Williams-Sonoma

When I need a specialty item, this is where I head. I love their assortment of food items and jarred sauces. Plus, I enjoy browsing the cookbooks. They are pricey, but the quality is worth it. I have even attended a cooking class here with a friend based on an Ina Garten cookbook. It was a sit-​down meal while we watched them prepare it — very fun! The store personnel are always helpful and friendly, and they definitely seem knowledgeable about cooking.

Williams-​Sonoma has beautifully laid out stores. This location is not exception. Williams-​Sonoma has a way of making cooking took elegant and refined. They have a large assortment of items. In the center of the store is a demonstration area. This store has always reminded me of Martha Stewart.
Unfortunately, their prices are absurdly high. Even the clearance Christmas stuff (it’s April) is over priced. I would expect the clearance price to be the full price. I love to cook. If I purchased equipment at these prices, I wouldn’t have enough tools to do the job.
Also, nobody even acknowledged us until we were walking out of the store. I don’t think we were the only ones being ignored. My husband told me that he was answering a couple’s questions about knives.

I’ve known Williams-​Sonoma for a while, having been acquainted with their stores in Florida. They were a primary dealer for All-​Clad cookware, and had a wide variety of small electrics that were unique – and uniquely priced – such as the Capresso brand.
The store is all about the kitchen and they not only have the gadgets and knives to help you prepare the food, but the cookware/​bakeware to help you finish it. They also have a variety of sauces, marinades, herbs, and spices for seasoning. On the weekends, they usually have samples. I ended up buying a Citrus & Garlic sauce that sounded like a way to perk up some meat.
One of the women working there was very helpful. You might be concerned with their attention. I don’t believe that they’re worried about shoplifting, but they just really want to sell something, and they tend to be overly attentive. It was the same way in their stores in Florida. At least, it’s not like the attention at Teavana where you can’t seem to get away.
Be sure that you’re ready to pay because the store generally isn’t inexpensive. On occasion, they’ll have good sales, but for the most part, they are a rather high end store. Most people who shop at Kenwood Towne Center know to expect that from any of the stores within the mall.
For instance, the 1 pound, 9 ounces (why is not a liquid measure?) of sauce I bought was $ 16.95. That’s a healthy size. She said that I could refrigerate or freeze part of it. Of course, the rest of the stores isn’t quite so economical, so if you’re looking for a $ 50 coffeemaker, you’d best stop at Target. However, if you’re looking for something that is much more fantastic than anything else you’ve seen, shop this store. At least, window shop this store.

Although the store is laid out all fancy-​like and upscale, this place really is a playground for home chefs. Tools beyond your wildest dreams, top of the line cookware, and a variety of serving plates/​utensils to fulfill your visions for the perfect dinner party. Plus, the employees encourage play: they brought out three different mandolines for me to test before choosing.
Alas, it’s an expensive playground. All these specific playthings come at a high cost, possibly even higher than Sur La Table (with a little less variety) and certainly higher than internet merchants. So while it’s certainly a delightful place, I can’t recommend it over other options unless you crave instant culinary gratification or are in the mall already.
But at least stop in and play around.