Yelp Community Blog

Yelp Phoenix Enjoys La Dolce Vita!

Phoenix Elites and guests got a taste of the sweet life this past Sunday evening at La Bocca Urban Pizzeria & Wine Bar in Tempe. With excellent service, a fine selection of pizzas and bruschettas, flowing wine, music, conversation, and biscotti to-go, yelpers appreciated the VIP treatment and had a blast! Donald S describes the event as "delightful, convivial, tasty, chic, warm, comfortable, friendly, happy, sweet, savory, tasteful, creative, beautiful, conversational, stylish and ...Yelptastic! In short, the best Sunday evening you could ask for!" And Julie P has a similar opinion: "The coolness of the space and the energy of the yelpers seemed to marry as perfectly as some of those toppings on the bruschetta."

For more juicy details on La Dolce Vita OYE, read the reviews, visit the talk thread, and don't miss the photos taken by Gary Millard of four white walls photography.  Thanks again to Julian, Dan, and the entire staff at La Bocca for taking such great care of us!

Until next time,

Cheers and SYOY!

-Gabi K


 

YELP MSP Gets Hoppy at Summit

The Twin Cities Elite Squad certainly got hoppy at Summit Brewery in St. Paul! About 90 Yelpers and their guests spent two hours giddily imbibing on Summit’s extensive variety of craft beers, touring the brewery courtesy of Carey, and nibbling on a variety of Pizza Luce’s unique and gourmet pizza served up by Luce spokesman, Remee.

New friends were made, and many were finally able to put a real-life face to the profile pics they’ve been communicating with for so long. Lindsay C and Jennifer S’s guest Dave D didn’t go home empty handed as the winners of the six-packs of the newly-released Horizon Red Ale, which was graciously donated by Summit.

Jackie G’s guest Jon K went above and beyond the call of duty by jumping Remee’s car. Thankfully that was the only glitch of the evening!

Thanks to all who came out this Elite event. Another on is in the works for May, so be sure to watch for your invite!

SYOY,
Sarah P

 

Portland Elites Indulge In Some Gilty Pleasures

Portland's Yelp Elite took a trip to the swank side on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, when they were invited down to the Gilt Club in Old Town Portland to indulge in some Gilty Pleasures! Yeah, that's right! Those Portland Elites sure do clean up nice. Chloë W and her crew got all swanked out in their choicest gear to sip on craft cocktails made with locally distilled New Deal and Portland 88 Vodka, local wines by Andrew Rich, and an assortment of local micro brews.

 

The Gilt Club brought their A-game, from the red carpet and velvet rope out front, to the bar and to-order drink service and beyond... blowing Elite Yelpers' minds (and taste buds) with a decadent display of ultra-high-end food. Joshua C and David Z doubled up on the oysters on the half shell while Catherine F absconded with the assorted cheese plate replete with bleu and manchego cheeses. The rustic bread with fois gras and manchego fritters were a huge hit, and deviled eggs topped with caviar and served in quarters (each on a single spoon) took this amazing event right over the top! Was this a royal reception or an Elite Event?!?

As if the food and amazing cocktails were not enough, a few Yelpers walked out with some solid raffle prizes to boot! Ash A took home one of the most sought after prizes of the night, The Last Yelpicorn. Andrew C and Janessa P didn't make out too bad either. But the big winner of the evening was Britta E, who took home two VIP passes to the upcoming Taste of the Nation charity event to end childhood hunger. 50 Restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries, and live music, all for a cause? Oh yeah.

 

All said and done, Portland Yelp Elites were treated to an exclusive night of amazing food, swank atmosphere, delicious vodka, tasty wine, and frosty cold brews... and all with style. The bar has been set even higher!

But hey, don't just take it from us. Check the photos and reviews too!

Until next time... SYOY!

--Don B.

Boston Elites Get Their Hands on Some Herb!

'Twas the eve of four-twenty, when all through the square,
Elite Yelpers were gettin' their herbal on in the Soiree Room at Upstairs!

         

That's right, on April 19 Boston Elites gathered at Harvard 'hood gem, Upstairs on The Square, for an evening of herbal exploration of the legal variety. Tarragon, nasturtium, Thai basil, lavender and rosemary were craftily infused into every bite and beverage, thanks to the culinary creativity of Chef Steven Brand and the fabulous beverage team at Upstairs.

   

Greeted by Kir Royale cocktails crafted with house-infused lavender syrup, grapefruit libations with a sprig of fresh rosemary, Chardonnay made from grapes grown amongst herbs and a boldly blended Cabernet, Elites were welcomed into the Soiree Room for mingling and conversation. With drinks in hand, we sampled nasturtium deviled eggs, wraps of duck confit, fresh charcuterie, cured olives, stuffed cherry tomatoes, Tarragaon Blondies and chocolate-covered brown-sugar turtles.

