Elite event: Dinner with the Chef At AVANT

I went home comfortably stuffed and quite cheery.
First off I want to share how goofy we are, not knowing how to find the front of this place. Having never been good at following directions we relied on Google navigation on Alisa’s phone which had us turn right when we should have turned left. We found a parking spot immediately but, «Surprise!» we were in the rear of the resort. Parked next to a dumpster and started walking, asking directions of every employee we came upon.
As I said, we cannot follow directions. I feel like a 2 year old. I can only listen to one or two steps at a time. After that we are lost again. So it took us, 3 employees and 4 wrong turns before we found the front entrance and all the Unilocal friends standing in line. At last, we have arrived.
Doors open and we are greeted with choice of white or red wine and/​or tangerine margaritas. Red for me. Well that’s just good sense right? Put us in a cheerful mood right away. It worked. I was happy. Everyone was happy. Cocktail time lasted about 30 minutes followed by a quick introduction by Trish inviting everyone to take our seats at the predetermined tables as noted by the numbers on our name tags. «Everybody, please sit at the assigned numbers and if you do not end up sitting next to your besties… make a new one». A good enlightening laughter erupts. Of course the point being — to meet new people and bring a bit of sharing among strangers. Cool, I like that. These are fun.
So, the food was amazing and the entertainment great and the event was perfect.

WOW!!!
These private tastings get better and better, I tell ya! There were about 80 Unilocal Elites who were invited for a special tasting course at Avant. Avant is the newly renovated restaurant located at the ritzy Rancho Bernardo Inn. I had visited RB Inn in the past, and had always wanted to eat at this establishment, so thanks Trish for giving us the opportunity!
We were welcomed with a cocktail «half» hour with yummy Tangerine Margaritas, Pinot Noir and Chard. I opted to stick with the margaritas because they were just so refreshing and tasty!
We were provided assigned tables and I was at rocking Table #3 with 5 other guests. I knew 4 of the people at our table and 2 new faces — 1 was a Unilocal Elite who lived down the street from me in Mira Mesa and the other was the resort’s Marketing Director. Our table was totally awesome! Great convos all night!!!
We started with a mix & match of cheeses/​meats, fried brussels and beet spread. I have to say, I wouldn’t even order the beet spread had I came on my own and, i have to say, it was the best app amongst the 3! I will honestly order that app again! So creamy and delish. Couldn’t stop eating it.
We were each treated to an entrée. Everyone at our table got the Pan Roasted Branzino and Braised Lamb Shank. I got the lamb shank, but I was so full that I had to take ¾ of it home. The portion was certainly generous and very tender. My fiancée loved it the next day for lunch.
For dessert we were offered the Peanut Butter Semifreddo or the Laura Chenel Cheesecake. The PB Semifreddo stole the dessert show. I couldn’t have the cheesecake since it had goat cheese in it, and my stomach cannot take any of this. We were also offered coffee with our desserts. MMMM…
There was one little snafu with our table. We got our entrees super late — as in everyone was on dessert and coffee and we were the only ones that didn’t get our meal. We weren’t upset since we still had our drinks and company to pass the time away. However, by the time we got our desserts, people were already leaving and it was passed 9pm. I think the restaurant was about to close!
The restaurant is beautiful, the staff at its best, free valet, the Bagalso Brothers snapping action shots all night, Brian playing infamous cover songs, Avant chefs and management team very accommodating, and our Unilocal CM and Intern (Trish and Andy) at their best AGAIN!
Such an amazing night with such awesome people to be around. Truly neat to be Elite!

I love good meals that I can remember so clearly even a few days after. This was one of those dinners.
I love RB inn. I’ve been to the other restaurant before so I was excited to try Avant. Well I came with an empty stomach and I was feeling the drinks after the first one. Lol. The tangerine margarita was amazing. So tasty. I had 2 glasses of the pinot noir and that was great too. I wanted more but I needed to drive home.
Well table 13 was awesome! Always great meeting new Unilocal friends. We all took out our cameras when every dish was served like every great Unilocaler should be doing.
All the shared plates were great. My favorite was the brussel sprouts which was amazing. I was tempted to take it all but I had to keep telling myself that we are sharing these plates. The meats & cheese plate and beet spread were great too. It was a good amount for all 4 of us to share.
I’ll admit, for the dinner I had to google what branzino and gnocchi was. Super fancy where I don’t know what they are talking about. I asked for the recommendations and our waiter mentioned branzino so I got that one. The fish tasted great. I love that it was crispy on the outside. It was perfectly cooked.
For desserts I was glad they put the peanut butter semifreddo in front of me. It was heaven. I love anything with peanut butter. I was eating the cake in a jar gift they gave us last night and I was so glad I picked the chocolate. Normally I think chocolate cake is so sweet but this cake was perfect.
Another amazing event! Thank you Trish, Unilocal,and Avant restaurant. Great new chef at Avant! I hope to come back soon.

