Yelp Community Blog

Silicon Valley Yelpers PLEY at Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

On Saturday, January 30th, over 1,500 yelpers came from all over the Silicon Valley and Bay Area to resurrect their inner child at Yelp's Silicon Valley PLEY Open Party at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose. It was an incredible night full of tasty drinks, delicious bites, hands-on activities, festive performers, and of course - amazing people.

 

Skyy Vodka was on hand throughout the whole event, shaking up fruity cocktails for everyone. Anya R was a particularly big fan of their Passion Fruit and Pineapplade, while yelpers like Danreb V  and Nadia L gushed over Dee Vine Wines' wowing Rieslings and Firestone Walker and Devil's Canyon Brewing Company's cold beer.  Honest Tea quenched Vicky T's thirst, with their refreshing fruity teas, before she proceeded to bust out her dance moves.

And the food! The savory food was not only phenomenal, and beautifully presented, but plentiful! Yelpers excitedly sampled Bistro Luneta's Crispy Pata, California Cafe's "tasty meat crositinis, Crunch Catering's "Ahi Tuna Crunchy treats", Ginger Cafe's "scallop wontons and dimsum," Dio Deka's "greek meatballs," Madera's "succulent sweetbread morsels," Morocco's "crazy-good lentil salad," Morton's' "steak sandwiches with horseradish cream," New Delhi's samosas, Pampas' "pork tenderloin and chocolate tort," Park Place's "juicy and flavorful pulled pork sandwiches," and Red Crane's "salmon tartare." 

For all of the sweet-tooths out there (and judging by the countless pictures of yelpers popping picture perfect cupcakes in their mouth, there are many!), there was a beautiful spread of artisan chocolates, icing topped cupcakes, and ice-cream sanwiches.  Cece C lauded Ana's Creative Baking's guava cupcakes, while Samantha R raved over Jen's Cakes.  Shannon N swooned over Dolce Bella Chocolates' unbelievable passionfruit chocolate, while Laura F melted over Shokolaat's Don Juan - an interesting combination of Anejo tequila, white chocolate, and lime-infused malted sea-salt. Yum! And of course - rounding off the desserts was KICKS Cookies and Ice-Cream with their "raspberry sorbetto and peanut butter cookie," which "go together like sunshine on a summer day," according to Sharon M.

 

In addition to all of the 150+ interactive museum displays such as the prominent bright red fire-truck in the lobby and the corn husk doll making station upstairs, yelpers Karen R and Melanie V were blown away by the out-of-this-world live set by the Bay Area's own Phenomenauts, a colorful Azteca dance by Movimiento Cosmico and an energetic hip hop performance by the ladies of Elemental Remix. While the DJs of Team Bluefield provided sweet body bumping beats, the local Pacific Art Collective, showcased their exceptional live art and also allowed yelpers to unleash their own creative juices on a huge community canvas. In addition to communal art, yelpers were able to form their own own rock-out musical groups with Rock Band and Guitar Hero classics on the The Busy Bus "Park & Play" Video Game Party Bus, parked in the front of the museum. Party on!

The night was unforgettable in every way, especially thanks to the The Laugh Box's candid photobooth pics, ZatPhoto and Gopher Hole Productions also managed to catch the action packed festivities for all those that were a little too pre-occupied with the flowing libations and delectable bites - to catch everything. Upstairs at the event Creative Labs were lending out their Vado HD cameras, so yelpers could capture all of the fun themselves. 

Thank you to all who were able to make it out to PLEY at the event, and especially to all of the incredible businesses who participated in this event and helped make it such an action packed night. And an especially big thank you to the wonderful staff at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose for hosting Silicon Valley's biggest open party to date!

To share and read about all of the memorable PLEYful adventures just click here. And peep our Flickr and event page for all the fun pictures of the event!

Until the next event, SYOY!

Connie C

Denver Elites Wine Down at Lala's Wine Bar + Pizzeria

More than 130 Denver Elites wound down January with a groovy wine tasting at Lala's Wine Bar + Pizzeria Saturday night.

