Elite Event @ Gilt Club

I have no good excuse for being so late writing this up other than it’s because I’ve been drunk since that night. The spirit of Gilty Pleasures was just too much fun, I am just now coming up for air 10 days later.
Me: fishnets, Bumpit. Matt E: suave shirt, tie. Together: coupla of boozers who love lovely things.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I could eat 20 of those manchego fritters, they are so freaking good. The lemon drops were going down a little too easily. Moscow Mule in the copper cup is quaint. The Moscow Mule’s effect on my judgement, not as quaint. But that ain’t the Gilt Club’s fault!
The staff was great, so friendly, so on top of everything.
Thanks again Don and GC for such a fun night. Really nice meeting everyone I had not met yet, hope to see you again soon!

Even walknig there with my +1 was fun because people kept looking at us like we were weird for being so dressed up to essentially get full, drunk, and socialized up.
Welcomed at the door with a velvet rope and sweet «bouncer.» Then greeted at the bar to a verbal list of delectable concoctions to which my +1 scratched his head & gave a «beer?» grunt. On the shelf was a huge jar of what we thought was marshmallow infused vodka, but we later found out it was the cucumber vodka used to make that basil cucumber martini I enjoyed. Anna & I agreed that it was a dangerous dangerous drink because it basically tasted like liquid salad. I tried the moscow mule as well and it reminded me of gingerade kombucha with about 10 times more alcohol. Sweet!
Appetizers of crispy manchego fritters w/​romoulade, baguette slivers smeared w/​foie gras and peach jam, quartered mustardy deviled eggs with caviar hats served on spoons, fresh oysters on the half shell dotted with green tobiko, fries for the vegan elite, and a yummy cheese plate with sliced granny smiths. It kept me running back for more.
Awesome prizes involving framed unicorns, secret pictures in Unilocal totes, and Taste of the Nation tickets.
The always fun Unilocal Eliters & +1’s laughing and talking up a storm (inside & out).
My walk home during which I was newly adorned with a «Kiss me I’m a Unilocaler» pin involved a scary stalker, but it still didn’t put out my high.
Thanks, Don, for another great event!

Thank you, O thank you, Gilt Club! Thank you for the fabulous drinks (I loved the basil and cucumber martini, I loved the Moscow Mule in the spiffy copper cups, I loved the luscious red wine). Thank you for the excellent service (which we abused slightly in the course of pursuing cheese — sorry! We’re usually more housebroken than that). Thank you for the delicious hors d’oeuvres (the oysters were divine, the cheese likewise, but was that other nibblie REALLY foie gras with fig jam?) Thank you for the stylish and classy environs — you made me feel like a movie star.
Thank you, Fearless Leader Don and Chief Organizer Hilary, for throwing such a swell party. Thank you Yeeps for being such a hip-​yet-​unpretentious crowd — I freakin’ love your company. When I grow up I wanna be just like you.
I will happily come back to relive past glory, and try y’all out on a NORMAL night.

The day dragged on like a piece of seaweed stuck to a Russian fishing troller. Is it 5:30 yet? Head down… pencils at the ready… keep working… is it 5:30 yet? Maybe if I plug in my iPod time will speed up… is it 5:30 yet? DING! It’s ELITE TIME!
Got up, left my desk
dragged a comb across my hair
Found my way out the front door to go drink a cup
And looking up I noticed I was late
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Was on I-​5 in seconds flat
Found my way downtown and paid to park
Don spoke and I went into a dream…
They say you judge an evening by the friends you spend it with… What a fantastic evening!
Thanks Don, Hillary, New Deal Vodka, the Staff at Gilt Club and most of all the Wife for letting me go stag.

I won a sweet-​ass homey hat last night and received a not-​so-​sweet-​ass hangover this morning. Success. I totally rolled out of bed and had myself a dutch taco. I needed it.
Kudos to the staff for making (strong) drinks (and finding me a ½ glass of white wine!) and for supplying a vegan treat in the form of fried potatoes. Those plus apples and pears made for a delicious yet ultimately unfilling dinner. (Hence the hangover.)
Thanks to Don who did a lovely job of planning and executing a fantastic event once again.
And holla to all the Yeeps who made the evening so much fun. It was a true delight to get to spend time with you.

Amazing food, great drinks, and good fun! As one who is still breaking in his Elite status I must say these events continue to rock. When I tell a friend what I did last night they are slow to believe. «Free food? Free drinks? Riiiigghht…» they say. Once convinced of my truthiness (I pray you catch the reference!) they become quite jealous, and rightly so.
Yes, I had a blast last night. Thanks to everyone who helped to make it such a good time! It was great to get to meet some new Unilocalers, catch up with a few others, and simply enjoy the delicious food and drink. I look forward very much to the next event, knowing that they just keep getting better!

How much fun was that? It was so great to finally meet my Unilocal friends face-​to-​face! I think a group food cart trek is in order. Perhaps the next sunny day…
Great food! I’m having a hard time deciding if I liked the deviled eggs with cavier on top (told you you’d like them, Katrina!) or the cheese fritters more. Omg, and the oysters! I was a little shocked to discover that the hummus-​looking spread with jam was actually fois gras — hope that didn’t trick anyone out there!
The Moscow Mule kind of cracked me up with the junky copper cups.
Thanks for another great event, Don! w00t!

