Yelp Community Blog

Great Scott! Portland Yelpers Got McFly At Yelp’s Back To The Future Ball!

The clock tower may have quit working in the 50’s but over 800 of Portland’s finest worked it hard at the third annual installment of the Bossanova Ballroom Bash: Yelp’s Back To The Future Ball! Who needs Mr. Fusion to power their DeLorean when you’ve got three distillers, seven restaurants, seven breweries and four amazing performers on board to fuel a night’s festivities?

As the doors of the Bossanova Ballroom swung open at 6pm on February 2, 2012, the round-the-block line cruised back in time to the retro environs of one of Portland’s premier venues. Guests were welcomed with a choice of seven Oregon brews courtesy of Oregon Brewer’s Guild. Yelpers chose between Spiced IPA (Rotator Series) from Widmer Browthers Brewing, Caldera Pale Ale, Lompoc Proletariat Red, Ninkasi Renewale, Hopworks Urban Brewery Secession CDA, Bridgeport Dark Rain or Oakshire O’Dark:30. Needless to say, the beer selections were epic… just a testament to both the past, and future, of Oregon’s insane craft brewing scene.

For those more inclined to spirits there were cocktails aplenty from Portland’s finest craft distillers including Northwest Distilling’s Lavishmint Vodka (Mint Tom Collins) and Liquid Vodka (Vodka, Cran, Squirt); Big Bottom Distilling’s barrel-aged whiskey (The New York Cocktail); and Deco Distilling Rum (Classic Rum & Coke). The actual distillers were on hand tasting their spirits as well, providing just another opportunity to get straight to the source of P-town’s fabulous products.

 

Some of Bridge City’s best restaurants showed off their A-game to the Yelp crowd with a seriously fine selection of edibles. Skyline Burgers brought a huge selection of sliders and similarly hearty bites; Double Dragon Bahn Mi, aside from the crazy flair, stoked the crowd with savory sandwiches; Crave Bakery brought the delicious dessert with hot chocolate gluten free cupcakes; SouthPark upped the ante with heirloom carrot soup and carrot cake bites; The Original turned more than a few heads by serving up apple fritters with bacon frosting and chopped liver pate with ham salad on house made ritz crackers; Salty’s on the Columbia stoked everyone out with so-good-it’s-almost-sinful Seafood Chowder; and finally long time Yelper fave Pine State Biscuits rocked their signature biscuits and gravy! Did you like the bites? Head to the restaurants themselves and check out the fare!

 

But it wasn’t just all about food and drink. DJ Atom13 rocked the 1’s and 2’s on stage with classic trax on vinyl throughout the night. His set was interspersed with not one but two sets from Holly Dai (Rose City School of Burlesque), an aerialist act from Petra Delarocha of the Valloween Crew, and Evan, The Human Groove Box. For more interactive fun, folks got snappy in the PDXPhotoLounge photo booth upstairs, or posed for a candid by Tom Maxwell Photography. There was even a costume contest that came down to McFly vs. Doc Brown vs. a rad 50’s couple – with some great prizes from the Doug Fir Lounge!

 

As Andrew G aptly notes: “Ain't no party like a Yelp party cuz a Yelp party don't stop. Until 9pm. But it was tight ‘til then. Real tight.” We agree, and it would not have been even a fraction of how tight it was without a huge amount of support from: Brian @ The Oregon Brewer’s Guild; a slough of great breweries; Portland's local distilleries; awesome PR folks like Tim Parsons, Katie Burnett and Shannon Pratuch; the generous and hard working fellas at the Bossanova Ballroom; Meaghan, Linda, Rob, Walter, Brandon, Broc, Adam, Jamie, Michelle and everyone who brought the insanely delicious food; Crystal H, Andrea R, Emi H, Matt W and Sam – my crazy hard-working crew; Tom and Lenny – photographers extraordinaire; and of course the Portland Yelp community – the best community a Community Director could ever ask for.

Don’t believe me? Read the reviews! Add your review of the event. Check the photos!    

By the way – have you connected with PDXYelp on Twitter or Facebook yet? McFLYYYY! What are you waiting for?

Until next time (which will technically be the future), see you on Yelp!

--Don “Doc Brown” B.

Yelp Portland Community Director

Halifax Gets Its Vegan On @ Sweet Hereafter!

Could there be a sweeter way to kick off a whole new year of Eliteness than with five rounds of cheesecake samplings? Halifax yelpers would argue that there most certainly is not after their Vegan Variety Night at local desserterie Sweet Hereafter!

With its black chandeliers, pink wallpaper, and collection of armchairs, our decadent setting for the evening was perfect for a mid-winter night out. In fact, the lovely decor had Jill M mentally redecorating her apartment within her first few steps in the door: "Adorable, chic, so much fun."

