Cooking Class Review from the International Food and Wine Writers Press Trip
http://www.examiner.com/article/oxnard-a-glorious-getaway read full article and pictures at tnis link
EXAMINER:Oxnard:
a glorious getaway (Photos)
After a restful night’s sleep, our group members had the choice of a variety of activities in the morning and I chose the cooking class at La Dolce Vita Ristorante along with my writing colleagues, Linda Kissam and Tom Plant. We had a truly amazing cooking experience in a picturesque setting in Heritage Square, a quaint area of restored Victorian homes, including a wine tasting room and shops, located near historic downtown Oxnard. La Dolce Vita, which means “the sweet life,” more than lived up to its name. The restaurant features Italian and Mediterranean fusion cuisine and is open for both lunch and dinner.
We watched the restaurant’s owner and Executive Chef, Michelle Kenney, cook four delicious treats and we sampled all of them. We started the morning on the restaurant’s sun-dappled patio with bubbling limoncello champagne cocktails that were refreshing for the warm sunny day.
Michelle is an entertaining and charismatic teacher who makes cooking seem easy and fun. Our dishes included spicy sausage in puff pastry, caramelized onion and fig bruschetta, and asparagus and goat cheese mini fritattas. (What an ideal way to start the day!) The best tribute to these delicious dishes was that my friends and I prepared them a few days later for a party and we were met with rave reviews. Not only were these appetizers unique and tasty, but they were easy to prepare. Our cooking class concluded with chocolate molten spiced cabernet cakes that were magnificent to behold and the perfect dessert to top off our delicious appetizers.
We all certainly had fun learning how to cook and then taste these wonderful treats. The class ended all too quickly because of our tight schedule. Most of Michelle’s cooking classes run about three hours, are $55 a person, and include a hands-on cooking lesson with wine. An added bonus is that participants can enjoy the dishes they’ve prepared. Cooking classes are offered about once a month and a schedule can be found online. Privately arranged classes are also available.
5 OUT OF 5 RATINGS as reviewed by our guests
"Located
near downtown Oxnard, this restaurant is located in an area of restored
Victorian homes.
The atmosphere is outstanding, like having dinner in a
different era.
The service was "right on" and our meals were cooked to
perfection. After dinner, we visited a
nearby wine-tasting room in the
same Victorian block, and learned that the restaurant, the wine cellar,
and a nearby playhouse, provide organized evenings with wine tasting, a
meal, and a play. We will be back for the full program!"
Another Review by travel writer Mary McGrath 11-4-12
http://www.mydailyfind.com/2012/11/04/travel-oxnard-las-affordable-beachside-community/
See Chef Michelle Put together our award winning Salsa on KTLA 5 July 2012
Southern California Restaurant Writers Award for the fourth time. Again in 2013
Sunset Magazine http://www.sunset.com/travel/california/day-trip-to-oxnard-00418000073289/page2.html
805 Living Sept. page 97http://digital.publicationprinters.com/publication/?i=80037
Ventana Monthly http://issuu.com/ventanamonthly/docs/october_2011/21
805 Livinghttp://digital.publicationprinters.com/publication/?i=82959
Pasadena Now Travels http://pasadenanowtv.com/PasadenaTravels/2011/08/18/think-oxnard-for-a-quiet-beach-get-away/
Downtown Business of the Year from the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce 2011
2nd year in a row Best Customer Service from Talk of theTown
Contact Us: Anytime for reservations, event information, catering, cooking classes or any other info.