AVANT raised the bar, this was an exceptional Unilocal Elite event. A small group of lucky Elites were treated to a full dining experience with cocktails, numerous appetizers, a choice of entrée and even desert. I prepared for this feast at the San Diego Safari park where I power walked for 2 hours to increase my appetite.
I arrived with a grumbling stomach and the dining area welcomed me to a reception full of happy Elites. It was fun to touch base with some of my old pals and meet new friends before we were seated. The upscale dining room was warm and inviting and it was fun to eat with a new group of friends. We shared mouthwatering appetizers. The brussel sprouts and beet spread were divine and I could not stop eating them. The well endowed charcuterie board boasted lovely mustards, cheeses, meats and hickory smoked nuts. The nuts overwhelmed my palette as I was not expecting the smoky flavor, so I dipped some of the cheese into fresh mustard which filled my mouth with yummy flavors.
Jonas took care of our table with great finesse. It is so obvious that he loves his job and has the utmost confidence in the chef. His animated descriptions of the menu brought everything to life. I ordered gnocci with a poached egg on top. The chef did an outstanding job plating everything with an artistic flair. I love a perfectly poached egg, as the yolk burst open the golden fluid encapsulated the savory gnocci. A constant stream of delicious food and wine filled my belly and put a giant grin on my face.
Before dessert time came around and I thought that there was no room left, however seeing the delicacies up close changed my mind. I really liked the cheesecake with kumquat glaze that provided a nice contrast to the undertone of the silken cheese. It was not too sweet which is my preference.
As the evening wound up the group at table 19 asked for a tour. Jonas started the tour in a gorgeous private dining room with ninja electronics suitable for a Google tech meeting. We stepped into the wine cooler and then toured the demonstration dining room. AVANT has really optimized the dining experience around quality farm to table food, custom barrels of wine, top notch service and specialty experience dining areas to boot.
The entire evening flowed smoothly and I felt very lucky to have been invited to experience the finer things in life at AVANT. I extend my highest gratitude to AVANT, Trish and Andy for a lovely evening.

What a fantastic event!
Why?
1. Great company
2. Great food
3. Gorgeous venue. The AVANT restaurant overlooks the beautiful landscape of golf courses and the San Diego hills
4. Full 3 course meal with endless wine pours
5. Superb service
I have never been to an elite Unilocal event that served a full meal. I was so fortunate to receive the invitation to this event as a last minute add on from the wait list. I literally got the confirmation 10:30 that morning. I changed my evening plans around just to make this. Not only was this my first full meal elite Unilocal event, it was also my first ever SD YEE! I’ve been on the SF elite squad for 3 years, OC for 2 years and I can say this is by far the best event I’ve ever had the pleasure of going to.
The cheese board appetizer was my favorite. Great selection of 2 meats and 4 cheeses! Along with an assortment of jams (fig, kumquat), and almonds.
I ordered the Branzino as my main course and the fish was perfectly cooked with crispy edges. Delicious! Seasoned well, but not too heavily. Paired wonderfully with the Franciscan Estate Chardonnay. I was in awe.
I tried both desserts and the Peanut Butter Semifreddo was to die for. We even got a cake in a jar dessert to take home! I’m in heaven!
A comment on the exceptional service: One of our tablemates could not drink alcohol due to maternity reasons and our server was gracious enough to bring her a non-​alcoholic sparkly strawberry beverage. She didn’t even ask for it! Now that’s what I call going above and beyond to treat guests like family.
Shout out to my TABLE 3 table-​mates for being such excellent company: Natalya C., Erich C., Maria C., Cinna B., and Lana Marie (AVANT’s marketing manager).
Thank you Trish S. the Unilocal staff, and the AVANT /​Rancho Bernardo Inn staff for a memorable evening! See you at the next YEE!

