Yelp Community Blog

Silicon Valley Elites Get Pumped Up at Club One Fitness!

Silicon Valley Elites and guests turned up the fun on the evening of Saturday, August 22nd at our biggest Elite Event of the summer in San Jose! Club One Fitness was transformed into the hottest venue at Santana Row, where under one roof (and on the roof), we brought together yelptastic food, drinks, fun and entertainment.

 

Guests enjoyed food tastings from Pizza Antica, Amber India and Diet-to-Go, and also imbibed drinks from Vintage Wine Merchants, Mansard Champagne, Villa San Juliette Winery, Saké2me, Taylor's Tonics, Honest Tea, Pasión Tequila and Ed Hardy Vodka.

Inside the spa lounge, massage therapists provided chair massages, and a few lucky guests were pampered with full body massages inside the spa's relaxing treatment rooms.

 

Not one, but two DJs were on deck to provide guests with music to chill out to, and get down with. As the sun was setting and giving way to a starry night sky, many were up on the rooftop lounge dancing to the house and hip hop beats.

Photo fun was had by many, who piled into the photobooth from PhotoWorks Interactive, as you can see here. More action was captured by our awesome official photographer of the evening, Ian L, and special guest photographer Henry L also took amazing shots of the event.

Huge thanks goes out to Stephanie, Paul and the rest of the incredible crew at Club One for hosting a fun-filled event!

If you want to live vicariously through fellow yelpers, make sure to check out all the reviews!

 

Yelp Seattle Gets A Taste of Georgetown!

Last Thursday night, Seattle Yelpers and their guests came out in great numbers to experience one hell of a party (if we do say so ourselves) or Yelp Seattle's Open Party: Taste of Georgetown at The Engine Room @ Georgetown Studios.

The Engine Room, which sits next to the Old Rainier Brewery was the place to be... just ask one of the almost 500 Yelpers who came out to the party, to experience products, food, and beverage from some of Seattle's most beloved businesses!

Georgetown Liquor Company provided the masses with some amazing noshage, consisting of their infamous Capt. Nemo Sandwich, the Darth Reuben, arugula artichoke dip, and crispy baked polenta. Kauai Family Restaurant brought the goods: Kalua pork sliders, to be exact... and there's no doubt they were a crowd favorite. "The one pork slider I had was awesome.  So moist and tender," claimed Aaron E. Kukuruza Gourmet Popcorn was definitely another fan favorite, with their delicious generous samples! Just ask Jeffrey S, who calls their's "the most incredible multi-flavored popcorn you've ever had in your life (never thought I'd say that about popcorn)."

Two Tartes Catering supplied delicious dips and spreads, amazing cheesey breads, and delicious tarts, Hallava Falafel owner Rick rocked the party something fierce when he rocked the walk- up window with tasty, generous samples of shwarma and falafel. Ohh, the shwarma...

For dessert, Seattle’s beloved Trophy Cupcakes (or dinner) provided hungry Yelpers with over 1,100 mini cupcakes. Red Velvet, chocolate, blueberry, and other delicious flavors made for the perfect dessert. Andrew from Claudio Corrallo chatted with Yelpers while he sampled the delicious high-end chocolate. The legendary 5 star stellar Helle Salon provided Yelpers with product samples and  while Bacon (yes, Bacon) and crew passed out samples of Bacon Salt.

Maker's Mark and Honest Tea cocktails were shaken (not stirred) by the amazing Shake Bartenders, who served up Georgetown Peaches, Kentucky Lemonades, and Summer Breeze cocktails all night long. Honest Tea and Pulp Catering provided lots more to drink in the form of teas, juices and smoothies. A huge thanks goes out to Cody, Elise, Tim, Craig and crew for making these delicious beverages possible!
Hometown favorites Schooner Exact, Georgetown Brewing Company, Trade Route Brewing, and Full Throttle Bottles brought the beer in masses. Yelpers imbibed delicious local, handcrafted brews that flowed (like water- no really) throughout the evening.

Thanks goes out to all the fabulous Seattle businesses who participated in The Taste of Georgetown! The evening would not have been possible without each and everyone of you!