Oh, what were they drinking? Five varieties of wine (from their own custom Yelp wineglasses) including Matua Sauvignon Blanc, Filus Malbec, Delas Cote Du Rhone, Lunetta Prosecco, and Mas De la Dam Gourmade Rouge, and a tasty little cocktail made from Root liquor (hailing from the northeast) cardamom, muddled orange, lemon zest with a splash of soda.

Nick and Jim from Red Turtle Music jammed some amazing tunes while everybody noshed on delicious apps including smoked salmon stuffed with arugula pesto mascarpone topped with a sprinkle of black sea salt, roaring 40's blue cheese strawberries wrapped with a chive, crispy speck topped with a sweet potato puree, toasted pepitas and a balsamic drizzle, and assorted truffles. Can you say, YUM?

Elites also donated nearly $400 to Project Angel Heart, a local organization that provides meals free of charge to those suffering from life-threatening illnesses. Nice work, Elite Squad!

Special thanks to Adam Russell for taking all the photographic evidence of the evening, to Think Big Solutions for printing that informative and glossy menu card, Mop Factory Salon for donating a complimentary 'do to our raffle winner, and extra big thanks to Cookies in Bloom for an an adorable Valentine's-themed cookie arrangement, also for the raffle.

Did you miss this unforgettable event? Check out the photographs and reviews here.

SYOOOY!

(See you on or off Yelp, as Doug Y likes to say)

Laura L

Houston Yelp Goes Sultry, Seductive & Sexy For Steaks!

Houston Elites channeled their inner 1940s bombshell beauties and studs at the January 28th glam-squad event at famed downtown destination, Strip House Steak House. Guests enjoyed endless hors d'œuvres, filling up on housemade beef jerky, juicy bite-size burgers, slices of sirloin atop creamed spinach, foie gras, shiitake mushroom eggrolls, tuna tartare, crab cakes, mini chocolate mousse cakes and so much more. (There's still much debate on which dish stole the show, but we noticed a few mouths water at the sight of the steaks!) As a special treat, Executive Chef John Schenk made a guest appearance from LA to give yelpers grilling tips and answer all their burning beef questions (pun intended). There to wash down the variety of bites, Yelpers sipped on Strip House's famous Blackberry Martini concocted with Texas' own Hudson Ferus Vodka. ...And who better to present this buzz-worthy new product than Hudson Ferus Vodka Co-Founder Bert Gallagher Jr.?! Anyone get a taste straight up? Smooth.

The first-class treatment did stop there: Transforming the tresses and faces of yelpers into pin-up babes were the gals from Studio 31 Hair Lab (Stacey, Leslie and Christian). From Veronica Lake curls to Bettie Paige lips, the ladies of Yelp enjoyed these full-on knockout makeovers. And for added seduction, Newal from The Original Henna Company sexed up the scene with exotic tattoos – for those who dared!

If you missed the burlesque-filled evening, check out the candids and photo booth shots, and read up on all the great feedback these Elites have to share!

'Til next time ... SYOY (see you on Yelp!),
Farrah A

Yelp LA Fiestas Sombrero Style at Little Cave!

When LA yelpers were told to BYOS (Bring Your Own Sombrero), they did just that. And then some. Little Cave was a sea of sombrero-wearing, beer and tequila drinking, taco eating, cupcake shoveling, soda slinging yelpers. Sure, the obnoxious south-of-the-border hats made for some awkward hugs, but boy do they make up for it in pure party playfulness!

                    

From the giant Jarritos bottle lighting the way to the dope beats of DJ Sweet Caroline to the fire breathing bartenders, one thing is for sure, where there are sombreros, there are muy bueno times! Thanks to señorita Corza M for capturing the finer moments of the evening! Bottles of Bud Light (and Bud Light Lime and Bud Light Wheat) were gripped tightly in the hands of our booze-friendly yelpers, while others could be seen sipping down Little Cave's very own La Rosa Negra and chasing it with a Jarritos Paloma.

