Gold Elite Dinner

Thank you Kathleen and Briza for putting together a great dinner. I don’t get to go out much since my son was born so it was nice to go to an event and see some familiar faces.
Dio and I arrived a little early so we started with drinks on the rooftop bar. As we made our way to dinner, we took a few minutes to catch up with the other Gold Badges and take some pictures.
Dinner was amazing (especially the smoked pumpkin soup) and the afterparty was a nice cherry on top.
What are we going to do next year when we become Platinum Badges?

Thank you Kathleen and Briza for a wonderful evening!
Not even recent dental work could keep me from this event. The left side of my mouth is quite jealous of what the right side got to enjoy.
Briza was awesome. From the moment I walked in the door, I was greeted with smiles (and compliments!) and excellent service from all of the staff. The dark wood and fun lighting makes it feel special but not stuffy. The high back chairs were quite comfy. The staff made us feel quite welcome with Chef Falzo sharing great details (including fresh flown-​in tuna) and the sommelier explaining her thoughtful pairings.
The food was amazing. The citrus polenta served with the tuna and oxtail marmalade would make an excellent breakfast food — warm and bright to waken your palette for the day. The pumpkin soup in over onion custard with applewood smoke smelled like a fall campfire in the best possible way. It was so good that Kathleen and I couldn’t help but lick the jar. If it had been a bowl, it would have been completely clean… The ribeye with lobster mushrooms was delicious but it was the creamed kale that won the dish for me — so full of kale flavor, which is not always the case with creamed vegetables. And the dessert — 3 of my favorite things — stone fruits, shortbread, and whipped cream. The stone fruits were nicely spiced, the shortbread was light and just slightly sweet, and using crème fraîche for the whipped cream added a nice tang to counterbalance the sweetness.
The wines were divine and divinely matched with their dishes. The hot toddy that came with the dessert, made with peach-​infused bourbon (they grew the peaches on the roof) was so smooth and warm and cozy!
As I told Jimmy all about it when I got home, my mouth continued to water over the deliciousness, great service, and ambiance of the evening. It’ll be hard to recreate the fun and fellowship of the group of great old school Unilocalers, but I bet another serving of that soup and/​or shortbread would help alleviate the pain.

I feel so honored to have been a part of this amazing Unilocal Gold dinner. Walking in I actually expected more people to be in attendance, but when I saw it was just a small group I was even more honored. It was such a beautifully setup intimate dinner among old and new friends.
We had a long table setup with place cards for each of us to sit and even a handwritten personal card from the Unilocal Empress herself the beautiful redhead we all know as Kathleen! We also got a goodie bag full of Unilocal Swag as a takeaway.
Ok so now enough of sounding pretentious because I was special enough to get invited to such an event… on to the food and drinks.
We had a 3 course meal planned with 4 wine pairings and a wonderful autumn hot toddy to end the evening. I loved the fact that the chef: Janine took the extra time to come out and share with us her inspirations behind the dishes with each serving.
Although all the dishes were absolutely amazing, my favorites were definitely the Smoked Pumpkin Soup and the Ahi Tuna with the oxtail marmalade. The soup came in a jar and when opened gave off a smokey aroma immediately.
The wine pairings went well with each course that they were served with, but my favorite was the autumn toddy as it tasted similar to a spiced cider.
Thank you to everyone who made the night possible and for all my fellow Unilocal Gold Elites who graced my presence on this beautiful evening!

Such «WOW» event, what can I say? Everything from the gorgeous/​handsome company (yes I know the group photo looks much like an ad for Benetton), the fabulous staff, the sommelier who paired courses with amazement, and of course the Chef! Thanks Kathleen and Phillipa for a great night!
The food? Amazing. While all the food was delicious, the Ahi tuna with the oxtail marmalade and the smoked pumpkin soup were my showstoppers of the night. I really loved the upscale ambiance without being pretentious. Next time I go I have to check out the rooftop, especially to check out the garden planted there, where produce grown is utilized in their own kitchen.
Big cheer for the Elites class of 2007!

