Elite Event: Crawfish & Cocktails @ e2 emeril’s eatery

Roll up them sleeves, say hi to your neighbor and get down like it’s your last meal. There is no wrong way to eat crawfish. No ifs ands or buts about it. Youz funna get dirrrty!
Events at E2 are part of the holy grail of Elite events. Management is amazing. Simply amazing. The only thing that might be better than their impeccable service is the amazing food.
Complimenting the bugs was the usual cache of great beers and wine. The only thing I enjoyed more was their special cocktail. Since I drank so many, the name escapes me — my apologies. I do however recall the flavors. Cucumber-​ish, salty, savory, umami, yum.

Nikki delivers again! This was an awesome event at e2.
I’d never been to a crawfish boil, yet alone eaten a crawfish. It was a night of firsts for me. Luckily my +1 was able to show me how to eat a crawfish, and with the liquid courage from the delicious Hook & Ladder wine, I cracked my way through plates of crawfish. I only wish there were more potatoes & corn to go along with them — they were super good as well.
I talked to the chef who was outside stirring the little guys and he told me that the crawfish fly fresh in daily from NoLa from his cousin’s place. Pretty cool.

Talk about a great event. I love a good crawfish boil. Nikki, Miki & e2, really did a great job with this event.
The service was fantastic. As soon as you walk in, they had servers with trays of wine, grasshoppers & coolers of beer with someone waiting to pop the top. They were constantly working the tables to remove the shells to allow for more. Miki was fantastic, very hospitable and conversed with the crowd all night. He made sure we all had a desire to return once we left.
I started with the white wine, but quickly traded that for a beer. It only seemed right since I was indulging in pounds of crawfish, potatoes, corn, sausage & mushrooms.
I will make sure I go back for this again and bring friend, they have it every Friday until the end of May.
Always a great time with the Unilocal crowd. i love meeting new Unilocalers at every event. The weather could not have been better for this event. I loved sitting outside at the community style tables and all the people crowded around the planters. It was too nice of an evening, not to be outside. So much fun! I loved the casual manor of seating and getting the food from the baskets. See you next Friday!

So, you know when you think a lot about your review. And you decide what to write. And then you were so efficient with your review in your head that you never put it on Unilocal… Gah. Anyway. This event at E2 was so much fun!!!
We arrived a little bit early and were greeted by Nikki and Tonya. So much fun Unilocal swag and excitement, the second we showed up! E2 is a really nice place too. I had a glass of the Hook & Ladder white wine, very good. My friends had the grasshopper, I’m not a gin fan. They loved it! The staff was really on top of things with bringing us water, and refilling drinks.
I have never had crawfish before, so I was pretty excited. New things are scary and wonderful all at the same time. Miki came over and taught us how to eat a crawfish properly. Very helpful. I had no idea where to begin. I thought the flavor was perfect, and once I got the hang of it — the whole thing was delicious. I need to work on my crawfish eating efficiency. I had the potatoes and the sausage too, spicy with a little bit of heat and so good.
The Mardi Gras theme was really fun. We played with the photo booth props and rocked the mustaches. Great event Nikki! So glad that I got to go, and bring a plus 1! E2 does a crawfish boil through May, so I’ll probably be back for that. You can check up on my crawfish efficiency with that review.

I just want to verbally gush for a minute… Everything was so incredible. The venue, the food, the service, the Unilocalers, the weather?! Jeez… Let me tell ya… Nikki is the best. Every part of this event was so well planned and executed. She even got the weather to cooperate! 77 and sunny, chilling on a beautiful patio with a cocktail in my hand. Man, life is good.
This was my first time at e2 and it certainly will not be my last. I really liked the layout of the restaurant. I absolutely loved the open kitchen and chef’s bar seating. We had the bar area and patio to ourselves for the evening. We found ourselves a spot on the patio and enjoyed the lovely evening. Chef Mike, a Louisiana native, chatted us up and shared a ton on knowledge with us about crawfish. What tasty little critters!
The crawfish boil was a fun experience. I’m looking forward to going back to e2 on a Friday evening for another one. Only $ 15 AYCE and they have drink specials.
Guys, let me tell you something else… ok, ready? Emeril’s Banana Cream Pie… BAM! So freaking good. Elites, use that awesome $ 25 gift card to get yourself some on your next visit.
Huge, ginormous, gargantuan props go out to everyone that made this event possible. Miki, Chef Mike, and all the servers, you guys are amazing. Nikki… I love ya girl! You just keep killing it! Can’t wait to see what else is in the works.

