Sur La Table

(See pics)
(24 hours later)
Sadly the item I purchased turned out to be a lemon, a 15-​pound machine (or was that 20?) that I had to carry home only to find out the motor did not work. Ended up having to return since that was the last one they had and they only mentioned that I probably could buy it from another stores and they were not that interested in showing me any other comparable items on their last day at this location.
(24 hours earlier)
Most important thing: since they are moving, they currently have many clearance items that are 30% off and added my class coupon, I was able to get an excellent stand mixer at almost 40% off comparing with other online and local stores.
This is another sad goodbye to an excellent place that offers cooking classes. This location is cute and charming. However, the store, sans the cooking classes/​kitchen, is moving to Westfield (open a week later) after Monday so instead of those who seek out and look for them, it would cater more on the tourists. This is proven as someone was looking for it as he saw me carrying the SLT bag and was so excited as he could not locate the shop in this lovely and quiet alley.
I only found out about the amazing kitchen recently when shopping for a house warming gift and was looking to buy a mixing bowl. While they did not have a lot of options for this particular kind of item, I did find exactly what I wanted, a big beautiful bamboo anti-​bacteria bowl with matching fork and spoon. The price was decent and the service was very friendly, helpful and sweet.
And while shopping, the aroma was so sublime of something that I followed through and found the source. Since then I had taken the French macaron class and we learned so many tips and tricks from Sarah Lodick, an excellent, insightful, knowledgeable that is not on Youtube, meticulous and funny all packed into the 3-​hour class.
I understand the foot traffic importance to gather more business, but I also hope SLT understands that it’s especially those who take cooking classes will much more likely shopping there in abundance as we will find the utensils there right the way, and the great discounts made them even more attractive than going somewhere else. It is also the decadent smell flowing from the classic country style kitchen that drew many patrons to buy for the first time, as well as numerous returning loyal customers. I wholeheartedly wish some day SLT will offer cooking classes again in SF.

You would think that Sur la Table would be like another high-​end kitchenware store. Well, it is and it isn’t. Yeah, they have the usual stuff like brand-​name appliances and cookbooks. But they also have items for specific needs like mousse molds and tart pans.
I was looking for a cookie scoops with a specific volume and I felt like I walked into a cook’s dreamland. There were racks of different shaped and sized pans for baked goods, various brushes for glazes, tableclothes, and other kitchen doodads. I went on a whim and asked the salesperson if they had mousse rings for cakes, and they had it!
This place is more than just a kitchenware store, it is a store for more specialized needs. The best thing is that it doesn’t break the bank. The prices range from reasonable to «ok my wallet is starting to frown». So, drop on by if you wanna try something new and be a little adventurous in your kitchen!

I find myself coming to the Union Square location mainly for the cooking/​baking classes — the closest location offering them. For the past year, I have taken 4 classes here. Most recently, I attended the Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Basics 3-​part series. This classroom series condenses several of the regular Sur La Table classes into 3, covering knife techniques, pasta, stocks, sauces, braising, roasting, etc. Very popular series of classes since they quickly filled up. Even the week day day time classes were full. The classes were entirely hands-​on, and everybody had a turn to get involved. The Anthony Bourdain-​inspired recipes we used weren’t exactly what I like to eat, but they perfectly demonstrated each of the basic techniques anyone who cooks should be proficient with.

Barbara was a wonderful instructor — witty, experienced, knowledgeable, patient — making the classes that much more fun and the students that much more enthused.
Sur La Table is THE store to go for kitchen tools, with every conceivable kitchen gadget that exists. Melinda + Gadgets = LOVE. Must. Have. Will. Power. And resist buy everything in sight!

When you step into this heavenly and well organized store, you’ll just want to buy everything that you don’t need for the kitchen.
Perks about this location!
–2 stories
–offers cooking classes
–staff are very friendly and helpful
–shelves of cookbooks
–baking supply… Galore! (check downstairs!)
–don’t bypass the clearance section! you’ll find nifty stuff!
I just love Sur la Table because I feel like a true baker and chef when I enter to this dimension of cooking.
Let me be honest here. I’m only a beginner/​intermediate in baking and cooking. One day, maybe I’ll join Bobby Flay, Alton Brown, Paula Deen, Ina Garten and more and maybe attend a NYC Food Festival… just maybe… :D
AND…
Happy New Year’s Eve Fellow Unilocalers!!! Today is the last day of a full decade of the 21^st century!!! Hope all of you enjoyed 2010 and here is to an awesome 2011!

