Yelp Community Blog

Atlanta Yelp Elite Squad's Sinful Soiree!

What's better than chocolate and wine, you ask? Indulging with some hot members of the Atlanta Yelp Elite Squad, of course! On May 22, 2008, the Elite Squad packed the house at Chocolate Pink Pastry Cafe in Midtown for a decadent night! We also were able to pair those perfect pieces of chocolate with some vino from Wolf Mountain Vineyards, located in North Georgia! Some new Elite members were there, including Katherine D & Sean M, as well as the first Elite party for one Joel D. Valentina V came straight from her book signing, and David K showed up too! Wanna see more beautiful people? Check out the rest of our photos from photographer David E!

Thanks to the Chocolate Pink's Michael, Sharon and Alex for hosting, and Karl from Wolf Mountain Vineyards!

Yelpy Love & Until Next Time!

Deanna J
Yelp Atlanta's Go-To Girl

Philly Yelp Cranks Up The Volume

So the third Philly Yelp Elite event was so good that people are just starting to re-appear after having to take a few days off from the debauchery - wow! Our ever-growing community came out to Sonam on Wednesday, May 21 to enjoy their global tapas, and man oh man, did they ever deliver! Meat on a stick, sliders, goat cheese s'mores...we could go on forever talking about how they did us right by feeding us all night long. Thanks to Ben, Paige and the amazing staff that took great care of us - I can't speak for everyone but I can't wait to get back there for a sit-down meal!

And of course a big thanks to the dudes at Gray Kangaroo / 941 Theater for providing the yummiest drinks ever - the "Yelping Frog," along with improv cocktails mixed with Function drinks (thank you Function!). JG from Pink Skull is only the most talented DJ in the city, so it was an honor and a privilege to have him in charge of setting the tone of the night with his unbelievable set (plus, he played "Business Time" in honor of my speech, so he automatically gets 5 stars for that right there :).

So many new, gorgeous faces joined our already kickin' crew, and we were lucky enough to have Yelps's own Miriam W and the brand-spankin' new DC Community Manager, Kevin L, join us for the night. Love, love, love to you all - and if you thought this one was the best event so far, let's just see how rock and roll we can get as we grow!

xo-
Carrie E.
Yelp Philly Community Manager

Yelpin' La Dolce Vita in Chicago!

La Dolce Vita translates to "the good life." Yelpers translate directly to "professional party goers." Yelp doing La Dolce Vita? Goes something a little like this...

On 5/21/08, a warm, wistful Wednesday evening, the Yelp elite squad descended upon Il Covo Ristorante Italiano and Sopra Lounge in the beautiful Bucktown neighborhood. The windows opened onto bustling Damen Avenue allowing a slight breeze, Italian vespas courtesy of Motoworks graced the entrance, and an evening of free flowing libations, beautifully executed appetizers, pastas and desserts, lively conversation and classic style spanned two levels. Ah, the good life...

To add to the evening's splendor, we had two very special birthdays in the house! Vamsi V and John C were both toasted, and toasted some more as the evening progressed. Matt L and Jenn H danced to the beat of their own drum (meaning, there was no dance floor, or...DJ) and had a helluva time breakin' it down for the crowd. Justin V was just glad it was finally Wednesday, as he showed up the night before for the party...just couldn't wait for your first elite party, right JV?

Many thanks to Carol J, yelper and managing partner of Il Covo, and her fantastic staff (D's the man!) for being the hostess with the mostess and to Victoria S of Sprung Photo for capturing all the suave and sassy yelpers in their finest hour with classic black and white photos! Phil 'n Phlash Public Eye provided the glitzy papparazzi photo installation, and a special shout out to Beth P for being a rockstar hoodie manager! Also many kudos to Moonshine, Skewerz, The Alley and Taboo Tabou for providing raffle gift items to sweeten the deal.

La Dolce Vita, yelpers...living the good life, always.

Until next time...SYOY!
Colleen C
Yelp Chicago Community Manager

I got FUC'd at Bay to Breakers!