Got there early enough to talk to the «chef» from New Orleans, get introduced to the tasty and unique e2 signature Grasshopper drink, park ourselves at the large outdoor table next to the cookers, and proceed to chow down on fresh from the pot Crawfish, Corn, Potatoes, Mushroom & Sausage. Topped it off with a glass of red wine, which was kindly refilled regularly, and enjoyed friendly conversations with fellow Unilocalers. What’s not to love? Thanks Nikki, Unilocal,e2 and everyone involved. It was a lovely evening.

Well I meant to get out to this event last year but due to the ol schedule conflicts I just couldn’t make it happen. And damn I missed out. Luckily I was able to get a round two in of such a well put together event here at Emerils e2.
First off, can’t beat the spread. Pure Nawlins dude. The crawfish and corresponding seasoning was absolutely spot on. Very tasty. Not to mention the remaining sides– potatoes, corn, etc. were equally seasoned to perfection. To wash things down, I was also impressed with their drink– the Grasshopper. Not a big fan of martini-​like drinks myself so I was a little skeptical how I’d fair at first. But turns out it was crisp, and a very well-​balanced proportion of alcohol to mixer. Glad I tried it!
Great to see Big Boss at this event too. Although I was a fan of the e2 cocktail, I probably couldn’t drink that sweet of a drink all night long. It was hard to go out of my comfort zone of their Bad Penny and IPA but I did venture over to a sweeter beer too at one point. Not too bad either.
The staff and those who helped put this event together, especially our Nikki, ace job. Thoroughly enjoyed the time there meeting a few new people as well as all the impeccable service. A big thanks also for the coupon on a future visit at e2.
Glad to hear the donations were sizeable too! Always good to hear!

FOOD: Experts and novices alike gathered at e2 Emeril’s Eatery for a good ol’ crawfish boil. Being a novice myself, it took a little bit of trial and error to find a way to maximize my crawfish yield. However, with a little guidance from others, I abandoned the «sunflower seed method» (pop the head, chew the rest, and spit it out) and eventually partook of the crawfish like a civilized person. So good. Dude, I’ve been missing out all these years.
SERVICE: Minimal interaction this time around, but e2 has solid, consistent service. Servers with Grasshoppers could have come by more often though. It’s okay — how were they to know that I’m all about fitness and health? Drinkin’ ‘em for the cucumber and wheat grass…
AMBIANCE: When you’re sitting outside, having good conversations, and enjoying good food and drinks, life is beautiful. It rained for a couple of days prior so it was that much better to savor the SoCal weather (78 degrees) here. There isn’t much of a view from e2’s outside area because it’s slightly off of Tryon and there’s not much foot traffic — who cares. If you’re busy looking around, crawfish will be swiped off your plate. Yeah, on a warm Friday early evening, you can find me at e2 — seated outside, with a beer in one hand, and YOUR crawfishies in another.
With all the moving pieces at this event — outside & inside seating, photo shoot shenanigans, crawfish & cocktails, check-​in, etc. — Nikki stood tall (so tall!) and delivered another memorable Unilocal event. Goooood job.
P. S. I got some Mardi Gras beads, yo. Found out LATER that you didn’t have to show any skin… So, apologies to the unfortunate: I wish there was a way for you to «un”-see my pale, scrawny (yet intriguingly sexy) Korean legs.
dmo out

Definitely one of the top Unilocal Elite events. I had so much fun at E2s with my friends and my husband. We were greeted by Nikki at the door, while she was looking glamorous and Tonya was capturing the moment. We were greeted by Dillon at the door offered us a glass of wine (but suggested we hold out for the Grasshopper). I decided to take my chances on the gin cocktail but was worried about the mix of ingredients, jalapeño, wheat grass, cucumber water… but oh my was my initial thoughts wrong! It was so good!
We made sure to grab a seat among all of the action. We sat right next to the goodies for the «photo booth» and started to go to town. I picked out the sunglasses and flower and my friends and husband followed suit. Tonya was on it and snapped a couple of pictures. They are awesome.
When the food was ready I was very apprehensive about the crawfish. They have eyes, not sure how I feel about your food checking you out. I did try the meat and it reminded me of lobster, also the accouterments were good. Miki was gracious enough to come over and show us how to get the meat out of the crawfish, and which parts «had all of the flavor». Definitely «that’s what she said» moments from this demonstration.
We had a couple more drinks, food, and then got our hands on the mustaches. See the photos if you want a visual. There are plenty.
We had a great time Nikki, job well done and smiles all around!

