Elite Event – ‘Tis The Squeeze-on To Be Yelpy

I am a HUGE fan of Ashker’s…for so many reasons. I’ve always loved the fresh vibe they bring to the Elmwood Village, but I am glad to see they are trying to incorporate other services into their mission and I thought the Elite Event was a perfect way to showcase where their heads are at right now.
As other Unilocalers have expressed, I loved the DIY Juice Bar. I was certain I was doing it wrong when choosing the ingredients haha, but when I made my way to the juicer to juice away, I realized there really is no wrong concoction! After speaking to Zilly at length about sugar intake, I was extra conscious of what fruit I was tossing into my basket… but surprisingly, my mostly-​veggie juice was absolutely delicious! I have a vitamix at home, and a juicer as well; however, the juicer is a big ol’ pain to clean and use on a regular basis. I guess that’s what Ashker’s is there for!
I enjoyed the food that they put out for us… especially the bean salad. But like another reviewer stated, I wish they had given us some hot food – only because I’ve had some of their selections before and I think it would have been a better representation of exactly what Ashker’s is capable of.
The Ginger Shots were a great touch! It was great to watch people’s reactions! haha
I wish they had somehow incorporated their wheatgrass offerings into the evening as well – which is why I am most familiar with them. My aunt is battling cancer, so we are self-​proclaimed wheatgrass connoisseurs. Ashker’s purchases their wheatgrass from Thunder Mountain and they offer it at a much more inexpensive price than other places we have found around Buffalo. Also, for the record, we tried growing and juicing our own with a masticating juicer, and Ashker’s is better. :)
I was excited to see that they had plates of their delicious scones on the tables; however, they were a bit burned on the bottom, and again, I do not think they represented what a normal experience at Ashker’s would be like (because I’ve had their scones a million times over, and they are usually better than what was offered at the event.)
I took some time to meet with Dr. Mark, the Chiropractor. He used this crazy massager on me and we talked at length about some of the treatments I might benefit from. I actually just saw him two days ago, out and about… which reminded me I had to hop on here and follow up with my Elite review!
Overall, I cannot say enough great things about Ashker’s…and I thought it was an excellent choice for an Elite Event.

This was my first Elite event, and hopefully not my last!
I’ve always loved Ashker’s and its involvement in the local community, so seeing them reach out to the Unilocal community was wonderful. They did a great job with the food, all of which I would have had no problem going in and paying for. The self-​juicer was a lot of fun and, despite my bizarre collection of ingredients, spit out a delicious smoothie.
I went in for a consultation with Dr. Mark for my chronically sore neck. He temporararily relieved the pain and set me up with a follow-​up adjustment. I since had to reschedule, but I look forward to going back and having my neck fixed for the long term. Dr. Mark seems like a down-​to-​earth, engaging professional, so I’m looking forward to going back again.
I guess my only complaint was the table situation. I was hoping to meet more people when I went, but my friend and I were relegated to a couch for a lot of the evening, eating on our laps. I hope that the set-​up at future Elite events facilitates better conversation and interaction between members that might not already know everyone else.
All in all, a really positive experience! I look forward to the next one!

This was my first elite event and it did not disappoint!
I frequent Ashkers quite regularly and have always been a huge fan. This event gave an opportunity to get a full appreciation of all the great things that go on in that little space. Who knew? Not only can you have a healthy bite to eat and a refreshing made-​to-​order juice or smoothie, but you can also take in a music lesson, get an adjustment from Dr. Mark an in-​house chiropractor, enjoy an art exhibit, and/​or take advantage of their meeting room. It seems to me that they have thought of everything!
Angelo and the Ashkers crew rolled out the red carpet for this event. We were treated to a make your own juice bar, lots of wonderful food tastings, the option of a short chiro session, trivia, live music and even an impromptu surprise 60^th birthday celebration (for Angelo’s mother). Oh, and Zilly Rosen (former Zilly Cakes) was there with her version of a healthy, sugar free pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie is my favorite and have been craving it ever since I tried that little delicious bite. She gave me the recipe… now I just have to find someone to make it for me (!).
I certainly have a new appreciation for Ashkers and will continue to introduce my friends to this great café (or should I say ‘wellness center’?). The idea of a make your own juice bar is brilliant — it sure beats the all the mess making I do when I juice at home!
Thank you to Angelo, Ashkers and everyone involved for a great evening!
This Unilocal community is A-​okay with so many interesting and like-​minded people that share a passion for our city. Kudos to Alex for providing these opportunities!
See you soon!

