Elite Event: St Paddy’s Before St Paddy’s at Fado

Another fantastic Elite event! We had swag, prizes, food and beer.
I got to show off my glowing $ 1 store swag and added more Unilocal swag to it. My favorite would have to be the Tshirt, gonna rock it on St Patrick’s this year. Thought now I can proudly say I have the Unilocal shot glasses to go with my coffee mugs.
The food was great, those cheesy puffs were addictive. I like how every time they refilled the buffet, a new item showed up. It was heavy horderves for sure, gotta have something to soak up the beer. Which leads me to the highlight of my night. my very first irish car bomb! I’ve heard of these and seen folks take them but I never had the nerve to actually try it. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. It’s true what they say, they are taste like chocolate milk. Also, drink fast or the milk goes rancid.
Ben had prizes too. Much to our delight, we all got to scratch off ticket. We scratched like crazy folks about to win the lottery. I wouldn’t believe it, I won! The prize was Ben’s favorite candy snack-​Cadbury chocolate eggs. Another first for me. I’ve had the Cadbury Easter eggs but I have never had the other variety of sweetness they offer. Can’t wait to taste and share them.
Overall it was a success. Elites were not allowed to bring date so instead we mingled and made new friends. I like variety, sometimes bringing a date is awesome and other times it forces you to grow closer to you Unilocal family.

Came here for a Unilocal Elite event but I took a good look at the place. The bar was beautiful. If I’d never been to an Irish Pub before, now I can officially say I have.
The appetizers were so so good, specifically the cheese puffs WOW. The red pepper hummus was yummy, I believe there was goat cheese sprinkled in there. Ok so don’t sue me but I’ve never tried corn beef. Surprisingly, the corned beef was tasty. Not at all what I imagined it to taste like. To top it all off I had an Irish Car Bomb. First time ever. It was interesting, I’d definitely have one again. Our servers, Ashley and Myles were awesome. They made sure we were taken care of.
All of the Unilocalers that I met, all of the cool SWAG that I picked up really made the night for me. So refreshing to see other people just as interested in taking pics of their food as you are, LOL.
So tonight was a night of many firsts for me, now I’m ready for the second round! I’ll be back!

Unilocal @ Fadó was fun.
This was quieter and less crowded than the Saltyard so I had a chance to talk to more people. And it is always a surprise and a treat to put the face from the Unilocal thumbnail together with the real person.
The beer was sublime, and I am partial to the mini corned beef sandwiches.
A tip of the green Irish hat to Unilocal-​star Ben for setting up the early St. Patrick’s get together and deep bow to the great staff at Fadó. (I had run into Ben at lunchtime at Empire South.) I had come from work and had to leave after an hour so I didn’t get down to the serious drinking.
After two Unilocal events in Atlanta I’ve got to say Atlanta Unilocalers are remarkably friendly people.

Mmmmm. Cheesy poofs!!! They had the right amount of cheese oozing out of them too.
You can’t have an Irish pub without corned beef! That would be unheard of! The corn beef mini sandwiches were done just right. Just the right amount of swiss cheese too. It brought me back to days of being in New York.
My previous perception of this place had been all wrong: I thought is was nothing more than a bar. I had no idea they served amazing food! Ever have dried pita bread with hummus? Kinda hard crunchy dull feeling? Not here. It was warm and soft and we still can’t figure out if it was made with potatoes. Oooh, that was yummy.
Ashley and Miles were great. They anticipated our needs so we didn’t have to hunt them down and they took great care of us. It was nice to meet new Elites as well.

