Epicurean Exchange

Epicurean Exchange was amazing — on all levels! From the moment we walked in, the experience started with the wonderful ambiance. The setting was perfect. Chef Charlie is very professional, courteous, impressionable and soft-​spoken. More than that, he is patient! Not only with the instructions and seeing us crazy adults through with the courses we were creating, but we brought our 5 year old son with us. Our son was heavily engaged at each step of the way and Chef Charlie was too. His patience with him was delightful and it seemed as though had the same level of excitement, motivation and passion our son. Refreshing!
Beyond the experience in itself and how Epicurean Exchange created an atmosphere that met all expectations, the food we prepared was terrific. Whether through the combination of the smiles/​laughs we had, being part of the process, the great recipes and instruction, the quality of the ingredients, or the final output, my wife and I agreed that we would have preferred this experience well over Gary Danko’s in the city. The food was top notch and you ARE part of the process. As soon as our group got in the car for our trip home, everyone was raving about the experience we had.
Well done, Chef! 5 stars for Chef Charlie and Epicurean Exchange! Highly recommend.

i wanted to treat my husband to something special for his birthday — he is a foodie and loves cooking competition shows, so I thought «maybe we can take a cooking class together»…(side note: I am an abysmal cook but he loves when we cook together so I was willing to take one for the team). I searched around for local classes (I had once upon a time taken a class by myself at Viking in Walnut Creek before it closed down — fun, but not terribly memorable). I found these Unilocal reviews and was a BIT hesitant given that the class is clearly in the chef’s home and not at a traditional «school»…I wasn’t sure what the environment would be like… but since Chef Charlie had gotten such rave reviews I decided to give it a shot.
BEST. DECISION.
I was able to gather two other couples to join in and sign up for the «Rock Fruits» class — they were willing to give me the benefit of the doubt (because they love me :)), but as we drove up and up and up a windy road into Orinda I could tell they were a little doubtful as well: «where exactly are we going?»…
then we walked into Chef Charlie’s beautiful home and almost immediately everyone started grinning… it was like going on a European vacation for a night.
First off — I’m an ambiance person — Chef Charlie’s kitchen/​dining area is surrounded by huge windows/​French doors that open onto a deck and gorgeous views of the valley. He had French music playing, and several «stations» set up for us. He poured us each a glass of wine, explained what we were going to be working on. Each couple took a station — one station was for the salad and soup, the next the main course, and finally the dessert.
While we each worked on our «dish» Chef Charlie showed us insider techniques for peeling «rock» fruits (like peaches and nectarines), peeling ginger, proper use of sharp knives, proper measuring techniques, etc. and corrected/​helped us/​answered questions and discussed reasons for cooking things the way we did as we went along.
Chef Charlie is a wonderful teacher — he was calm, knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor. My friends are better cooks than I, and he seemed to tailor the class accordingly — taught me more basics and them more refined techniques. one of the things I noticed as a difference between taking a class with him and taking one at a traditional school like the Viking class, was that during the Viking class they were clearly trying to sell us different gadgets and showed dishes that you’d absolutely NEED a special device to pull off. Chef Charlie just showed us how to cook the dishes — and how to use ordinary utensils/​tool that we already had to pull it off (with the exception of his amazing ice cream maker! lol).
when the finished products were complete, we all sat down at his gorgeous dining room table, with gorgeous (have I overused «gorgeous» yet?) sunset views, as he poured us some more wine and we all dug in.
OMG YUM. You can look the recipes up on his site for the rock fruit class — suffice it to say each dish was gourmet quality (peach soup?! I’d never heard of such a thing!) — my friends/​husband are absolute foodies and said it was one of the best meals they’d ever tasted (flavored by fun no doubt). The recipes were simple but so so flavorful. (I have already — yes ME! — been able to recreate one of the dishes).
Possibly the best/​sweetest touch was when Chef Charlie served up the homemade ice cream (omg yum — some sort of crème brulee with frozen peaches — I’d never tasted better ice cream) with a candle for my birthday boy — I had thought about asking for that, but had totally forgotten — Chef just added that touch all on his own.
At the end of the night (and frankly throughout the class) my friends kept saying that I «hit it out of the park on this one.» My husband had a WONDERFUL time — Chef Charlie made this birthday truly something special.
Our group has already started planning our next class. we had SUCH an awesome time. THANK YOU CHEF CHARLIE!

With the help of Chef Charlie we celebrated my husband’s 60^th birthday in grand style! Surrounded by great friends and family and fabulous food, it just doesn’t get any better! Being in Chef Charlie’s beautiful and spacious kitchen (enough to accommodate 20 of us) in the Orinda hills was an added bonus. The Caribbean menu was delicious and a trip away from ordinary all by itself. Chef Charlie engages everyone, even those who thought they wouldn’t be in the kitchen. A fantastic way to spend a milestone for sure!
Thank you, Chef Charlie!