Oh my goodness — what a wonderful dinner! And the company was even better!
Briza did us right with the tasty fixins they made for us. Everything was delicious — there was not a single miss. I’m special so I got my entrée substituted for something non-​red-​meaty and it turned out to be lobster — holla! I could bathe in the smoked pumpkin soup and the hot toddy. And, the wines were all super delicious and very well-​matched to our food. I don’t know why I don’t hang out at this place more often.
Kathleen offered up some fabulous Unilocal swag in addition to organizing a perfect event. It was really, really lovely and I am so proud to be OG.

I spent last night eating with OG Unilocalers, getting a whiff of smoked pumpkin soup, schooling Addy C. on the appropriate racial epithets to use for different Asian nationalities, and then capping the night off at the Cheetah watching naked women attempt to dance to the worst set of 90s music ever compiled in human history. So in celebration of dated 90s references, «I love the GOLD!»
But I get ahead of myself.
Yes, Briza totally sucked up to us Unilocalers, us «tastemakers.» Normally, if someone referred to themselves as a «tastemaker,» I’d punch them straight in the junk. However, I got a fancy meal out of being called a tastemaker so, suck it peasants. Let the plebes eat cake; I’ve got this bomb-​ass shortbread dessert.
Yes, the other reviews stated it better. Four courses. Wine pairings. Top notch, attentive service. Dinner conversation ranging from the aforementioned differentiation between the terms «Gook,» «Flip», and «Ching Chong,» to drinking «pussy wine» to which fork went with which course.
We Gold Unilocalers may be tastemakers, but we’re not exactly a classy bunch.
We talked, we caught up, we laughed, all except when the food came and a deafening silence filled the room, punctuated by an occasional «Damn» muttered inartfully under breath. Yeah, the food was that good.
The night was topped off with a spontaneous UYE at the Cheetah with local celebrity David K. I may have been tardy to David’s Cheetah party, but at least I made it. Tis a shame, you other johnny-​come-​lately Unilocalers who have not earned a Gold Badge yet and whose names may rhyme with «Daniel B.» couldn’t join us.
Back to Briza. You sucked up to us. It totally worked. You knocked it out of the park, Guys and Gals. I’ll be back. And Kathleen? You did it again. Thanks, Empress!

Oh. Em. Gee, I believe I’ve attended the most epic Unilocal Event although it was my 3^rd out of the 5 years of Unilocaling. :) I’m so glad I did and I have my dinner date Amrita J to thank for. She’s awesome. #thatisall. I also got to meet some really cool people who I’ve been Unilocaling along with for the past 5 years and has never MET.
I finally got to meet Addy, she is so sweet and through our conversation, it truly is a small world after all. I won’t go into details but she knows! :)
My dinner was amazing thanks to the Executive Chef Janine Falvo (season 9 Top Chef). My most memorable and favorite of all (even though they were all superior) was the Ahi Tuna. It was some kind of wonderful dancing in my mouth as I refrain from swallowing the whole thing in one bite. It was seared perfectly on each side and a hint of citrus made it very refreshing. And how can I not mention the fried kale? That’s one thing I do have in common with Chef Janine, Kale is King in my kitchen.
This leads to the creamed Kale which was served with our perfectly cooked NY strip and Baked potato. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve inhaled the creamed kale in one bite and wanted more, very badly.
The wine pairing was very nice and so was the bourbon but I seriously did not want to get slosh on a Thursday night. The combination of wine and bourbon would have put me out of commission until Monday morning. It was unfortunate that I’ve let some good wine go to waste. Sigh.
I’ve been to Briza before so I knew that the service was stellar especially with a big crowd. We had a table of at least 20+ people and they took care of us with no problems. I even got to sit in one of those fancy chairs with a feather pillow at the dining table. Yes, the server pulled the chair up for me to sit in and it wasn’t even my birthday, it was my friend’s birthday. :)
Everything was perfect. Thanks so much for putting this wonderful dinner together Kathleen; you truly are the empress of Unilocal!
I’m already looking forward to my 4^th Unilocal event! LOL