I had the opportunity to be a guest at the Crawfish & Cocktails event at e2 emeril’s eatery last night. As a proud Johnson & Wales alum, I had been meaning to try e2 for quite some time and was super excited when I got the invite. The weather could not have been any better for a crawfish boil (especially when I woke up this morning to the rainy humid day we’re having today). I had never had crawfish, but what better way to give it a try?
The featured drink for the evening was e2’s Grasshopper and I think it’s safe to say that it’s one of my favorite drinks. Not my favorite that I’ve had recently, but quite possibly one of my favorite drinks ever. Made with Hendrick’s Gin, cucumber water, lemon juice, jalapeño, simple syrup and wheatgrass, it’s light and refreshing with just a dash of sweet. I could sit on a porch on a day like yesterday and sip on one (or two) all afternoon.
I also tried the Bacon and Maple — bacon infused Knob Creek, maple syrup, lemon juice, egg white and bitters.
I’ve rationalized that both cocktails are healthy and the perfect start to any day since they include things like cucumber water, wheatgrass, egg whites and lemon juice… and bacon. No?
The atmosphere in e2 was great and the large windows that opened up to the patio made for the perfect setting for the boil. The staff was exceptional and very attentive.
I sneaked a bite of a friend’s dinner that she had post event and although I can’t recall exactly what delightful ingredients made up the dish (it was a special) it definitely solidified that I would be back for more.
Well done, e2 and Nikki Wolfe.

An evening at e2 with the Unilocal Elite crew! I was fortunate enough to be invited as a plus one tag along. I felt special hanging with the elite crew.
e2 welcomed the gang with a southern style crawfish broil complete with corn on the cob, potatoes, sausage, mushrooms and of course crawfish. The supply seemed endless! A little messy but what would you expect with crawfish, right? Well, I know that now! Having never eaten crawfish before, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself in to. Oh well, all is good. Usually the messier the better when it comes to food anyhow!
The service provided by the e2 staff was incredible. They were super friendly and quick to replace empty glasses/​bottles with full ones. Elites and guests were provided with a choice of two bottled beers, a white wine, a red wine, or a grasshopper cocktail. I made my way through some of each and was happy with all of the above.
The Unilocalers gathered in the bar area and spilled out to the open patio. The weather couldn’t have been better! The pots of crawfish hummed as the flames blasted beneath them amongst the chatter of people catching up and discussing upcoming events. Unilocal flare was there in full force so there was no way you could mistake the event for anything other than what it was. Beads adorned the necks of those so inclined to honor the Mardi Gras theme.
The e2 atmosphere is welcoming and modern. It’s certainly a place I would return to beyond the event and I’m looking forward to doing just that! A big thanks to e2 and the Elite crew! I hope to do it all again soon!

What a beautiful night to enjoy a couple of incredible Grasshopper cocktails on the patio! These little Gin-​beauties are super refreshing and will most likely be consumed again sometime in the near future.
I have never attended a crawfish boil so I was new to the whole pull the tail –suck the head routine. While I never got as adventurous as to bring myself to consume the head portion, I did have the tail down pat by the time I left. I am not sure I would order this myself but it definitely made for an experience!
Service was excellent and overall it made for a fun little-​happy hour (or two)! I also think it’s great that the events lately have contributed to charity (Second Harvest in this instance) — Thanks for all who were involved in putting this together :) (Nikki, E2, Tonya P, Hendricks, Big Boss, Hook & Ladder etc.).

Nikki did a fantastic job putting this Elite event together that also benefited a charity. The warm weather was perfect for a NOLA crawfish feast. At first, I was a little intimidated when she posted the event because I never had crawfish. Thanks to youtube and a few fellow crawfish newbs at my table I am now a semi-​pro :) The crawfish were seasoned well along with a few veggie chunks (corn, potato, and mushrooms) and sausage bits. Service was on point. There was plenty of crawfish and drinks to go around the entire evening. I could’ve eaten until the restaurant closed but had a server stop me mid way through my 3^rd round asking if I was done eating. Clearly I wasn’t since I had a little guy in my hand but I took it as a sign my food guardians were watching (I’m slightly allergic to shellfish).
Always a treat to mingle with fellow Unilocalers and to try out what great places like e2 have to offer. Thank you so much Nikki!