                                                           
     
Oh, and there was grub too. The kind of grub that makes you wish there was an Elite party every day! Little Cave supplied their very own "taco guy," who was later revealed as Garibaldi, a dynamic mother and son duo, and this precious pair provided flavorful fare that would wow the mustache right off any taco lover! Cakified was also on hand, bringing mad cupcake deliciousness to yelpers mouths and tummies! Cake remnants of Mexican chocolate moistness with cinnamon buttercream frosting were happily displayed on everyone's stuffed faces. And to wash this all down, Jarritos was on site with mucho Mexican soda, so there was never a dry mouth in the cave.

           

Some guests went home with piñatas and a bag of candy stuffing for doning their sombrero bests. And one lucky winner might have even been gifted with a little liquid treat for getting extra creative with her, ahem, sombreros. Everyone walked away with a Yelp lunchbox, their very own Jarritos to go (or 6) and a little less memory, but hey, that's what happens when yelpers BYOS!

                                                           

For more sombrero-sporting pics, click aquí and to read yelpers' tales of the noche go here!

SYOY!

Katie B

LA East Community Manager

Sacramento is Square and Tacky! What?!

You want lovebots and fembots? We got 'em. Queenbots or bots with anatomy? Absolutely! One thing is for certain: Sacramento tacky yelpbots and their humanoid friends know how to get jiggy wit it ... and drink like the end is near! But who wouldn't when it's a Yelpbot Odyssey 2010 throwdown?

From robot/pin-up model shoots, to ambient, booty-shaking sound waves, to real rockets from a local space invader, and of course some of the coolest yelpers on earth-- I think we had a pretty good time. Well, it was all right. ;) Special thanks to elite yelper extraordinaire Jeff M and his PIC Kristen G from Sapporo who served robots with a plethora of Sapporo beer -- and gin and tonics! The duo were on fire ensuring no human was left thirsty ... though Eduardo C did curse his half-bot status, err liver, for not being able to consume more. "Damn humans!"

 What are the human sayings? Read the reviews!

A lil' more about Sapporo ... They sponsored us big time. Yes, they have a beer made from space, but the love they showed us last night was truly out of this world. Also, many grazies to Hot Italian who made sure no fembot or robocop went under fueled. We heart Hot Italians almost as much as we love Hal. Mega props to The Urban Hive for having the coolest space (IOHO) in Midtown and sharing it with us crazy, lushious, yelpers. Good art, good energy.

Hey, Mr. DJ ... please don't stop the music! Emperor's Jazz electronic & percussion ensemble made it nearly impossible for folks to leave. Yeah, they even gave away free CD's of their special Yelpbot mix and brought out the dance machines in us. Who is the fairest bot of them all? Well, it was hard to choose! Our judges decided that Elif F, who took the last of the silver paint left in Sacramento, should win a $35 gift certificate at Alley Cuts salon with stylist Laurel. 

Two sets of lovebots -- Jason P and his Vanessa and Joanne L and her Benjamin also received best costume awards: tickets to upcoming comedy shows courtesy of Sacramento Comedy, who understands that even cyborgs need to laugh sometimes.

Wait, wait! Don't go yet. Last but certainly not least, we can't forget the magic of being shot supermodel style by Tower Photography and coordinator Lizzy D. Vine & Co. Nor will we forget the rockets on display from JP Aerospace. Did you know they are doing a commercial with Toshiba? Yeah, so that means you are almost famous robots! Watch out Wall-e. Elites are the new storm troopers! (And taking over the city with grace and albeit tacky style.)

Want more pics? You got it.

Austin Yelpers Don Their Yacht Rock Best @ The Iron Gate Lounge!

Can you feel it? That soft vibe you hear pouring from East Austin happened this week: more than 200 local yelpers said "Ya Mo Be There" and dropped by the elite event at the Iron Gate Lounge! They donned their maritime best (from the ridiculous to the sublime) and sipped on some Lone Stars while they gnoshed on Delish cupcakes. Eventually the evening gave way to a rousing set from the incomparable Neilyo, as each of us channeled our inner Michael McDonald into the night. Until next time!