Thanks to the insanely talented, amazing DJ Won M for spinnin' tracks, late into the night, Helen W for providing the beautiful floral arrangements, and for snappin’ photos at the Yelp photo booth, to Womanipura: Lily S and crew for providing us with amazing entertainment after dark, and to Ryan B and Henry L for taking photos and for Pedersen’s Rentals for providing tables.

And lastly, mad props goes out to Inna B, Emily H, Michelle B, Don B, Crystal H, Peter S, Andy & Tracy, Ron M, Megan P, Matt R, Eugene O for helping out big time at the evening.

For photos and reviews, check out our flickr and all the 5 star reviews!

SYOY, Seattle!

Katie S

Yelpers Had a Ball at the Bossanova Ballroom Bash!

As yelper Tamara K so succinctly put it: “Holy Yelpoly, Bossanova Man!” Moe than 400 yelpers came out in force last night for Portland’s biggest Yelp event ever: Yelp’s Ballroom Bash at the Bossanova Ballroom!

^{Photos by spcilk}

Portland’s Yelp Elite Squad and guests came out en masse and enjoyed a special V.I.P. hour from 6 to 7 p.m.. Clare M and her motley crew enjoyed delicious sandwich slices by East Side Deli, while Anna B dug on some fantastic samples of Hot Lips Pizza, all while getting warmed up by the tunes of DJ Saltfeend. Chris L and Don D were quick to hit the Ninkasi Total Domination IPA from Eugene, which was flowing like water, and Joe M was surprised by how good the Maker’s Mark, Hornitos Plata and Honest Tea cocktails were!

 

                                                              ^{Photo by spcilk}                                                                                              

At 7 p.m. the floodgates opened and the Yelp community at large joined the already warmed up Elites to get the Ballroom Bash going in earnest. Yelpers like Danni D enjoyed a second round of Hot Lips Pizza, while a crowd gathered in anticipation of the unleashing of a HUGE batch of amazing chocolate cupcakes from Cupcake Jones, which Stephanie G enjoyed thoroughly.  Laura G and friends hit up the Reversed Lens Photography photo-booth to costume up and get their photos taken, pro-style.

As the room quickly filled up with smiling faces, the fervor escalated to sheer giddiness as Pine State Biscuits made their grand entrance armed with a smorgasbord of biscuits and gravy. Needless to say, the cupcakes and biscuits went fast. Food firmly in hand, yelpers enjoyed spinning the Red Cross preparedness prize wheel and entering to win awesome gift certificates from great local restaurants.

As if the food and booze weren’t enough, quite a few lucky yelpers like JT, Lorri E, Samantha O and their guests walked away with amazing raffle gifts courtesy of Ninkasi (bottles of Tricerahops), Hornitos (bottle of the Hornitos Plata), Maker’s Mark (bottles of delicious bourbon), Doug Fir Lounge (upcoming World Party, Hope Sandoval, and Works Progress Administration shows) and the Bossanova (tickets to the upcoming Yard Dogs Road Show)! Yelpers walked away with a ton of loot!

With the Ninkasi, Maker’s, Hornitos and Honest Tea streaming full force, it was only a matter of time before DJ Saltfeend’s tunes lit up the dance floor, and even the out-of-towners like Alex S got their groove on. Yelpers also enjoyed playing pool in the billiards lounge and lighting-up in the designated cigar lounge adjacent to the bar. After 3 solid hours of drinking, eating, dancing, posing, smoking and playing pool, it was time to move on… to discount Korean tacos from local favorite KOifusion, who made a special appearance outside the venue to fuel up the drunken, late night crowd. Tacos firmly in hand, the crowd descended upon Rontoms for a raging after-party that went late into the night.

 

^{Photo by spcilk}

All in all, one of the best events to come out of Portland in a long time. Big thanks to Bossanova Ballroom, East Side Deli, Cupcake Jones, Pine State Biscuits, Hot Lips Pizza, Reversed Lens Photography, DJ Saltfeend, KOiFusion, Maker's Mark, Hornitos Plata, Honest Tea, The Red Cross – Oregon Trail Chapter, and Doug Fir Lounge! Huge gratitude to Crystal H, Michelle B, and Hilary B for all of the heavy lifting, running around, and hard work putting this together and making it run. And thanks, as always, to the Portland Yelp Elite Squad and the entire Portland Yelp Community for being the best community money can’t buy.