This past Sunday, well over 150 yelpers walked Bay to Breakers. Headed up by yelpers Euge I, Luis M, Jen D,  Autumn K, Tinna H, Seong P, Kevo M, Matthew R and Donna H -- people came out en masse donning their "FUC (Funny, Useful, Cool) Me, I'm a Yelper" shirts and rubbing the sleep dust from their eyes at 7:30 a.m. They passed out Bob's Donuts via sassy Donut Girls like Janney B and Lauren C, and got hydrated with Smartwater, as everyone watched the runners swoosh by.

After feeding eager runners, cops and the yelpy masses, yelpers merged into the mobilized crowd. The lovely donut and hot dog mascots (Catherine O and Keith M) leading the stumble fest all the way to Golden Gate Park. Red Yelp balloons jostled in the sky as yelpers danced their way through the throngs of people, eager to catch a glimpse of the moving spectacle, and leaving a trail of Yelp beer koozies, hot dog and donut pins courtesy of Amanda V, Yelp compliment stickers and lots o' enthusiasm along the route.

As the sun began to recede and the fog set in, yelpers made their way over to Yancy's for the after-party, where people kicked back, rested their feet and threw back a couple of brewskies, while chowing down on delicious Pasquale's pizza slices.

And the party definitely kept on going, with plenty of next-day photos, once again proving that Bay to Breakers is not only a San Francisco tradition, but a Yelp tradition as well.

It's gettin' hot in here for LA Yelp...

Yea, you know what comes next...so take off all your clothes!

It was a steamy 108 degrees  (according to Citibank's giant digital thermometer across the street from the venue) in the city of Los Angeles this past Saturday, May 17, but the insanely hot weather was not enough to keep the Los Angeles Yelp Elite crew from getting their partay on at the 'Everyone ArtWalks in LA' Elite event.

The incredibly gracious General Manager, Brian Keeth and his amazing staff (and DJ) over at Celadon Galerie kept the music, delicious food and drinks on point as the hot-and-bothered (and I mean that in the best way possible) yelpers mixed and mingled their way through the gorgeous Asian-inspired venue with a Middle Eastern twist.

Rather then strip down to their skivvies, yelpers cooled themselves off with Yelp fans which were scattered throughout and by sampling from an array of alcoholic drink options provided compliments of Alchemia Vodka and their exotic collection of ginger, chocolate and wild cherry flavored vodka.

For those who were not ready for the night to end they actually - are you ready for this? - walked (GASP!) down Fairfax to the LACMA campus for Muse's official  Spring ArtWalk 2008 after party held in the swanky outdoor lounge area next to the new BCAM building for more drinks, food and live music.

A special thanks to the visiting Community Managers who braved the stifling heat in LA to support this event and meet this amazing group of yelpers. Carrie E came live and direct from Philadelphia, Ruggy J from San Diego, Stephy S from San Francisco, Kevin L from Washington DC, and the Yelp Mayor of New York City Yelp, Sam P were there to represent their respective cities and prove that Yelp love is the same no matter what your area code.

Another impressive collection of photos were taken by the official Yelp photographer in LA, Amy K. And yelpers have LA Yelp intern, Sherry R to thank for helping organize this wonderful event and pass out sweatshirts in this 100+ degree weather.

Until next time, SYOY,

Your humbled & very grateful LA Yelp Community Manger...

Aunny D

   

San Francisco's Yelp Elite Get a Taste of Orson with Celebrity Chef Elizabeth Falkner

On Saturday afternoon, Yelp Elites got a taste of celebrity chef Elizabeth Falkner's new restaurant, Orson. The chic crowd swirled Lavendar Citrus Coolers and Action Jackson Knockout Punch in the distinctive modern art gallery/loft/restaurant, sun-kissed by the skylights overhead.

Elizabeth Falkner was there in person, serving up tantalizing tidbits from the menu, including house-smoked proscuitto and salami, mini pork buns, fried tofu with bok choy kimchi, mushroom dumplings, potato saffron soup shooters, split pea soup-filled puffs, raw trout on chips, white chocolate drizzled with truffle honey and chocolate french toast. Yowza! A special thank you to sponsors Tito's Handmade Vodka and K&L Wine Merchant for the lux libations.
 