Wow. Just, wow.
That could be all I say about last night’s repast and whole event. Alas, I am wordy so I shall elaborate…
I was thrilled to get my Gold badge this year and as Addy said, that was cool enough — but a dinner with a small group of us OG’s at a nice place with our own sommelier and the Chef and manager continually visiting us? Oy vey!
I had not been to Briza and had read the reviews (I thought it was particularly noticeable how the lovely manager Phillipa, who is very nice in person, responded to Unilocalers reviews in detail, whether praising or faulting their experience) and was curious…
Everything was So. Good. This was a fixed menu of four courses and while I often dislike this kind of eating «style» because the (non) choices aren’t things I would eat, everything they served was absolutely delicious– AND each dish is something I would choose to order. Did I say wow, already?
The ahi tuna was awesome– a perfect starter as the one piece was meaty and perfectly sized. The pumpkin soup was so creamy and delicious! I veer off and on about creamy soups but the flavor, the serving in the cute little mason jars with flip lids. .. perfect! I was sad that they ran out/didn’t have the pasta (Alayne and I had decided to get one of each entrees and share, so we could try both) but the NY Strip was awesome. Perfectly cooked for me (they didn’t ask us a temp but I think it was a perfect med rare) and the cute little potato with bacon pieces in each section as it was cut (I hate «fluffed up» baked potatoes so this one was a perfect «cuttable» version for me) was totally yummy. I am not too much of a sweet person, so I foisted my dessert off on Broderick S. but it did look tasty! All the wine pairings were great– the William Hill Cab was my fave (I think I got the name right — though the Pomelo SB was indeed good with the tuna).
This would definitely be a good date spot, a good place for a group (think birthday or other special occasion) or even to eat at the swanky bar! I will definitely be back soon. (Especially since we got a $ 20 gift card! Score!)
And we got goody bags and a sweet note from Kathleen! Talk about feeling special. I think my fave item in the bag is the kerchief (hee) and I can always use more Unilocalstick and an extra pair of shades is awesome!
What a great night. Thank you, Empress, Chef Falvo, Philippa and everyone at Briza. Proud and grateful to be a Unilocaler!

First off, thank you Kathleen for putting an intimate dinner party together for the Gold Elite. It was an awesome evening that included wonderful wine, delicious food, impeccable service and awesome conversation!
This four course dinner started off with the ahi tuna appetizer which was absolutely delicious. The tuna is received daily via Fed-​Ex per Chef Falvo and the flavor was amazing. Then there was the smoked pumpkin soup! I loved the presentation — served in an airtight jar. But, what I loved more was the taste. Just a hint of smokiness really enhanced the flavor of the soup. So creamy and not as rich as I find most creamy soups to be. The entrée was NY strip, with creamed kale and a baked potato with bacon. The NY strip was cooked medium rare and had great flavor. The creamed kale was a hit with me and the baked potato, well, was a baked potato… At this point my tummy was reaching it’s limit but then I was presented with the autumn spiced shortbread for dessert. Have I said amazing yet in this review? The shortbread was stuffed with poached fruit and vanilla crème fraîche. Absolutely, scrumptious and as much as I only needed a taste because I was full, I could not stop until it disappeared.
Prior to each course, Chef Falvo described what was about to be served and the sommelier described the wine being served with that particular course. That was a very nice touch and of course, Chef Falvo introduced the pastry chef who described the delicious autumn spiced shortbread dessert. It really was nice to receive the special attention from the Chef, sommelier and GM.
I enjoyed all of the wine pairings — my favorite being the William Hill bench blend cabernet sauvignon and the autumn spiced hot toddy served with dessert was a perfect finish.
Thank you to all of the staff at Briza for making our experience special. The food, atmosphere and service was wonderful.