If you find it hard to believe that this new local business went from opening to Elite Event-ready in just a few months, you'll be floored to learn that owner and baker Colin MacDougall made his very first cheesecake just one year ago! Lori M "loved the fact that the owners take such pride (and responsiveness) in their work and products. They wanted feedback and actively sought it out. How refreshing is that?"

Promised a sampling of cheesecakes, elites rightly expected to satisfy a sweet tooth or two throughout the evening but none were prepared for five full rounds of flavours that were unleashed upon the room every few minutes! Yelpers were so overwhelmed by the spread that some kept forgetting that what they were eating was actually vegan! Leslie F was glad to have kept an open mind: "vegan cheesecake you say? Wouldn't that be gross? No. It's not. It's amazing."

After the full sampling of Chocolate Peanut Butter, Mango Line Coconut, Maple Pumpkin, Oreo Cookie, and Raspberry Chocolate, Kimberley M left "torn between the Mango Lime Coconut and Raspberry Chocolate as favorites" but points out that "they were all fantastic, and if the vegan ones taste this good, I can only imagine how decadent and delicious the full dairy-laden versions are."

One very lucky guest, Sylvia C, guessed her way to a custom cheesecake order at the end of the night, coming closest to naming the official opening date of Sweet Hereafter. But of course, everyone felt like a winner as they locked in their bets amidst props galore in the photobooth, lovingly photographed by the talented Michelle Doucette!

Catch the full photo gallery and be sure to read through the party reviews for some great cheesecake inspiration. Remember, Valentine's Day is just around the corner and these sweet treats are a surefire ticket to bonus points with your date!

Until next time, SYOY!

Ben B

Yelp Halifax Community Manager

Twin Cities Elite zombies face the Yelpocalypse!

From what philosophers and ancient Mayans tell us, it seems the world is maybe gonna end in 2012. Maybe, guys... it's a big maybe. Whether those rumors are true or false, the Twin Cities Elite Squad kicked the end of the world off right in downtown Minneapolis this week at the very first event of the year—Yelpocalypse!

Our gracious hosts at Hell's Kitchen are celebrating their 10-year anniversary this year and invited the Elites in for an inside-look at this legendary dining destination. They provided a hellishly delicious spread of savory menu items including huevos rancheros, lengua chips and more. Breanne K says, "Since the party I have been raving to every Tom, Dick, and Harry about those huevos rancheros bites. It was love at first bite. The black beans, the salsa, the hash. It all had such flavor and zest!"

Rumor has it (and these rumors are actually true) that Hell's Kitchen is opening a new bakery upstairs later this year, so their impeccable pastry chef gave the yelpers a preview of her devilish desserts. Between fudge brownies, peanut butter cupcakes (yep, their homemade peanut butter) and other treats, all we can say is O.M.G. More tactfully, Lea S breaks down the life-changing experience she had with her cupcake: "I was worried I was going to get thrown out of Hell's Kitchen for indecent behavior because of what I did to that blueberry cupcake. And if anyone is wondering what happen to the last cupcake... the cupcake everyone was being too polite to take because it was the last one... I took it, and I would do it again!" Her survival tactics have clearly kicked in.

These little zombies didn't go thirsty either. No sir. In addition to some classic Schell's Pilsner, the Hell's Kitchen bartenders showed off some absolutely off-the-charts drinks for the evening. Summer L could survive doomsday on the Jack Daniels' Manhattan Projects, available in blackberry spice, apple and pumpkin infusions (all done in-house!): "By far this was the best drink menu of any Yelp event I've seen. THREE VARIETIES OF INFUSED WHISKEY FOR MANHATTANS??? What is this madness? The pumpkin was the winner, and the brandied cherries were the greatest touch."

And Anna M couldn't get enough of the Foxy Fosse: "I'll never look at basil the same way again! I had dreams about the ginger-infused Finlandia Vodka with homemade basil lemonade. Luckily, it's on the happy hour menu for when I return!"

It wouldn't be a zombie apocalypse without zombies, so Deborah from All About Fun gave the yelpers scary-good macabre makeovers—Dustin G deserves extra props for going to a work meeting after the event in full makeup. And, if you're wondering who took all these smashing photos here and on Flickr, it was Emmerlee Photography!

A million thanks to the staff at Hell's Kitchen, Finlandia Vodka, Schell's Brewery, Jack Daniels, Intern Liz W and everybody that made this party so memorable. And a big virtual high five to all of the 2012 Elites—congratulations on your new badges!

