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| - What a fun event! We were grateful to be included. As a new Elite member, I didn't know what to expect. We (my hubby and I) arrived and the hostess pointed us in the right direction. Unsure where to go (should we check in, sit, or what), a couple who came in behind us was nice enough to motion us to the table where we met Nikki - who was awesome!
First, I am so grateful to see an event outside of the city and closer to the Mooresville/Huntersville area. This location is right off of exit 23, just past the hospital.
As a newbie, I was really nervous and anxious because it felt pretty cliquey at first, if I'm being honest. However, I also realize a lot of these people have probably met and established friendships at prior events. Everywhere I looked, people were smiling and deep into conversation with a drink in hand.
Throughout the night, Nikki was always found with a warm smile on her face and was very welcoming. Upon arriving, we noticed there were a limited number of tables (and we arrived about 10 after) with very few seats open. I saw a total of four tables with two seats open and swag that appeared untouched... literally, the first three tables I approached informed me (politely) that someone else was sitting there. I was pretty disheartened at first, so my husband and I approached the bar to get a drink. When I turned around, I saw a fourth table with seats. We asked the people (who we learned were Max & Rhonda) if we could join them and thankfully they said 'of course!' It meant so much to me 1) to have a seat - who wants to stand for hours in a strange place with a bunch of people you don't know? - and 2) how warm, personable and welcoming Rhonda & Max were. They were a great couple and really made an awkward situation (just as a newbie) enjoyable. (Thanks guys!)
On to the event... the party afforded games, free food, free drinks, free swag, free conversation, and free beer (all you can drink - I had 3 myself, plus a free mixed drink). So, for the food... we were presented with a table covered with different foods to try (mostly fried bar-food). There was this stuff that looked like light green wasabi (turned out to be artichoke hummus I think - pretty good actually), and some seemingly homemade pita chips. Those were both fantastic. Just the right amount of crisp to the chips, and the dip was seasoned perfectly. They also brought out some sliders - oh my! They were quite good - juicy, well seasoned, flavorful with these awesome crispy onions on them. I believe they're called "white trash burgers." Well heck, call me white trash - these were good! I would definitely get sliders again on my next visit.
What else... oh yeah, there was fried tofu, which, sadly was not good at all. As a former vegetarian, I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to tofu and I know they can be prepared in a number of ways. Well, they were lightly/flash fried (perfect texture really) but had absolutely zero flavor or sauce. They had potential, but it's almost as though they skipped the final step - sauce of some kind.
There were a few different kinds of dips, and fresh veggies which were refreshing to see with the fried-food-focus here. They also had these fried poppers (jalapenos) that we all ran to grab when they first came out... well, one table-mate was a bit disappointed to find his had no spice at all. So, being the spice-wimp I am, I took a big bite. My particular one was pretty spicy! So while they seemed to be a mixed bag, they really were not tasty. The filling was bland and the outside tasted like cornmeal (which wasn't a bad thing). But when I get a dish like this, I want mild heat and an abundance of flavor inside, which was lacking.
The event was graciously sponsored by Sailor Jerry (liquor) and Sierra Nevada. Each attendee was allotted one free Sailor drink (artfully crafted by the owner, with a yummy mango puree), and as much Sierra Nevada (four varietals to choose from) as one could drink - responsibly of course. :)
Upon leaving, we each were invited to take a nice red Yelp tumbler, black sunglasses from Sailor Jerry, a deck of cards, a Yelp bottle opener key chain, and some other fun items to remember the evening!
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