Not gonna lie for a second, being Unilocal Elite is FABulous. Our lovely Unilocal North County CM, Trish (and Team), treated us Eliters to an amazing dinner at the AVANT restaurant in the gorgeous Rancho Bernardo Inn. The Inn is nestled at the end of Bernardo Oaks Dr. in a residential area. The place is actually quite huge, with an entire golf course alongside, but it remains quiet and quaint. Parking can be tricky if there are many staying guests or an event taking place. I parked in the overflow parking over yonder (and found out later Valet was free :/​). But the extra walking allowed me to to explore the grounds a bit (AKA: I got lost).
When I finally made my way to the restaurant, I was warmly welcomed by Trish. Everyone was mingling, drinks in hand. We were given a tour of the restaurant, which has a lovely, open floor plan, with big French doors that open up and allow a view of the greens. There’s a private conference room as well as a private party area complete with small kitchen, for intimate events.
After our cocktail hour, we made our way over to our tables (assigned seating tonight), a nice way to meet other Unilocalers and brush up on rusty social skills. At our table, I met my new Unilocal buddies, April R. and Diana S. We also had one of the Inn’s marketing managers at our table; she hung out with us and gave us the 411 on everything.
For starters, we had fried Brussels sprouts and Beet Spread. If you had told me these were my mama’a Brussels sprouts and beets, I would’ve probably passed (sorry mom love you), but these were DEFINITELY NOT my mama’s. They were so well seasoned that they tasted nothing like the scorned veggies of my youth; I LIKED these! The third shared plate was the highlight of the night, for our table at least. One bite of that Truffle cheese and all traces of our overtly polite façade disappeared (you know where you try to pick everything up with a knife and fork cause you don’t wanna appear to be a savage? ain’t nobody got time for that with this charcuterie spread). The cheeses, prosciutto, other cured meat, smoked nuts and spreads were so delicious, we made sure to finish off every last morsel. Dude, even the bread and butter here were great!
For the main course, I chose the Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi. It was pretty amazing. The gnocchi was made of vegetables and the sautéed mushrooms along with the runny, poached egg made everything savory and moist and I literally ate everything on my plate. From my neighbors, I learned the other dishes were just as good.
Somehow, there was room for dessert (it’s just one of those mysteries in life). We were treated to Laura Chenel Cheesecake (made with goat cheese, and I don’t even like goat cheese but this was BOMB), with kumquat marmalade. I also had a bite of the Peanut Butter Semifreddo, tasted like a super fancy peanut butter cup with an Oreo cookie type crust. I scraped that plate CLEAN.
The Chefs here at AVANT are mega talented and prepare food that is unique yet extremely palatable. I wouldn’t hesitate to order any of the dishes again. Service was top notch; our Server in particular was personable and attentive. This little restaurant truly is a hidden gem, tucked away in the hills of Rancho Bernardo.
Thanks you Unilocal and AVANT for putting together such a beautiful evening!

If Unilocal allowed me to give them more stars, I would.
Thank you Unilocal for introducing me to an amazing restaurant that I never knew existed! I can definitely say that this restaurant has easily become one of my new favorites!
Let me just say that parking is extremely tough here, but once you walk in, everything is just gorgeous! I loved the multiple room settings, the private dining rooms, the outside dining, the wine room, everything was beautiful.
Appetizers:
Fried Brussel Sprouts
(medjool dates, cardamom crema, pomegranates)
Absolutely delicious! Beautifully flavored to perfection!
Beet Spread
(smoked hazelnuts, za’taar, crudite)
I am absolutely obsessed with this red beet sauce, highly addictive! It was light and creamy. Who knew beets would make a good sauce?!
Charcuterie (Meats and Cheese Plates)
Presentation was on point! It was a unique treat of sweets and spices.
Entrée:
Braised Lamb Shank
(cauliflower, pomegranate, kale)
Very soft, comes right off the bone! Cooked to perfection. And the pomegranate sauce was amazing! There was even some bone marrow in the middle of the bone! YUM!
Dessert:
Peanut Butter Semifreddo
(red wine strawberry compote, espresso brittle, citrus)
DELICIOUS!!! I could eat this all day. What a great mix of sweet, creamy, nutty, and strong coffee flavor.
Laura Chenel Cheesecake
(kumquat marmalade, port reduction, local gooseberry coulis)
Really unique that they made it from goat cheese, usually goat cheese is a really strong distinct flavor, but they made it nicely sweet and creamy. The kumquat was a little bit sour but slightly sweet since it was candied.
Drinks:
Tangerine Margaritas — delicious treats! strong and great starter
Pinot Noir — my favorite red wine for the night, greatly paired with my lamb
Franciscan Estate Chardonnay from Napa — strong and dry
Service:
I would also like to mention that our server Jonas was GREAT!
It’s not often that you get to truly like your server. Jonas was extremely informative and detailed in explaining every single dish. And always smiled and was professional at all times. You are awesome!!!
Overall, the ambiance was amazing and I’m so blessed to have been accepted to this event. It was definitely a different vibe for me since we were all assigned seats with people we did not know, and I am glad to say that I have made new friends! Everyone was very friendly and sweet and we all had a great time!
Thank you Trish, Thank you Unilocal Staff & Interns, Thank you Avant and your hard working crew members and chefs!