Took a cupcake workshop here with my friend from NY. The class was intimidating at first for a baking newbie like myself, but the Instructor was so knowledgeable and attentive that there’s no need to worry. I especially felt better after I «thickened» my first caramel filling for the Fleur de Sel cupakes. We also learned how to actually make our own pastry cream. Bavarian espresso pastry cream to be specific, which we filled our Mocha cupcakes with. We added a bit of Kahlúa to our Mocha frosting which was a nice «adult» touch to the recipe. These are gourmet cupcakes people.
My favorite part of the entire 3 hour long process (4 different kinds of cupcakes) was finally filling those pastry bags with cream and gently squeezing it over the cupcakes. And of course, eating them. All.
The only problem with the class was that while the Chef was talking, I kept daydreaming about dipping my fingers into the cream and licking them… mmm… But of course I didn’t do that for hygienic reasons.

An update regarding Barbara, the manager, and my customer service experience: After reading my negative review here, Barbara reached out to me to confirm my husband’s registration for the sauce class he originally signed up for, waived the price difference (it is more expensive than the original) AND offered me a place in the class for free.
SLT and Barbara have completely redeemed themselves in my eyes and I am looking forward to attending my first class there. Behold: the power of social media!

Ok, I don’t really cook very well yet I love coming to this place to imagine all the wonderful dinner parties I could host to «WOW» all of my friends.
Since that’s not going to happen, I’ll shop Sur La Table to buy silicone oven mitts so I don’t burn myself taking a hot dish out of the oven (ahem, perhaps it’s just the microwave) and stuff that I’m missing from my kitchen (lemon zester, apple corer, some herb-​infused & pricey olive oil).
Also, when I needed a gift asap and called them with the vague «I read in The New Yorker 18 months ago about this expensive hand-​tempered knife made in Japan. Do you have it?» I got a sassy and classy salesperson who said, «Yes, we do!» «
Can I have the most expensive chef’s knife?»
«Yes you can!»
«Can you have it gift-​wrapped and ready for me if I give you my credit card right now?»
«Yes, I can!»
And it was and I was happy and another last-​minute birthday gift check, check and check.
Love them.

I don’t care how overpriced the cookware can be, nor do I care that I wouldn’t know how to use roughly half of the things found in this store.
I love this place.
I love ogling the prismatic range of Le Creuset cookware (that bold, beautiful cast-​iron shit that I’d cut an infant for), I love wondering what it’d be like to have the kitchen space for all those gadgets (you know, enough room on the countertop for more than a microwave and a dish rack?), and I love pretending that I’m some kept woman who’s shopping for cookware in the hopes of preparing a dinner that pleases my irascible, demanding, filthy-​rich husband.
Oh Sur La Table… if ONLY!
The unforgiving snap back to reality is that I go here, realize I’m still a post-​college editor making a post-​college pittance, and then spend my time trolling the clearance section for something that won’t force me to forgo my rent payment.
And that’s actually pretty fulfilling… their stock is so plentiful and so much of it is seasonal that you can get fairly lucky, fairly often. Christmas-​themed whatevers are a steal come February, Valentines Day-​red anythings are up for grabs come March, and so on and so forth.
Granted, you may not NEED any of the stuff they have (let’s face it… a microwave and a single pot or pan can go a long way), but isn’t it nice to pretend? The part of me that likes to believe I AM Mrs. Dalloway says «yes.» She also says «enough of this drivel.» I’m hosting a party this evening and I believe I’ll buy the flowers, myself.

This review is for their Cooking Class only
Sur La Table assessment equals an a-​ok overall but here’s the breakdown:
Store = 4 stars
Cooking Class = 2 Stars
Mom & I recently had a girly day & thought we’d enjoy Sur La Table’s Holiday Cookie Cooking Class
There were about 14 people in the class which I felt was too many for a hands-​on class — there were too many things going on & couldn’t keep track of it all
For example, how to look for a «perfect» caramel color before adding the cream; or how to properly knead /​mix the various doughs for the perfect cookie consistency. We’d been focusing on our «own» assigned recipes & missed the instructor randomly calling out hey — look at this
The biggest disappointment was that no one got to take home any of the cookies we baked & there were A LOT of leftovers. We were invited by the instructor to sample the cookies we made & then she gave her closing schpeel — after which she says something like «well, have fun shopping the rest of the afternoon» & we’re sent on our way
…leaving platters upon platters overflowing w/​OUR cookies
I was expecting a little takeaway box, bag, decorative tin, or *something* where we could pile up our cookies & brag to our friends & family that WE had made those delish treats
After paying $ 70 per person & spending 3 hours baking cookies, it would have been nice to take them home w/​us
Not tempted to sign up for more classes…
Which is too bad considering how much we love their store — all our dishes are those fabulous red square plates; we’ve enjoyed gadgets galore & holiday decorative kitchen towels… so I think we’ll be keeping it strictly to shopping — no cooking

