Elite Event At Hopeland

The perfect mix covada vodka cocktail w rosemary,
the crispy bruschetta w perfectly roasted red pepper and a fresh mint leave
the wonderfully homemade pastas (yes i had two servings;)
the rich texture of cheesecake bites served w toothpicks
the live melody played by a great band
the friendly owner and staffs
the familiar faces of Unilocalers
the cozy back yard dining
I cannot ask for a better evening than this!

Peter et al know how to throw a party.
I’d passed by Hopeland several times and even went so far as to get a menu with hopes of one day going there. Next thing I knew, elite event at Hopeland. Score!
I brought a duck as my date and we had a nice time imbibing on fig infused vodka adorned with a sprig of rosemary and talking the night away on the back patio with friends. Not much in the way of veg options, but the crostini with goat cheese and roasted red pepper was nice as was the ricotta/​strawberry/​chocolate dessert squares.
It’s a somewhat small/​intimate, cute interior and I really like the back patio complete with potted herbs used by the kitchen. I’ll be back… especially since I now have a coupon for a free glass of Prosecco with my next meal. Weeee.

This was a perfect venue to have an elite event on misty/​rainy evening. As I walked in I was welcomed by the familiar face of Jane K.
I really liked the way the place has been set up. Though from outside this place does not look big but actually it is huge. I am a fan of the events where they have live music. The live Brazilian was really awesome. Me and my friend were able to talk to the band members. I hope to dance whenever I visit this place next time.
Now coming to the drinks, they were serving the house vodka. The bartenders were really cool, attentive and informative. My +1 wanted something with tequila so the bartender made a special cocktail which was really nice. I could not sample the food as I don’t eat steak, but fellow Unilocalers were raving about the food. I will come back here to try the food. The management of the place also gave us coupons for complimentary drinks for our future visit.
Thanks to Peter who keeps us pampering with all the great events!

Some people call Brooklyn the Promised Land, but Hopeland can also work just as well!
This really is up there on the favorite Elite BK Unilocal Events chart!
The setting — couldn’t have been any easier to get to.
The live entertainment — mellowed me out for my Hopeland Cocktail.
The crowd control — PERFECT! No pushing ot shoving here!
And then of course…
the food… oh good GOD that cavatelli pasta… and the hanger steak…
I HOPE to come back and get a full size portion.
I HOPE to come back and thank the owner once again for housing us.
I HOPE to use that free prosecco card that was handed out… all for one and all drinks are free!
Only in Hopeland!
Thank you Unilocal Elites who organized this!

Great event. As this was the first Elite Event I was able to attend I was very pleased to be greeted by the friendly Unilocal staff who guided me to the bar for that fantastic rosemary flavored drink special. What a treat!
Other than the drink, the food was okay. Only ‘okay’ because I probably missed some of the better appetizers as I arrived a little late, though the red pepper one was really good, and the main entrée had short ribs in it and my veggie self could not partake. Ah well. It looked really good to.
Finally got to meet the ultra-​cool Peter and other nice and laid back Unilocaler’s finally and also got to meet the owner of the beautiful Hopeland. Didn’t meet any of my fellow ‘friends,’ but hope to next time. I’d return to Hopeland for sure as the prices are decent and there are veggie-​friendly things on the menu that I can thankfully eat. That back patio was dope… better than others I’ve been too, for sure.