Need more (brains!)? Check out photos and the reviews for the party on Yelp (or leave some love yourself if you were there). If you're interested in becoming Elite, read more about the Squad here!

Yelpfully yours,
Annie D

Twin Cities Yelp Community Manager 

Yelp Denver's Inaugural Secret Supper Club at Venue

If 2012 is going to be the year of the apocolypse then Denver yelpers are going out with a bang and a fully satisfied stomach thanks to the Yelp Secret Supper Club! Here in Denver, we're recruiting a few adventurous stomachs to join us 'round the long table in the name of epicurean pursuits each and every month to enjoy a three-course meal from a different innovator on the Denver dining scene. Best of all, the cost is a mere 25 bucks plus tip.

January kicked off the first dinner at Venue where 40+ folks were able to enjoy great company, meet new friends, and sample fare such as mussels with chorizo, roasted tomatoes, red onion, and tarragon; the famous shrimp and grits; and a pear tarte tatin, house made puff pastry, salted caramel ice cream, and cranberry orange compote among many other delectable menu items. (You can check out the full menu on the event listing here - we apologize in advance for any drool on your keyboard!)

As an added bonus Altitude Spirits joined us for the meal, creating drink pairings from their portfolio of organic liquors. The delicious concoctions included a Cucumber Gimlet with muddled cucumber, lime, and pear, shaken with Vodka 14; Red Rum with Papagayo Silver Rum, red vermouth, splash of soda and a squeeze of lime; and to round out the meal, Clementine & Spice Scotch with Highland Harvest Scotch Whisky infused with clementines, cinnamon, and cloves.

The next dinner is happening on February 21st (with more to come throughout the year) and you don't want to miss it. As Cheryl L put it, "If you haven't purchased your tickets for February you should jump on it and get them now! It is definitely worth the price of admission." You can check out the rest of the reviews for the January dinner here and if you're a visual person the photos of the evening, taken by Autumn Cutaia, are worth a thousand moans, er, words!

Hope to see you at the communal table some time in 2012!

Tiffany N

Denver Yelp Community Director

Yelp Cleveland's High School Reunion!

Last week over 50 Elites dressed as their chosen high school persona and traveled back in time. What time, you ask? A time when some got pushed around by the class bully and others ruled the halls like kings and queens. We're talking about Yelp CLE's High School Reunion!

CLE Clothing Co. hosted our first soiree of 2012 and provided lots of local goodies for yelpers gawk and frock themselves with. Who knew that an Elite party could turn into a shopping spree? Needless to say, we support buying locally...

What's a Yelp party without some food 'n bev? Izzy of StrEAT Mobile Bistro and Cleveland Corporate Caterers laid out a spread of antipasto that would make anyone's head spin. We're talking artisan cheeses, fresh baked breads, meats, olives and more! (I don't remember eating that well in the cafeteria...) Some Elites even left with bushels of herbs from the display! You can never have enough rosemary, yes? And we washed it all down the classy way, of course, with boxed wines and ice tubs full of beer.

Stations set up with make-your-own friendship pins and bracelets kept our fingers busy when we weren't drinking or eating. DJ Mike Filly spun some awesome tunes while the school-themed photo booth with customizable chalkboards helped truly capture the vibe of the bash. Check out all the party pics here, thanks to Ackey+Z Photography.

Elites and guests also voted in our special ballet box on yelper superlatives like, "best dressed" and "most likely to write a negative review." Congrats to our band-geek, Amanda F, and our negative-Nancy, Jeff B who both won gift baskets full of high school goodies, including hacky sacks and seasons of Saved By The Bell. A pretty intense game of hacky sack definitely broke out in the middle of the store, too. It's how we roll.

Thanks to CLE Clothing Co. & staff, DJ Mike Filly, Ackey+Z Photography and Izzy of StrEAT Mobile Bistro and Cleveland Corporate Caterers. Last but not least, I appreciate all the Elites who came out to party like Kelly Kapowski, Screech and Zack Morris.

Check out the event reviews here and don't forget to share your thoughts!

Until next time, SYOY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cara L

Yelp Cleveland Community Manager

An Elite Taste at The Capital Grille in Phoenix

On a beautiful 70 degree Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona, a group of very lucky Yelp Elites stepped foot inside The Capital Grille at Biltmore Fashion Park for a special tasting of their newly announced Plates menu. During the two hour tasting, Elites and their guests enjoyed signature cocktails, brand new cuisine and the company of Yelp friends!

 

 

As yelpers entered the party on a delightful afternoon, The Capital Grille welcomed them with trays of cocktails. Yelpers sipped on Stoli Dolis, Bohemians, lemonade, freshly squeezed grapefruit soda, wine and beer while they checked in and entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card to dine at The Capital Grille.