This was a very surprisingly awesome event. This was my first time ever juicing and visiting Ashker’s. I have always wanted to try juicing, and was glad that this event gave me the opportunity to try. It was easy and delicious; the nutritional values of these drinks are phenomenal. I juiced Kale, mint leaves, carrots, cucumbers, spinach, apples, lemon and beets. I had no idea how it would turn out and it was great. The atmosphere is relaxed and a perfect place to relax and read a book or meet up with a friend and catch up. I can honestly say that I am going to return to this place.
They have delicious pastries as well. The cookies are like fluffy muffins and they are so darn good. I will be trying the rest of the selections! And I do agree with my Unilocal sister Bethany M. «I had 1 thing I would have liked to see more of: hot food. I know, I know, elite events aren’t designed to feed me dinner… But let’s be real, on a blustery November evening, all a true Unilocaler wants is some good hot food!» Besides that we had an amazing time and I love my tote, it is «tote-​lly» awesome!

While I have heard about Ashkars from many people, I have not been there myself. So last night I picked up and went there. Its a lovely place. The owner is so passionate about what he’s trying to create that its inspiring. They are a real community space and often let people use their space for other meetings and the like 9I know this as someone I know uses it all the time). I think its terrific to want to be more than just a «food place». It will help you stand out and really add value to the area. Setting the example for other places.
Thanks for hosting another fun Unilocal event!

Who needs a shot of tequila when you can have a ginger shot… followed by an orange wedge? Wow! A totally healthy kick!
Perhaps that can be the theme for this entire event… «A totally healthy kick». Great company, great food, great music… and a focus on healthy living. It was LOVELY (as always) to spend time with my fellow «Elites». The food was fantastic (I especially loved the bean salad!). And, I LOVED my first experience juicing! Who knew that it takes SO MANY fresh fruits and veggies to make one glass of juice? I filled an entire basket with healthiness (carrots, apples, beets, oranges, kale, and ginger) and ended up with my own yummy concoction.
I’ve been to «Askher’s» in the past and loved it, but now have a new appreciation of the place after hearing the owner, Angelo, talk about his vision for making it a community space for healthy living… mind body, and spirit. WONDERFUL!
Thank you Alex for arranging this, Angelo for hosting, and my fellow « Unilocalers» for the great conversation. It was a fantastic evening. Like I said, a totally healthy kick!

Best. Unilocal.Elite. Event. Yet.
This was a particularly fun and very well-​thought out event. Much preparation and time went into the owner’s planning for us Unilocal elites, and with much appreciation.
Sign in was a snap as were directions to the other half of the café. But wait, Ashkers Juice Bar in Elmwood Village is waaaay more than a café, in fact I had no idea what to expect at a juice bar event.
The tables were arranged to accommodate guests with Unilocal goodies like fingerless Unilocal gloves and hot red Unilocal sunglasses, for photo ops, in the center, and platters of chocolate chip scones all around. There was also a display of help yourself finger goodies, well marked as to ingredients and such fresh produce, they must have access to some magical garden!
Food included fruit platters, beautifully arranged, and salads, a huge green, one bean, cut veggies and herb dip, generously portioned sandwich wraps with interesting fillings, fair trade coffee, and fruit-​infused chilled water.
The evening was full of surprises, like live music, a raw veggie set up for us to line up, select veggies and then present them to the expert juicer who made liquid magic! Walking away with various colored cups of juiced veggies, we couldn’t help but ask each other, what’s in yours?
Under one roof is a great place for fresh and made to order breakfast and lunch items, a music school, a huge room that even has Monday evening Jam Nights, an holistic room dedicated to Dr Mark, a chiropractor who generously and tirelessly educated individuals about his in-​house practice. (And he’s a really nice guy!)
The owners mom surprised us by showing up on her birthday. Or did we surprise her? – with a huge rendition of happy birthday when she arrived. Did I mention live music? Lots of instruments and even more talent.
In another conference room was Zilly, educating all who cared about beating the sugar addiction, with printed hand-​outs and pumpkin pie samples, made with xylitol in place of cane sugar.
Elmwood Village has a gem in Ashkers. Angelo, one of the owners, addressed the attendees, letting us know all about his evolving business of art – obvious on the walls – with a curator for the revolving pieces, music, holistic and healthy living.
This was as good as it gets, kudos to a hugely successful evening and business.

