making sure that their customers had a pleasurable experience and their overall customer service. The class description online is misleading, you should not expect to learn much. However, it can be a fun evening, if you’re willing to pay 190 Euros per person. Personally, for those with limited time in Florence, there are other more gratifying, pleasurable ways of spending your time and money.
Written September 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Firstly we are very sorry that you did not enjoy fully your experience. I do not understand how they were late as when we spoke to the driver he said he had left with 2 persons and this was before 930am the other people that were brought to the lesson late were there since 920 , the only reason they were late was because the driver left early and did not check the names. The others arrived at the class at 1024. On arrival we welcome people with a coffee , distribute the cook books and aprons and people chat for a few minutes to become familiar with their cooking companions before the start of the actual lesson so the lesson was not held up for their arrival.
The kitchen is able to hold up to 40 students easily , we do professional classes and educational groups that study at school, college or university culinary arts . It is over 200F2 plus the same for the dining room .
All of us , the chef included are very disturbed that he offended you in any way , truly not his intention and he is a jolly person and likes to joke , that day the audience included a minister who we conferred with concerned what had been said, he and his wife said they did not find anything offensive however every person is different and so are their sensitivity and we respect that 100%
The recipes do not need correction as they are all tested by four different chefs before going to print so do not worry about using the recipes, the chefs are asked to follow those on the book but chefs are also a little artistic in nature and like to add their touch or suggestion.
We urge all people to pay prior to the class then we do not have to worry about the accounting at the end and holding up the driver service when the cards do not go through etc. The day you took the lesson a couple had to be on a train at a certain time so if the finalisation of accounts seemed hasty this was the reason . Our prime concern is that everyone has a unforgettable day and learning experience. 40% are return clients and we welcome you back anytime retake a class.
Written September 24, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
smf1913
Verona, NY20 contributions
Sep 2013 • Friends
After discussing a trip to Tuscany for many years, we finally did it. There were several moments of management confusion during the week. We did enjoy Maurizio and Luciano. I would have preferred to spend less time doing prep work, and more time cooking. Many of the classes were more a demonstration and not the desired hands on. We had 2 combined group classes that were just too many people. I expected a more focused program from what was described as 6 five hour immersion cooking classes.
Written February 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grant M
44 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
We began the class, and once we dispensed with a bit of stereotypical italian male behaviour, the class continued, and with our very experienced chef and two others we learnt a lot, cooked some great food, which we had a good time eating at the end, and had a lot of fun in the process. There was also good consideration for the one participant who was gluten intolerant. Have no hesitation in recommending this class to anyone.
Written July 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, we have attended and enjoyed several cooking classes, but can’t seem to get an answer from them now. Have they closed? Are the operating still? If so how do we contact them?
Written September 27, 2021
Hi ,we are now fully operational,you can look at our site email or call us
Written January 26, 2023
We are staying in Florence. Is it fairly easy to get to without a car?
Written September 24, 2016
You can also take the train for E2.60 from SMN to LaS. It takes about 25minutes. Easy to buy tickets from the red machines in both stations. It the local train to Pisa. Turn left then left again when you get out in Lastra a Signa.
Written November 6, 2016
I would like to know if we can get a cooking class with no pork or shellfish.
What is the cost for two adults?
Thank you!
Written January 17, 2015
The cost for us per adult for the 1/2 day class was 78 euros. I am sure if you contacted them that they could try and accommodate you.
Written January 18, 2015
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