  
 

Yelp Honolulu Gets Wacky & Tacky in Waikiki

Over 150+ Honolulu yelpers played the part of "Super Tacky Tourist" at our Wiki Wacky Tiki Tacky Yelp Launch Party at Tiki's Grill & Bar in splendid Waikiki! With a beautiful backdrop of famous Waikiki Beach and perfect eighty degree weather, we were set to party it up Hawaiian style! To get the evening started, Yelp Elites and guests were greeted with fresh purple orchid leis and Skyy Vodka cocktails in souvenir coconut cups, all courtesy of Tiki's Grill & Bar. Yelpers dressed for their tacky themed party by wearing matching his and her aloha attire, loud (as your drunk Uncle Kimo) aloha shirts, giant sunglasses and grass skirts (Woot woot Steve N!).  

 
 
Wacky and tacky party guests imbibed on yummy drinks by Skyy Vodka, Jose Cuervo Silver, Captain Morgan Rum, Barefoot Wines and the Kona Brewing Company. More adventurous guests drank shots from a huge Yelp ice luge which poured chilled shots of Skyy Pineapple Vodka. 

   

Tiki's Grill and Bar served up Kahlua Pig Quesedillas, Mini Crab Cakes, Coconut Shrimp, Beef Tenderloin Skewers and Shrimp & Pork Won Tons to fill up our Yelp sized bellies! We don't know about you, but the words "Kanak Attack" come to mind!

  
 
Lucky Yelp Elites got the first Yelp lunch boxes to ever be given out in Honolulu and proudly showed off their hard earned schwag! No trip to Waikiki is ever complete without a photo, so the computer fixin' gurus at iFix Pro set-up a photo station where yelpers took some truly memorable photos with their new found friends! 

 
  
Did you miss out on this epic party of Kahlua Pig sized proportions at Tiki's Grill & Bar? Read all about it or take a look at the photos so you can see what you missed! Then say the word "Humuhumunukunukuapua'a" (it's Hawaii's virtually unpronounceable state fish)! 

Aloha & SYOY!

Emi H

Dallas Elites shimmied at Yelp Arabian Nights

Over 100 Dallas Elites and guests danced, shook, shimmied, sipped and ate at Yelp Arabian Nights, hosted by Kismet and Cafe Izmir. Kismet opened their doors and turned up their sound system while the DJ spun modern dance mixes mixed with Middle Eastern dance flair.

Not only was the DJ moving at the speed of lightning, so were the bartenders who served up fabulous Absolut Citron lemon drops, frozen margaritas and draft beer. Yelpers were also treated with a buffet fit for kings, full of piping hot and deliciously cold Middle Eastern tapas and treats including cheese plates, hummus with pita bread, Eegra, Russian chicken salad, chicken and lamb kabobs, grilled veggies, baklava and much more!

Then the belly dancers from Authentic Belly Dancing Entertainment moved in and everyone created a space for them to whirl around the room using swords, shimmering cloths and sexy moves that wowed the crowd. They even balanced a lit plate of candles on their foreheads while bent over backwards, and showed a few brave yelpers how to flip a quarter on their stomach with no hands!

 


Those looking for more low-key entertainment got in line for the mysterious palm reader, who apparently chilled some yelpers down to their bones with her spot-on readings. Other Elites and guests simply chilled out on one of the many plush couches and smoked away on hookahs, filled with flavors like strawberry and peach.

Izmir Group also gave an "All Day Affair" prize package away to one lucky winner which included gift cards to all three of their establishments, and Janna from Live Hair Group was also in attendance to give two lucky yelpers gift cards redeemable for hair cuts.

The pictures don't do this sultry party justice, so go read what the yelpers have to say about it and take a tour through the photos to get a real sense of how this par-tay went down.