                                                          Seth Armstrong and Ariel Rippner from the Academy of Art were present, sketching out some amazing pieces of work, and upstairs, the industrial-chic photo booth entertained our narcissistic side. Word has it yelpers will be heading back to Orson for innovative small plates and inventive cocktails in no time flat.

 

Cheers and SYOY,

Nicole G
Yelp San Francisco Community Manager

Portland's Phone Book Mash-Up

Portland yelpers are donating their phone books, because, well, who needs 'em?

On Wednesday May 7th, Portland Elites kicked off the Phone Book Mash-Up project at the Working Artists Gallery.

In the spirit of recycling, the Phone Book Mash-Up will transform phone books donated by yelpers into recycled art: designers, visual artists, architects, sculptors and artists of all forms will be competing to best deviate our directories and flip our phone books!

After dumping their dusty phone books, elites sipped on creative cocktails from DRY Soda, Crater Lake Vodka, and Cascade Mountain Gin, and nibbled on delicious treats from Mango Catering - quickly learning that "it was magic mango" on those mango chicken skewers. Old and new Elites met and mingled with the artists, and were even treated to a surprise belly dancing performance before heading over to the after-party at the legendary Dockside Saloon. (Tanya Harding unfortunately was no where to be found.)

Many thanks all involved, and especially to our very own Andrew C who beautifully captured the evening on digital film. Check out more pictures HERE.

Two subsequent events will be held to track the progress of the project, so keep your Elite ears peeled! Rumors of a "booze bus studio-crawl" and a "grand re-opening of a Portland Landmark" may become a reality!

Until then, Cheers and SYOY!
Laura N

Phoenix Yelpers Get Fez'd!

Wednesday, May 7th was a night to remember for Phoenix Elite yelpers and guests... Fez gave the VIP treatment with half the restaurant and the entire patio reserved for our group.  Menu sampling from the Chef included various kisras, strawberry blueberry salad, garlic hummus, sweet potato fries, rosemary chicken sandwiches, and more!  The signature yelptini and tidybowltini cocktails were a hit as well!

First time Elite Event goers were welcomed with open arms by the rest of the community including Rhonda J, Michael C, Jake D, Cher T, and Matthew K. Additional surprises added to the fun such as tarot card readings, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, Rickie's Vmarie Fashion Show in the background, and lots of Pez candy! (Who doesn't love Pez?)

Judging from the talk, reviews and photos, this was one of the BEST events to date... Thanks to Thomas S for going above and beyond on this one, future Phoenix events now have a pretty high standard!

                        
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Want to be included in the fun at the next one?  Apply for the Elite Squad today!

Until the next time, SYOY!

Gabi K.

Boston Elites Visit HarPo Trifecta!

Yelpers and guests celebrated a bout of glorious weather gallivanting down the Mass Ave strip between Harvard and Porter Squares to visit not one, but three grand establishments!

We kicked off the evening at Topaz and History, where guests were free to mosey back and forth following the trail of Yelp bursts on the sidewalk to enjoy UFO, Adina bevies and toothsome snacks which awaited us amongst the tempting racks! Tarah H sported her gorgeous find the rest of the evening, while Ali E 's happy discovery came in the form of music by acoustic guitar performer, Glenn Michael.

This marked a special occasion for Sisi Z, Holly M, Bo W, and Elaine M , and many others who joined us for their first elite event and were able to mingle with the entire crew after reconvening for libations and nosh at Temple Bar. After a few their cherry fizzes, everyone was especially making merry!

None of this could have been possible without our hosts Stacy, Rachel, and Rudy - thank you all for a spectacular evening! As displayed by the reviews, yelpers has an absolute blast!

Excited to share what we've got coming up in June too...

Cheers & SYOY!
Ligaya T

Yelpers Hit the Track, Run for Roses

The sight of 157,000 revelers cheering on the ponies at the Kentucky Derby might be an impressive sight, but certainly not any more impressive than the array of fancy Austin yelpers who donned their best gear and headed down the road to watch the Run for the Roses. And if you know Austin Elite Yelpers, these people have some of the coolest threads going. There were all sorts of hats, parlays, and complimentary cold ones from Widmer Brewing for our trip down and back. We all looked ready for the sport of kings!