The highlight of this delightful night? A contest of herbal proportions, of course! Hand-picked by Upstairs' Director of Operations, Matthew Lishanksy, five Elites sat blindfolded on an herbal panel to sniff, sample and nibble their way to guessing five different herbs! The Elite with the keenest herbal awareness scored a sweet gift certificate to Upstairs! Sparing no drama, it came down to a sudden-death Herb-Off between Blair H and Kristen P. The winner? With a clutch guess of Tarragon, Blair took home the prize and the title of Grand Champion Herb Master.

Some of the evening's most memorable moments:

*Ericalynn G being the first to arrive!

*Welcoming Elite-Event virgins Bret C, Holly S, Melissa D and Virginia Su M!

*Chef Steven Brand declaring the winner of the Herb Off with his line to Kristen P, as she was stuck on her last scent: "I think that is the smell of Blair winning!" Classic!

*Co-Proprietor Mary-Catherine Deibel chatting it up with Elites all night long about everything from vegetarian dishes to trips to Provence!

*Meeting Don W and his lovely wife Diane, who traveled all the way from New Hampshire to be with us!

 

All of our gratitude tonight goes to, in the words of Kim K, our "unbelievably gracious hosts" at Upstairs on The Square: Mathew & Matthew, Augusto, Steven, Mary-Catherine and the rest of the Upstairs team, who went above and beyond to create a delectable menu of hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, and who's genuine hospitality made everyone feel at home.

To get an idea of of the night's festivities, check out the amazingly mouth-watering photos taken by Tatsu I or just read some of the stellar reviews. Oh, and for extra gossip, there's even a thread on Talk!

If you missed the fun, Upstairs on The Square has a whole host of happenings going on weekly, so be sure to stop by!

Cheers,
Leighann F

Houston, The Show Must Go On!

A major thunderstorm, flooding and a closed down I45 wasn’t enough to stop the almighty and powerful Houston Yelp Elite Squad from making it out to their April 18 Elite Event. Through the relentless rain, they made their way to the legendary SugarHill Recording Studios for a yelperific, rockin’ good time.

Sporting vintage concert tees and with mixed CDs in hand for the music swap, the gang was ready to tour one of Texas’ oldest and continuously operating music studios. SugarHill CEO and world-renowned music producer Dan Workman was there on site to give the Squad a welcoming tour; not only that, but the studio was open for all members to record their very own song in the historical Studio A and Studio B! What an honor to have Dan Workman producing our very own Yelp tunes! We caught Katie F spittin’ out Sir-Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” Long T wailing to “Dead or Alive” and Jaire Q completing an entire album (“Barbie Girl,” “Toxic,” “I Will Survive” and many more)! Thank goodness for those sound proof windows, because little laughter filled the soundboard room!

Special thanks to Indulge Desserts for providing heavenly treats. Nothing but "oohs and ahhs" filled the kitchen as yelpers noshed on chocolate croissant bread pudding, chocolate crème brulée topped with edible roses, strawberry shortcake bites, and chocolate covered strawberries glistening in edible gold.

Another huge thank you to the entire SugarHill Recording Studios gang, including Dan Workman, fellow Elite Gina M and all of the friendly and amazingly talented sound engineers. It was an Grammy Award-winning night!

For those who miss out, check out what others are saying about their experiences in the event reviews and on Talk, and don't miss out on the fun pictures!

Til Next Time ... SYOY (see you on Yelp!),

Farrah A
Houston Community Manager

DC Yelpers Compare East vs. West

Yelpers from in and around the nation's capital congregated at Vinoteca last night for a true battle of supremacy of the ages. At Yelp's East vs. West bi-coastal brew against vintage comparison, yelpers sampled craft beers from up and down the Atlantic seaboard and a variety of vinos from California's vaunted wineries to see which would come out on top.

Amanda M tipped back Allagash White from Maine and James L raised a saluted with some Victory Pils from Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, many other yelpers sipped, slurped, and swallowed from the bevvy of fruitful Californian options of Pedroncelli Winery, the sustainable estate of Tolosa Winery, and Roots Run Deep Winery's Educated Guess. It's fortunate that Vinoteca offered an unending spread of sample nibbles throughout the evening!

Paired up against these pleasant potables, we were graced by the presentation of a performance by our local flamenco troupe. On hand to capture all of the action, we had Jane K with her swift and sure shooting skills - be sure to scope out all of the photos. As if all the action last night weren't enough, the debate continues...

Until we rumble next, SYOY!
-Kevin L

Chicago Yelp Branches Out: Wine & Vine in Elmhurst!

The Elite Squad made their way to Elmhurst on a recent, sunny Saturday afternoon to get a taste of the 'burbs! Yelp Chicago(land)? Indeed! 

Newly opened Wine & Vine played host with a luxurious offering of pesto stuffed mushrooms, fresh fruit, a sinful spread of various cheeses (yelpers were wowed by the creamy bleu cheese!), a live pasta makin' station, and lemon chicken piccata in addition to other tasty nibbles. Chef and owner Hank Dreyer amazed onlookers as he masterfully "knifed" a seemingly regular cantaloupe into a lovely swan garnish, and regaled guests with tales of his stints on the Food Network!