Epicurean Exchange is a great resource for private parties and events, corporate teambuilding, cooking classes, and traveling excursions that involve education, cooking, and new experiences in the culinary world.
Chef Charlie Vollmar is knowledgeable and versatile. I have participated in corporate teambuilding with different groups in Wine Country, Monterey, and San Jose. Participants have a great time preparing wonderful food and learning new skills and techniques.
If you want to jump into a cooking class, check out the website at epicurean

I’ve been lucky enough to cook and learn with Chef Charlie twice, and am already thinking about the next fun evening or event to plan with his help. Our initial experience came via an auction prize and we did not know what the evening would hold. In short a fabulous menu that we prepared and enjoyed with friends. We broke into small teams and, w/​Chef’s coaching, each prepared a course for the meal. Chef Charlie had appetizers and paired wine ready to greet us, getting us happily to dinner time. We had such an incredibly fun, relaxing and delicious night we sought him out again recently to celebrate my mom’s 75^th birthday. We had been searching for something fun and more interesting to do than simply return to a favorite restaurant, and it worked. He made planning and enjoying the special eve incredibly easy, seeking input and direction on the menu and taking care of everything else. We just had to show up, don an apron and cook. It was a perfect eve across every measure — we’ll certainly be back again to cook with Chef Charlie in his beautiful kitchen.

TRAVEL with CHARLIE!
Just returned from a trip to Provence with Epicurean Exchange. Not only were the accommodations lovely, but the fellow travelers made for an added bonus to the experience. While Chef is low key and relaxed, he had spent much time and energy to insure a wonderful food centered experience. We enjoyed local guides for some off site locations, thanks to his planning and connections. You learn more about cooking with hands-​on activities. You learn more about the culture surrounding your location. You enjoy everything about your trip! Charlie Vollmar has an innate ability to aid every aspiring and experienced cook in a kitchen… a remarkable skill in and of itself! Look no further to experience a purpose for your next vacation!

I worked with Chef Charlie for the second time recently planning a charity dinner at a friend’s home. He made us look good, and the event was flawlessly easy for the hostesses. We worked with Charlie in advance to learn his ideas for the menu. We chose a global meal including a coconut soup, fattoush salad, and Moroccan chicken main course with delicious sides. He also suggested wine pairings. Charlie swept in with all the ingredients and expertise we needed to get this group of 23 cooking, drinking and eating well! His style is relaxed but professional, and he makes even a total novice feel comfortable in the kitchen. I would recommend Epicurean Exchange to anyone looking to learn about cooking or just to have a unique experience with friends!

I was invited to a class by a friend and really did not know what to expect. All I heard was «fancy brunch class» and I was excited. Classes are held in the Chef’s lovely and perfectly appointed kitchen with a giant stove, acres of countertops and serious Viking ovens. There were five of us taking the class and Chef Charlie, along with two of his chef/​foodie friends assisting, gave instructions, magically cleaned up after our messes, gave us techniques on how not to kill ourselves with the crazy sharp knives and helped adjust seasoning and burner strengths and whatnot while being super kind and funny.
Between just the five students, we made eggs benedict, corn beef hash, two kinds of frittatas, potatoes o’brien, scones, two kinds of hash browns and yeasty cinnamon rolls with gooey cream cheese icing. Yes! We made all of that in one class with just five students! All of us had responsibility for one or two things so we could really sink our teeth, so to speak, into a cooking project, while watching others learn about their own dishes.
I learned SO much. Making a perfect poached egg is something I always wanted to learn as mine had always come out pretty messy. Here, I not only learned how to make a pretty poached egg, but I learned how to make a dozen of them, all the same temperature, for a meal for everyone to eat at one time. Yes, it is possible to do that!
Scones — OMG. Never had scones this great. Not at all like those leaden bombs you get at starbucks. These were light and flaky and delicate and delectable.
Hash — YUM!!! I love corned beef hash. Never could figure out how to make it like you get in a good breakfast place. Now I know. I learned about some secret ingredients!
Frittatas — Yeah, I never ever liked those before. Every frittata I had ever been served had browned edges and really, there is nothing I hate more than burnt eggs. These had nothing at all to do with those frittatas. These were moist and tender, with chunks of melty cheese and incredibly browned and succulent mushrooms.
Hash brown magic (in a waffle maker!) and Julia Child’s favorite Hollandaise sauce secrets were revealed.
Then, there was dessert, Cinnamon rolls! These were carefully prepared throughout the evening as there were all kinds of steps dealing with yeast and proofing, etc. As the evening closed, the cinnamon filled kitchen and we jammed gooey yummy rolls into our already full stomachs to finish out the evening.
Great time! I learned a ton and the recipes were worked with were emailed to us later. I highly recommend.