I loooove when we have events down the street from the work place! I ventured the 1.3 mile to Fado for the event. As always, I was not disappointed! I’ve heard so many things about Fado but never been. The bar definitely has a «cheers» feel and you can tell there were a lot regulars there. Unilocal had its own section that was decked out with Unilocal schwag including st. Patty’s day shirts, 4 leaf clover light up necklaces, the signature Unilocal mints, koozies, and anything else you can think of. The fact that the event was just for elites gave me the opportunity to meet other elites instead of sticking to my plus one all night the way I normally do. Met some GREAT people that hopefully I will see again soon! We had an assortment of bar foods including sheppards pie, cornbeef sandwiches, cheese balls, pita chips and hummus, etc. Everything was delicious! We also got 2 drink tickets and had our choice of either beer or wine. Later that night a round of car bombs was going around. As much as I wanted to participate, I knew I had to get to work in the morning so I declined lol! My only downfall of the night was I tried to get money out of the atm for parking, it wasn’t working. Not for me anyway. I tried at least 4 times and nothing (HOPEFULLY it didn’t go thru). The only alternative I was given at first was to walk two blocks to the next closest atm. In my heels, that wasn’t going to happen. The manager (i believe her name is Niesha, my apologies if its incorrect) ended up speaking with the parking attendant and straightened out. Other than that, the night was splendid! Thanks again Ben for another great event! You rock!!!

Great fun as always @ Unilocal events! Benjamin is always a pleasure and a fantastic host. It was nice meeting Colleen and tossing back a couple Irish Car Bombs with her and the other ladies I was at the table with. Watching everyone learn how to properly pour a Guiness was a unique experience as well. The staff @ Fado did a great job and made sure we were all well taken care of. Can I just eat those mini shepherd’s pies forever?! Thank you Unilocal and Fado’s, looking forward to the «real» St. Paddy’s day festivities!

Well cheers to another fun elite event. As always fantastic work by Ben. Also happy to meet his colleague Colleen. Loved the cheese puffs and corn beed flatbread — perfect for the cold that has been courting us past few days now! Fun crowd as well, made some new friends this time round and hope to see them soon at another event. Loved all the green St Patty’s themed swag and totally loved that everyone came out all decked out in green. Looking forward to the next event. And big thanks for the Irish car bombs :)

Such a fun event and it was absolutely wonderful catching up with my Unilocal fam! Loved the mini sandwiches and the cheese puffs but the highlight of the evening was when I decided to take the plunge and ordered dessert. The dessert was heavenly! I had a brownie with ice cream and it melted in your mouth. A friend ordered bread pudding and it was AMAZING. Would highly recommend going here for drinks and desserts because you will not be disappointed.
Thanks Ben for such a great evening! I truly had a blast and I’m looking forward to more St. Patty day celebrations :)

Huge thanks to Ben and Laura for hosting this event. Plus huge thanks to our server, Myles, for taking care of us. Classy Elite’s only St. Pattys celebration in a classic irish bar in dtATL
Goodies: Each table was lined with great event freebies. Necklaces, pin, mustache stickers, shot glasses, fado shirts, coozies and plastic flasks. Each member had 2 free drink ticket and horderves. Food consisted of cheese puffs, Corned beef sandwich, hummus and shepard’s pie. I couldn’t get enough of the shepard’s pie and corned beef sandwich. Had no idea Fado served food. I will be testing their menu the next time I visit.
Activities: Ben had a lottery scratch off game. Winners were rewarded with Cadbury Easter chocolate eggs. YUM. Then, things got rowdy. Rounds of irish carbombs and irish breakfast shots were offered all around. I had never heard of an irish breakfast shot: a shot of butterscotch whiskey followed by an orange juice chaser. Rumored to have an aftertaste of pancakes running down your throat. To top it off, each Unilocal member was offered free tickets to Fado’s St. Patty’s celebration on the 14^th and 17^th. I will def be there to celebrate the tradition.
Again, huge thanks to Fado and Ben/​Laura for hosting this awesome event for Unilocal members. sláinte!

After battling the parking meter, I was able to make it to the pre-​St. Paddy’s celebration. Just an fyi for everyone, go ahead and just valet. it’s just a easier.
I was immediately greeted by the friendly staff at Fado’s and who offered to get a drink. Although I missed out on the food, I’ve been to Fado’s before and it’s really not that bad if you are part of a large group.
The Unilocal event was a lot of fun, always nice to talk to people who love food as much as you do. Ben again was charming and made everyone feel welcomes. The irish car bombs were also a really nice touch!
It was great casual drinking experience and had a great time! Thanks again to Unilocal for the awesome event!

