Elite Event: An Evening with e2 – Emeril’s Eatery

Great time with GREAT Fellow Unilocalers. The drinks were a flowing, the food was a passing & the pig (before it was roasted) was a snorting…
Honestly, once I saw the pig I almost left because being in the South everything has pork in it. I’m from the North & like veggie options & seafood. To my gratitude the passed Hors d’oeuvres contained seafood & veggie options which was a SCORE!!! From the tuna tar tar atop marinated cucumbers to the lump mini crab cakes & bruschetta — we were in Heaven.
I tried the Limoncello drink & the white wine. The Limoncello drink was AMAZING, the wine was typical house flavored.
This event was small, quick & a nice networking opportunity as I met some nice individuals here in the QC & being a new resident of the South that’s always good.
The gift bags were GONE like the WIND however I just so happen to walk over to look for Ben to say Thanks & was able to get one before they were obsolete. I’m very grateful for my giftcard & the Mr. and I like Emmerils E2 so we will use our giftcard for a DateNight. I work in the area so I’ve had lunch there several times & Enjoy it each time.
I could give this a 5 star but I’m from Chicago & our Unilocal events are 100 stars worthy but since Unilocal only allows 5 stars ALL CHICAGO Elite events are 5 star. You leave with gift bags so heavy with sponsor products that you can barely carry it, it also had certificates to sponsor spas, restaurants, etc. It’s just different in every way BUT that doesn’t take anything away from the Charlotte Elite events as I’ve only been fortunate to attend one so I can’t form a complete opinion as of yet.
Ben is doing an AWESOME job with getting the Elites together for FUN EVENTS and NETWORKING. I would LOVE to assist and obtain that type of status in the QC to add that awesome Chicago touch to the events.

This was an amazing event. The food, especially the crab cakes were amazing. The event was also highlighted by amazing pulled-​pork sandwich’s prepared right in front of you (slaw a must). We were welcomed to all the complimentary BBQ sandwich’s our piglet hearts desired. The free beer and wine flowed like booze on St. Patty’s Day. The staff was extremely friendly and did their best to keep the appetizers coming all night long (that’s what she said ;-))
My date and I had to chance to meet a lot of new people and reconnect with a few old friends.
The complimentary valet parking was clutch, as I definitely didn’t feel like searching for a parking spot in that area.
I loved this event Ben. Thanks to all those who had a part in making this event a success.

How fun!
e2 did not disappoint!
Service — friendly staff who will cater will your needs and are very attentive. Keep up the good work!
Food — I am a fan of their crab cakes with avocado topping, coleslaw/​pork sliders are delish!, bruschetta with veggie toppings, and awesome summery limoncello spritzer that is not strong, but just right.
Event itself — awesome! Met friendly people and new friends. Gave a high five, and checking in was an ease. As always, came away with some swag: D

BAM! Ben knows how to throw a party!
The evening started off with gorgeous passed hors d’oeuvres and beverages. The mixed Lemon-​cello drink was amah-​zing and a nice treat from the standard beer and wine which were also present. All the appetizers were tasty — mini crab cakes, bruschetta, tuna tartare but the true star of the evening was the pulled pork sliders topped with slaw and served on a fresh warm roll. Holy mother. This is what they serve in heaven. After stuffing ourselves silly and meeting some new amazing peeps (I’m looking at you Bianka with a K!) we ordered a slice of the Sweet Potato Cheesecake. I read so many wonderful reviews about it that I HAD to try it. Ummm… it was awesome! The toasted marshmellow topping and the pomegranate molasses made the cheesecake different and über delicious!
At the end of the evening we were presented with gift bags including cookies (I’ve never seen so many chocolate chips in one cookie) and a $ 25 gift card to use at dinner one night. Charlotte sure does know how to lure this Columbia girl back! Thank you so much to Ben, JJ, e2’s GM Jeff and everyone else that made this event possible.
See you next time Unilocalers!