 

The Capital Grill certainly knows how to spoil the Yelp Elites and did just that during the afternoon dining experience. Yelpers enjoyed an array of lobster rolls on brioche, sirloin sliders, crab cake sliders, a jumbo shrimp cocktail display sitting by a Yelp ice sculpture, seasonal roasted red pepper soup, calamari, truffle fries and coconut cream pie! In the midst of the delicious cuisine on hand for all to enjoy, the Executive Chef provided a meat education and taught yelpers about each cut of meat.

 

 

Yelp Elites left feeling full and happily satisfied from their intimate experience at The Capital Grille. As if the food wasn't enough, everyone received a departing gift bag that included a gift certificate for a future lunch for two, a complimentary calamari, complimentary cocktail, plus some items for the road such as a notepad, pen, truffles and golf tees!

 

A special thank you goes to the wonderful staff at The Capital Grille's Biltmore Fashion Park location and to NBMA Photography for capturing the enjoyable afternoon. Take a look at the reviews that are flowing in and the pictures from the day!

 

 Until next time, SYOY!

Lindsey F

Yelp Phoenix Community Manager

 

 

 

 

 

The Capital Grille certainly knows how to spoil the Yelp Elites!

Yee Haw! Yelp Ft. Worth Takes Off @ T&P Tavern!

Word up Cowtown! West DFW yelpers descended from all parts to sip on some Ommegang Henepin, delight in the dulcet tones of local musician Kenny Uptain, and gaze upon the art deco wonder of the T&P Tavern, a 40s throwback tap room operating out of the old Texas & Pacific Railroad Depot. With great beer, amazing tunes and classic environs, what's not to love?

Soirée Yelp Elite 'Post Detox' au Gonzo Bar pour les Yelpeurs lyonnais

Première soirée Yelp de 2012 ce lundi 30 janvier à Lyon. Il n'a pas fait aussi froid depuis des mois, la neige menace, on est lundi soir... Et pourtant pas moins de 75 Yelpeurs se sont massés au Gonzo Bar, joli bar design et électro du 7ème arrondissement, tout près de la piscine du Rhône. Il faut dire que l'annonce était tentante : "Post Detox Party", finis les régimes et place aux calories assumées ! Au programme : bières allemandes à déguster, cocktails maison, hot dogs, soupes bio, petits gâteaux et chocolats !

A peine la porte passée, chaque Yelpeur se voit remettre un petit cadeau de la part du chocolatier lyonnais Richard Sève, une tablette de chocolat mini Bodi, un torse en chocolat plein d'abdominaux à croquer, ...pour ceux qui seraient venus à la soirée sans leurs propres tablettes de chocolat ! Plein de parfums à tester et des trocs en perspective pour les Yelpeurs, qui n'ont pas tous osé croquer leur chocolat dès la soirée et l'ont gardé bien à l'abri pour le lendemain !

Anne-Laure R est convaincue : "Un lundi froid, une semaine bien maussade qui commence avec cette question lancinante 'à quand le week-end ?'. Et puis le Gonzo Bar se profile. La porte s'ouvre. Vous voilà accueillis chaleureusement et une tablette de chocolat gourmand vous tend les bras. La musique donne le ton, les sourires sur les visages aussi. La délicieuse soupe de l'Épicerie Équitable finit de vous réchauffer !"

Derrière le bar, Pierre-Maxime et Christophe s'attelent pour proposer à chacun soit une bière allemande originale à tester parmi toute une sélection de bières différentes, soit un somptueux LFO (cocktail vodka / citron / gingembre / blanc d'oeuf) qui a ravi les foules, soit un bon punch maison ! Certaines chanceuses y auront même bu du thé des Jardins de Gaïa, preuve de la sympathie et de la polyvalence de Pierre-Maxime et de son bar !

Côté son, la DJette Catherine aka KTee est aux commandes et met l'ambiance, tout en douceur. A droite de la salle, ça sent bon la soupe ? Eh oui, Bob l'Epicier de L'Epicerie Equitable et son acolyte Loïc sont aux fourneaux et concoctent de délicieux breuvages bio pour les Yelpeurs ! Nathalie P est aux anges pour sa première soirée Yelp : "des soupes aux légumes réconfortantes et subtiles arrosées de cette formidable huile d'olive qui va bientôt trouver le chemin de ma cuisine d'oléophile avertie, de la tapenade maison, des mignardises gourmandes, on est vraiment à l'aise, reçus comme à la maison et on découvre l'âme et les propriétaires du lieu."