I drink to your health when I’m with you,
I drink to your health when I’m alone,
I drink to your health so often,
I’m starting to worry about my own!
Cheers to a great time with good people, food and drinks.
Cheers to those cheese puffs!
Cheers to meeting Charles S, Ruksana, Lynette, Kate S, and Allison K!
Cheers to the house Cabernet.
Cheers to the awesome Fado servers.
Cheers to Colleen from Orlando for helping out.
Cheers to the Irish breakfast shots introduced to us by Kate.
And big cheers to the always wonderful Ben for everything!
Happy early St. Paddy’s Day.

Once again, Unilocal Atlanta has given the Elites another great experience at one of Atlanta’s best food and drink spots. The night began with SO MUCH SWAG and GREEN!
First of all, this was my first Elite event where no guests were allowed, and may I say, that is probably even better for me! I was able to meet so many great people by not sticking only with my guest and a couple others I know. It was really great mingling and getting to know other Elites and their stories. Yolanda, Tamera, Allison, Brittany, Brenda, Charles, Daniel, Dan, Dominic, and more! They all made it a great night!
A big thank you to Ben and Coleen for treating us not only to two drink tickets of our choice of beer and wine and a great food spread, but also for two traditional Irish Shots: Irish Car Bomb and Irish Breakfast! Irish Car Bombs were offered first, and I just happened to mention, «What about an Irish Breakfast?» And sure enough, they treated us to that option, too! Tamera and Yolanda and I partook in that yummy-​ness!
Fado’s was a great host! They had a section of the first floor bar/​restaurant area blocked off just for us Unilocalers. Laura with Fado’s spoke briefly welcoming us and thanking us all for joining them for the evening. They had wonderful food, too! Fried pita chips (EVERYONE RAVED ABOUT) with roasted red pepper hummus, spicy cheese stuffed puffs, corned beef sandwiches on flat bread and mini Sheppard’s pies! It was a great balance of foods, and they all went perfect with my Guinness!
This was the perfect pre– St. Patty’s Day Kick Off, and really got me in the mood to celebrate my family’s holiday ;)
I always enjoy Fado’s, and this was the first time I actually ate there. It was a great experience over all, and opened my eyes to all that Fado’s can do.
Thanks Ben, Coleen and Unilocal

I finally get to meet Ben G in person and he has cheesy poufs for me. I knew I’d like him.
Since my vacation to TN, I missed all Elite (and other!) Unilocal events in 2014, and was just thrilled to be at last night’s shindig. I’ve gone to (many, as Daniel B pointed out for us old folks) Unilocaly-​fabulous parties over the years but this one has a special place in my heart as the first one being back with the gang — which has oldies and goodies, and lots of newbies!
I think it’s legit that Mama says we’re part Irish, because I loved the festiveness for the upcoming holiday. Green tee? Beaded necklace? (Some kind of plastic/​fillable/​beverage thingy?) Yes, please.
Those cheesy poufs — really little puffs with hot melty cheese inside, and a slight kick (if these aren’t on the regular menu, they should be) — and the mini-​Reuben-​style sandwiches (why it made me happy they were cut into rectangles, I can’t say) were my favorite treats. As always, a plentiful spread for us eating-​inclined-​people to enjoy.
You know how a comic, or a trivia guy at a restaurant often says «Don’t forget to tip your server or bartender»? Well, Ashley and Miles totally deserved such last night. They happily handled all of us as a group and I hope all of us helped them out.
This was a great event on a too-​cold-​for-​March night. Can’t wait for more!
[PS Ben also crowned me with his green bowler hat as I left. I definitely like him.]