SYOY,
Nikki B

Yelpers Say "Pleased To Cevich-ya" At The Tabule Open Mic Night

Wednesday evening 100 elite yelpers gathered at Tabule in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter for the first party of 2010. The “Pleased To Cevich-ya” Open Mic Night brought newbie elites and original gangstas together to for fantastic bites, free flowing drinks, and the opportunity to say “Pleased to Cevich-ya” (Meet ya) to fellow yelpers.

Tabule dazzled the crew with succulent samples of their menu inculiding tastes of seared shrimp and duck tacos, scallops, borrachero steak skewers, and yes Chilean seabass ceviche. Liquid courage for open mic-ers was served in the form of pomegranite martinis and classic mojitos. Boy were they intoxicating!

The stars of this party? Yelpers who brought their reviews to life during an open mic courtesy of Hindsight Studios. We heard reviews about everything from skunk removal to the grooming of nether regions…. which was as entertaining as it sounds. There was even a Mexican wrestler appearance, mask and all.  We don’t think there has ever been an Elite Party with this much flexing!
Thanks to all the yelpers who participated in the open mic and a special shout out to Joe C for capturing the moments! Check the reviews out what yelpers are saying!

Until Next Time, SYOY (See You On Yelp)

Danny W San Diego Community Manager

Yelp London Celebrates Our "Burst" Birthday!

Tuesday night truly proved to be the party of the year as over 400 yelpers ate, drank and enjoyed London's finest – all to say "Happy Birthday Yelp UK!" The celebratory spirit was in the frosty air as guests descended the red carpet to find Islington Metal Works transformed into a magical trip around town.

The posh and proper kicked off their evening with a stroll through Yelp's "G&Tea" Party, divinely decorated with props from GlimpseOnline and A Most Curious Party and beautiful tea ladies styled by Rag & Bow with make-up from Glam it with Mac. Stepping into the grassy garden, yelpers were instantly transported to a lazy summer’s day with live music from Louise Golbey and Will and The People. Spirits were high as Juniper Green Gin, UK5 Vodka and Papagayo Organic White Rum filled vintage teacups, served with naughty and nice Butterfingers Cakes in the lush surroundings of our very own vintage paradise.

   

Aromas of hot food seduced yelpers to the Midnight Market. Beset with a glass ceiling of twinkling stars, this market was chock full of London's best market stalls, street musicians, and even a tube – which wouldn't you know, we turned into a bar. While Bonfire Band, Fabio Tedde and Jon the Accordion busker captured the soul of London street music, yelpers lined up to nosh on Roast Hog, who crammed buns with juicy pieces of an entire free range pig marinated with rosemary, fennel, garlic and olive oil, along with crackling and apple sauce. Herbivores and carnivores alike came back again and again to sample Anna’s delights at the Veggie Table, and revellers couldn’t get enough of the now legendary Chipstix, chips spiraled around sticks and coated with flavourful goodness – you tried it here first, folks! Dessert? Well what do you know? The boys from Frae satisfied everyone with their lip-smacking organic frozen yogurt (and sexy tight shirts, if we do say so ourselves)! To wash all that down, the bartenders from Slim Jim's Liquor Store took over the "Tube Bar" using Makers Mark to shake, rattle and roll up some fabulous bourbon cocktails.

What is London without trendy pop-ups and independent pubs? The Portobello Gold (Notting Hill's longest running bar under the same ownership) knocked both out in one shot, as designer Fred Rigby transformed the space into Yelp's local. Photography from owner Mike Bell adorned the walls, a free photo booth from The Photobooth Company provided prop-tastic snaps throughout the evening, a foosball championship ensued, and a giant smorgasbord of foodie delights from oysters to chicken wings, sashimi to parsnip chips went down a treat. Thirsty? Pints of Freedom Lager and Harveys Bitter flowed over the bar without stopping, red and white wine kept it classy, and the cinnamon adorned rum punch and Sotol Tequila margaritas kept everyone in the partying mood.

