Yelp Community Blog

Yelp Elites Explore 826's Bigfoot Institute!

One of the greatest things about yelpers is that they're always down to do the crazy. With every event we aim to broaden our repertoire of experiences and explore different parts of the city, from the beloved tried-and-true to unmarked territory!

This adventure took some deep on the orange line, other guests driving over an hour to join in the shenanigans at 826's Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute. Founded by Dave Eggers to bring together community volunteers with writers of the future, this is the newest of seven 826 centers around the country all with unique themes to stimulate creativity such as pirates, superheroes and in our case the venerable, hirsute Bigfoot.

Kabir H went yeti tracking in full gear in the Simulactron as Joey T, Ligaya S (yes, there's another one!) and Nick H joined in for their first Yelp toasts of UFO and yummilicious wines from Bin Ends! The varietals complimented the scrumptious Jamaican eats from Pepper Pot that guests piled high with glee. For Kristen P this foray into a new cuisine proved awesome! And Daniel M raved the chickpeas were so fantastic even the live fighting crabs would have enjoyed them.

In the spirit of writing, Elites recited useful, funny, cool reviews. Ben L shared his thoughts about the translucent floors at the Apple Store "don't wear a skirt"! Damien S conveyed just how irresistible Dave's Fresh Pasta's Cuban really is. And we learned Jessika D's secret (hint: Venus) to being "one hot bitch"!

Resounding high fives to our hosts, Daniel and Hannah, John at Bin Ends, Harpoon/UFO, Elite wonder woman BarbaraAnn B of Pepper Pot, and of course the Leighann F and Miriam W (who came all the way from NYC to be with us) for their assistance behind the scenes!

Check out what guests are buzzing about in their reviews and take a gander at the wonders of the center and many a smiling face captured here! Hope you'll come along for the fun next time...

Cheers & SYOY!

Yelp Gets Physical With The Chargers!

Unless you've been living under a rock -- or you're a lousy Raiders' fan -- you're probably getting fired up for the Chargers season-opener this Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium. Sure, we hear all sorts of sports jargon on ESPN regarding stats, game plans and potential playoff contenders... but have you ever wondered where your favorite Chargers' players like to hang OFF the field? Yelp's very own Ruggy J, had the opportunity to huddle up with pro-bowl center Nick Hardwick and new linebacker Derek Smith about some of their favorite spots on our home turf.

Ruggy: San Diego's got some of the best Mexican food in the country. Where do you run for some authentic, south-of-the-border cusine?

Nick Hardwick: Miguel's in Point Loma. They've got a solid atmosphere, nice breezes on the deck and good food. You gotta try the Lobster Puerto Nuevo. It's amazing.

Derek Smith: Definitely Las Olas in Encinitas. It's right by the beach, the food is excellent and they have great margaritas.

R: San Diego has some of the best weather in the United States; where do you head for a day at the beach?

NH: La Jolla Shores. There are no real waves or anything, but it's really nice and has a cool stretch of sand. It's a fun place to kick back.

DS: If I'm taking my family, it's Moonlight Beach. If I'm going to surf, it's Swami's... even though I don't get out as often as I'd like.

R: Where's your favorite place to celebrate after a big win?

NH: Definitely PB Shore Club. They've got a cool vibe and the drinks are always flowin'.

DS: The Beach House on Highway 101. It's a pretty cool spot with an awesome ocean view and great food.

R: You're both big, beefy dudes... where's your go-to place for a big hunk of red meat?

NH: Morton's in the Gaslamp. I know it's a chain, but there's just something I like about it. The people are always really friendly.

DS: Probably Fleming's in La Jolla... I guess I like it because it's the closest to my house. Ha-ha.

R: Any hole-in-the-wall spots you've discovered since living here?

NH: The Venetian. They've got some of the best Italian food around. I like the Pearl Hotel as well... it's a pretty cool, swanky place that's totally unassuming.

DS: Beach City Burrito in Cardiff. They've got the best burritos in North County. I get the Chicken Pesto for lunch all the time. The ingredients are always really fresh.

R: What's the best part about returning home after a road game in a crappy city like Cleveland?