On hand to educate the aspiring vinophiles with a fabulous wine tasting were the folks from Southern Wine & Spirits, offering a fabulous selection of reds, whites and bubblies for yelpers to "oooh" and "ahhh" 'over! Nickle & Nickle, Berringer Reserve and Moet Chandon champagne among others? Yes, please!

Two lucky winners (Kim D and Evan T, both guests of elite yelpers!) took home "Chef for a Day" packages, where they'll get to return and shadow Chef Dreyer in the Wine & Vine kitchen for a day! 

Safe to say all that attended were lucky with this first suburban event...as everyone left with a special gift from Wine & Vine, a card good for a complimentary bottle of wine when they return for dinner! And after this "sneak peek," who wouldn't want to go back for more? 

Look what all of the yelpers are saying: read the reviews here! Special thanks to the folks at Wine & Vine for their hospitality, the guys at Southern Wines for providing the vino, and to Amanda C  and Mike O for serving as official photogs for the day..."cheese" is right, eh!? 

Until the next time we rock the 'burbs!

Colleen C

Yelp Chicago Community Manager

Yelper, You've Been Made!

This week the LA Elite Squad descended on downtown to party like it was 1933 at the Mobsters n' Molls Elite Party hosted by historic Cole's restaurant serving up their famous dip sandwiches since they opened their doors in 1908. Guys and dolls dressed to the nines in their finest '20s-'30s flapper and mob glam and our very own Dick Tracy was on hand to issue citations to those who forgot to don their vintage threads.

The evening got off to a great start with the stylistic sounds of a live jazz trio and delicious samples of Cole's Famous Dip sandwiches with roast beef, pork, turkey, lamb and plenty of jus accompanied by cole slaw, bacon potato salad and atomic spicy pickles.

Free flowing were the 1926 Cosmopolitans made famous by the Traveling Mixologists of the time. Pretty in pink, they packed a punch with gin, house made raspberry syrup, lemon juice and a cloying twist of orange zest. 

Lucky costume contest winners Keisha F and Vinh N went home with gift certificates for a fabulous pin-up photo session courtesy of  Boudoir Rouge and a classic hot shave from Sweeney Todd's Barber Shop.

After our bootleggers were done strutting their stuff, it was time for some good, old fashioned fun with the pie eating contest! Four brave contestants went head to head to see who could conquer the chocolate cream pie, but only one prevailed. Austin S and Emily H put up a good fight, but it was winner Kevin C who walked away with some serious street cred, a pail of goodies from Cole's... and a belly ache!

Also on hand was Monica from Boudoir Rouge and local paparazzo blogger Ed Fuentes to catch the entire evening on kodachrome. To end on a sweet note, guests sampled more of Cole's tempting treats like the caramel drenched bread pudding and bourbon pecan pie. After that it was lights out! 

     

Last night, Yelp Elite and guests indulged at Esquire's Best New Restaurant of 2008 and Michelin-star recipient Plumed Horse in charming Downtown Saratoga. The beautifully renovated interior boasts a gorgeous glass fireplace, a private plush champagne room, a magnificent dining room, an intimate chef's tasting room and incredible wine vault with a glass floor looking down to the massive wine cellar. Yelpers were definitely in for a treat!

Guests sampled Chef Peter Armellino's culinary delights including filet mignon sliders, oysters, scallops, tuna tartare and brownie bites with caviar just to name a few, and enjoyed fine wine tastings provided by local vitners Ridge Vineyards & Winery and Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards. Bartenders Matthew and Tiffany also served up tasty lemon drops with a sweet surpise at the bottom: tapioca pearls!

Many thanks to the gracious staff at Plumed Horse for hosting such a fabulous event. Be sure to check out the official photos taken by Christina C on flickr and if you missed the event, read what the Elites are saying about the event here!

Brooklyn Yelp Gets Down at the Tax Evasion Celebration!

Last night 175 NYC yelpers got sinfully smashed at a subterranean soiree in the UnderWater Lounge at Water Street Restaurant! Zach K showed up early and hid from the IRS behind a stack of cash, while yelpers got down doggy-style with complimentary cocktails from Bulldog Gin and more than a few peeps were pounding beers from Harpoon Brewery. Everyone got a chance to sample the the culinary creations of Water Street Restaurant's own chef, Reggie, including Swedish meatballs, coconut shrimp, and the WINGS.

Although a few yelpers might be hurting today because they put down a little too much of the Recession Proof Punch and the , sometimes that's how you know it was a great party! Whether or not you were able to make it out, be sure to read the reviews, peep some pics, and check out what people are saying!

And if you missed the party, and had to pay up...damn the [Tax]Man.

SYOY,
Peter D.