Yelp's Jet Set Fete Event

One of the best parts of being a member of the Yelp Elite Squad is the opportunity to attend exclusive parties and events revolving around my 2 favorite activites: eating and drinking. As part of the Elite Squad, we get access to fun happy hours, beer tastings and such through the year - just for Yelping our little hearts out with enthusiasm and committment to Yelp's mission. Yelp throws a few small gatherings here and there, however, a couple of times a year they throw a massive bash like the one I attended this past week, Yelp's Jet Set Fete Event.

The event was held at the lovely National Hotel, a very art deco-ish property in the heart of Miami Beach. The event was held in a small room in the lobby (possibly a meeting room) and spilled into the outside terrace, the cabanas alongside the pool and finally taking over the entire outdoor area. The theme was Mad Men-ish, which made for some interesting attire, mostly very cute and tasteful. Hats off to Monica, our amazing community manager, who looked fab in her 60's pinup meets stewardess getup.

Picture stolen from Yelp

We enjoyed brews courtesy of Sam Adams & Cupcake Vineyards and bites from several local spots. Here's a quick run down of some of our favorites:

Yummy meatballs, spanakopita and baklava from Taverna Opa

Phenomenal fondue - The Cheese Course

Photo op w/ the sweet and talented Chef Adrianne Calvo and her yummy tamalito

ooey gooey creamy mac n' cheese w/ bacon from Melt

Salumeria 104's ham - paper thin and so delicious

Yummy meatball from Bin 18

Graziano's grilling it up

Graziano's empanada, chorizo, potato salad and steak

Sweetness Bakery's yummy treats

My new favorite ice cream - Todo Frio's Guava Cheesecake. Best guava ice cream ever!

As I mentioned, plenty of Sam Adams brews to go around. I stuck with the Blackberry Witbier and Cherry Wheat. Both were awesome. The Blackberry reminded me of my favorite, Abita's Purple Haze. It has a sweet & subtle berry undertone that was very refreshing. The Cherry was a bit strong, kind of reminded me of Cherry Coke. Not my favorite but a fun beer to try. I also tried Cupcake Vineyard's Red Velvet, which was sweet and smooth.

Double fisting - Cherry Wheat and Blackberry Witbier

The party was a hit - great music by DJ's rocking pilot costumes, burlesque performances, nice crowd, live art work, blowdrys and makeovers, etc... Thank you Yelp for another amazing evening!