I have two reasons why I will always accept an invite to a Crawfish Boil and a Pig Pickin’. First, you can never have a bad time at either. Second, if you do have a bad time, the problem is you.
So, I go to have a good time and check in to make sure I don’t have any severe problems. Win, win. Unless I have a bad time. Then I have two issues.
Well, I am thankful to report that I had an awesome time at the e2 Crawfish Boil so I don’t have any major life problems that need to be addressed. Whew!
The food was delicious and plentiful. After having a pretty good go at a plate of crawfish with some corn and seasoned mushrooms, my guest and I decided to sit on the patio on a gorgeous evening. One (or more) of three things will always happen at a Crawfish Boil or Pig Pickin’. Beers will be consumed, life will be discused, and a yard game like corn hole, volley ball, football, frisbee, etc. will be played. On this night beers were consumed thanks to Big Boss and life was discussed. I would have loved to block of Levine Ave for some touch football or corn hole. Next time.
As the evening wore on, e2 dumped a fresh pile of crawfish into the basket on our table. Previously thinking we were content, my guest and I took one look at the red delights and went inside to grab a fresh plate.
Another great Unilocal Elite event. Thankful for the community and beautiful Southern Spring evenings that tied this event together.

Hooray for crawfish and the hundreds of them that sacrificed themselves so we can have a good time at E2. I can officially say I have eaten crawfish now! I do admit, I was a little intimidated when I walked up for my first plate, but after you got your hands dirrrtayyy it was good eats all the way.
Props to our hosts and sponsors for the night. E2 provided a beautiful space and dedicated their outdoor patio just for us! The weather was gorgeous, but my table was inside (strategically placed right near the food!!) The signature cocktail: the grasshopper was definitely excellent and refreshing… and also crept up on my unexpectedly since you can’t really taste how strong they are.
Hopefully the trips to the car for Nikki W. weren’t too great. I saw a ton of donations for the 2^nd Harvest Food Bank being donated. And because #charityissexy, I tried to out-​do myself on the canned goods… hopefully they stayed in the bag and didn’t get too heavy!
Servers and wait staff definitely kept our drinks refilled and ensured a great evening of fun… Mardi Gras beads and Unilocalers. Good to see everyone out and about.
Props to Tonya (as always) for all the cool photos of us stuffing our faces with «mini lobsters», corn on the cob, and potatoes. Another fun and great event for Charlotte Elites thanks to our wonderful CM. Nikki!

What a great time. I don’t know that I’ve been to an elite event quite like this one, where one single food was the main focus. Crayfish, crawfish, crawdad, baby lobster, whatever you wanna call em’, I just call em’ good eats.
Me and my +1 decided to walk from her place since it was such a nice day out. With a big olé’ bag of canned goods in hand, we strolled through the streets of Charlotte. We may have strolled a little too slowly as it looked like everyone had already found their seats by the time we got there. Piles of crawfish indoors and out, multiple beer stations, and servers serving up wine and cocktails. I’m not that much of a liquor drinker these days, so I just stuck with the Big Boss beer (High Roller IPA, I think?) which complemented these little lobsters quite well.
The seating was a little limited but we made a spot on the patio that worked well and it let us have some talk time with the Chefs. The weather was perfect, no need to sit inside anyhow. The corn was pretty well picked over at that point, but I did get a bite a little later on. The potatoes were great, as good as a boiled potato could be, not overdone, and seasoned to perfection. I didn’t get to try the sausage but the mushrooms were a nice touch as well. The main event though, those little lobsters, were absolutely wonderful. Its not a whole lot of meat per bug, but the shear amount of them makes up for that. It took me a little while to get the hang of it and get all the meat out quickly and efficiently, but once I did. It was just luscious little bits of goodness, one ofter another. Perfectly cooked and properly seasoned. Just piles up them, up for grabs.
Put all that together with such a great crowd of elites, plus our lovely community manager, and I’d say that this one went over perfectly. Glad I could be a part of it!