NH: Touching down at the San Diego Airport is always so nice. It's just so beautiful here in San Diego and we're stoked as soon as we hit the tarmac.

DS: I always head home to see my kids… that’s the best part.

R: What's the one thing in San Diego you couldn't live without?

NH: Probably Croce's. I really dig the music... I like it a lot.

DS: San Diego as a whole. There is no way I can limit it to just one. I love Mission Bay, the boardwalk, Del Mar Dog Beach... just everything. I love this city.

Austin's Hot Night in the City!

What do you do when 700 of your closest friends turn up at the Buffalo Billiards Lodge? Why crank up the fun, of course!

Yelpers and Austinites turned out from all over to revel in the festivities recently, where they filled up on Redhook Ale, Treaty Oak Rum, Sake2Me Sake, Blackstone Winery wine and loads of good times brought forth by Annie Ray's photo booth, Kitty Kitty Bang Bang burlesque, Myo Massage and the hot hot spinning of DJ Mel.

That's kicking it just right!

1st Eva Brooklyn Elite Event Bowls Yelpers Over!

It was a night made for strikes yesterday at The Gutter in Williamsburg. Free Chelsea Blonde Pale Ale went beautifully with gourmet pizzas (hellooooo, truffle oil!) from Fornino. Newly-Elite yelper Marc. A. also brought in reinforcement pizzas to feed the bowling masses!

There were many familiar faces out in full force as well as a few newbies who had never attended an Elite event before and were pleasantly surprised to find themselves both tipsy and warmly welcomed. Molly C. has been to her fair share of events in Chicago, but is new to the BK. She felt right at home! Elite veterans Roderick A. and Peter K. got real serious-like with the bowling; they brought their own balls and wristguards! But it was Nadja M. who was the real ringer-she kept getting strikes in heels (her lofty loafers, as she called them)! All in all, a smashing time was had by all, even a certain BK CM enjoyed herself despite a pitiful string of gutterballs.

Thanks again to Paul, John, Matt and others at The Gutter and to Michael and his crew at Fornino for making the first Brooklyn Elite Event a truly striking evening!

Lookee here for more photographic evidence!

Mad Hatter Yelp Elite Party!

San Diego yelpers raged their hot little buns off this past Saturday evening at Arterra in Del Mar... proving once again, that San Diego gets down like nobody's bizzzzznass!

The theme of the party; hats! From ball caps, to old Halloween costumes, to hats crafted with duct tape... everybody came correct with an impressive array of snazzy headwear.

 

In the end, it'd be this man, Ryan "Crazy" V that took home the grand prize--a bottle of Garfield hand sanitizer and an Indiana Jones coloring book. Score!

Gotta give love to the people that made this party happen. The fine staff at Arterra, Rain vodka, Peroni beer, Mike Brown photography, DJ Sachamo... and of course, YOU!

For more pictures from the event, click here!

Reporting from SF - The Yelperazzi hit Cheeko B!

Yelpers and their canine companions headed on down to Cheeko B for a day of doggy pampering! Everyone came out with their furry friend in tow to meet other yelpy dog owners, get their PHOTOS taken by pet photographer Jesse F and outfit their doggies in red Yelp bandanas. Tara R and Jeff H were there with Ms. Tinypants aka Gida, Shelly L was there with Lily, Phil H was there with Willie and Kim D was there with Shanti, just to name a few!

The flowing wine and juices from Fizzy Lizzy kept the party going until late afternoon. Everyone left happy, with a nice gift bag from Cheeko B. Now, who wants to start organizing the UYE yappy hours?

SYOY,

Nicole G
- Your Yelp SF Community Manager

Elite Yelpers in Chef Louie's Kitchen!

One Chef Louie (of Sel de la Terre)
One gang of top Boston kitchen mates
One day to figure out what to concoct
One spectacular event
Hundreds of happy bellies

Yelpers and hopefully-soon-to-bes gathered at Joshua Tree in Allston to celebrate the return of Chef Louie's cooking extravaganza! It started like a Choose Your Own Adventure weeks before as guests voted for cuisine type: Italian, French or Stir-Fried. Then ingredients: a) I like big butts, b) I like all natural breasts, and c) to be honest, I'd just like to pork you. Then added yummies: eggplant, mangoes, potatoes, peas, blueberries or spicy mustard. Just one day before the event, the Chef and his team were told what ingredients they were to use to create a meal for hundreds of folks.