Where do I start? This restaurant is beautifully redesigned and well maintained. I immediately fell in love with the hidden dining room. I want to plan my 30^th birthday there!
This was my first elite event. My husband and I had the best time. Everything was amazingly planned out: entertainment, cocktails, dinner.
First of all the truffle cheese and Brussel sprouts were insane. They melted in my mouth. So yummy. I ordered the Branzino as my main dish and I’ve never loved skinned fish more than I did last night. The peanut butter dessert was my favorite as well. I can’t praise the food enough– the chefs did an amazing job.
I want to thank Unilocal for setting this up and allowing me to be apart of it. Until next time!

Wow. Hands down one of the best dinner parties I’ve ever been too, and far and beyond the nicest YEE.
I’ve lived a few exits up from here for a year now and hadn’t ever heard of RBI and their attached restaurant. Its kind of hidden away off to one side, which opens onto a deceptively large interior, veranda and back patio, along with a demonstration kitchen. In an orderly fashion. us elite few lined up, you could feel the energy of being a part of a real special event.
Without delay we spilled inside and I sampled a pinot noir that was being served and mingled about. The plentiful staff got drinks in our hands and led us on brief tours of the interior, which is rather large! Temps drop with the sun? Migrate inside to the fireside lounge, or walk up to the bar for some liquid heat. This is a place at home in summer or winter.
It was really great to see some classic Unilocal friends, and of course make new ones thanks to clever Trish (who had a mic this time!) who sat us randomly. I’m glad of it too as I made a few new friends and had some truly great conversations.
The food. I can’t, its too much. But no I ate it all. Ken B. and I split a braised lamb shank and half chicken, so that we could savor both, and I’m so glad we did. The brussel sprouts were easily the best I’ve had and the charcuterie, prepped by their dedicated charcuterie chef no less, was on another level. By the time dessert came along, my palette was a little dumbfounded. Again, Ken and I split the desserts up to get a bit o both, and they were the nail in my stomach’s coffin for the night.
THANK YOU Trish, Andy, the others at Unilocal,AVANT, the wonderful staff, and of course the chefs!

I have been doing this Unilocal thing for a while now, and I have, as the kids say, «eaten all the things». That being said, it takes a lot more to truly impress me now than it did in my twenties. I can say without pause, however, that last night’s event completely blew me away. Trish, and everyone at AVANT, really went above and beyond with this one. Truly.
We parked in the back lot, which gave us the pleasure of walking through the property. What a beautiful place! After driving in traffic on the way to the event, the stroll through the Inn brought on an immediate sense of relaxation. I would imagine it is a lovely place to stay.
The event itself began with a cocktail hour. In homage to my previous life in the PNW, I went with the Oregon Pinot. It was so smoooooth. I loved the idea of beginning the meal with a social hour, as it allowed me to catch up with people that would not be sitting at my table. It also allowed for time to explore all of the different areas of the restaurant, including the beautiful patio area.
The dinner, from beginning to end, was perfect. I knew just from the sight of the appetizers that we were in for something special. The «mix and match» board was perhaps the most beautiful board I have ever seen. Everything was delicious, especially those Brussels sprouts. I tried both the lamb and the branzino entrees, and both were perfectly cooked. Saying the lamb was «fork tender» would be an understatement. Both of the desserts were delightful as well. I am a big fan of goat cheese, so the cheesecake was the winner for me.
In addition to the food, the ambiance at AVANT really sets it apart. With such a revered chef and elegant menu, one would expect a stuffy, white table cloth experience. Fortunately, AVANT aims to make fine dining approachable and comfortable. It takes a more «California casual» approach, yet remains very classy.
What a perfect evening! AVANT really couldn’t have brought a better game to the table. It didn’t hurt that I was blessed with such wonderful tablemates — cheers, guys! I’m so grateful that I was in attendance. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
P.S.
The word is officially out on this hidden gem. I WILL be back!