Manger, vous avez dit ? Oh les Yelpeurs ne manquent de rien de ce côté là, on a dit Post Detox ! Des tartelettes salées carotte-kiri et des hot-dogs échalottes caramélisées et comté (DEVO de leur petit nom) concoctées par Christophe, des petits cannelés, des gâteaux au citron et des cookies par FadhiSté et Inès... Les plats se succèdent et les Yelpeurs sont ravis ! Comme le résume Mélodie C : "Miam le planteur, miam les délicieux hot dog, miam les soupes, miam le cocktail maison vodka/citron et méga miam les cookies !"

Et voici comment les Yelpeurs ont réussi à survivre haut la main à la semaine la plus froide de l'année, merci Yelp ! Le résumé façon Alexandre J ? "A coup de LFO, soupe vitaminée by Epicerie Equitable, bières allemandes, hotdog, chocolat Sève et mignardises, on prend son shoot pour un mois complet, c'est efficace !" Merci Alexandre ! Et merci à tous les participants et à Julie M de Yelp Marseille d'être venue nous amener un peu de soleil pour cette froide semaine !

Si vous étiez là lundi soir et avez envie de partager votre expérience, vous pouvez laisser votre avis en cliquant ici. Pour plus de photos de l'évènement par B-rob, allez faire un tour sur notre page Flickr. Et ne ratez pas sur les murs du Gonzo l'exposition des oeuvres de Damien Tran !

ABSY* !
Camille L
Lyon  Community Manager
* A bientôt sur Yelp

 

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It was the coldest day in a long, long time, snow was dusting the city AND it was a Monday night! Nonetheless, more than 75 Lyon Yelpers happily gathered at the new cool and trendy Gonzo Bar for the first Lyon elite event of 2012! On the schedule for the night? A "Post Detox Party," aka a party with absolutely no diet and loads of calories! To name only a few of the sinful treats on the menu: a range of German beers to choose from, home-made cocktails, hot-dogs, bio soups, chocolates and cookies!

As they stepped into the party, each yelper was given a small gift from Lyon chocolatier Richard Sève, a mini Bodi chocolate torso with lots of muscles to bite into, especially for those that left their 6-packs at home! Yelpers could choose from several types of chocolate and got to trade with their friends for their favorite flavor...if they didn't decide to save their Bodi bars 
for later!

"A cold Monday, a grey week and a recurring question 'How soon is the week-end?' And here comes the Gonzo Bar," to Anne-Laure R's rescue. What other remedy for the cold than "tasty chocolate, great music, fun, smiling people and the delicious soup from l'Epicerie Equitable to warm up the evening?"

At the bar, Pierre-Maxime and Christophe are working hard to provide Yelpers with great drinks including a full range of little-known German beer to choose from, an amazing LFO cocktail (all of the food and drinks are named after 80s rock bands) as well as home-made punch! A few lucky yelpers were even lucky enough to get a delicious Jardins de Gaïa tea, gently offered by Pierre-Maxime!

The evening's soundtrack is powered by DJette Catherine aka KTee, keeping everybody at ease. Across the bar, warm organic soup is served by 'Bob l'Epicier' and Loïc from nearby-business L'Epicerie Equitable ! Nathalie P is more than thrilled about her first Yelp party : "warm vegetable soup with a drop of this wonderful olive oil which I will soon add to my kitchen stuff, home-made olive paste, sweet little cakes, we're really at ease, feel like home and get to know a new place and its owners!"

And what about food? Oh yelpers were very happy about this too, we said Post Detox, didn't we? Carot and cheese pies, DEVO hot-dogs (that 80s reference again!) with caramelized onions and comté cheese cooked by Christophe and cannelés, lemon cakes and cookies baked by FadhiSté and Inès... The Lyon yelpers are thrilled about these many dishes! As Mélodie C sums it up: "Yummy punch, yummmy hot dogs, yummy soup, yummy home-made cocktails and super-yummy cookies!"

And here was Lyon Yelpers' secret trick to get through the coldest week of the year! Let's give Alexandre J the parting words: "A LFO cocktail, vitamins by l'Epicerie Equitable, German beer, hotdogs, chocolate by Sève and little cakes, with each Yelp party, you get an energy shoot for a whole month, pretty effective!" Thanks Alexandre!

And thanks to all the Yelpers who attended the party and to Julie M in Marseille for bringing some Southern warmth to the party!

Read what party-goers have to say about this Sunday event by reading the reviews here. For more fabulous images of the evening by B-rob, don't miss our Flickr page.

SYOY*,
Camille L
Lyon  Community Manager

* See you on Yelp !

Yelp Toronto's Ping Pong Ball at Spin Galactic

On Monday Night, Toronto Elites and their guests plied their paddling prowess at Toronto’s only ping pong social club, Spin Galactic on King West. Payam Z describes the first event of the year thusly: “Balls everywhere! Yelp 2012 definitely started with a bang!”

