Pizza a Casa Pizza School

for anyone who loves food & cooking take this class. It was wonderful.

I loved every minute of this class. Mark is incredibly knowledgeable. He has tested, and tasted, every pizza component from dough, sauce, and toppings to equipment and technique. I think he knows every pizza place in the tri-state area. The class was fun and entertaining, social and yet packed every moment with information. I left with confidence that I could make great pizza at home.

Can't say enough about what a great time this was. If you love eating pizza (and who doesn't?) and especially if you like to experiment with making your own, this workshop should not be missed. Tons of fun, informative and well organized. Like some others, I wondered how I would stay interested for 4 hours on the topic of pizza. In fact, the time flew by. I took the class 2 weeks ago and have blown my friends and kids away by the pizza I am churning out of my home oven. Thank you!

Had read about Pizza A Casa in Pizza magazine. While i'm not a pizzeria owner, I eat enough to qualifiy as one. One of my ex gf's turned me onto making pizza and it's a fun, easy dish to make for my mom, dad, and uncle. I learned how to make pizza dough from Chef Mark Bello, which is really why I attended. He's creative, and keeps you entertained, as well as being knowledgeable along with his assistant, I forget her name, sorry!. This is a fun class to attend on a nice sunday afternoon while you're in the city and as a matter of fact, I gave two gift certificates a couple that recently got married as their wedding gift. I see pizza as love, the gift of being able to feed another human being, and that's why i take it so seriously, even though its "just a hobby". Anyway, book your class now! I may go back for a refresher course before 2011 ends!

My husband and I have attended quite a few "how to" food classes in NYC and we both feel that this was one of the best we have experienced. The class was everything it claimed to be. Mark was extremely informative and engaging throughout the entire experience. If you are looking for a great way to spend a few hours (and gain some new skills, too!) I would urge you to attend one of Mark's classes.

While I'm not sure any 4 hour cooking class is worth $150, this one probably comes as close as you can get to being "worth it". Owner Mark Bello has really thought of everything when it comes to this place (down to the music being played in the background during the class). To elaborate on the previous point: 1) The class is taught in such a way that no student gets left behind 2) So everyone in class can see what the teacher is doing at all times (there is not a good view of what the teacher is doing from every seat), there is a video camera set up in the classroom to record everything the teacher does that is played on a TV in a central location easily visible from every seat 3) They have someone who directs traffic at the oven (when it is time to cook the pizzas) so that Type-A New Yorkers don't kill each other while trying to get their pizza's into the oven first (there are 8 people making pizza at a time and only 4 pizzas can be cooked at one time). Also, I was skeptical that a four hour cooking class could hold my attention but the class literally flew by and I was eating the delicious pizzas I had made before I knew it. Finally, it was just a good time - I have taken cooking classes in the city before and while they have been informative, they weren't actually that fun. Overall, it was a great experience and if you don't mind shelling out $150 a person, I would strongly recommend doing it.

I really enjoyed the class! Expect to learn how to make great pizzas from home. If you are a pizza lover, you will definitely admire the passion that The instructor puts into each class. Also expect to gain a few pounds from eating such delicious pizzas!

It's evident that Mark has spent a significant amount of time reseaching how to make the perfect pizza from your own kitchen . AND it truely works! .We made brilliant pies . Plus his wealth of info, anticdotes and truly engaging personality made the evening a highlight ( as I told him ,on par with Segway Tour of Paris) . The space is tastefully laid out and very functional .Plus exceptionally clean . We've tried the recipes at home and while not quite on par with our Pizza a Casa version , Mark we promise to get it right soon ! Highly recommend it for a fun, educational and memorable eating experience . Pizza Lovers from Winnipeg Canada

Listen, if you're in the NYC vicinity and you love pizza, or love to cook, Pizza a Casa is for you! This was simply an outstanding, informative, fun, hands on class and Mark Bello is an awesome teacher who keeps things fun and interesting. Whether you are going by yourself or in a group, the class is awesome and very informative. Not only did I learn how to make a great NY pizza, I learned some of things I was doing wrong or missing in my approach. You will walk away with the knowledge to repeat regularly, all that you learned in this class, in your own home and make great pizza. I would highly recommend this to everyone and already have told my friends. You will not be disappointed, it is all that it says it is and so much more. This is coming from an Italian boy from New York, so trust me on this one, a great class! Tom Iannucci

What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

The class was not only informative and fun, but the pizza was delicious. Mark and Jenny were a pleasure! We will definitely be back for the pasta class!

so much fun for either a couple or a large group!

My wife and I were in New York for a week and decided to spend one evening taking this class, we both thought it was definitely worth spending the time and money on this class! Mark and Jenny were both extremely friendly and made us feel right at home. Mark does a very good job teaching you how to make NY style pizza at home. He starts by making a couple of pizzas for the class while demonstrating the techniques to make seriously good pizza at home and then the group gets to taste the pizzas he made. He then assists the students in making their pizza. You make enough dough for four pizzas and are encouraged to make all four pizzas. Mark gives you instructions and recipes to take home in case you forget anything in the class. You don't really need too many special tools to make the pizza using Mark's techniques, just a good pizza stone (1/2" thick) and a pizza peel. The ingredients he uses is really simple, we were able to find everything he suggested in our local supermarket (in Arkansas). Roughly 1 week after the class I made pizza using the techniques that Mark taught and they all came out perfect! I made three classic pizza margheritas and a pear and blue cheese dessert pizza that Mark gave us the recipe for. I really didn't have to look at the written instructions he gave, I just glanced at the dough recipe and went to work, which speaks on how well Mark taught us in class. Mark has changed the way I'll make pizza for the rest of my life! Thanks Mark and Jenny for such an excellent class, for me it will be the highlight of our week in New York.

WOW! This was definitely one of the most AMAZING, UNIQUE, FULFILLING, MEMORABLE......thing I did during my trip to New York. Not only is the class extremely entertaining but it is also very informative and you will leave knowing how to make a pizza (not complicated!) that is better than a majority of pizzas you've tasted. Mark Bello knows what he's doing and that is present during his class, his teaching style is hands on so you will experience everything yourself and NOT just watch some boring Chef "teaching" you how to cook (like 99% of the other cooking classes). You should definitely book your class now because they get sold out pretty fast. It is absolutely worth every penny you will spend!!! And if you only have one day free in NYC, skip the statue, skip the empire, skip broadway, skip top of the rock, and go straight to Pizza A Casa. You won't regret it! Oh and come hungry cause you will be munching on some fine gourmet pizza throughout the class! And when the "pizza wall" as Mark calls it comes up, take the rest home! Shoutout to Jenny, Mark's amazing assistant and "Pizza Traffic Control" operator.

I was apprehensive about taking this class because of the price, but it was totally worth it. I got this as a gift for my boyfriend, and we both enjoyed it thoroughly. The class is fun and informative. The class is very hands-on, you get to practice making pizza and can even choose your own toppings and take some pizza home. The teacher is great, funny and he really knows his stuff! We could relate to him because he's not a professional chef, but a pizza lover who's spent years perfecting his pizza recipe. I would totally recommend this class to anyone who wanted to have a fun learning experience.