Wow, what a gorgeous venue! Avant is located in the Rancho Bernardo Inn right next to the golf course. Parking can get a bit packed but it might have been because of all the fabulous Unilocal Elites! The décor and ambiance of this restaurant is just phenomenal-​modern, clean, with a hint of home. There restaurant is pretty big with plenty of tables for dining, a bar area with TV’s (and yes, thank you, they had the basketball game on!), lounge areas with fireplaces. Our reception started off with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, tangerine margaritas (so delicious-​I had 2 of them!).
I was seated at Table 19 with 5 other awesome Unilocalers and it was nice to actually get out of my comfort zone and meet new people. Nothing brings people closer than breaking bread, which is what we started out with. We also had shared plates of fried brussel sprouts, beet spread, and their amazing chef’s selection of meats and cheeses including duck and salami and the brie was melt in your mouth delicious. The portions were huge and of course, we finished all of it! It was just too good to not!
Next, I ordered the braised lamb shank with cauliflower, pomegranate, and kale. I was in between the half chicken and the lamb and asked Jonas, our WONDERFUL waiter for the evening, for his recommendation and he highly recommended the lamb and I was NOT disappointed. It is literally fall off the bone delicious and juicy. I typically don’t really love lamb but this was spectacular. The kale was also full of flavor and a perfect side dish for the lamb. While stuffing our faces, Jonas was very attentive to us and kept our wine glasses full and always provided a wonderful description of the food that was in front of us and always had a smile on his face.
Lastly, we had the dessert, peanut butter semifreddo and the Laura Chenel cheesecake with kumquat marmalade. They were both very delicious. I very much liked the red wine strawberry compote that came with the peanut butter semifreddo. Even better, we got to take a little big of dessert home with us. :)
What a great find of a place and they also have happy hour which I am more than excited to explore with friends. Definitely take a tour if you can because they have awesome and beautiful private dining areas including the Chef’s kitchen where the chef personally cooks for your party (party of 12). Sounds like such a fun experience!
As usual, thank you SO much to Trish for putting together such a lovely and classy event and thank you to the staff at Avant for making it so memorable. A shining example of what fine dining is like!

My first YEE & I couldn’t have relished my new, oh-​so-​fabulous Elite status in a better way — AVANT is pure class, comfort, & all types of delicious.
I arrive & barely get my name tag on before a smiley AVANT server angel blesses me with a chilled glass of Acrobat pinot noir — now I know where I should have been every Tuesday night till now! Needless to say, the happy half-​hour was a hit, and I really enjoyed getting the tour of the space. I was too shy to ask then, but I’m wondering if the Rancho Bernardo Inn will let me live in their wine room — it’s just so beautiful!
Everything about the dinner was amazing. Every.Single.Thing. From food to drinks, table-​mates to service, I had the best night. Table 8 had it made with an excellent server. It felt like at every moment he was either refilling my glass or bringing me something unbelievably delicious to eat — dreams come true at AVANT apparently. I loved the Mix & Match shared plate; AVANT plays up a simple concept with total freshness & some unique touches (luv those candied tomatoes & fig jam!)
The AVANT team was all-​around fantastic, and I always love dining at a place where staff is truly excited about what they’re offering. Even the valet got in on the happy party — as soon as I passed off my ticket, I saw the attendant break out into a full sprint to get my car! That was an unexpected but welcomed first.
Trish — you know how to throw a great party! Thank you for unveiling this little sweet gem of AVANT to me & the Unilocal family. I will certainly be back soon, maybe even next Tuesday :)