What a great venue!
As some of you, this was also my first Unilocal!Event!
Now that I’m a bit aged, I usually stay away from the boozing on Monday but being as this was my first event, I didn’t want to miss it.
With little expectations — other than a good time — my lady and I managed our way to Hopeland. We saw the little line peaking out the door and grabbed our place. We filed our way in quickly and grabbed our Unilocal!name badges — how Elite!
We listened to the band as we took a quick survey of the scene, pocketing some swag ( Unilocal! armband on the arm! what?!?) and then hopped towards the bar. The Hopeland cocktail was what was going down so we gave those a try (not overpowering, easy to drink, the sprig of rosemary provided a nice smell: you hit ⁴⁄₅ senses! a treat!). Cavoda bottles, so nice with their attached blue light — neat! James was my bartender and I chatted with him for a brief moment. Good looking fella and real nice — Brooklyn ladies beware!
We made our way to the back area with our drinks looking for a place to roost. Found the patio and even though soggy elsewhere we were roofed over and dry. The place was really cute and we appreciated the orange Vespa parked in the corner. There was a separate garden gravel area which was also very nice.
The servers began making their way around with food. Plates of crostinis came floating about — I believe there were three kinds: broccoli rabe and sausage; artichoke and beef; basil and pepper and mozza. The crostinis were a bit greasy as I think the chefs were a bit heavy handed with the olive oil. the gf preferred the artichoke/​beef, i was a big fan of the sausage and broccoli rabe.
the line for the cavatelli with the short rib ragu was super fast and efficient — cheers to that! i brought it back to the table and devoured it in record time. the short rib ragu was definitely tasty and cooked down to a good tenderness. although i like my pasta a bit softer, my gf appreciated the al dente.
we were about to head off until we saw the desserts being prepared at the server window. at that point we decided we would hang around. the dessert was quite a tasty bite even though i couldnt quite put my finger on it — cheesecake was it? raspberry on top?
sorry memory is a bit foggy as by then i had downed 3 – 4 Hopeland cocktails and was working on a cavoda and pineapple.
really enjoyed the event. the venue was cute. the wait staff was quick and courteous. look forward to the next Unilocal!event! Hopefully at the next one — I’ll get to meet the elusive Peter D.

Chillin’ on Hopeland’s back patio with some old and new Unilocal friends was a lovely way to spend a rainy Monday evening. That cavatelli short rib ragu pasta was the perfect blah weather comfort food and the Hors d’oeuvres were delicious — especially the hangar steak toast!
Side note: If the owners/​bartenders complained to Peter D. or any of the event coordinators that Unilocalers were stealing wine, my bad! When I came in, I saw open bottles of wine in an ice bucket next to a bunch of glasses on a side bar and helped myself. Only when I went for a refill, I was told the wine was not free. It was an honest mistake and they were nice about it, but oops. I’m not sure why they would set up wine like that at a free event if they didn’t want people to assume it was there for the taking.

I was hoping that this was going to be another classy, fun, and delightful event as usual, but who was I kidding, and Hopeland didn’t have to hope anything either. I think we we all hoped it wouldn’t be a washout, and luckily it wasn’t. I was so glad to have been invited and have the opportunity to try some of Hopelands’ signatures, meet the staff, and reconnect with some familiar Unilocalers. Nice meeting Roy, Melanie, Liliana, and a couple other fantastic people last night. I am definitely coming back with my grandparents who will love this southern Italian gem in one of my favorite neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