Following the road between the rooms, most yelpers bumped into ZipCar, who were zipping guests to the after-party at Slim Jim's Liquor Store. Not only that, they were giving away a trip for two to San Francisco! Further down the road at the coat check, many dug deep to donate to The British Red Cross Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

It was one hell of a party – and you can relive every second of it by reading the reviews, checking out the photos and sharing all the gossip on Talk. 

As yelper Mei L so eloquently put it: Five stars for any party where the night ends with me bringing home a man. Specifically, a little man with a big beard, a pointy hat and a pot of gold who fits in my purse. Here's to Yelp's Burst Birthday: The only party in London where you can pull a real garden gnome.

And as for the after party.... what happens at Slim Jim's stays at Slim Jim's, right... ?!

Until next time, SYOY!

Your Yelp London Crew

Laura N, Leon C and Lizzie G

Yelp LA PLEYs Around At The Yard

LA West yelpers brought their inner kids to The Yard in Santa Monica last night for the PLEY With Yelp Elite Event. 

Fueled by foie gras mousse canapes, pulled pork sloppy joe sliders, oxtail meatballs, fish tacos and more  scrumptious bites from celebrity chef Chris "CJ" Jacobson of "Top Chef" fame and refreshed from the tangy cucumber "Backyard Lemonade" created by Blake, The Yard's mixologist, LA yelpers got down to the serious business of having fun.

From a heated game of Hungry Hungry Hippos to extreme concentration during a round of Operation, yelpers channeled their comeptitive urges. A few lucky raffle winners even got to take some games home to have their own game nights in the future! And everyone left with a Yelp lunchbox to remind them to keep having fun once the party ended.

A huge thank you to The Yard for providing the venue and refreshments for a wonderful night, and to our photographers, Christophe Wu and Kwiri Yang, for capturing all of the fun! You can check out their photos here and the event's reviews here.

SYOY!

Christina Y

LA West Community Manager

Yelp DC Gets Meze-morized at Tabaq Bistro!

With a few slurps of raw oyster and a few gulps of the delicious cocktails made with a little love and whole lot of 42 Below Vodka,  the DC Yelp Elite Squad's hips were not lying last night at Yelp Gets Meze-morized.

The Elite Squad ran wild last night as they explored all four floors of this amazing venue located in the cultural melting pot that is U Street. Throughout the evening, DC yelpers slurped away over 500 raw oysters, chowed down on hummus, curry crab puffs and spinach with feta pastries, threw back a handful (or two) of Passionfruit Cosmos and danced along with enchanting belly dancer, Samira Shuruk. Luckily, no yelpers attempted to balance the sword on their head. *Wipes sweat off brow*

When it was time to take a breather from all of the dancing, hugging, arm wrestling and stair climbing, you could find yelpers in the dim lit, candle filled, lounge full of pillows downstairs, on the second floor in the art room adorned full of beautiful and funky pieces from local artists, or on the top floor enjoying the skyline views of the Washington Monument and the Capitol through the glass enclosed rooftop.

Special shout out to newbies Hilvic Ryan N and Jerry L for making it out to their first Elite event! Congrats to Fenny L for managing to get the FTR, her soul purpose in life. 

Once again, a buxom thank you to Tabaq Bistro for hosting us in their gorgeous space and for the patience and grace of their amazing staff. Also, a helluva thank you is in order to 42 Below Vodka for filling the event with...spirit!

Be sure to check out action packed photos of the event from fellow yelper, James Hunt.

Until next time folks, SYOY!

Tara L

Metro Detroit Yelpers Celebrate One Year o' Yelp with an Art Attack!

Yelp's all about all things local, so what better way to honor one year o' Yelp in Metro Detroit than to bring great local musicians, artists, and creative culinary treats all together? Much of the visual and aural talent was provided by members of the Yelp community themselves, and the party proved a fab way to get to know another side of some of our favorite yelpers.     