Events like these remind me of how fortunate I am to be part of such a… well, an ELITE team of food lovers. Then there’s people like Trish, associates and chefs at Avant and Unilocal to pull this all together for us to enjoy.
I arrived here around the same time as Judy did and we parked next to one another, we talked about how tight the parking spaces are in the self parking lot, but we managed. Then I get there and I learned that’s free valet. Oy!
The place is nice and definitely hidden from the hustle and bustle of the other restaurants nearby, I kind of like it that way. I got to meet the other Unilocalers standing in line and got to meet and greet some old faces and met some new ones. I loved that Trish had assigned seats too, it forced us to meet new Unilocalers and for me, that’s always a lot of fun and part of the reason why I come to these events.
I loved the cocktail hour, the orange margaritas were tasty and even the pinot noir was wonderful. The view overlooking the golf course made it a great place for happy hour and definitely a place I intend to come back to for happy hour.
The culinary team had a wonderful introduction and it was nice to hear about what they have to offer on an everyday basis so that we know that it’s not just a private dining one-​time thing. I didn’t get to do the tour but I heard wonderful things about the other private rooms.
To start, we had plates to share and honestly, I could have eaten just that and be happy. The charcuterie board was phenomenal and the homemade mustard, while it was a bit strong, was delicious. The homemade jams was what blew me away, definitely tastes fresh and homemade, so good. Even the brussel sprouts were yummy and I’m not even a brussel sprouts person! The beet and goat cheese dip was delicious and went well with the veggies and pita bread.
For my entrée, I got the lamb shank and it was such a generous portion! I was blown away and was already so full, so I asked for the other half in a to-​go bag. Our waiter Jonas was awesome, so much that I tipped him 22%, he got our bags under our chairs, he explained everything thoroughly and he treated us as if we were paying for the meal (well we are, the tipping, but I meant the full meal). I heard the chicken was delicious so I’ll have to come back and try it sometime.
For dessert, the goat cheese kumquat cheesecake and the peanut butter semifreddo were just excellent desserts to end our meal. Our table even had a gooseberry shot just to try it, lol.
Inside and out, this restaurant is beautiful, service is impeccable, food is phenomenal and it helped that we were surrounded by other lovely foodies.
I’m so grateful to have Trish as our CM and I think Avant threw an impeccable private dining experience for us. One of the best Unilocal events ever!

It’s good to be a Unilocaler but it’s great to be Elite.
Where else, but in Elite-​land, can you dress up in a cocktail dress with heels on a Tuesday night? Nowhere!
Once again, Trish outdid herself. She must have a magical wand or a superhero cape because every event goes off without a hitch.
I was thrilled to get into the AVANT event… and boy, the event did not disappoint.
Upon entering the Rancho Bernardo Inn, I received a text about free valet parking! Heck yeah! From the minute I parked, every staff member at the Rancho Bernardo Inn was so pleasant, friendly, and helpful.
I arrived at 6:30 just as the doors were about to open. Grabbed my name tag and the event began! The servers were very quick to greet everyone with red wine, white wine, and margaritas.
The white wine (Franciscan Estate Chardonnay) was my choice for the evening and it did not disappoint.
The restaurant’s layout is lovely. A nice bar just a few steps up which makes the perfect venue for great live music (and the music was great!). There’s also a lovely outside patio area too. It’s so lovely that my friends and I were chatting and were the last to enter the dining room!
I found my table and had the company of three new Unilocal friends. Our server Braun was polite, friendly, and eager to explain all our choices. My wine glass was never empty the entire meal.
Everyone shared the appetizers and they were plentiful! If I was forced to pick a favorite, I would have to say it was the brussel sprouts. I never knew I could love a vegetable so much.
My entrée was the pan roasted branzino with fava bean hummus, preserved lime, carrot confit. So so so delicious. The rest of my table had the lamb shank and raved about it. I can’t get onboard with lamb and will always pick seafood over anything else, so it was easy for me.
On to dessert now. Braun placed the peanut butter semifreddo with
red wine strawberry compote, espresso brittle, citrus in front of me. and boy, did he get it right! I love chocolate. I did sample the Laura Chenel Cheesecake with kumquat marmalade, port reduction, local berry coulis. I only like Junior’s Cheesecake from Brooklyn, so I wasn’t really a fan of this. Don’t get me wrong, this is ALL me and not a reflection on the fabulous chefs at Avant!
Our parting gift was ‘cake in a jar’. We had a choice of lemon sponge cake or chocolate sponge cake. I opted for the chocolate and it was a fantastic breakfast this morning!
My only grip with Unilocal events…
They really are so fun, I go through post-​party letdown the day after and then withdrawals if I don’t attend something soon after! HA!