What do you get when you mix a bunch of Elites with great Irish apps, ales, and other libations? Why an Irish Car Bomb, of course.
Really enjoyed visiting the «new» Fado (hey, it’s been awhile since I went to Fado — last time it was on Peachtree St but now that’s a high-​end shopping district). All I know is THIS Fado is most Irishly excellent. It’s brighter than the old location and has a huge bar that requires Magellan to help circumnavigate. I kept stopping for refreshments along the way and got lost somewhere between the Moscow (Irish) Mule and a wee bit o’ GreenSpot whiskey (yes, «whiskey» with a proper ‘e’). GreenSpot is an excellent Irish triple-​blend, similar to RedBreast.
Appetizers provided during the event were very tasty. I particularly like the Sheppard’s Pie. They were tiny and made me feel like I was Gulliver lost on a well-​dressed, well-​populated Irish island.
Drinks consisted of a selection of wines and Irish ales. I stuck with the Harp as I’m not really a Guinness fanboy. I mean, I get the pomp and circumstance with the pour but I just prefer a different beer and Harp fills the bill. However, the Guinness was pretty good going down with the obligatory Irish Car Bomb many of us participated in near the event’s conclusion.
We’ll definitely go back to Fado’s, primarily because the staff was just so darn nice, even before the Elite event started. And Fado’s event coordinator and her Irish lilt put the cherry on the top. Good times!

Another great event Unilocal!Elite event hosted by Ben G — St Paddy’s before St Paddy’s — great theme at one of my favorite venues, Fado in Buckhead. Thanks to Laura and Miles of Fado for making this quite an entertaining event and allowing we rambunctious Unilocalers to sew our oats a bit, in classic Irish style!
A section to the left of the bar «Provisions» was set aside for about 30 or so to sample the various Irish-​influenced food and several draft beverages. Things I tried include: stuffed cheese poufs, corned beef with cabbage and horseradish, little shepherd’s pies, roasted red pepper hummus with crisps and crudités for snacking and of course the beer. I started with a nice stout, went to Smithwick’s to accompany the food, then back to Guinness (and was allowed to pour my own, behind the bar at a very nice nitro station!), then had a real treat, an Irish Car Bomb (never had this before, it’s a boilermaker-​style drink, dropping a shot glass filled with Baily’s and a bit of Jameson into a half pint of Guinness!). All quite tasty and fun.
There was a drawing for some goodies provided by Ben G and lots to talk about, including events around St Paddy’s in the next couple of weeks and the opening of the new Fado in Midtown next Monday! Might have to photo-​bomb that one myself!
Once again thanks to Ben G, Collen B, Laura and server Miles (who did a great job! There was another server but I didn’t catch her name) for putting together a funtastic event!

St Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite holidays and I’ve always liked Fado so I was excited I got in to this event. Thanks to Ben and everyone else that helped put this event together! Myles and the other server (I feel awful I do not remember her name) did a wonderful job taking care of us. It was great to see some familiar faces and to also meet some new Unilocalers.
I already had on green but if you didn’t there was plenty of Unilocal Swag to help you out. Coozies, plastic flasks, necklaces, pins, shot glasses, and even Fado shirts.
The food was really great. There was hummus, cheese poufs, shepherd’s pie, and mini corned beef with horseradish sandwiches. All of it was delicious but my favorite was the corned beef. I’ve been to Fado several times and never tried any of these items. I’ve definitely been missing out.
We played a scratch off lottery game. I didn’t win but Michelle at our table did so that’s great! After the game I had an Irish Breakfast shot. Before I took it they said it tasted like pancakes. I didn’t believe them but actually it really does. It’s Jameson, and butterscotch followed by Orange juice. Somehow this combo equals pancakes and syrup. Some of the other Unilocalers had Irish Car Bombs and I heard it was great also.
I look forward to going back to Fado next weekend to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day again at their block party. Colleen was nice enough to give us tix. Thank you! They are also opening a new location in Midtown, Mon, Mar 9^th.