This was my first Unilocal Elite event in Brook-​nah and a big THANK YOU needs to go out to Peter D, Roy, and the rest of the Unilocal NYC crew for throwing a fantastic event. Having moved up to New Haven after living in Cobble Hill for the past five years, I often cry myself to sleep thinking about all the fantastic times that I’ve had living in what I feel is the best neighborhood in all of NYC, but leave it to the Unilocal Elite community to bring me back to the hood I long for so much.
I’ve been to one other Unilocal Elite event as a plus one at Co-​Op on the LES, and for that event they just reserved a small space near the bar. It was a dog fight to get drinks and you had to strategically position yourself where the waitress got the drinks from the bar tender. Aggressive drunks were literally taking drinks before the waitress could even get the drinks on her tray! This was not the case at this well organized event at Hopeland, as they rented out the entire restaurant plus their spacious covered patio in the back just for us Elites and our +1s. It felt like an exclusive, private party with friendly and like-​minded foodies. It never felt so good to be apart of the Unilocal Elite squad! The space is great at Hopeland, which has a fully stocked bar with about half a dozen seats. The interior décor is spacious and modern, with plenty of indoor seating and a fairly large covered outdoor patio with even more tables. There is even a little uncovered part in the back of the patio where you can sip some vino in an eclectic garden setting. Come on, we are dining in Brooklyn now!
We b-​lined it straight to the bar to get our Cadova vodka drink on, and the friendly bar tender James whipped us up the signature Hopeland cocktail of the night. Made with dried figs, a splash of soda water, and garnished with a fresh sprig of rosemary, this earthly vodka based drink was inventive and refreshing. For someone who’s usually a whiskey neat drinker, this flavorful and fruity drink tantalized the taste buds. There were three different types of passed crostinis, which spanned the southern Italian inspired flavor spectrum. The seared pork sausage with fava beans and escarole was my favorite, as it had more depth of flavors than the other two. The ricotta with roasted red peppers had a nice creamy texture and the tarty pop from the peppers was a nice combo. My least favorite of the trio was the hanger steak with pan-​tossed artichokes, as the pieces I had were pretty bland and flavorless. I probably just got a bad batch or something.
The real star of the show was the cavatelli with short rib ragu. I went back for seconds and had to exhibit serious self control to not go back for thirds, fourths and fifths! The cavatelli was al dente just the way I like it, and had a wonderful curl and doughy texture to form the perfect mini pasta cocoon to carry the rich and delicious ragu sauce to your mouth. The sauce was really well executed as well, with big chunks of short rib that perfectly complemented this well balanced ragu sauce. Having recently had pretty boring and borderline bad bolognese sauce at an Italian restaurant near the Seaport, this dish reminded me how insanely satisfying Italian cuisine can be. Thank you Hopeland for preserving what is pure and good about Italian cooking!
To cap off an already successful event, they passed around flaky pastry desserts, filled with fresh whipped cream topped with a half a mini strawberry and drizzled chocolate. A nice sweet finish to a fantastic two hour stint at Hopeland.
Thanks again to all who contributed to this fun-​filled Monday evening!!! Definitely the best Monday night this super commuting New Havener has had in a long time. I hope to get the honor of coming to another BK Unilocal elite event soon!

Elites gathered on a soggy day to show our gracious hosts at Hopeland that:
Yes we can drink a lot of cocktails, even when you put rosemary in it, on a Monday night;
Yes we can eat a lot of their delectable dishes;
And most importantly… yes, we can all drive their Vespa in the outdoor patio!

Great second BK Unilocal event! Though the weather wasn’t very hospitable, stepping inside the quaint Hopeland warmed me up and dried me off. The band was hopping, people were dancing, drinks were flowing, I knew this would be a fun event.
The signature cocktail was a perfect balance of sweet, herbal, refreshing, and fruity, and the insidious fig-​infused Cavoda Vodka snuck up on me.
Food was expectional, the short-​rib cavatelli was warm and homey, perfect for the intimate event. The canapes of steak and artichoke were my favorite of all the selections.
Great start to what I hope is a long list of Unilocal BK event I will be attending. Also was very nice to meet some new people and hope to more in the future.

An aweome time was had by both myself and my +1.
I think that the amazing event that Peter put together pushed my guest into the land of Unilocal and all of the wonder that it has to offer.
The food was delish and the drinks were top notch. This was my very first Unilocal event and I promise it will not be the last. The weather held out, so we got to chill on the terrace.
The service was attentive and the bartenders were charming. What more could you ask for on a Monday night in the Spring?!
I cannot wait to go back and try the rest of the menu. Thank you Hopeland and Unilocal Brooklynites!!!

It almost felt like a dinner party at someone’s home… lots of tasty appetizers, generous drinks, a spacious back patio and plenty of friendly people, both familiar and new.
Oh yeah, and a latin band. Why not?
The only thing missing was an Italian grandma, insisting we all have a second bowl of her warm, slow cooked ragu. Peter should have pulled a Mrs. Doubtfire. Oh well.
Kudos to him, Jane and the other Unilocal crew + the owner and staff of Hopeland. I’m a mere 5 minutes by Vespa, so I’ll definitely be back.

Hopeland is what I used to call college but now it’s the name of a cute-​ass Italian restaurant in Boerum Hill. I really dig the look of this place and hope to have a similarly swag patio one day for raging Sunday wine tastings with the bros.
Hangar steak on toast? Sold! I normally don’t go back for seconds but the cavatelli with short-​rib ragu was too tasty.
Stay real Brooklyn.