Before the pong, comes potables. Stephanie C “loved the Tanqueray drinks. Tiny Ten being a fave.” That concoction was a bittersweet twist of cinnamon syrup, grapefruit juice and gin. Yelpers also sampled the stiff Tanqueray Spirit, and the very tropical Tenacious. Hop City was also on hand with a bevy of beer. Fern H was “super excited to see all the Hop City beers on tap. The Lawn Chair was my new discovery from the summer so one sip made me forget about the blowing snow in the dead of winter outside. I’m surprised that no rounds of beer pong broke out!”

Spin is more than just paddles ‘n’ balls. Their creative kitchen smashed out a scintillating selection of elite-worthy eats. From mini grilled cheese sandwiches, to praline rice krispies treats, to meatballs that no one would ever dare hit with a paddle. Anne B wanted "to bathe in the caramel dipping sauce that accompanied the rice krispie treats. It was luxuriously sinful!” With a soupçon of suspicion, Nicole H adds: “Lovely as always to see the PopChips crew there — I think they might be sprinkling something special on those chips, they’re so good.”

And amidst the sipping and snacking there was ping pong a-plenty. Yvonne T mused that “ping pong is the new cosmic bowling with all the glow-in-the-dark going on. Any image of showing up to a nerd-infested venue was immediately quashed as the crowd seemed to be pretty happening.”

Thanks again to all our sponsors: Tanqueray, Hop City, PopChips and of course Spin Galactic for hosting the Toronto Elite Squad. A very special thank you to Jamie Day Fleck Photography for shooting this event while dodging projectiles! All event pictures can be viewed at the Yelp Flickr page.

 

I pong to meet again,

Vivek S

Toronto Community Manager

Super Bowl Sports Bar Smackdown!

Giants or Patriots? Pssh, this is Yelp Nation and we're more concerned about which city will be reppin' the best beer and bites. For those New York and Boston fans that aren't able to swing the trip to Indy to cheer on their respective teams, take a gander at the best places in your city to catch the game, grab some grub and talk some serious smack in the ultimate showdown of them all: Yelp's Super Bowl Sports Bar Smackdown!

NY GIANTS

It’s pigskin prime time, and New York Giant fans are prepared to walk away from Super Bowl XLVI the unstoppable champs! While it's been a bitter rivalry with this New England nemesis, New Yorkers can sleep tight knowing that there's no better way to watch the game than in this City of Dreams. Here's your big, rowdy, football-friendly, plasma-TV-hoarding selection of spots to choose from this weekend.

Best Wings:

Stake out a spot at Avenue B's Croxley Ales where for a $15 cover, you'll have access to personal booth level TVs, $4 Beer of the Week specials and 20 cent wings throughout the entire game.

Best Pizza Deal:

While it's unlikely you'll be sitting, check out the game on one of Standings eight HD TVs while chugging local NY brews and some of New York's finest in free pizza.

Best View:

There’s no question: game day is gonna be busy. But lucky for us, Legends is ready to meet the crowds with a whopping 35 HD TVs, three floors of space and even $15 buckets of beer to satisfy even the thirstiest fans.

Best Outer-Borough Bar:

Huge, clean, and loaded with flat-screens, Red Star in Greenpoint is one of the best sports bars in NYC. Watch the Giants kick ass while getting down with solid pub grub at the home of the "Best Wings in Brooklyn" competition.

Best Buffet:

Emotional eater? Then local Pats fans may want to pull up a stool at Bar-Coastal while they watch us wipe the floor with Tom Brady. Offering a $30 All-You-Care-To-Eat buffet stationed between eleven plasmas and a projector, you should be satisfied way into overtime.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

City of Dreams?! More like City of Dream On! Boston's called TitleTown for a reason and in the XLVI, Tom Terrific and the New England Patriots will leave Indy a few rings richer. Because Pats fans are the best in the land, much of Gronk Nation will be out of state, but if you're sticking around the Hub, take a gander at the best local spots for GMen annihilation.

Best Wings:

Put your order in now, sports fans. There's no doubt that Buff's Pub in Newton will be slamma-jammied with the wing crazed. Get a couple hundred to go, and fill your pockets for wherever you may land for the game. Or get 'em for a dime a piece at Red Hat from noon-9pm!

Best Pizza:

NY can keep its floppy slices; Santarpio's throws down a sausage and garlic pie that holds the weight of all that housemade meat, sauce and cheese. Probably not strong enough to support the bulky expectations of a 9-7 team, though (sorry Eli!).