Like Errrrmagherrrrd a $ 25 gift certificate!!! To a foodie, that’s like the equivalent of winning your fantasy football league! Can I get a hell yea?!
Do I even have to mention it?
Amazing people
Amazing appetizers
Amazing drinks!
Incredibly generous GM
Cool, Hip Chef
and the ever so friendly Ben and JJ!
I took advantage of the generosity and enjoyed an amazing meal thereafter. It had been awhile since I’d gone back, but I am glad this venture brought me back in.
Oysters — fresh, briney and tasted just like the shallow reefs of Fiji during low tide.
Duck — Oh wow. I’ve always enjoyed how it was prepared here and this occasion was by far better than before. Slices of breast and a nice thick thigh. The fat was rendered ever so slowly, bringing the skin to crisp reminiscent of a suckling pig.
Strip — This wasn’t the thin slices of of steak that threw me off last time. This was a real strip cooked to perfectismo!
E2 has finally won me over. Their generosity is a great reflection of their business motto and it’s evident they appreciate their customers.
But…the only problem with gift certificates is the inclination to spend more!
Touché Emeril, well played!

This event was a alot of fun as it was really just a time for some good mingling accompanied by some great food and drinks. There were fewer food options than normal but that is just an observation, not a complaint. Because even in those limited options, those BBQ sliders were among the best things I’ve ever eaten at a Unilocal event.
It was terrific venue and Jeff did a great job pairing the wine with the food.

This was a GREAT event!!! Ben rocked our socks off once again! The staff at e2 went above and beyond to ensure that we had a great experience. The service was fantastic and their generosity was more than anyone could have expected. I mean, really…$ 25 gift card, per person… WOW, that was so awesome!!! Jeff (the Mgr) was so friendly and went out of his way to talk to me and my husband more than once and the servers were also very friendly and so accommodating.
Food: In a word… YUM! The sliders were delicious… the pork was tender, moist, and tasty and the little rolls were OFF THE HOOK (and made fresh on-​premises)! The passed apps were equally delicious.
Drinks: For me, the star of the night was the Lemon drink made with American Harvest Spirit Vodka. I think that I have found my 2013 pool-​side drink! It was so tasty and refreshing… I really loved it! My husband really liked the Four Friends beer, too!
We put one gift card to great use that night and can’t wait to go back to use the second one!
P. S. The Double-​Cut Pork Chop was AWESOME… and so was the Chicken and Waffle Appetizer! We ordered a slice of Banana Cream Pie to take home with us and it fed 4 people…4 VERY HAPPY people! :-)
THANK YOU Ben, e2, Four Friends, American Harvest Spirit, and Poprock Photography!

Another great event. We already loved e2 for it’s drinks, but the highlight during this event was definitely the pulled pork sliders. Even the bread on top of the little sandwiches was amazing. You can tell they baked it fresh. I was satisfied with just the bread and pork, but the coleslaw made it delicious… even though we each had 3+, my biggest complaint of the night was that I did not eat more of these.
As always, we had a great time talking with friends and meeting new people. The style of the event was cool, because it was just drinks and apps, and the space we had was great.
Thanks for another great evening!

Another great event indeed. E2 was gracious enough to reserve a section for us Unilocalers to mingle and try out their scrumptious delicacies. Although I wasn’t a fan of the roasted pig presentation, my ‘+1′ said if I gave it a taste I would probably go back to eating pork. He ONLY had 3 to be polite, apparently it was that good. I did enjoy the bruschetta, which wass fused with a lot of flavor, and the tuna tartar. You couldn’t help but grab more than one at a time. The servers were always around making sure you were being attended to, which is a plus since we were such a large group it’s hard usually to keep up. I really appreciated the GM took time in his schedule to be part of the event and mingled. Thanks again Ben! Can’t wait to go back and try a full on meal.

I can’t gush enough about the impeccable service at e2. The GM Jeff was charming and personable and the staff was attentive while still having a personality — if ya know what I mean. I can not wait to try out American Harvest Organic Spirit — e2 makes a dang good cocktail. Bonus points for making all bread in house and offering incredibly fresh seafood. Can’t hate on any event that offers Elite’s a $ 25 gift card as a parting gift!

e2 had a very nice space set aside for us and the food (tuna, crabcakes, bruschetta and pork sliders) and drinks (wine, beer and cocktails) kept coming. After seeing the pig laid out right in front of the pork, I didn’t have any food, but I did get to try the cocktail and it was delicious. The staff was friendly and informative and hopefully all survived without having a finger taken off from the food/​drink trays being grabbed at.
Thanks for putting it together, Ben!

