Yelp Community Blog: Yelp Halifax Dines Local @ elements on hollis!

What's that? You thought that one big blowout bash would be enough to celebrate Yelp Halifax's first year of Eliteness? No way! You only turn one once, you know! Hot on the heels of our biggest Elite Event to date, 18 lucky Elites gathered for an exclusive Yelp Family Dinner at elements on hollis that won't soon be forgotten!

With a 50km radius rule for all of their ingredients, Jim C is right when he says "you can't go wrong" at elements on hollis. "Great concept, great theme by partnering with the Farmers market next door and sourcing from local producers for their creations." Naturally, the promise of three courses of world cuisine prepared with local ingredients had Elites beside themselves with excitement. But we weren't just there to eat – there were some new techniques to learn direct from the Chefs themselves!

"As a food lover and someone who loves to cook," Charles T thought "starting the event with a demo on making pasta was a wonderful way to kick it off." The demonstration took us through the creation of our first course and "made it look so simple that" Colleen D might try making her own at home: "here's hoping this time I can do it without dirtying every dish and covering myself and the kitchen with flour."

The Chef taught that agnolotti was "traditionally made with donkey meat," but as Murray W is quick to point out, "fortunately elements wasn't quite that daring," and went with a beef cheek and quark cheese filling for the pasta appetizer, with a spicy tomato sauce." Paired with a Gaspereau Seyval Blanc, this was a serious crowdpleaser.

Next up came Melanie M's favourite course - seared salmon with south shore boiled vegetables: "the salmon was perfectly cooked and seasoned, the vegetables were delicious." Paired with a Sainte Famille Baco Noir and served "with crispy bacon and hard boiled egg," the combination caught Mel by surprise: "Oh. Em. Gee. I am still blown away."

How do you top something like that? With a Garrison Nut Brown Beer Brownie, of course! "Combined with a malt caramel sauce and some whipped cream" in a Garrison stein, Emmanuel C couldn't have been happier. Or maybe it was the combination of the Domaine de Grand Pre Vidal Icewine and a full package of the evening's recipes that made him the happiest: "Oh my! Can't wait to try the recipes they let us take home with us."

Food this good deserves better than shoddy smartphone snapshots which is why we were delighted to have Michelle Doucette join us! Be sure to feast your eyes on the gorgeous gallery! Or, if you want the Elite perspective, catch all the reviews on the event listing.