Was that not the definition of «spoiled?!»
Lucky North County Elites were invited to enjoy a full dinner at AVANT, to meet the chef, pastry chef, management and tour the beautiful restaurant. After perusing and perambulating the private dining halls with cocktails in hand, we were treated to a crescendo of courses. Like a concerto, this fine dining experience was able to highlight key ingredients like a soloist, at the same time titillate your taste buds with bold flavors like an orchestra.
Food, just like music is a way to convey emotions, and is an artistic form we are just beginning to truly appreciate as a society; long gone are the days where everyone just packed a bologna sandwich for lunch and prepared dinner with their repertoire of 5 spices. The chef, as young and charming as he was, obviously «gets it» because I definitely tasted the «love» in his food.
There are too many favorite moments to name, but here are just a few:
–When Trish sat us with Unilocaler we don’t typically mingle with. I made some really good new friends!
— The tour of the private dining rooms– mesmerizing. #somanyphotos
— The charcuterie platter hit every note on my palette.
— The fall off the bone lamb shank. Had an in depth conversation with my dog after. He was jealous.
— The PB Semifreddo definitely had my eyes hitting the back of my head
Thank you AVANT for an evening to be remembered! The hospitality, I won’t even say service, was memorable to say the least, and truthfully heart warming.
Special shout out to my girl, Trish! We are truly lucky to have such a beautiful, humble and masterful planner as our Unilocal-​Leader. Go ahead with your bad self! XOXO

This was an incredible event, in that Avant closed off the entire restaurant for our use! That is a HUGE opportunity, and very gracious of them. I have friends who have owned restaurants in the past, and I know some of what it takes in the plan & prep area to make this all possible. The Avant management & staff did an amazing job of putting this event together!
The restaurant looks like one of those amazing ski lodges that you see on the fancy Travel Channel shows. The remodel is gorgeous, and I can imagine that this would be an amazing place for a special event like a wedding or anniversary. We were so busy meeting new friends and catching up with old ones, that we missed taking the tour. I’m sure it was incredible!
So, I have a little different take on the evening, being that I am allergic to Alcohol! Not only does it keep me from drinking any cocktails, it also limits what I can order. Nothing can be braised, marinated, etc. in any kind of alcohol. (A note to waiters everywhere: alcohol allergies are based on enzymes, so telling someone that it burns off is incorrect, and could send someone to the E.R.!)
So Brad, our waiter, did a great job of acting as my go-​between, confirming ingredients for me to make sure I didn’t have an incident (one did come up, but he was on top of it and had it right!). Thanks to him for going the extra mile!
The Brussels Sprout appetizer was very good, not tough like they can be. The Beet Spread was also good, I’m just not sure why it came with crudite?! The pita was a better vehicle for the spread, and it would’ve been good with a chunk of feta (just sayin…).
The Charcuterie board was really good, but difficult to share among 4 people! No one wanted to be the board hog, and we knew that we had an entrée and dessert still to come. The sausages were good, and so were the cheeses. I was identifying the items for the girls at my table, and helping with matching the tastes together. A Charcuterie board can be a little overwhelming if you’re not familiar with the ingredients. A few were kinda goofy, like the candied tomato and the flower. The date and fig jams were very tasty though!
My chicken was amazing, and I especially enjoyed the red bean risotto. The pickled berries were a little strange, they could’ve been done another way. Everyone seemed to enjoy their entrees, but I didn’t get to try the gnocchi because no one at our table ordered it! I wanted to wander the dining room to see if one of my friends did, so I could steal a bite of theirs! (Most probably had the lamb.)
I also had to have a custom dessert, because the preprepared selection both had alcohol components. I had a very pretty bowl of mixed berries with whipped cream, and what I think were golden Brazil cherries (similar to a tomatillo)?
Kevin did an awesome job of playing some dinner & drinks music! This is probably the only time that Avant will witness a Neil Diamond sing-​along!
Thanks to our Unilocal Goddess (and Den Mother) Trish the Dish, and Dandy Andy for the awesome Elite Event! I’m sure months of planning and logistics went into this crazy event. You guys are the Best!

Best Unilocal elite event! Great food, great ambiance, and most of all great people! I can be a bit shy sometimes to mingle with new people, but the table arrangement allowed me to get to meet new elite friends and to catch up with old one (Hi Cindy W.!) Thanks to Lauren, Thuong T., Doris, Cindy and Courtney for sharing the meal with me. It’s great fun having this culinary exploration with you girls, hahaha ;-)
We all enjoyed the food, service and ambiance a lot. Our server Jonas was very knowledgeable, professional and friendly who definitely deserved our big tips! He could explain all the ingredients in our every dish very well like reciting poetry. He was also attentive and efficient — we yelled «more wine more wine!» and wine was granted in 5 seconds. Not only Jonas, but all the staff were very nice too. They seemed to be enthusiastic to make customers happy, which definitely makes the environment very friendly. Thanks to the manager Seth who gave us a tour of the spacious, multifunctional dining room (s)!
The menu was carefully planned and ingredients were carefully selected to fully execute the «farm to table» concept. Excellent job! Our taste buds were on a adventurous journey tonight. The beet dip, the poppy mustard, the homemade jams, the different flavors of purée and coulis, the kumquat and the gooseberries… Wow! Halfway through the meal we were already saying we’d come back and check out their happy hour and/​or regular menus.
Many thanks to all the staff of AVANT and of course all the Unilocal staff who made this happen. Trish, thanks a lot for bringing this restaurant into the spot light and organizing this wonderful event. We are always grateful for the amazing food and goodies that we take home. We now have a new happy hour /​date night spot!
See y’all elites soon!