E2 and the Unilocal team did a great job entertaining the Unilocal Elites and Plus 1’s last night. I will definitely return to E2 as soon as possible.

Two virgin voyages for me… my first event as an Elite Unilocaler and my first time at E2! We had such a nice, open space in which to mingle. I met the Vodka distributor but did not have the opportunity to sample his product. However, I had some good white wine, initially passed on a tray. But then, the manager was filling glasses from the bottle, a very nice touch! The passed appetizers were delicious, and the staff couldn’t have been any nicer. Ben and J.J. were quite the host and hostess, and I met very warm and welcoming guests! The swag bag with those yummy cookies and the gift card will guarantee my return!

THIS Unilocal event was probably one of the most memorable ones to date. I’m sure everyone has already talked about the awesomess of the whole roast pig (I ate 4 sliders… yes, FOUR!) the drinks selection, and house-​made chocolate chip cookies. (There was also TONS of food, which is a major plus. No running out!)
But what I loved was the energy.
E2 I know is seen by many as an upscale, hoity-​toity place. But I’ve always been a fan of the food. Last night’s event just solidified how cool and un-​stuffy an upscale restaurant can be. The managers and chefs chatted with us about the food. The servers were totally open and encouraged us to have 2 or 3 apps if we wanted! (That roasted vegetable bruschetta thing and the tuna on cucumbers… fantastic.) It was loud and tons of people showed up… and parking was easy. Way to go Ben & E2!

Awesome to finally meet so many fellow Unilocalers and exchange ideas on all the great spots to hit up in Charlotte. Such a great mix of veteran Elites along with rookies like me. The staff at E2 were so friendly and gracious, it was very impressive how on point they were the whole night. I dig E2’s atmosphere, classy and refined, but not overly formal. Kinda how I feel about wearing seersucker on a hot summer day. Their lemon spritz cocktail, equally perfect on a hot, humid day, was my favorite. I had three of them before I realized two hours passed by, and for me that’s the mark of a hella good drink! So light and refreshing, and a great complement to the bbq sliders, of which I had way too many than I’d care to admit!
Credit where its due, Ben, E2, and everyone else involved know how to throw a great party, for me it was such a great experience at my first Elite event! I know it was the first Elite event for many of us Tuesday and from my perception, our Unilocal community in Charlotte is so much stronger than I ever anticipated! Can’t wait to see what else is in store for the rest of 2013!

That little piggy got eaten… Happily! Again, what a wonderful event from Ben, JJ, and the Unilocal team. It was nice to see other fellow Elites and some new faces. It was even a few people’s first Elite event and it was there lucky day for it to be at E2!
The pulled pork was juicy and perfect all by itself but why not add some delicious crunchy coleslaw. It was a perfect compliment to the succulent pork sammy. The tuna tar tar on the cuc was fresh and inventive at the same time!
Four Friends provided an awesome rye lager that was too powerful but had just enough ummph to be beer worthy and delicious.
I think the winner of the night was the Harvest Vodka. Talk about a wonderful collection of flavers in one drink. The Vodka has a very mild vanilla and citrus flavor that covers the punch of alcohol that comes with every vodka. Perfect! Then, the mixologist somehow works basil into the mix. WOW! Never had basil in an alcoholic bev before but I will be trying it now.
Thanks for a wonderful night!
–Ian M.

Organic spirits, pulled pork, tuna tar tar on a cucumber slice and crab cakes. All these things make for a great time. Pile that on top of some superb Unilocal folks and «boom, there goes the dynamite». Another outstanding get together. Particular for me was the tuna and the red wine. I didn’t really try the other things (due to my will power!) but they looked fantastic.
One thing in particular I liked was the general manager taking part in helping out. I don’t know, that just means a lot to me. Anyone can send staff out to take care of things. That’s going a bit beyond and that’s important and shows good intent in my opinion.
Great job to all that pulled strings to make this event happen. One other thing I’ll note here is that I see Charlotte’s Unilocal Elite crew starting to really grow. It’s sort of bitter sweet and I would liken it to seeing your child grow up. This was one of the first events I’ve been to where I didn’t know more than 50% of the people there. Don’t take that the wrong way, that’s a good thing and vital to making this town as well as the Unilocal community a growing and vibrant entitiy.
Congrats to all the first timers and keep up the good work on Unilocal!

