The instructor was: Chef John truly wants his students to learn in a safe environment. He goes out of his way to make people feel at home and comfortable.
The atmosphere was: I made two pretty big mistakes! But both my fellow students and Chef John were very supportive and not judgment. I was there to learn and that's what happened!
Complexity of the recipes: The recipes are clear but written in a way to let you 'fill in some blanks'. I like that because you can challenge yourself, be a little creative, and of course, Chef John is always there to help.
The food was: The price was a good value for this course. The food was wonderful and the wine excellent. We would have paid at least the same price for a fancy restaurant. But we had a fun night out--and got out of our 'comfort zone' in a fun, relaxed environment.
The skills you learned were: I especially enjoy picking up little tips I'd never read in a cookbook. The right way to cut an onion? How to sharpen my knife? Cold water for vegtables under the ground/Hot water for above? BRILLIANT!
I enjoyed myself and had fun: We had wonderful dining companions--they really added the special ingredient to the evening.