It appears the staff on Sunday needs attention. Like other Unilocalers who visited on a Sunday, there was lack of service — if it existed at all.
I’m not as kind as others because I’m older and I don’t have tolerance for bad or lack of service, especially so in today’s economy. Be happy you are employed and do your job — you ARE replaceable.
Won’t bother returning to this location. The Ferry Building location always have helpful staff, yes even on Sunday!

I’ve never been treated so rudely at a store before. I’ve never rushed home to write a Unilocal review before.
My poor chef’s knife was in desperate need of sharpening, so when I heard that Sur La Table was doing free sharpenings during October, I was pretty excited. I needed to cook that night, so I called ahead to find out how long it would take to have one knife sharpened. They said they could take care of it in a few minutes while I waited, so I hopped on my bike and schlepped down to Union Square, knife in tow.
I’m a pretty big foodie with an obsession with kitchen toys, so I was sure I would be walking out with more than just my knife. But from the get-​go, the lady at the front treated me like a freeloader. When she told me that I could pick up my knife the next day, I politely told her that I had spoken to someone earlier and that I had come all the way downtown just to have the knife sharpened. She walked away to go speak to her manager while I lusted over the wall of knife sharpeners.
Suddenly, I heard a voice boom from across the store. «HEY BUDDY, YOU HAVE TO GET IN LINE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. I HAVE LOTS OF KNIVES AND I WILL DO YOURS WHEN I GET TO IT. I’M NOT JUST GONNA DROP EVERYTHING AND SHARPEN YOUR KNIFE.» It felt like someone had kicked over an old-​fashioned record player. Every person was staring at me. My face burning with embarrassment, I mumbled something stupid and stuffed my knife back into my bag. With a huff, I stormed out of the store.
I’m 25 and I probably looked like a hipster with my messenger bag and my flannel shirt, but that’s no excuse for treating your customer like a thief. The service was free, but I had fully intended on buying something that day. And regardless, when every single item in the store can be found on Amazon for 30% less, you’d think they would put a premium on customer service.
Were they racist? Ageist? Hipsterist? Bicyclist-​ist? Who the hell knows. They were incredibly rude, and they’ll never get another dime from me.

Is there something on my face? Did I forget to wipe my 5 year old, Converse sneakers on Opera Singer’s (who bellows just before your front door) rug?
No one greeted me upon entering. It was a Sunday, there were many more staff members than customers (maybe 3, 4 besides myself?) and no one said a word to me. I spent over 10 minutes hovering over the peelers because I couldn’t decide which one. None of the 3 workers glaring at me with their big pastry chef wannabe eyes, gave me the slightest bit of help.
I don’t like to pull cards of any kind, but I’m 19, a pretty grungy kid clothing wise and African American. I think they all thought I was going to steal something. Not until I got in line with my muffin pans and accessories did one of the female associates perk up to my existence.
«One moment, miss.»
Alright, I’ll wait. I’ll be kind, say please and thank you as I walk out the door… and never come back. Customer service is key.

Sur La Table, like Ralph Lauren, is one of those store or brand names that is often mispronounced. Fortunately there is no confusion about the treasures you will find in Sur La Table.
I love to cook and bake, so Sur La Table is like my dealer, legal of course. The store on Maiden Lane is two stories tall which means there is plenty of room for lots of goodies.
The sales associates were extremely helpful and gave great recommendations. My latest purchase was a super cool (no pun intended) ice cream scoop. It is stainless steel with a spring release to ensure every bit of ice cream you scoop is placed in your dish or cone and does not remain in the scoop. Yay! I love acquiring new kitchen gadgets. :)
Here is a helpful tidbit: did you know that you can use an ice cream scoop for cookie dough and cupcake batter? Using the scoop will help keep your cookies or cupcakes the same size and ensure more even baking. ;)

I eat too much. It’s evident in my portly 5’1 frame of 400+ pounds. If I am not eating at a restaurant, I am cooking at home or dreaming of my next meal. My dreams of being a sumo wrestler are closer and closer.
Places like this help my dreams come true. This location seems a bit cluttered. The location in the Ferry Building is much nicer, in my opinion. The service was nice, I bought way too much. Wish we ran into this store before I spent too much money at Williams-​Sonoma.

