Team Building Activity - Simple Italian Delicacies - Dallas

Verified guest reviews for this class

Angela F. 12/07/2021

So much missed potential and sadly did not hit the mark for our group. We arranged for a team building experience for 15 people. It started out well with a user friendly and informative website. We booked online, received confirmation, and invited our people (we chose to do this on our own and not use the website because wanted the activity to be a surprise). Then we did not have any communication until the day of our event when we received a message from our chef informing us that we would need to bring drinks for the evening. We had already planned to bring alcohol per the FAQ from the website but had assumed that at least water would be provided with dinner. We popped in for gallons of water and tea (and cups because now we were not sure)â€¦minor obstacle. Again, the morning of our event we were notified that the location had changed. This was not so minor. We had already scouted out parking in the downtown area and train schedules so that our team could be prepared for the evening. Now we had to reach out to everyone to update them and we struggled to find parking information. Eventually we found a nearby parking lot. 30 minutes before our arrival time and while driving ourselves, we began to receive calls that the parking lot was not open. An early arrival was able to locate the venue and speak to someone about parking that they begin to pass on to others. 15 minutes before start time, we received notification from the chef that there was onsite parking. The parking was located in an alleyway and very limited. We had to maneuver a few vehicles to get everyone in. A little over half our group walked in together. There was no feeling of welcome- a missed opportunity. For a hosted event, it felt like there should have been a sense of you have arrived to something special. We met the chef and were then informed that we would be divided into two groups. This was not what we had envisioned for a â€œteam buildingâ€. Since we were still dealing with location and parking issues we sent the first group in and helped to get everyone else gathered. Once the rest of our team arrived we felt awkward. Half of the people were in the kitchen and half of us were just waiting. If we had known this ahead of time we could have arranged for some type of activity. We also would have considered something to munch on while we waited. Perhaps a cheese plate or nuts, something to have with drinks while we visited. Then when it was time for the second group, we joined. It was then that we recognized that this too was not what we had imagined. Again, for a team building event we thought there would be more interaction from the chef and encouragement to interact with each other. We had read reviews that said people had been educated while they prepared their food. That chefs had talked about their culinary experiences. All we received was instructions. We felt the need to engage our people by asking them questions about their cooking preferences and habits all while realizing that the first group had been left without someone engaging them. The plating, serving, and eating of the meal was all done by grabbing whomever was around. It did not seem very organized for a group our size and another opportunity missed for everyone to work together. The meal itself was fine and here was some sense of pride in that we had made it. Outside of the plating of the courses, we had no other interaction with the chef. She did not come out to talk to anyone or engage with us in any way. When we were done with the main course we waited around thinking that she would let us know when to help plate/serve dessert and after a long wait, we had to go find her and our dessert plated and waiting in the refrigerator. If we had been a small group of friends this could have been an manageable adventure, however, we were looking for a hosted team building experience and this was not that. If this is going to be advertised as a group experience, there needs to be more communication about how the evening will go. In hindsight, contact from someone at least a week in advance with location information, logistics, and what we needed to be prepared for would have been appreciated. Then we would have been ready in making sure we were prepared to fill in as needed with food, drinks, and engagement. 24hrs-15min before start time is not enough. Overall, our group enjoyed spending time together and it was something new for everyone. Sadly, it was not what we had hoped for in creating a special experience for our team and there was a lot of awkwardness.

Verified guest reviews for other classes with Chef Sharon

Barry W. 07/26/2025

Booked the menu Indulgent Five-Course Feast with Chef Sharon in Dallas (Uptown)

We hired Chef Sharron for date night. It was a wonderful experience. She's very personal and a good chef. Kitchen was clean when she left.

David R. 03/24/2024

Booked the class Ceviche Workshop with Chef Sharon in Van Alstyne

Awesome!!!!

Derek M. 02/04/2024

Booked the class Ceviche Workshop with Chef Sharon in Irving

Sharon was a delight, her food was delicious, and I learned a few tricks to help my ceviche out too!

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