Hat’s off to another AWESOME Elite event! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting some new elites and checking out e2. So nice of them to give us about half of the dining room space, make us some delicious apps — probably my favorite was the tuna tartar… and also get to watch the chefs in action with the restaurants «open kitchen». Who needs the food network when you can come here and watch experts in person!
The restaurant is located in a great part of uptown — I got a kick out of parking int he Levine Center parking garage which still has the «new parking garage smell» and also getting to walk around the little plaza area out in front.
Props to Jason from Great Harvest who definitely filled us in on the scoop with organic vodka — who would have thought? The cocktail drink was pretty smooth and «healthier» tasting. Four Friends Beer was great (as usual) and props to the GM of e2 in putting their best foot forward and showing us what their restaurant is capable of… also for standing on a chair (Ben-​style).
Super props go to Ben and JJ for organizing a great event! When I was in college I was super involved with the activities board and it always felt like if you planned/​manned the event, it took a little bit out of you every time (but it is worth it if people enjoy the fruits of your labor). If I haven’t said it enough (and I know I haven’t)… THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

So. I don’t know what to talk about first. The e2 place itself? The food? That Limoncello drink? The GM? Tuna tar tare? Smh… all of it made me levitate with gladness.
Last night was my first time at e2– Emeril’s and it def won’t be my last. I’m already thinking of the day when I head back to experience a full meal… and the tuna tar tare. *closing eyes and remembering the taste* So.Good. The staff was on point. I briefly mentioned to another Unilocaler that I couldn’t eat the bread and I proceeded to eat the veggies off the top of one dish. I think it was bruschetta. The waitress quickly asked if I had a food allergy and I told her no… just the stupid paleo diet. (hey…I’m trying to fit into a swimsuit by memorial day. no judging please.) She told me she’d be back with a bowl of just the veggies. *Mouth Open* I couldn’t believe she did that for me and I felt terrible. She made me feel so much better and told me she was on paleo too. LOL! Anyway. that was awesome and I want to be her BFF now. The tuna tar tare was so fresh… so clean… and so yummy. I kept my eyes out for it all night long. The pulled pork was delish too. Not a big pork fan… but I couldn’t resist when people kept going back for it. So I gave it a whirl and I’m glad I did.
Ohhhh limoncello. How I would love to write a song about you while sipping and laying on a beach somewhere. It was so good. What I loved the most is that I asked the GM to explain exactly what was in it. Not because I wanted to copy the recipe (I couldn’t make it as well as e2) but just to figure out all that I was tasting. It was almost like his eyes lit up and he was so happy to tell me. We were all in awe of how knowledgeable he was about that drink and others. He kept our glasses full and was so happy. You can def tell that He.Loves.His.Job! So refreshing.
As the night wound down… me and a few other Unilocalers were just sitting, sipping, and chatting. (you know who you are…*wink*) A waiter came by and asked if we needed anything and we briefly asked if the food was gone. He asked what we wanted and we all said «TUNA TARTARE». So we got a whole plate of that deliciousness to ourselves. I went home full, happy, and had dreams of tar tare dancing over me. I’m sorry… that stuff was awesome.
Thank you e2 for hosting us, feeding us, and having such an amazing wait staff. Thank you Ben and JJ… you guys rock. And to Tonya P. I’ll get it right one of these days. O_​_​O

Uh, wow. So this little piggie didn’t fare so well. He did make out a mite better than his brethren, who was all chopped up and completely demolished, along with bowl after bowl of that insanely addictive slaw, on those absolutely delicious little buns of delight. But let’s face it — his time will come.
If there weren’t so many people watching, I may have opened him up and eaten him too. Or maybe I was just too full from everything else — the other dozen pork sliders, the tuna tartare, the crab cakes, the bruschetta. Wait, I didn’t get any of the bruschetta. That’s okay, because those sliders were so incredibly awesome, I didn’t even have room for it.
Huge thanks to e2 for cordoning off a gigantic part of their business in order to provide food and drink for a large part of the evening, as this event did not end early, and there were many folk who stayed (and stayed and stayed). The friendliness of the staff and the willingness to keep the libations flowing made this one of the better events in recent memory. JJ helping to get everyone going in the right direction certainly didn’t hurt either!
Now how do I get this tattoo off my forehead?