Much like Bi-​Rite, this is one of the most dangerous places I can go in the City. My money is safer in the Tenderloin than here. I try to control myself, I really do. I go in with a list and I am usually pretty determined to stick to it. But, when I see that there are egg whisks AND jug whisks, I think «Wow, I NEED this!» Or when I see all of the different baking pans, and the petit-​four molds, or all of the Riesling wine glasses that I don’t currently own… well needless to say I start to unravel and my list doesn’t serve much purpose.
It’s just nice to know that there is at least one store in the City that has everything I could possibly think of to fulfill my passion for cooking. Hmmmm where can I buy Silpat? or a scale? Mini soufflé ramekins? or a Wusthof pairing knife? It gives me some piece of mind to know that all of that is just a short Bart ride away.
Sometimes the service can be rather slow, and of course if you’re looking for a deal this isn’t the best place to shop. But if you’re looking for something very specific, or just have the urge to drop a couple hundred dollars for no reason whatsoever, sur la table can satisfy those needs.

This review is for the crêpe cooking class I took last Saturday morning.
Our teacher, Jen, was awesome! She was knowledgeable, patient and fun! Everyone in the class was great too — just a good vibe all around — we all got along surprisingly well.
We made 5 varieties of crepes: tex mex crêpe, crêpe suzette, chicken & spinach crêpe, crêpe complet, and my favorite… nutella crepes! Yummers! We walked away stuffed from the food we made (yes –I’m a crêpe master!!!) and full of real life recipes we can make at home.
We definitely will be back for another cooking class with Jen. :D

I don’t cook.
I don’t have time, I don’t know how, and I’m not really that interested in learning. You see, I get much more satisfaction out of eating food that someone ELSE slaved over for hours, than slaving over food for hours myself. You follow?
Proof I’m not a Chef (in no particular order):
–I’m happy crunching on celery sticks and hummus for dinner. And breakfast.
–I own a cookbook (which was a Christmas gift from my ex-boyfriend’s mom, inside she wrote two words, «Try it»).
–I own an apron (which I purchased from an olive oil store, because it says «Extra Virgin» on the front).
You’d think that owning an actual cookbook and an apron would make me wanna cook, but so far, I ain’t feelin’ it.
Now that I’m done sharing my
profile, which has received surprisingly few hits (not sure why), I’d like to tell you why I like Sur La Table:
Random. Crap. For me.
On Sunday, I picked up a sparkly spatula ($ 12), orange hot cocoa ($ 1.50), leaf sprinkle cupcake toppers ($ 4.50), and a sheep that turns into a tape measure when you pull its tail.
See how much fun cooking can be!!!
Sure, none of this stuff was NEEDED per se, but I walked out $ 50 poorer and happy as a clam. I had a fabulous time with the friendly staff, and this two level Maiden Lane location gives me plenty of square footage to explore.
When I get an ultimatum from the future Mr. Janney B, I will probably take a deep breath, give a pouty look, and finally put my cookbook and apron to good use. But until that dark and dismal day, it’s nice to know that I can accompany my chef friends to Sur La Table (15% Industry discount) and be entertained for hours.

