Yelpy Awards 2014

I know this is super late… I forgot to submit it… oops! Anyway, better late than never!?!
Congratulations to Cara for putting on yet another successful Unilocal Elite event. The 1^st Unilocal Awards at the Horseshoe Casino– what a clever idea! I brought my boyfriend as my date to this special event. From the moment we arrived at valet (which was free– awesome!) we were treated like movie stars. After valet we were greeted by Unilocal staff, given a Unilocal event wristband and kindly guided to the event. It was a little bit of a walk from the valet to the banquet room, but all along the way there were Horseshoe staff guiding us with Unilocal signs.
Once we arrived to the banquet room, there was a bit of a line to get checked in and get your free swag (sunglasses and bottle openers) and your free drink ticket. The line moved fairly quick, but as soon as you walked the actual red carpet into the room, we happened upon a very long drink line and a small app table. Since the line was so long and didn’t seem to be moving too quickly, we decided to grab some food and find a seat. Every seat had a nice Horsehoe bag and souvenir glass.
As soon as we sat down, Jeff, our server greeted us and offered to get us drinks (non alcoholic). So we were content in waiting for alcohol. Shortly after sitting down the buffet opened up… This was also the perfect chance to go get our alcoholic beverage.
The buffet was huge, we walk through it to see what they had to offer before filling our plates. It went on forever and ever. They had all kinds of choices, Italian –pastas and pizza; Asian — beef and asparagus, spring rolls; American– chicken and potatoes, a carving station and tons of choices for desserts… it really just went on and on and on. I tried to try a little of everything, but just so much food. The food wasn’t exactly the best, but it wasn’t too bad for a buffet (and free). After dinner our servers brought each guest a plate of about 4 different tiny desserts, this was on top of all the dessert choices at the buffet.
Now was time for the excitement… Will I get an award or not? In the end, no award for me, but still so much fun to see all those that did win. Plus it was so much fun to get all dressed up as well as to see everyone else all dressed up.
A great party and a great venue. I can only hope to be an elite next year and be a part of the 2^nd annual awards ceremony. Now… how to win an award… Hmmmm!?!

Alright, fine, I’ll admit it. I didn’t wanna come to this event. I’m not exactly what you’d call an outwardly social individual and things like this normally don’t ring my bell. Why? Because they’re typically full of shit that I hate like small talk and schmoozing and shaking hands. Here comes the but… but I gotta tell ya, Cara kicked some serious ass on this event and blew my expectations outta the water. What better way to have my Unilocal event cherry popped, I ask you, than at a casino with showgirls and an awards show?
From the moment we arrived at the Horseshoe Casino I had a feeling that this wasn’t just some cheesy social media-​sponsored gathering, it was damn classy. The valet — complementary, btw — was friendly, the strategically placed Unilocal sign holders/​guides were friendly, the greeters that lined the halls all the way to the buffet area were smiling, it just didn’t stop. And it wasn’t that «hi, I really want to punch you and I hate my job more than death» fake friendliness, these people seemed genuinely happy to see us. Sure, they could be really good actors, but I’ll suspend disbelief for just a sec and choose to believe the former.
We meandered the casino for a bit, gently guided by Unilocal helpers along the way, and finally made our way down to the buffet/​banquet area that was set aside just for us. Sure, we got there a bit early and had to wait around a bit before we could check in, but no worries. It gave me a chance to look really hot in my suit that I hadn’t worn since my last job interview. Once we get checked in we walked down a little hallway where, at the end, a backdrop clearly designed for a photo shoot, was set up. Cara was cool enough to take our picture even though they weren’t supposed to do it until after the ceremony.
Now here’s the only thing I could possibly complain about — the line to get drinks. As soon as you entered the main dining area the line for drinks stretched all the way to the entrance and it was s-​l-​o-​w. Never mind that the poor bartender was on his own, or that he wasn’t properly supplied with mixers or pop, it was a bit of a fiasco. We ended up standing in that line for about 15 minutes before we took our seats. Not a huge deal, just a small hiccup in an otherwise flawless event.
Holy shit, there are quite a few Cleveland Elites! Having never been to a Unilocal event before I had no idea what to expect. This event was packed. Everyone was in their finest, mingling, smiling, drinking, clearly having a great time. Against my better judgement I even found myself smiling several time throughout the evening. I even enjoyed the company of our tablemates TeeJay B. and her plus one.
The food was out of this world. I had no idea that we’d have access to what is quite possibly one of the state’s greatest casino buffets. This thing is massive, about as long as a football field and crammed with what seemed like every possible cuisine imaginable. We opted for dessert first and then proceeded to jam our gullets with the likes of pizza, fried chicken, prime rib, pot roast, potatoes, pirogi, gnocchi, and then, more dessert. It felt a bit like Thanksgiving and the accompanying meat sweats sealed the deal. I also rediscovered that I do indeed truly detest asparagus. I just had to make sure.
The awards were fantastic, and I’m not just saying that because I was lucky enough to have won one of them. It’s clear that Unilocal Elites are a close-​knit group that share a real passion for Unilocaling. The heartfelt comments that Cara shared before presenting each award made the point even clearer. I’m proud — and humbled — to be among these people. I sincerely congratulate each and every one of the winners and thank those that nominated me in the process. It was both strange and wonderful to have people that knew me just from reading my reviews.
So there it is. I had a good time, is that what you wanted to hear? I’ll admit it, I smiled a lot, I laughed more than I thought I would, and I actually went out of my way to introduce myself to several other Unilocalers. It was nice to put an actual face to that tiny little picture. Don’t get me wrong, I doubt I’ll become a regular at every Unilocal event from now on, but I can tell you this. You’ll probably see me around just a bit more. Cheers to my fellow Unilocal Elites, to Cara for freaking my mind and making me want more, and to the casino for making sure that everything went smoothly.

So, I wasn’t really sure what to expect at this Unilocal event (other than greatness, obviously). I knew there was some fun and food to be involved, but damn! Unilocal knows how to throw a party!
I really felt like an A-​lister from the moment I arrived til the moment I left. Helpful Horseshoe and Unilocal team alike greeted us and directed us where to go. Arrived at the red carpet with a photo opt to boot. Sat at our table and received our tote bag and wine glass to commemorate the night. Then had a delicious array of food at The Spread Buffet (I had never been there before but WILL be going back), a complimentary glass of Cabernet, and finished with delectable desserts