Life’s a Beach Elite Event @ Eli Cannon’s

A note: as a new elite member and someone who can be shy in new bug groups, can we do some type of icebreaker or mixer to get people together? It’s tough to break into the cliques. I’d even volunteer to help!
I was really happy with this event. Eli Cannons is one of my favorite places on earth. I was a regular in the 90’s and then moved farther away and had a family.
Not much has changed on the inside and that’s a good thing. But the back patio is amazing!
As for the event, my favorite was the buffalo chicken wraps in puffed pastry!

I got to try the cupcakes at the latest Unilocal event. We had cheesecake cupcakes, which were good. There was frosting, a cheesecake filling, and graham cracker crumbs on the bottom. Overall, I thought they were a little dry for what they were, but they were very tasty! Not sure what the price point is for the cupcakes, since these were complimentary, but I think I would give them another shot!

It was great meeting other Unilocalers at another fun Unilocal event. A big thanks to Emily and the gang for coordinating another great night out!
I’ve never been to Eli Cannon’s and I’m glad that Unilocal has helped me discover another new place. It’s deceiving from the outside because it seems so small. When you walk in you enter into a dimly lit and narrow bar which opens into a slightly bigger dining room. If someone hadn’t told me there was a patio out back, I would have thought I was leaving the restaurant. Instead I found a patio that goes on… and on… and on. There’s even a boardwalk complete with sand!
The flyers reminded me of local punk shows from back in the day. Everything feels a little home made, almost like you’re at your friends house. I have to say it’s a great venue overall. While it’s true that not all the «beer-​lover» beers made the list of free ticket drinks, the regular beer menu was impressive and reasonably priced in my opinion. The food was a little odd, but interesting isn’t bad and it was fun to try. I didn’t eat anything I would order on my own, but I hear the burgers are good and it definitely feels like that kind of place. I would love to go back and just sip some beers outside with old friends. The patio is huge, but it’s sectioned off so if you bring a few friends you can still have your own semi-​private alcove.
The cupcakes were no great shakes, but not bad either. Full disclaimer: I had a cupcake from the sugar cupcake truck earlier that day. Maybe if I wasn’t full of outstanding cupcake I would have appreciated the Nora cupcakes more. Truthfully, my favorite cupcakes are probably cupcakes by melissa. I love how they serve a single perfect bite.
One suggestion that another Unilocaler had that I think is a great idea is having more activities – what about a foodie trivia tournament? or Unilocal trivia tournament? I think it would be a great ice breaker since most of us are just meeting each other for the first time.
Anyway, all in all it was another great event. Definitely glad I went and can’t wait for the next one!

Eli Cannon Pub really surprised me, in a good way! Since I’m from Manchester, I wasn’t sure exactly where Eli Cannon was located because I always seem to have bad luck with parking. I ended up on Rt 9 South, and took the first exit for Main Street, and my GPS said «You have arrived at your destination», so I slowed down and sure enough there was Eli Cannon’s Pub on the right, with six US Flags hanging and flowing through the wind, as well as tiny US Flags perched up from second floor windows. So I definitely give them a big thumbs up for cool décor out front!!!
But I had to deal with trying to find a parking space on Main Street, which seems to always be an issue with me in any town, so it’s just not Middletown. For some reason, even at 6:30pm on a week evening, there were a lot of police out on every corner, so I had no idea why they were just standing there.
Luckily, I found a parking space about three blocks down and walked back up Main Street to Eli Cannon’s Pub. When I got there, I was a little confused because they had two doors, or it appeared to be. I actually try to enter into the first door, and it was locked, what a fool I felt like, lol. Then of course, the second door opened up to a nice pub inside. I was greeted by their hostess, and she pointed to the rear of the bar to a door, and said go through it, turn right and up the stairs. Was a bit of a funhouse maze but I enjoyed it. Had to walk past a second outdoor hostess, to find our Unilocal Elite Party, and sure enough I found everyone way in the back off the nice boardwalk & beach sand! I really felt like I was at a beach, but no water??? I betcha ya, on the weekends, they have a kiddie pool they fill with water, and the girls come out in their bikinis??? Did anyone say Pool Party? lol.
Now check this out, LIfe’s A Beach Elite Event!
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Their appetizer menu read as following:
Buffalo Chicken & Bleu Cheese Puff Pastry withn Blue Point Fresh Hop Ale.
Spinach craisin & smoked gouda puff pastry with Eli’s 18^th Anniversary Ale.
Caribbean Steak Skewers with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Chipotte Hummus with BBC Coffeehouse Porter
Roasted Garlic Hummus with Widmer Brothers Shaddock IPA
Lemon Basil Couscous with Saranac Lemon Ginger Saison.
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My favorites were: Spinach Craisin & Smoked Gouda, because it tasted so sweet, later I learned they marrinated the craisins in Cherry Wine. hmmmmmm, so yummmy!!!
The couscous was interesting pellets of pasta, not bad for the first time in my life ever enjoying this mouthful of couscous.
The beef skewer was very mouth watering and I give it an extra star because the marinade they used was awesome and perfect???
The waitstaff worked hard, and I thought did a wonderful job. Just a note, please don’t forget to tip your bartender or waitress.
Though I never have been a big fan of hummus, I did enjoy spreading it on their fresh pita bread throughout the evening, was a nice addition!
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So, the bottom line is, Eli Cannon’s is the place to go especially summer time, since guests may utilize their extensive beach patio!!! AFter the sunsets, you will NOT wanna leave. such a cozy place!!! See you back there again!!!
Johnny