From 8-9 pm, members of the Elite Squad streamed into the CAID to get a sneak peek at the art, nibble some treats, and chat up the artists. Throughout the evening, yelpers got tastes of mini-sammies from Mudgie's, and tender pork carnitas provided by Chef Jeff Rose of Toast Birmingham.

 

Some sippers opted for a more adult version of cherry cola with black cherry Zodiac Vodka cocktails, while others kept it simple with a classic vodka tonic. In keeping with the gallery's laid-back aesthetic, there was also free-flowing PBR on hand as well as plenty of Vitamin Water to keep everyone hydrated.

    

A giant tower of cupcakes -- provided by Just Baked -- was a massive hit. With seemingly endless flavors, it was hard to resist the call of the cake. As yelpers noshed and nibbled, some found some perfect art to purchase, while others were lured closer to the stage by the sweet sounds of the Blueflowers and Scarlet Oaks. Before, between and after the live music, DJ Richie W held it all together.

Happy Yelpiversary to the entire Metro Detroit Yelp community -- here's to a fabulous second year! If you're curious about reviews or more photos, just follow the links!
SYOY!
Mariah C

Yelp Chicago Bakes For Haiti

Cupcakes, pies and fruit tarts are more than just delectable baked goods. In Chicago, they are a means by which yelpers can lend a hand and help those in need. On Saturday, January 23, 2010, Super Elite Tina B organized an army of Yelp volunteers (including yours truly) to bake, donate and sell delicious treats to benefit Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam International. Medici on 57th graciously offered up its second floor to host the 3.5 hour long bake sale. In addition to space, Medici offered fruit tarts for the sale and soft drink refreshment to the volunteers. Other community bakeries lent a cupcake (or hundreds) as well: Luscious Layers Bakery, The Bleeding Heart Bakery, Jimmy Jamm Sweet Potato Pies, Sugar Beez, Katherine Anne Confections, and Angel Food Bakery.

Not content to just buy and eat the goodies, Chicago yelpers came out, en masse, to provide baked goods of their own. Yelpers baked up banana nut cakes, chocolate-chip bacon cookies, chocolate layer cake, scones, cheesecakes, brownies, rosemary shortbreads, and much much more. It was a treasure trove of riches that, at the end of the day, resulted in a collection of $1700 for the charities!!! Read all about it here and here.

Never doubt the ability of one person to make a positive difference. Never question the desire of local business to support a global cause. Never underestimate the power of a Yelp community to come together to change lives. Yelper. Local Business. Community Effort & Participation. This is the power of Yelp. Well done, Chicago. Well done.

Johnny T

Toronto Elite Get Smoked 'N Serenaded At Lou Dawg's Southern Sandwiches

This past week over 100 elites descended into the smoky, hickory-scented lair of Lou Dawg's Southern Sandwiches on King Street West, where they mixed and mingled while juggling sliders and vodka slides. We overheard many an "ooh" and "ahh" as yelpers sunk their teeth into meaty options like fork-tender pulled pork & chicken sandwiches, smoked beef brisket and juicy fillet of sole. Fry baskets (yukon gold and sweet potato!) made the rounds but didn't last long thanks to their pairing with tangy chipotle mayo that had everybody raving! As if the main attractions weren't enough, black bean and corn salad, baked beans, southern 'slaw and cheddar jalapeno muffins also made the rounds.



While yelpers noshed, local musician Paige Armstrong strummed through a setlist of favourites, including tunes by Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Eric Clapton and even Kings Of Leon! Daniel B raves: "These amazing angels came out from behind the doors holding majestic plates of delicious shredded BBQ'd pork on buns.   I have no idea what the 'pulled' in 'pulled pork' refers to, but I can only assume that it means that it was pulled from heaven."

Check out all the beautiful photos taken by our own Wendy Heisler on Flickr, and see what other people are saying about the party in the reviews and Talk thread - if you weren't there you really missed out!

A very special thank you to Daryl D'Souza, Trevor Brodie, Sean Smith and the staff at Lou Dawg's for being such formidable hosts!

See You On Yelp!
Kat F.
Community Manager, Yelp Toronto