It was such a nice event filled with groovy people. All dressed up for the event (and weather).
And they are all paired up with sweet food. Something that looks like cheese hush puppies, something that looks like hummus spread with jam and baguette, half oyster shells, deviled eggs among others.
Flush it with their wines and mixed drinks. And how can the copper cup miss this event? The Moscow Mule seems to be popular among the Elites as everyone is almost carrying one at one point.
All hail the giant! I mean Don! Thanks for another wonderful event.
(we need more helium for the after party!)

Clouds gathered.
So did the yeep elites.
A slight chill interrupting their summer like spring.
As if to say «Where’d you think you were? Hawaii?»
Then the Don appeared to make them an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Free food and drink.
Facetime instead of profile pics.
Escape from the cold (At least for the skirted).
The setting was swanky.
Mid century modern supper club lounge with a «touch» of red.
Cozy boothes and killer light fixtures.
(or light fixtures that look like they could kill you)
Assorted cheeses.
Cavier dressed deviled eggs.
Thievery Corporation.
And Unilocal libs napkins.
Swanky.
[click]
The night began slowly, while service started swiftly.
Friendly efficient staff weaved effortlessly through the now grazing herd.
A Moscow Mule. A muddled cucumber drink. A Rhone-​style Red.
[click]
Blue Tights!
Some met for the first time in person, others for the first time.
Oysters on the Half Shell, apparently not everyone eats them.
(But, I do)
«Vegan food?» queried a yeep to no one in particular.
«This is only for you» replied a server who had overheard.
A platter of fries appeared seconds later, clear scientific proof of ESP.
Talking. Laughing. Unilocal-​Libbing. Eating. Drinking.
(repeat)
Foie gras rustic bread.
[click]
The Don hollas and the well (and not so well) dressed yeeps listen.
Prizes.
A phat hat.
A framed mutt.
The last Unilocalicorn.
Two tickets to the Taste!!!
[click]
Talking. Laughing. Eating. Drinking.
M a n c h e g o F r i t t e r s with red pepper sauce.
(unspoken collusion keeps me well supplied)
Throughout the night dishes disappear and drinks are replenished.
Jamie and staff have worked wonders.
[click]
«These chandeliers look like they could kill you if they fell on you»
Said a yeep as she tapped the light she was standing under.
The party slows, but has somehow gotten louder.
«It’s someone else’s turn this event»
With that the tagging starts.
Black suit, blue tie, white and red labels.
A good choice, a good sport (read «Name Tag Target»)
[click]
It is the beginning of the end.
Time to grab a last free drink.
(I took a swig of high quality H20)
The PDX Unilocal Mafia thanks the Don as they file out.
All right stop «Tiger» time.
to view the [click]s click here: www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4KxI7ESa3hyeF0­rpxl4qLg?select=270−5chqya9IKlUIkxQ-Gg or here

SCHWANKAY.
Yup, this event – like the last – was totally swankalicious. Well-​dressed Yeeps being classy and sipping wine and nibbling on foie gras (TAKE THAT, VEGANS!) meant that this event was the cat’s meow. Yup.
Oh, and the GROG. Okay, I suppose it was really called something-​something-​mule. Oh, that’s right! The Moscow Mule! But either way, it was served in really, really cold copper cups that looked like they should have contained a nice mead instead.
Don…all hail. You are indeed the master of the Unilocaliverse. If we didn’t know it from the parties you plan, then we definitely know it by the mystic unicorn poster or the «Como Ching*s» hat…

What a great way to punctuate an otherwise mind-​numbing workday.
High marks awarded to:
The specials: basil + cucumber x ginger + grapefruit = me + happiness.
The appetizers: (Caviar) eggs on top of (deviled) eggs… with good advice from Kody: «Don’t overthink it, just shut up and eat it already.»
The prizes: Unicorn Poster & Taste of the Nation. Classy and classy.
The company: Unilocal Elite, well of course, and my +1, if I do say so myself.

Danielle K. says it all. I need to add that any place that serves oysters on the half-​shell TOTALLY ROCKS!!!
Great to see many of the usual suspects misbehaving in unusual ways. Hats off to his swankship, the hatless Don B. and her mostness, hostess Hilary. And of course to Gilt, which, as noted above, has a fan forever.

Another lovely Unilocal Elite event.
Mix up one part fabulous vodka (thank you New Deal!), one part amazingly delectable eats (thank you Gilt!), one part extremely cool yeeps, and one part smooth classiness from Don B. and you’ve got yourself a swank elite event. I was glad I made the cut because it was great fun as always!
Thanks Don B.

Gilt… FTW.
After a year in the club, these events are getting to be like a great big hug. So nice. My only wish is that Unilocal would drive. Can we work on that?
Nice work, Don; and way to go, you sexy Yeeps. Y’all are tops!

Meeting dozens of Portlanders who like to write, eat, and drink? Sign me up!
Yesterday’s Elite Event was swanktastic, complete with well-​dressed Portlanders (who woulda thought), fabulous wine, and Manchego fritters that are my official happy hour snack of choice. I can still taste that red pepper sauce… yum!
The bartenders were incredibly courteous and came to refill our wine glasses at exactly the right moments. Being the geek that I am, the T.V. behind the bar that seemed to transcend the mirror still fascinates me. How DO they do it?!
The whole place felt a bit 1920’s New York, right before Prohibition. (In a good way). I can’t wait to go back for some more Manchego Fritters.