Best View:

Sending Soxy juju to the Pats is easy when you're grubbing and glugging from Fenway! On-the-field views and $20 pony buckets at The Bleacher Bar mean a fierce twofer and MLB-to-NFL rally conversion. Science, people.

Best Outer-Borough Bar:

For a 360º view of the hometown Giant killers, grab an early table at Olde Magoun's Saloon in Somerville. Nine HD TVs and projections plastering the walls, a bevvy of local brews among their 26 taps and (from noon-3p) the 7th Annual Great Chili Cook Off!

Best Spread:

For the nature nut, there's a living "Green Monster" wall (and a gaggle of flat screens) at Sweet Caroline's. Game day means a special tailgate menu that pits city against city for regional plates supremacy, while Davio's has a $50 spring roll-lade buffet that could fuel up even the Giants' secondary.

Yelp Elites Get Spirited @ Good Spirit Co

The weather may just be on the turn, but the 40 plus yelpers lucky enough to make it on the list for Good Spirits Co tasting will at least have a wee fire in their bellies to keep them warm!

As the punters poured in, the good folks at GSC welcomed them with a smile, a dram and a few words about what they do and why they are so awesome!

On the tasting card tonight, the GSC guys (Mark, Matthew and Shane) walked the entrepid tasters through the complex natures of Gin, Rum, Whisky and a special mix the boys have on tap within the store! 

With an excellent spread of tasty treats to tempt and clense the pallete, yelpers tucked into an awesome selection of cheeses and sliced meat from I.J Mellis. 

All in all an eye opening evening with fun, facts and flavoursome bevvies! Muchos thanks go to the GSC dudes for having Yelp along and providing us with such an awesome night. A doff of the cap to James from I.J Mellis, for the wonderful spread. 

 

In addition, big thanks to the man with the cam(era) that is Ally Watson, Jessie D and me! (might as well eh?)

As ever folks, if you loved the event or just want to share some thoughts on the evening, then head here and let me know!

Fire over here to check out the amazing images of the night!

 

Many thanks! 

Chris D Community Manager Glasgow

Yelp Calgary's Class of 2012 Kickoff

Guess Who!? Why, it’s the Calgary Elites! Finger foods, cocktail and a jovial game of guess who rounded out a night done right for our first Elite party of 2012!

 

Elites were welcomed into a dimly lit, romantic interior in this globally-inspired tapas joint, complete with photos of the Horses of Sable Island adorning the walls. Evening eats from Chef Collin Penttinen included West Coast oysters & accompaniments, braised Springcreek beef & shitake mushroom perogies, lamb chorizo and lamb olive sausages, green lentil hummus and sun dried tomatoes and red and golden beet with yogurt cream and lemon preserve. Dan D dotes, “I could have eaten like a million perogies. I woke up this morning thinking about horseradish.” Meanwhile, Kate B notes, “The oyster bar was really unique and an awesome opportunity to interact with the chef. He is totally personable, approachable and I found it refreshing that he was front and centre and interacting with us at the event.”

 

While awesome eats made the rounds, Laura R contends the bevies were “amazing. The bar tender took so much care putting them together. I noticed him pre-chilling the glasses with ice water, and delicately slicing the pears.” And Tiffany N teases, “The Bullflower martini with elderflower juice reminded me of the Sound of Music with every sip.” An especial thanks to St Germain Elderflower Liqueur and Bulldog Gin for helping those drinks flow all night long.

 

“I will be back here for other food fare for sure as I was so impressed with the low lighting, decor and intimacy of this restaurant. A sure-fire date night place and mingling spot.” You said it, Janna L!

 

Our awesome-sauce party pics are courtesy of Ted from The Mou Studio.

For a yelper-by-yelper take on the party, check out the party reviews or have a bou at the photos. See you at the next event!

SYOY,


Wendy P
Community Manager
Yelp Calgary

Austin Screws Its Resolutions at Gibson Bar

Dieting and not drinking? Not on this Sunday, ya aint. Gibson Bar hosted one hell of a party determined to throw up a flaming middle finger to all those well intentioned January 1st promises. Yelpers gathered for a Sunday Funday heretofore only hinted at in vague Saturday night promises. At the event Deji M's reserves were devastated: "Ohhh my resolutions were screwed - ambushed even. Pillaged. Plundered. Left for dead. A crime with several players involved." 

If there's one resolution that pops up on everyones' lists, it's "get in shape/stick to a diet/look like Jolie" so of course, we did exactly the opposite. SugaPlump cakeballs came in with three of their decadent delicious flavors. Chocolate and patron anyone? Luke's Inside Out of recent Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives fame outdid themselves with rounds and rounds of sweet pulled pork buns and fried cheesecake bars. Tony B adds coyly, "I don't know this Luke fella, but his buns are wonderful."

