Villa Romana: Authentic Amalfi Cuisine

From arrival to departure this was a great travel experience. The cooking school was very well organized and personal. The time allowed for touring the surrounding countryside was delightful, and the personnel were most pleasant and professional. Highly recommeded.

Villa Romana was beautiful; Chef Juliano was wonderful. Classes were informative and fun. Translator could not have done a better job. Every side tour was on time and very interesting. Can not pinpoint any one special moment as the entire vacation was special, from the hotel personnel, the chef and translator and the Italian people. I was sad to leave and will definitely plan a return. If every participating group is as great as this one, you have a winning organization... Everything went like clockwork from the time we left USA until we returned. Kudos.

This trip was the best one EVER! The cooking lessons, the hotel, the meals, and most especially, the people we met who were with The International Kitchen were incredibly special! We were expecting one notch above mundane; instead, what we got was superb -- couldn't have been more perfect. Ezio, Sandra, Barbara, Andrea, Michele -- everyone associated with our experience made it more memorable. We made lasting friendships that will call us back again. We can't wait to participate in another International Kitchen adventure! The lessons in conjunction with the tours AND THE MEALS were incredible. Ezio and Sandra were so knowledgable about the area and the subject matter! We were never bored and were genuinely disappointed that the days had to end.

Well, now that we are home, I can tell you it was very simple to get cash in Minori...there was a bank with a 24 hour machine just a short walk away, as was everything else. What a wonderful learning vacation we had...We can't say enough. And anyone who thinks this is the wrong season to go there is horribly mistaken. The weather was like our spring, and there were no crowds to contend with. The people there were amazing. Exio, Sandra, Guiliano and the family and staff at the Villa Romana. We felt like sponges absorbing all the information, culture and cuisine we could get for our senses. Thankfully, the four pounds I gained from the wonderful food have gone, but the memories never will. We took over 3000 photos...a lot of them are of the food preparation and serving...as well as of the amazing views taken on our many hikes. Thanks so much...we can't say enough. My husband, who has captive audiences all day long, has been raving non-stop ever since.

We are writing because your short questionnaire would not give us enough opportunity to properly express ourfeelings about our experience, which was outstanding beyond our best expectations. As you undoubtedly know, the secret to success with these programs is people, people, people, people and people. In this case, every one of the people connected with the cooking school and the hotel were exceptional in every way. The lead instructor was absolutely delightful. He developed the various menus for the four days of instruction, and he participated as we prepared the various dishes in the kitchen. He would meet with us for half an hour before each session in the kitchen to give us some historical insight into the recipes that we would be preparing that day. Also, he took us on a tour of the town of Amalfi, to a mozzarella factory, into various local food shops (pastry, pasta, fish, meat and bread) and to the Limoncello producer. He is very knowledgeable and professional. His charm and enthusiasm made for a very pleasurable experience. The chef welcomed us into his kitchen and taught us many valuable techniques as we prepared appetizers, pastas, veal Amalfitana, various seafood dishes and various desserts. Our translator, Sharon, was proficient and personable. She gave us a tour of local Roman ruins and of the town of Ravello. Alessandro, son of the owner of the Hotel Villa Romana and sommelier in the dining room, was courteous and helpful as he assisted during our lessons and when we dined in the hotel. Michele, the driver, was polite and congenial. Lastly, the entire Reale family, owners and operators of the Hotel Villa Romana, were gracious and accommodating to our every wish as guests in their hotel. Beyond what has already been mentioned, the cooking school package included a guided tour of Pompei. The school arranged for comfortable transportation and an English-speaking guide. We found this very worthwhile. In summary, we had a very pleasurable and memorable experience at the cooking school. We believe that we received exceptionally good value for the price we paid, and we highly recommend this particular school to your clients.