Chef Francesco

The atmosphere was cozy; however, the experience was not worth the expense. I traveled a great distance with my guests to participate in what we thought would be a real cooking class. We did not cook at all, we just wore aprons for no reason. We just listened and watched the chef cook. The food that was cooked was minimal, more like sample bites than actual meals, the pesto gnocchi tasted like grass shavings. I talked to other guests who were eager to leave to buy a real meal. I would not recommend this to anyone who wants to experience a cooking class because it is far from a cooking class. If they want to talk to strangers and eat bites of food perhaps but make sure you get a real meal afterward.

My husband and I had a wonderful, hands-on, Italian cooking experience with Chef Francesco. We arrived at his home, nestled in the Golden Hills neighborhood, and was warmly greeted by Chef Francesco and his Sous Chef. We started with a cheese, salami, olive and pita bread appetizers served with a glass of wine. Chef Francesco proceeded to tell us about the dishes we were about to make, including home made raviolis stuffed with Ricotta cheese, spinach and grated Parmesan cheese topped with melted butter and sage. The second pasta dish was homemade pappardelle served with freshly made tomato and basil sauce. The whole cooking experience was about 3 and ½ hours and gave us plenty of time to participate in the preparation and cooking process. We were able to pick up some great tips on how to make simple but very tasty pasta dishes from fresh ingredients. We found Chef Francesco and his Sous Chef to be very warm, light hearted and engaging. Chef Francesco was very knowledgeable and wiling to answer all questions. I would definitely recommend Chef Francesco’s Pasta Fresca Workshop cooking class to anyone interested in Italian cooking.

My husband and I really enjoyed ourselves. Chef Francesco is a fun and energetic teacher, and made our night memorable. His home is the perfect setting for a great night of socializing and eating authentic Italian food. Thank you Chef!!