Best Place for A Unique Dinner Experience in Oakville - Bartolini's Bistro!

When's the last time that you and your partner or friends had a unique night out or memorable dining experience?  This past weekend, my husband and I had the pleasure of doing a cooking lesson at Bartolini's Bistro in Oakville.  We had a really great time, learned new recipes and enjoyed a delicious dinner that we will absolutely be replicating at home.  Bartolini's Bistro offers private, Italian-inspired cooking lessons in a fun and relaxed environment.  The food you learn to make is customized to what you and your family love and I love the mantra they have which is ""simplicity in meal creation is the key to our complicated lives."

Chef DJ

The items we made in Bartolini's kitchen were:

• Stuffed Chicken With Cheese & Asparagus
• Shanghai Baby Bok Choy
• Yukon Gold Roasted Potatoes
• Butterflied Shrimp

Left:  Chef DJ showing us how to stuff the chicken  Right:  My husband learning to butterfly cut shrimp

They have so many options to choose from such as rigatoni in meat sauce drizzled with a gorgonzola cream, homemade cannelloni, seafood risotto, lamb shanks - check out their website for all the options!

Both my husband and I enjoy cooking but with two little ones at home, spending a lot time in the kitchen is not always feasible. It was really nice to learn some new tricks and take time to slow down and enjoy some good food and to try new things. We were both surprised at how elegant the meal turned out even though it was not complicated to make once we got into it. And can I tell you about the potatoes we made??

My new favourite way to cook potatoes!  Simple but so good!

Hands down the best potato I have ever eaten. I am not a huge potato fan (we actually rarely make potatoes at home), but we've already replicated Chef DJ's potatoes at home and it hasn't even been a week! Chef DJ was also really great at letting us taste the food at different stages to see the difference - for example, a perfectly cooked shrimp versus one that has cooked too long. Huge difference in flavour. 

A night out at Bartolini's Bistro would really make a perfect gift for a birthday, Mother's Day or Father's Day, a wedding anniversary or any other reason to give someone a unique experience. I love that its not a typical gift and would be something that the recipient will always remember. And actually, when my kids get a bit older, I think it would be a very special gift to give to them as well - a fun afternoon as a family or some one on one time with a parent (and hey...if they replicate the meal at home for you, even better!)

Be sure to visit their website for pricing and other information. I'm thrilled to have found Bartolini's Bistro, what a great new addition to the Oakville culinary scene.  Right now they've got a great promotion running for Mother's Day - 25% off (savings of $50) if you book or buy a gift certificate before May 5th.  All the details can be found here.

Looking forward to going back again soon!