Those who weren't partaking of the caloric thunderbomb instead were caught in the clutches of Demon Booze. Local brewery Real Ale pulled out all the stops by showcasing four fabulous flavors: Lost Gold IPA, Coffee Porter, Fireman's #4 & Rio Blanco Pale Ale and an appearance by the brewmaster himself, Tim. Jack N took full advantage by enjoying "some real cold Real Ales on that comfy patio. Adding it to the Spec's list!"

Three Olives couldn't have been a more perfect addition to this event. Not only did we get to sip-sip-sip on some Naked Vodka, they also brought some very adorably clothed cupcake girls to feature their new Cake vodka flavor. It may make Melissa A take a nip during the workday: "The Pineapple Upside Down Cake Cocktail was really, really sweet and really, really good.  I was kind of sad today to not have any cake vodka to go with my afternoon Dr. Pepper: Dr. Pepper Cake Cocktail?  Heck yeah!"

What an incredible kickoff to a year that promises to be filled with lots more screwing. Er, lots of great parties. This is why Elizabeth C likes 'em: "This event embodied a lot of what I love about yelp. It introduced me to an awesome new bar (hello beautiful patio, massive jenga and connect 4), provided good company, good drinks and lots of great bites." Don't believe me? Read these fantastic reviews and check out all the sweet shots that the inimitable Alison Narro took. Yelpers never looked so good!

Until the next time, SYOY!

Kelly S

Austin CM

Elites Honored At The Inaugural Yelpy Awards In New Orleans

Hooray for Yelpywood! This past Saturday night, New Orleans Elites walked the red carpet into the Crescent Ballroom at the Westin Canal Place to gather for the highly anticipated Inaugural Yelpy Awards.

 
The swank-alicious room afforded stunning views of the city, but it was the Elite squad who were the real stunners this evening, as they graced the ballroom in their red carpet finest. Complimentary cocktails from Deep Eddy Vodka and beer from Saint Arnold Brewery were a huge hit as were the shrimp and grits, bacon-wrapped scallops, pork belly/watermelon skewers and mini muffaletta sandwiches, among other delish apps available to us, compliments of the Westin Canal Place.

Then... the moment everyone had been waiting for as Elites were honored at the awards ceremony.  And the winners are: Funniest: Scott S; Most Useful: Marielle S; Coolest: Andrea B; Biggest Foodie: Susan W; Best Compliments: Suzanne JC; Rookie of the Year: Jeff C; Lifetime Achievement: René D; Life of the Party: Joshua B; Most Helpful/Ultimate Ambassador: John LH; MVE (Most Valuable Elite): Jen L.

Who needs a gold statue when you can have a silver bullet thermos?!

Thank you so much to Kelly and the wonderful staff at the Westin Canal Place, Nicole of Saint Arnold Brewery and Abbey of Deep Eddy Vodka for their participation in this stellar event! See the rest of the pix by Josh Brasted on flickr. Read the 5-star reviews here... here's an excerpt from John LH:
I had been waiting for this event for what seemed like forever... Not only did it live up to my hype, it may have been even better than I ever could have imagined.

And now, we're sure you can't wait until next year! In the meantime, there's plenty more events in store for y'all...

Yours in glitz and glamah,

Joi B

Yelp NOLA Community Manager

Dallas Yelpers Celebrate New Location of Zoës Kitchen

If there is one thing Yelpers love it's friends, fun, and free food! Zoës Kitchen in Fairview, Texas fulfilled these North Texas Elite's wishes and much more. The week-old, brand spanking new location opened their doors and rolled out the red carpet for some very fortunate elites and hosted some good times as big as Texas. For our first ever elite event in the Allen/Fairview area – we'd say it was a smashing success!

Though the place was popping, the decadent food on display definitely stole the show. With so much food to consume some Yelpers couldn't pick a favorite, but Betsy M's was the chicken kabobs that left her "completely satisfied." The nosh was so impressive in fact, Vijay K yelps, "I would have never tried this place if it weren't for Yelp.  Now that I have, and knowing there's one near my part of town, I will have to give them another go." See ya there, Vijay!

Post food and fast-talking Yelpers catching up by sharing holiday stories and New Year's resolutions – three lucky Yelpers walked away with snazzy I Love Yelp Shirts and generous gift cards from Zoës Kitchen. The gracious host didn't stop there with their giving – every guest walked vouchers for one free meal. Thank you, Zoës Kitchen, we had a blast and hope to return and delight in your delectable, fresh fare! Stay tuned to see what suburb we hit up next month. Take a peek at the pics, reviews, and quick tips here!

SYOY!