You don’t believe me? Check the reviews and the photos, photos, photos!

Phoenix Yelp Meets Carumba Live!

Yelpers rocked their southwest flavor at Cafe Carumba on Thursday August 27th for a kickin' fiesta!  Oh what a night it was... with la música courtesy of the Nick Heward Trio, all kinds of comida de Chef Cynthia, and drink specialties including Yelp'ritas (Hpnotiq-infused margaritas), Carumba-ritas, Dos Equis on draft, and wine.  ¡Ay dios mio! Cafe Carumba's staff went above and beyond, and the Hpnotiq girls were also in da' house handing out bevs and schwag.  Jared S was the lucky winner of the raffle - he scored himself a pair of tickets to Phoenix Cooks.  All in all, this was one unfortgettable noche!

   

 

If you missed the fun first-hand, check out the reviews, the talk thread, and don't miss the fabulous photos taken by Gary of four white walls photography.  One more request: vote for Cafe Carumba in The New Times "Best of" reader's poll by clicking here. They're up for categories #37 - Sunday Brunch, #40 - Patio Dining, and #92 - Best Margarita. And don't forget to "Yelp Back" for more Cafe Carumba real soon!

Until next time, SYOY!

Cheers,

Gabi K

Dallas Elites Picnicked in the Yard!

Rain AND shine, 100 Dallas Elites stuck out the gnarly weather in the yard of Lee Harvey's for a picnic, Yelp style! I didn't hear any complaints though...but I'm thinking the free-flowing Lone Star and Buffalo Trace whiskey had something to do with that!

 

Yelpers munched on quesadillas, onion rings, burgers, wings and fries (and more!) from a buffet that never once went empty - there was even food left over! And once everyone's tummies were nice and full, we lit one of the sizzlin' fire pits and brought out the s'mores, complete with fancy s'mores forks. Even the dogs in attendance had a few bites of goodness!

If they weren't at the buffet, the bar or the fire pit, you could catch the competitive souls playing ladder ball and horseshoes in the corner of the yard. Dallas Elites really know how to throw those balls around!

Once Mother Nature stepped in and interfered with sprinklers, everyone moved to the covered porch and met all the new faces that came out for their first event. That's when we threw out the raffle for bacon band-aids and a Pimp My Cubicle box set! Suh-weet!

Check out the best of Dallas Elite faces and what they had to say about it!

Till next time,

Nikki "Sweaty" B

Yelpers Rock At The Battle Of The Band T's Party

For those who rocked Wednesday night at the Battle of the Band T’s, we salute you! Street Scene can officially begin after yelpers fired up the Gaslamp with Rock Band and Guitar Hero performances aplenty provided by Wii Rent.  Taste and Thirst was the perfect venue for the tune up and housed about 200 plus yelpers sporting band T’s and U4rick Vodka cocktail induced smiles.                    

 

The service was friendly and spot on leaving yelpers cheering for an encore that was provided in the form of a party-wide shot. We salute that too! Check out all the pics and post party buzz!                                                               

Until next time SYOY (See you on Yelp)
Danny W
San Diego Community Manager

Yelpers Sip & Savor @ Grape Expectations Wine Bar

Do yelpers have a thing for wine, tasty morsels, and good company?  Well that's a silly question! Metro Detroit's Elite Squad and guests gathered together for a special sort of soiree at Grape Expectations Wine Bar.

     

The wine flowed freely, the conversation seemed to flow just as easily, and in between, there were bites of bruschetta spreads, miniature pizza full of flavor, paninis, fruit and cheese. The options didn't end there -- for those not wine-inclined, the staff mixed up cocktails and served up some top-notch beer as well.

 

Darin E recounted his trip to Rothbury, Tom F figured he may have found a new date spot, and Nina B won two Detroit Passports to the Arts (DP2A)!

Since it was yelper Christine R's birthday, the evening was topped off by cupcake confections from Just Baked - consumed only after a special round of birthday singing ensued!

If you couldn't be there for the fun, check out some quick pics, as well as recaps & reviews of the night!

Until next time,
SYOY (See You On Yelp!)
Mariah C
Yelp Metro Detroit Community Manager

Yelping in (Stars and) Stripes!