I was searching for a fun activity to partake in with my grandmother who is visit from out of the country. She doesn’t speak any English so I wasn’t sure if a cooking class would be the right fit… but after taking guest Chef Michael Kalanty’s bread making class yesterday, I am happy to say that we both agreed we would love to do it again!!!
We had such a wonderful time laughing, eating and learning in such an intimate and warm setting. Chef Charles invites everyone into his beautiful home in the Orinda hills, overlooking the valley — beautiful views (we were there at night, but I can only imagine what it looks like during the day). His kitchen is very spacious and has enough room for everyone to cook and feel comfortable. He provided everything we needed to cook and even gave us dinner and wine which was very unexpected and delicious!
Chef Kalanty was very entertaining and personable, we laughed the entire evening! He told us a little about his cooking history and how he started baking in Paris after being an Architect for many years. There were 5 people total in the class and Chef Charles was there the entire time helping out and hanging out! The evening was perfect and the bread and kugel came out amazing!
Highly recommended class for a date night, group event, time with grandma :-) or for anything else really!!! Looking forward to taking another class with Chef Charles very soon!

In summary, we had a delightful evening with Chef Vollmar: excellent food, lovely company, and even better cooking experience.
We were invited to a friend’s house with 3 other families (small group of 10 adults). We had no idea what was in store other than we were going to cook together, and have some fun at it.
The experience started way before we arrived as Chef Vollmar asked us in advance what kinds of food we’d liked, allergies, and drink preferences, etc. Menu was circulated earlier and anticipation was in the air. We could not wait.
The menu was French influenced, but with a clear touch of Californian fresh cuisine. Chef Vollmar gave us a quick intro about the food, a bit about the origins of the dishes and some basics about how to run a kitchen when so many of us were working together… and off to the bottles of wines (cuz what’s cooking without a good wine to sip).
We quickly divided the tasks, and Cheff Vollmar gave us specific instructions. I took on the desert… because… well. I’m a sweet took, and I can’t help but gravitate towards anything that has chocolate and nuts. Dark chocolate tarte.
Everything was fantastic, we felt great thinking of ourselves as chefs… Our lead was kind, relaxed and enjoyable at all times.
This is SUCH a great experience, highly recommended for all.

Came here to celebrate my mother’s birthday and she had an amazing time. It was quote «beyond her expectations». Chef Charlie is very nice. The way that our program was run was he worked with her sisters to plan a menu and when we got there broke us out into groups to make a portion of the menu. We did not each cook every single thing. He gave us pointers though on all the dishes and walked everyone through each one so if I was to make it again… I think I could. My favorite dish was the one I made and since the class I’ve made it twice! (Roasted Cherry Tomatoe Crustini… amazing!) Very worth it. Highly recommend.

I am a physician in San Jose who believes the best prevention of chronic inflammatory diseases is based in lifestyle. Charlie is my go to chef for bringing patients the skills needed to prepare real food for the week and on a budget. The classes are great fun and create a sense of community. In one class you will learn 5 separate salads, along with techniques for moist chicken or how to make spices bring dishes to a new Yum!
CC MD

My 40^th birthday was perfect. I spent the day with my closest friends doing something very special. Chef Charlie made it happen. We had a cooking class with Chef and it was hands-​down the most awesome afternoon ever.
We arrived in his beautiful home, tucked into the Orinda hills, and while we acclimatized ourselves into his surroundings we drank Champagne and listened to Chef Charlie tell us a story about his day spent cheese tasting in Sonoma. While he spoke, we tasted the cheese and settled in. Feeling fully relaxed, Chef had designed a 5 course menu which we decided to get stuck in and prepare ourselves under his tutelage. Chef gave us the option of watching while he cooked but we wanted the full experience.
We made interesting, simple, fresh and utterly delicious dishes and we all learned something new about prepping, cutting and making food taste better than we’ve ever been able to do at home. Then we sat down to enjoy our creations. Nearly five hours after arriving, we left as closer friends, fully satiated and in absolute awe of Chef Charlie and the day he had created for us.
Chef Charlie is such an authentic guy, a very talented chef and I can’t recommend him highly enough.