I had a massive ravioli craving when I was preggers with the Kid. I was so crazy about ravioli that I even bought that very expensive cranking pasta maker with the rav attachment from Williams Sonoma at the time (I eventually returned it unused because I had a hard time figuring out how to work the attachments and being the cheapskate that I am, I don’t want to waste piles of dough to get rid of the grease and silver metal shavings inside the machine. Major design flaw, why can’t the manufacturers clean it so we can use it out of the box?). Anyway, I digress…
I was strolling by Wms Sonoma yesterday when I saw a manual ravioli press (it resembles an ice cube tray where you layer the pasta, put the stuffing in the hole and throw another piece of pasta on top. One roll of the enclosed rolling pin and Voila, you got cut and stuffed homemade ravioli!). After I got a price quote from the WS Clerk ($ 19) I asked them how if it was easy to use. They sheepishly informed me that since this was a new item, they don’t know how to use it.
I got back home and jumped on the internet to find out more about the ice cube tray /​ravioli mold and to price check around the other cookware places. Surprise, surprise! Sur La Table’s mold is cheaper than WS,’ which is probably not the norm based on the reviews here.
On my lunch break I walked down to Maiden Lane (for some reason I thought the Ferry Bldg one would be more expensive) to visit SLT. I walk in, did a cursory look upstairs and went down to find the elusive mold. A clerk came by and asked me if I needed help. He took me back upstairs and led me directly to the mold. The staff has also used it because they gave me some general directions on how to place the molds. After the clerk helped me, he pretty much left me alone to browse (I like to shop in peace for those of you who have read my cranky pants posts about yappy clerks).
This store is packed with lots of gadgets. They have more than WS. They even have individual ravioli molds shaped like a rubber stamp (holder attached to a metal mold). Prices are expensive, depending on what you look for. The clearance section is downstairs and stuffed to the gils with stuff.
I did not find the clerks unfriendly or unhelpful. I even got a free sample pumpkin muffin on my way out with the clerk cheerily saying «enjoy» to me. I was also thanked profusely on my way out the door.
If you shop wisely, you won’t lose so much from your wallet!

I never learn. I just never learn. I should have known better but oh, no! I am familiar with Sur La Table, their notoriously poor service, and their outrageous prices. STILL I ventured in on the hunt for a casserole dish for my boyfriend so HE can start cooking for ME.
I ask the first person I see in SLT getup to point me in the right direction. Blank stare. I ask again.
Him: «Oh, are you talking to me?»
Me: «No. I’m talking to all the people who DON’T work here. YES, I’m talking to you.»
Him: «Wha…huh? What did you need?»
Me: «A casserole…»
Him (cutting me off): «We don’t actually sell food here. Just tools for cooks and cooking and dining products.»
Me: (sarcastically) «Really? Because I’m starving.»
Him: «Yeah. I know. The name’s confusing.»
Me: «Never mind.»
I found the damn casserole (thanks much for letting me finish my sentence) dishes. They did not impress me. Ranging in price from $ 100-​$ 300 (for the most part), I’d expect them to chop and dice as well. The few casseroles they had on offer in a reasonable price range were dollhouse-​sized and not really what I was looking for. Now I know how expensive Le Creuset is and for good reason but what about those of us who are only going to use said dish once a month or so and therefore do not need our cookware to be of such high caliber? I would like some representation, too, Sur La Table!
It was difficult to get additional assistance after my first bizarre encounter and I left somewhere between fed up and fuming. The staff here are generally more knowledgeable than the Ferry Building staff but less helpful, which gets me nowhere. The store is organized well and I got my favorite apron here a long time ago as well as some learning chopsticks with little animals on them for my friend’s little girl. Still, I feel like I could have gotten that stuff anywhere.
Three stars for being convenient and well stocked but I’m just over these people and their jacked-​up prices and what I consider crappy customer service. I am looking forward to taking some cooking classes here (I have enjoyed the classes at the Walnut Creek branch) and I will re-​review after I get around to taking one. In the mean time, I’m shopping online.

You must know about this chain. It’s the borders books of kitchenware. Bigger and nicer than the usual mall junk, at twice the price.
It’s the store with a serious chicken fetish. Chicken tumblers, chicken aprons, chicken-​shaped terrines, spoons with chicken handles, hats with chickens on top.
There are kitchen gadgets and necessities, some plates and dishes, and a smattering of food, books, greeting cards, cooking classes, and sundries. Some high end (global knives, copper pots), some frivolous (an electric spinning spaghetti fork) or just silly (blue-​colored hot chocolate mix), and some UFC (they’re making everything out of silicon these days).
And always expensive. But there are many sales, promotions, and bargain tables. They are famous for food fads and purchasing mistakes so you find gems like last season’s chicken-​shaped salad plates for two dollars each, or a once famous /​now in rehab actor’s grandmother’s chicken grill rub that at 80% off is competitive with grocery store brands. Plus the obligatory oil and balsamic tasting bar /​splash zone.
This location is overlooked because it’s a block too far from Union Square hidden in a basement off a dark alley best known as a holding pen for VIP line rejects of the notorious nightclub Otis. Also, it’s outclassed by a splashier outlet in the Ferry Building nearby, as well as the more elaborate Williams Sonoma flagship on the Square.
What makes it special is the staff, competent and friendly and giving. They kept the registers open half an hour after closing during an after-​hours cooking class for customers who lingered.