DC yelpers reached into the recesses of their closets, rummages through old trunks, and possibly hit up their local thrift stores to come down to the Washington Harbor in full stripey regalia last night for our Yelp's Glad to be Plaid Elite Event at Agraria Farmers and Fishers. And what a perfect night it was to be enjoying the spate of temperate weather on the gorgeous outdoor patio, too!

 

Not only did yelpers get their nibble on at this restaurant concept that's owned by a consortium of farmers, supplying deliciously fresh ingredients for all of the bountiful menu offerings, local master mixologist, Jon Arroyo, put his talents to work in crafting up some slurptastic (and pretty sloshtacular) tiki drinks featuring Cruzan rum!

Elites enjoyed refreshing Peak Organic beer and sampling bites like garlic hummus with grilled Navajo bread, El Diablo pizza, artisan pepperoni pizza, baby cheeseburgers with Tillamook cheddar, 'Double Dip' thick-cut sweet onion rings, walleye tacos, and more. Not to mention those dangerously smooth Potted Parrots (made with Cruzan rum, orange curacao, orange juice, a bit of lemon and mint sprigs) and daiquiris.

 

Be sure to check out what the sunset soiree-goers had to say about the evening's festivities, as well as scoping out the snapshots captured by our photographer, Jim Auerbach. P.S. Did you score one of those adorable yelpy sugar cookies on your way out the door?

Until next time, yelpers... SYOY!
-Kevin L

Legends of Rock Elite Party

Are yelpers Rock Stars?

Yes they are!

What a way to spend a Monday night. London Elites showed just how awesome they are by stepping up and playing their favourite rock tunes in front of their fellow yelpers on Guitar Hero World Tour. Whether you were a guitar Goddess like Molly K, drumming like a Neil B deity or smashing a singing solo like Chris R, the entertainment levels were through the roof. The entire bar rendition of Living on a Prayer will live long in the memory. I’m not sure if Monkey Chews in north London has ever seen a night like this.

                           

It was great to see so many new and old faces. The sheer enthusiasm to take part was fantastic. The likes of Nishi S, Chris O and Tisha B went for it like true guitar legends even though they had never played before. That is true Yelp spirit in our book.

 

A big thank you is bestowed upon Mekhong our drink sponsor for giving us all the Dutch courage to play. I could of supped on the Sweet Solada till the cows came home. (Do they ever come home?) Also, Yelp love is beamed out to Katherine, Jimmy and Alexis, the Monkey Chews team that kept us watered and fed throughout. You guys seriously rock!

                           

Make sure you check out the reviews of the event to see what people had to say. If you want the HD version of the night, check out the snazzy snaps taken by Sarah S and Joe.

In the darkened surroundings of Monkey Chews bar, yelpers proved that they are true Legends of Rock.

SYOY

Leon C & The London CM L's

Yelp Elites Say: "Feliz Cumpleaños" to Bar Ferdinand!

Last Friday, yelp elites kicked off their weekend with the happy hour essentials: margaritas, sangria, BBQ, and paella. To help celebrate Bar Ferdinand's 3-Year Anniversary, yelpers gathered down on Liberties Walk and caught up friends, both new and old.

 

Even though rain crashed the scene, elites partied on. Allow Hannah T to elaborate: "Drenching rain? Pffffft. We still had a blast at this fantastic event; we sipped and ate to our heart's content!" With expertly concocted and ever-flowing Juarez Tequila margaritas and red/white wine sangria, party-goers put in minimal wait time to get their next cocktail. In between sips, they snacked heavily on ribs, guacamole tostados, and pulled pork tostados from neighbor, El Camino Real...that is, while they eagerly awaited Chef Michael Thomas' drool-worthy paella.

   

Once the paella was finished, the clouds parted and the rain took a break so elites could gorge on the gorgeous offering. Sara C raved, "seriously, I need to come back for the paella...the chorizo, mussels, and clams really put it over the top!" Speaking of over the top, Bar Ferdinand pulled out all the stops with the flamenco dancer and band. No better way to say, feliz cumpleaños! Check out more photos on the Yelp Flickr page, read what others had to say and post your own thoughts here, and stay tuned for the next elite event announcement!

 

Until next time, SYOY,

Monica S