It’s just after midnight and I can’t believe I’m the first to review the evening.
First and foremost, I need to give a shout-​out to my lord and savior Kathleen M. She is truly our Empress and an amazing friend. Tonight was one of the most fun evenings I’ve had in a long time. Kathleen gave each of us a personalized note and cleverly paired us with fun Gold Elites we’ve known for a while.
That was the case for me, at least. I had Kathleen to my left, Dio S. to my right, and Ivan S. directly across from me. I had such a great time catching up with everyone that I almost forget what I was eating and drinking.
Speaking of eating and drinking — every course we had was amazing. At one point I whispered to Kathleen that I didn’t know enough about wine to appreciate what they chose. By the second course I realized I was totally wrong. The sommelier here is fabulous at her job because I’ve never had a better pairing than her choice of white wine with Chef Falvo’s pumpkin nut soup.

In Which I Didn’t Need To Eat Beforehand Because Everything Was For Me, Me, Me
My most favoritest Elite Unilocal event just happened. Sixteen of us OGs were treated to a phenomenal four course meal with wine pairings, attentive service and handwritten notes from the Empress herself.
Is pumpkin soup an aphrodisiac or did everyone really look awesome under that lighting?
I hadn’t even heard of Briza before but now I am certainly making it a point to come back with someone I really, really like in tow. Our preview of the fall menu was exactly the transfusion of fall lovin’ that I needed. I’m so ready to dive headlong into autumn after that seasonally delightful meal.
And that pumpkin hot toddy?
Well, it’s probably to blame for my delicious breath and appearance at the Cheetah a short while later.
It was so wonderful to have an intimate gathering of people who had a hand in forming the ever-​growing Unilocal Atlanta community. Thank you Kathleen, Briza, and fellow Goldies for a night to remember.

Getting a gold star this year for five years of Unilocaling was awesome enough but getting invited to a sit-​down 4-​course dinner just for the Gold Elites was over the top — and I loved that the group tonight was a somewhat intimate size and esp. loved seeing some of my favorite «old-​school» Unilocalers … I like to call them the originals (although sorry that not everyone was able to make it). Also enjoyed meeting new faces but very familiar names (Hoa G, Bill S, Broderick S).
The Briza restaurant staff was fantastic, genuinely nice and welcoming, and I appreciated that the manager of food & beverage, the sommelier, the executive chef, and pastry chef each took time to explain each course and/​or wine pairing. The dinner experience overall was wonderful, and I felt so honored to be part of this table.
FIRST COURSE — ahi tuna, oxtail marmalade, citrus polenta, kale chips. The tuna was very fresh (just flown in!) and all the flavors and textures worked so well together!
SECOND COURSE — smoked pumpkin soup w/​onion custard and spiced pumpkin seeds. Loved the presentation and every bite exuded warmth and comfort and made me want Thanksgiving to come right now :) My favorite dish of the evening.
THIRD COURSE — NY Strip, creamed kale, bacon 2x potato, cabernet reduction. Steak was delicious — I’d definitely order it again. I love kale and creamed spinach therefore no surprise I loved the creamed kale. The presentation of the baked potato was interesting and I loved having the big chunks of smoky bacon to give the potato more umph :)
FOURTH COURSE — autumn spiced shortbread, poached fruit, vanilla crème fraîche. Perfect dessert selection for Fall and esp. loved the shortbread. Like the first course, everything worked well together. I so much wanted to finish everything but at this point, my stomach told me I needed to stop :)
Seriously one of the most special Unilocal events ever. Thanks again to the Briza staff for their generosity and hospitality — the food and service were beyond wonderful, and I loved all the wine pairings. I’m more a red wine girl but I really enjoyed the «Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc» and «Hugel Gewürztraminer». And I can’t thank Kathleen enough for putting together this memorable evening for us – thanks for making us feel so special! :)

A wonderful evening, Kathleen is a rock star and the personalized note was a fine touch. I might have dreams about that smoked pumpkin soup