Hanger steak crostini!
My first impression entering Hopeland was «Wow! This place is beautiful!». Really awesome space; the owners clearly put a lot of attention into details when they came up with the concept of this place. Cozy, homey, and yet classy. A bit like Unilocal Elite events. The attention to details was also reflected by the great care everybody at Hopeland treated us: from the awesome bartenders to the wonderful servers, who were fast, courteous, and very knowledgeable about the food they were serving.
Liliana Araújo and her small band were very pleasant, and I wonder who that couple who kept dancing for the whole time were.
And the food… Ah, the food! I don’t think I’ve had homemade pasta at a YEE before. The cavatelli were of just the perfect consistency. My only complaint would be that all the cheese on top went to the lucky Unilocalers that joined the line first. Damn… But in the end what I enjoyed the most were the little bites: the roasted peppers, the seared pork sausage, the ricotta salata, the artichoke… and the hanger steak! I’ve had wet dreams last night thinking about that wonderfully juicy hanger steak! I’m also very happy to see rabbit on the menu; I love rabbit, and you don’t see it served often enough in American restaurant. That braised rabbit with olives and tomatoes is calling my name, I think.
Thanks Peter for reminding me once again how great it feels to be in Brooklyn.

Had a fun time here yesterday. I loved the space and the outdoor patio was perfect.
I thought they did a great job with all the food and beverages. I want to come back for a full meal to see how it is. The hanger steak with artichoke crostini was super yummy as well as the pasta dish that they severed.
The Unilocal team did a great job as always!

I couldn’t believe how beautifully they renovated this restaurant from Jolie’s old set up. And the patio space outback was perfect.
The Hopeland cocktail was perfect for a Spring evening on the patio. Appetizers were tasty — we tried the steak and artichoke crostini as well as the spicy sausage and broccoli rabe crostini. Both were really good, but I preferred the spicy sausage. Oh, and their cavatelli with short-​rib ragu was awesome! (See pics).
All of the servers and bartenders were incredibly nice, and happy to be there. It made for a perfect ambiance in the bustling restaurant.
Will definitely be back! And thanks Hopeland (and Peter D.)!

Kudos to Peter D. for arranging such a diverse group of Unilocalers (from New Haven to Cobble Hill!). And kudos to my fellow Unilocal Elites and their plus one’s for being such attractive bitches, it was like E-​Yelp-​Harmony night at Hopeland tonight. BUT being the un-​single lady that I am, I was definitely focusing all my attention on assessing the quality of the hors d’oeuvres and definitely not on assessing my very charming table mate. I mean seriously, lets keep our minds out of the gutter Unilocalers.
I have to say that the Cavoda Vodka and the house beverage were pretty bad, but the hors d’oevres were tasty, the main course pasta with what I’m guessing was beef short rib was well done, and everyone from the manager (owner?) to the band was polite and outgoing. If they hadn’t waited so long to send out the main course, they probably wouldn’t have lost so many impatient Elites early in the evening. I also would’ve loved to hang out on the patio if it hadn’t been such a misty evening. I’m sure if they had some heat lamps they could get people out there in all kinds of weather and that on sunny days its the best seat (s) in the house.
Overall thanks for a great time Peter!

A little drink.
A little food.
A little Brooklyn.
A lot of Good!

Feeling hungry? Feeling thirsty?
To paraphrase Sir Paul McCartney, the Elite Event at Hopeland can give you «hope of deliverance from the darkness that surrounds us.» If that darkness consists of hunger and thirst, you’re in the right place!
To take care of your hunger, there were awesome appetizers on crostini such as the ricotta and roasted pepper, not to mention the hangar steak and the sausage-​y one! The pasta dish with the short-​rib ragu was great as well.
To address your thirst, the good people from Cavoda Vodka were serving up a special cocktail with their vodka, fig and fresh rosemary. Delicious and so smooth!
Service was great… one of the owners came around and introduced himself and the bartenders were super.
Also loved the music… the owner said they are frequently there on Tuesdays so would definitely want to come back and listen, eat and drink!
It was great to see old Unilocal friends and meet new ones! Another great Brooklyn event. Thanks Peter D!
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* A very underrated song, in my opinion