Crawfish. Crayfish. Crawdads. Mudbugs. Who cares what you call them, just make sure you pop those tails, suck the heads and eat ‘em up. Suck the heads and eat the tails if you feel adventurous.
I’m not sure if McDimpletons ordered up this amazing weather for the evening, but it was just about perfect, regardless of whether you wanted to sit inside or out on the patio. We chose the inside, for no particular reason other than we wanted to dig into our food rather than find a place to sit while it cooled off.
As we sat, one thing was apparent — there was a whole lot of boiling going on outside — or somewhere — because they kept deliveries coming to keep that basket full. I think I had at least two plates, and could have had plenty more. I didn’t notice anyone go hungry, whether eating tails, sucking heads, or even just keeping to the veggies.
While like many others, I’m not typically a fan of gin, I did have to sample one of those grasshoppers, and it was rather tasty. I could have done without the wheatgrass, simply because it was an odd textural difference, but not a big deal, especially as I was sucking mudbug heads with who knows what in them.
Whatever the case, kudos to E2 and their amazing staff for another great event, and to our leader for putting it together!

Wonderful~
At e2, for a limited time only, 1 and half months guys — every Friday, this eatery will carry Cajun crawfish for $ 15 per person — unlimited. You are welcome!
The Unilocal Event was awesome. My husband’s and my plus ones were super excited that they came. They got to try how crawfish tasted like and enjoyed the warm-​cool weather outside of the patio. They served refreshing grasshopper cocktails. The beer vendors were friendly, the VP of e2 was a gracious, and all around great atmosphere. We will definitely be back on a Friday for some all-​you-​can-​eat crawfish. I’ll just have to bring my Belle’s homemade dipping sauce, (mayo, lemon juice, and red cajun seasoning) the next time I come in.
Sure your hands smell of crazy seafood smell. But nothing but a good lemon juice to squeeze and rub between your fingers and hands will help deodorize the smell.
Thank you Nikki for hosting a great event, very enjoyable, and good food!

First off what a great event! This was actually my first event this year and I was so excited to get in. I am a big foodie so now I have another celebrity chef restaurant under my belt.
I brought Hollie my wing woman (recently divorced from my common law marriage lol) and we were early. We were immediately greeted and made to feel welcome. Shortly came the grasshopper. Man, that was one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had. Hollie loved those too. Gin, cucumber water, and jalapeño. It’s not something I would normally order so I am really glad I tried it, it was very refreshing with the cucumber and jalapeño leaving a hint of spice at the end.
Then came the briol! Crawfish, corn, mushrooms, potato, and sausage. Me and Hollie waited a bit to let the line die down and by the time we were looking for a seat, they were all gone. Niki actually set is up on the bench, it wasn’t really a table but she hooked it up. We had the best seat in the house. We got special interaction with the chef! Ooh la la! And the staff. Every time something new was cooked (we got first pick) oh and the staff is amazing. Servers are awesome and so is the manager!
How was the food? Amazing! I am so going back to try a few meals. I can’t wait and can’t wait for the next event. What a wonderful evening at e2. I love a place that makes you feel at home.
What an awesome event! I had the best time and can’t wait for more!

Wow… Another great event from our super cool CM Nikki… Loved it!!!
So, after we checked in, Dillon came over to see if we wanted a beverage. I took a white wine, and he tried to get everyone to try the Grasshopper cocktail… But as soon as I heard it was made with gin, I said no thanks I hate gin. But Dillon insisted that I try it… And I am SO glad he did — this is a delicious beverage!
Micki is the genius who came up with it and I am so impressed!!! It did NOT taste like a juniper tree — this concoction was made of gin w/​a twist of cucumber water, jalapeño simple syrup, lime juice, and wheat-​grass. The flavors blended so perfectly even though I would have never put them together… yum!!! The service throughout the evening was impeccable and I love the restaurant!
I loved all the Mardi Gras beads since I missed actual MG this year. I must admit however that I am not a huge fan of crawfish, but they were well seasoned as was the corn, potatoes & mushrooms. I also got to taste their ricotta cheesecake (thanks Denise & Chad) and it was delish… Served with some sort of fruit purée (perhaps raspberry?) and chopped pistaschios & grilled pears. This is not NY cheesecake but it was yummo!!!
And, as always, it was so good to see all the Unilocal Elites and their +1s, our super fun photographer Tonya/​Poprock Photography, & many thanks to Hook & Ladder, Big Boss, and Hendrick’s for our wine, beer, & gin!
Thanks e2 for all your hospitality — I will definitely be back & look forward to enjoying another of those yummy cocktails!!! :-)
Thank you again Nikki for putting together such a cool event!!!