Great first event for me! The entire experience was perfect on all accounts. It was well organized and thought out.
The staff here are outstanding! We got to tour everything that AVANT has to offer their customers. Everyone was very courteous and knowledgeable about all of the dishes that were served. Live music went perfectly with the atmosphere.
Food was amazing as well. My favorites were the Brussel sprouts, meat and cheese plate (included a variety of other sides), the lamb shank, and the goat cheesecake. Everything was cooked perfectly and I wouldn’t hesitate buying this if I were eating here any other night.
This is definitely one of the nicer places that I have eaten and it is definitely a treat to have Unilocal host an event here. Thanks guys!

Yes, the food was unquestionably over-​the-​top spectacular; however, the pinnacle point of this elite extravaganza was the graciousness and hospitality of the host — AVANT. I was blown away by the generosity and utmost quintessential customer service experience at AVANT. The culinary team truly went over and beyond to welcome us Elites. I enjoyed hearing from the executive and pastry chefs; what a nice touch to add to this classy occasion. Special shout out to Braun our server. I don’t think I’ve ever met a kinder more gentle spirit in all of my years dining at fine dining establishments. He definitely set the bar high — definitely the billboard model for excellent service. The icing on the cake was when Braun went out of his way to thank me and bid a genuine farewell as I was exiting the restaurant. He really didn’t have to do this, yet it just shows that he’s truly a class act.
The food, as I’ve stated, was phenomenal. It was apparent from the bold flavors and fine textures that each course was served with love and high quality farm to table ingredients. My palate was dancing with joy to the goat cheese and fig jam abound the charcuterie; My soul sang a quiet love song to the lamb shank in red reduction sauce and, I seriously thought long and hard about asking the decadent Laura Chenel Cheesecake to marry me; it was outrageously good. I agreed with my table mate that this is probably the best cheesecake I’ve ever ate. I’m returning to AVANT just for that!
Thank you thank you thank you AVANTE for treating us Elites like family in your beautiful restaurant. You made us all feel so welcome. And Ms. Trish — well, what can I say… you’re a rock star! You put on yet another 5 star red carpet level event, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to take part. You go girl! Thank you for all that you do!

I’ve put my foot down: my new «last meal» would be the Braised Lamb Shank AVANT served tonight. This was absolutely to die for and I cannot even explain what happened at the dinner table. Somehow, I was really full but I couldn’t stop myself from licking my plate clean? What is this phenomenon? Gorging myself so much that I’m in a food coma? That’s unheard of!
The culinary team here at AVANT had the entire group of Unilocalers wanting to come back for more! From the aesthetically-​pleasing and palate-​arousing charcuterie board to the irresistible Laura Chenel cheesecake, AVANT most definitely surpassed my expectations! Even the service was impeccable! Braun, our server, was particularly charming and was extremely attentive! As I am on my phone, actively Unilocaling my experience, Braun sneaks around me like a ninja and refills my drink! I look up and my glass is full and I wonder how he did it without me noticing!
Although we were here for the food, the décor and size of the restaurant, too, surpassed my expectations! The beautifully decorated dining room and private rooms gave me a glimpse of what my old country club looked like but with a modern twist! It was beautifully decorated and the fireplace near the front entrance was most stunning as the sun set behind it. Seth, the manager, gave us a tour and it ended at the outdoor patio area where people can choose to spend a nice day!
My fiancé, Drew L., and I decided that the cheesecake alone was worth coming back for and that we have a new anniversary restaurant where we can share a beautiful and romantic dinner to celebrate! We now have another reason for moving to RB when we get married!
Thank you Trish, Andy, and AVANT for this glamorous event!
AVANT– I can’t wait to come back for your mustard!