Elite members Kristina B and Tarah H joined in on the kitchen antics, watching and learning from Chef Louie and his crew! These ladies became wicked skilled with their knives. Together they whipped up a tremendous smörgåsbord of deliciousness: chicken breasts with spicy mustard and blueberry sauce, three potato salad, tomato and mozzarella with lemon vinaigrette and a peach, blueberry, beet and bacon cobbler. (Now that's some mighty fine alliteration.)

We're pleased to report a rousing success! Many thanks and hoorah to all that made the magic happen! Check out the photos here.

Keep your eyes peeled for another Chef Louie Special coming up soon...

San Francisco Yelp Elites Metamorph on the Wharf at Butterfly

Almost 300 Yelp Elites and their guests gathered at Butterfly to check out its newly renovated space, complete with sea urchin chandeliers, plush lounge furniture and gorgeous views of the Bay. Chef Robert Lam went all out with the eats, passing out kobe beef sliders, strawberry salmon rolls, fire fried calamari and pulled pork lettuce cups like there was no tomorrow.

Deliciously dangerous Effen Cherry Blossoms and wines from Reverie got yelpers out on the dance floor as soon as resident mixtress DJ Similak Chyldand busted out with the Salt-n-Pepa! Other yelpers crowded the outdoor balcony for a rendezvous on the water with old friends and new ones. From the sound of the reviews and the look of the photos, everyone had an amazing time.

We even heard there was a dance-off...

Cheers and SYOY,

Nicole G
Yelp San Francisco Community Manager

NYC Elite Squad Doubles its Pleasure at Barramundi

The NYC Elite were in rare form Monday night storming the Lower East Side for two floors of event-tasticness at Barramundi. The beer was a-flowing downstairs with 5 varieties from the friendly folks at Craft Brewers, and upstairs our hosts were dishing out their specialty: delicious sultry sangira - perfect for the balmy August weather, and perfect for the Elite Squad.  Oh, and did I forget to mention the empanadas...mmmm....

It was also a great night for faces new and old.  We met Ki G in her first Elite Event, and Chun L making his debut appearance.  Old-timers like Nina C, Gabby D, and Chris J were welcomed back to the Elite fold (we missed you guys!) - and major props to Peter K for all the awesome photos!

Another BIG thanks to Tony and his awesome crew at Barramundi, Craft Brewers, and Empanada Mama.  See you real soon for the next one, kids!

Oh, looking for more pics?  Right here, guys!

 

Your fearless leader,
~Sam P.

Yelp + Improv = Yelprov @ ComedySportz Theater!

Perhaps a film noir performed to a country song in a French accent would make you chuckle? How about "internetting" the walk of shame on a mini-giraffe computer for a quick giggle? Well, it got yelpers rollin' in the aisles...

Combine the hysterical antics of the ComedySportz improv performers, the outrageous suggestions (hello, let's do a song strictly devoted to burritos with the lovely Lisa B!), add a copious spread of food and stellar libations (Matilda and 312 Urban Wheat) courtesy of Chicago's own Goose Island Brewery to the mix, and you've got one helluva funny evening!

The ComedySportz Theater treated the Yelp Elite Squad to a special private show on August 14, 2008 at their shiny new digs at 929 W Belmont. Highlights of the evening included Lori L on stage playing Four Corners, Amy H drinking 312 out of the CSz trophy, Ray L getting "brown-bagged," and Alex F winning the grand raffle, including $50 to Goose Island and a late night prize pack of ComedySportz tickets!

Ah, don't forget dessert! Half time (intermission) of the show was spruced up with root beer, black cherry and orange soda floats from Goose Island, in addition to a tempting selection of dessert bars.

Read the reviews and check out the pictures from Dan Gin...

Special thanks to ComedySportz Theater, Goose Island Beer Company and to Chicago yelpers for keeping the energy high and the laughs at a maximum. LOL, for real! ;)

SYOY!
Colleen C