I had a great time celebrating St. Paddy’s before St. Paddy’s with my fellow Unilocalers, decked out in green, at Fado Irish Pub in Buckhead yesterday evening. I enjoyed meeting several new people in person such as Kate S (sophomore Elite), Charles S (double Gold Elite), Ayad «Eddie» F (sophomore Elite visiting from the Greater Toronto Area), LaShonda H (rookie Elite), and Adam C (sophomore Elite).
I’m showing my ( Unilocal) age here, but this was the third Unilocal Elite event that I’m aware of that has taken place at Fado in Buckhead. There was An Irish Holiday at Fado on 12/​14/​2010 (
) and the Newbie Elite Event at Fado on 3÷27÷2012 (
). I didn’t attend the newbie event for obvious reason, but I was at the holiday event. So was Carrie Neal W (OG Elite since 2008), who was at the event last night. We were the only two to have attended both the Irish Holiday and St. Paddy’s Unilocal events at Fado. 1,543 days (or approximately 4.2 years!) has passed between those two events. The Unilocal Atlanta landscape has definitely grown and changed over that time.
The evening’s gathering consisted of roughly 30 – 35 Elites (guesstimate). No +1s were allowed. I like how some of the events are for Elites only. As one person admitted to me last night, not being able to bring a +1 better enabled her to meet other Unilocalers and mingle. Often times, when Unilocalers bring +1s to events, they tend to stick together and keep to themselves. I think Elite-​only events are good for bonding and building the community, especially when there are so many new people. Good job, Ben!
We each got two drink tickets and access to a buffet of food items which included:
* Roasted Red Pepper Hummus — feta cheese, mint oil
* Stuffed Cheese Puffs — jalapeño jack-​stuffed
* Mini Corned Beef & Swiss Flatbread — dressed cabbage, horseradish mayo, grilled flatbread
* Mini Shepherd’s Pie — grass-​fed beef, colcannon (white-​headed cabbage)
The bites was tasty. Since there weren’t a whole lot of us, there was enough to go around and the line for food never got bad. I enjoyed the Mini Corned Beef & Swiss Flatbread sandwiches the best. They were meaty and flavorful and I think they had a hint of truffle oil in them. The Stuffed Cheese Puffs were terrific as well. Fresh, warm, and fluffy.
In town from Orlando was Unilocal Regional Director Colleen B who assisted with check-​ins and hosting small groups for Irish Car Bombs (!) at her table. Also, Ben introduced us to Unilocal Atlanta’s new Brand Ambassador, Dominic. As Dominic told me, he will be representing and spreading the love for Unilocal at various events and festivals around town. Welcome, Dominic!
Schwag included green St. Paddy’s Day T-​shirts, fillable green drink pouches, and more. Ben handed out scratch-​offs for two prizes. Congratulations to Michelle T and Claudia A for winning bags of Cadbury Crème Mini Eggs!
Shout-​out and thank you to the staff at Fado Buckhead for their friendliness and hospitality. Thanks as well to Ben, Colleen, and Brittany Wages (photography) for a fun Thursday night. Until next time, SYOY!

This is my first elite event in Atlanta. Fado is a great place to grab a drink and something to eat. I met some great elites here. Samples were delicious. Drinks were great especially the Irish car bomb. I grabbed some of that Unilocal SWAG as usual. Thanks to everyone who made this event happen. Keep it up, you guys are awesome.

May misfortune follow you the rest of your life, but never catch up. –Irish saying
Thank you, Ben G., and Laura with Fado for the pre-​party before St. Patrick’s Day! The lively atmosphere and glass of Cabernet helped me quickly forget the decreasing temperatures on the outside. Brrrrr!
A cozy section on the left side of the restaurant was reserved for the elites. I’m special. You’re special too. Unilocal goodies aplenty including collectible pins, adhesive mustaches, sweatbands, green v neck t-​shirts draped on the back of every chair, and plastic canteens. My favorite was the super classy four leaf clover necklaces that lit up… Flavor Flav would have approved.
With two drink tickets in hand and friendly service from our guy Miles, the vibe was perfect for making new friends. On to the tasty bites —Stuffed cheese puffs with jalapeño jack cheese filling, a corned beef roll with mustard sauce, cabbage salad and horseradish mayo, mini shepherd’s pies, and roasted red pepper hummus with boxty wedges and crisp vegetables (cucumber slices, carrots and celery) for dipping. Irish Car Bombs were offered to everyone on the house — drunk as a bomb shot, the drink is made with Irish stout, Irish cream, and Irish whiskey. It was tempting, if only I didn’t have to use my brain in the morning.
A new Fado’s location opening this month at the corner of 8^th and Peachtree. See you there.