Another great elite event! I loved the «make your own juice bar» idea, as it really let me control the outcome of my juice in terms of flavor and sugar content.
It was also great to see a mix of old and new faces and make some new Unilocal friends!
My favorite elite events are the ones that involve multiple outside businesses. This was unique as there were multiple providers inside one business (+ zilly) which was very cool (but I did miss the feeling of the neighborhood businesses coming together for one event).
I liked the trivia aspect and think it would be cool to more fully incorporate it in a future event. «Buffalo business trivia» sounds right up an elite’s alley :)
The music was great, not too loud and just jazzy enough. The location was good too-​a little crowded but not in a bad way. Cozy.
I had 1 thing I would have liked to see more of: hot food. I know, I know, elite events aren’t designed to feed me dinner… But let’s be real, on a blustery November evening, all a true Unilocaler wants is some good hot food! I feel like we get a much better idea of a place’s cooking identity when we get to eat something they actually cooked. Unilocal is for many things but when it comes down to it, it starts and ends with food!
All in all our cm Alex did another great job! Looking forward to seeing everyone again soon!

When a community comes out to support a business, that’s great. When a business supports a community, that’s amazing which is just what Asker’s has done. Not only is this a wonderful juice bar with a delicious menu but it also serves the community in many other ways. It’s an art venue, a music venue, a physical health venue, a conference center of sorts and putting it all together is a friendly, outgoing family. I attended an event there tonight and the outpouring of generosity on behalf of Angelo and his staff was top notch to say the least. Everything was absolutely delicious, fresh and plentiful.

Man, those ginger shots got me good…
I absolutely loved the spread of food and drinks. From fresh fruit to healthy wraps & make-​your-​own juice bar, I was blown away. The jazz band that played was the icing to my healthy cake. ;)
Thank you so much, Angelo & the staff of Ashkers, for having us. And thank you Alex for all the awesome event planning. It was phenomenal.

Ashker’s had always been beyond my ken. Neither restaurant nor bar, nor even café in the strictest sense of the word, I had no idea what to make of it. I knew it did serve juices and sandwiches along with other small refreshments. Around the grapevine, I heard that they offered massages and music lessons. I had no idea how to fit it into my life. Yesterday evening’s Unilocal event was Ashker’s 101 and displayed bite size portions of all of the establishment’s various competencies. It looks like whatever it does, it does it well. Frankly, I still don’t know what to make of it.
But huzzah, I found Ashker’s 101 well attended by many of my favorite Unilocalers, now the sole occupants of the north section of the establishment. Small bites were plentiful, as were a variety of beverages. I contented myself solely with desperately needed coffee. Seating again was in short supply, and as Unilocalers continued to arrive, the temperature in the room climbed and more and more people found themselves standing. We weren’t sardines. Call us M&M’s instead, with just enough space to rub some elbows while knocking others.
At a certain point in the evening, an emcee (whose official connection with Ashker’s I still quite can’t understand as he kept pimping the Pan-​American Grill and Brewery on Virginia) started a brief round of trivia for the purpose of allocating additional slots in the evening’s prize drawings. Many folks looked to enjoy themselves immensely, but I can’t help but wish that the activity had been a bit better integrated into the night, else absent entirely. The attention paid to the emcee dwarfed that paid to the owner’s earlier introduction, forcing the content of it from my admittedly not so sterling memory.
And then suddenly the year was 1982 and I a Cal Golden Bear. «The band is on the field! The band is on the field!» Rather, suddenly a band was playing and playing so brassily, so loudly as to end all efforts at conversation. Unilocalers started piling out. The rest of us resorted to shouting in each other’s ears. The band played well, I suppose. And by that time in the evening (7:30 or so), I am not sure whether they were playing for Unilocal Elites’ benefit alone. But so many other opportunities were suddenly stamped out. I do wish that their performance could have been thought out better in relation to the event.
Hats off to the folks at Unilocal and Ashker’s for the Ashker’s 101, for the opportunity to see anon so many fellow Unilocalers and help strengthen community ties just a bit.