We just had Chef Charlie over to our house to help a group of friends and myself prepare a four course French meal for my birthday celebration. Everyone had a great time, and was shocked at how well the food turned out. Chef Charlie managed the event from the menu planning, sourcing ingredients, bringing equipment, preparation, cooking, serving, and even the cleanup. Our four course meal included a mushroom soup dish, rustic cheese and onion galettes, a provencal shrimp salad, and filet steaks on canapes with duck liver pâté, mushrooms, and Madeira wine sauce. Cooking this was quite a task for a group of people who had little to no experience cooking French cuisine, but plenty of experience eating it! Chef Charlie was totally approachable and has a great demeanor, befitting of an excellent chef instructor. He made everything relaxed and simple. Even those who could hardly handle a knife felt confident slicing and chopping by the end of the food prep. All the while, Chef Charlie told us stories and chatted with us about his background, food, and eating healthy, which he is huge proponent of. The man is a class act and runs a smooth operation. He also gives back to the community in many ways. We are fortunate to have met him and feel that there are many people in this food centric Bay Area community that would benefit greatly from his classes and events.

This is the first Unilocal review I’ve ever written. Chef Charlie is great, and I want others to know about him and benefit from his talents. I started taking cooking classes with him in the South Bay two years ago. The first class was based on healthy eating. I learned a lot of great tips and techniques from the class, ate delicious meals and met nice people who enjoy food and cookery. Since this initial class I have taken other classes (loved the Julia Child series) and have hosted a number of classes at my home. Charlie is a wonderful teacher, and he has fostered a community of dynamic and interesting people. I look forward to hosting and participating in more cooking classes with him. I recommend Epicurean Exchange to anyone who enjoys eating well!

I have known and worked with Chef Charlie for about 15 years. Having coordinated several large and small team-​building events for large management groups, as well as taking individual classes with Charlie, I highly recommend Epicurean Exchange! The quality of training and the effective team building in several venues has been something at my company people talk about for years. Charlie is a reliable resource for small groups of executives and engineers, human resource managers, and administrative professionals.
This past winter, I took Charlie’s series on cooking through Julia Child’s book with a group of 8 other foodies. We had a blast learning skills, trying new techniques, and creating food that we would serve to anyone!
I would recommend Epicurean Exchange to anyone who wants to take classes to increase skill level, have fun cooking with new friends, learn new techniques and flavor combinations, as well as anyone who wants to coordinate the highest quality team building event for any group.

My wife and I took the basic knife skills class with Chef Charlie in Jan 2014. Chef Charlie is very down to earth, and a fantastic instructor. I’ve never taken a cooking class before, but he used patience and humor to make the learning process fun! Not to mention, the food — he took some of our chopped veggies and whipped up some tasty impromptu dishes for us. After a month, I still use daily the skills I learned — and have lost my fear of ever cutting my fingers while chopping. I definitely recommend the knife skills class!
We discovered Epicurean Exchange and Chef Charlie by chance, at a cooking demonstration during a farmer’s market at the SF ferry building — and so glad we did!

I started taking classes with Epicurean Exchange 2 years ago and can’t imagine taking classes anywhere else. Chef Charlie is always so well prepared with printed recipes, aprons, ingredients neatly laid out and snacks already prepped so we can eat while we prepare 8 – 10 dishes. I’ve taken cooking classes with 2 other instructors and they don’t come close to the quality you get with Epicurean Exchange. Everyone has a hands on experience at Epicurean Exchange and we always sit down at the end of class to enjoy a delicious meal that is often topped off with a wonderful dessert. I always feel like I’m at home when I take classes with Epicurean Exchange and am always telling friends and family about my experience.
I started out with a Condiments & Sauces class. We made romesco sauce (my favorite), caramel sauce with bread pudding, a dish with curry sauce and 6 more sauces with accompanying meats and veggies. I followed that class up with a Breakfast & Brunch class. We made cinnamon rolls with icing, asparagus frittata, eggs benedict and so much more. I could go on and on, but really, you should just take a class to see/​smell/​taste what I’m talking about.

I’ve taken numerous classes with Chef Charlie the last several years, and (aside from learning how to cook it), it’s the best food I’ve ever had. Last year for example Chef Charlie taught a Morroccan food class, and several of my friends who later visited Morrocco claimed that that food paled in comparison to Chef Charlie’s. His knowledge of cooking techniques, from classicla French to ethnic, is outstanding also.

My wife and I are very pleased to have discovered Chef Charlie’s cooking classes. In the last 6 weeks we have spent 3 very special evenings with him in his home kitchen learning cooking techniques. Each evening had a carefully crafted menu on a special cooking theme (wine and food, grilling, etc.) The cooking class of 8 was divided so we could prepare 4 intricate recipes. Chef Charlie provided culinary instruction along the way for the group as well as each individual. At the end, we enjoyed a fabulous gourmet meal in Chef Charlie’s beautiful Orinda home.
My cooking skills and confidence have definitely improved — we’re already signed up for our next evening with Chef Charlie and the Epicurean Exchange.