Two free pints? C’mon. 5 stars. And a fireball.

What a fun place for a summer evening! I had been to Eli Cannon’s before, but it was during the colder months, so I had no idea this «beach» even existed. It was a great event, and like the other Unilocalers mentioned, great food. We really enjoyed our time, and loved that the restaurant was sporting a classic California beer, Sierra Nevada. This was a great event — from the outside location to the photo booth to the awesome cupcakes — thanks!

The appetizers were great, although just for the event. I’m curious about the regular menu though since it seems some thought was put into preparing food for this event. Now first off I’m not a fan of domestic beer, and this is no reflection on Eli’s, but i wasn’t crazy about the beer selection. That being said they did offer a good selection for us to try. I ended up with the Eli’s (18 anniversary I think it was?) Ale and my girlfriend was enjoying the Winmer (spelling) When I was done with my drink tickets I switched to the imported stuff. The staff was open and personable, which made the evening more enjoyable. I like that Unilocal had the run of the back porch. All in all a great first event for me where I finally got to meet Emily (thank you btw!) and my online only friends Anthony P and Sandra C are now real life friends. Awesome.

FUN FUN FUN.
Beer, beef on a stick and… cupcakes. And a fun place to eat them, on an outdoor patio. This is my biggest Unilocal event in Hartford (of the 3 I’ve been to), and my fave thus far.
I had the Widmer Bros Shaddock IPA and BBC Coffeehaus Porter; both very tasty. Several other beers on the menu were tempting.
VERY pleasant surprise to find out the Unilocaler who nominated me in NYC, and who is now regional Unilocaler, Jane was in attendance. We shared some words and remembrances and thoughts about what’s in Hartford.
Well done Emily and crew; looking forward to see how you’ll outdo this!

TO ALL MY FRIENDS (ok, did you see Barfly? favorite movie.)
this event was awesome. beer is always good at eli’s. food was confusing. cupcakes were ok but not exciting.
the event was a great opportunity to be outside at a bar, there aren’t tons of good bars that you can sit outside with a large group of people and this makes eli’s awesome. we were lucky the weather was on our side, and we got to enjoy a nice evening under the stars (if you stayed late enough).
the beer choices werent super extensive, not the full beer menu. i had that lemon ginger beer and then the ipa. both were ok but not beers i will try again. i like to try new beers, and this was a good opportunity to try two new brews.
the food. hmmm. i didnt even know eli’s served puff pastry thingies, hummus or couscous. when i think eli’s i think fried pickles and jalapenos. jalapeño mac and cheese. nachos. you know, bar food. what we were served was decent food but it wasnt what i expected at all.
ok and now the cupcakes. i like cupcakes a lot and these were excellent for free but if i had paid $ 4 for these i would have expected more. the flavor is barely there. the texture was a little off (maybe they were beaten too long?). the car bomb cupcake had so little flavor i would go as far as calling it flavor-​neutral. but would they be better if the flavor was heavy handed and over the top? oozing with liquor? yah i think maybe in this case the more the merrier. we want liquor cupcakes. i was super stoked when NORA opened and have been a few times and I keep going back hoping to be wowed. I keep going back hoping to be wowed. I keep going back hoping to be wowed. (Einsteins definition of Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.)
I go to Eli’s on a somewhat regular basis, and I am glad to have this in the town i call home. Impeccable beer selection, inspired bar food, fun environment. This Unilocal event was a great chance to see more of Eli’s and share it with everyone.

Eli Cannon’s beach and cabana area were a great backdrop to a wonderful Unilocal Elite event. I brought a friend as my +1 and he had a great time, too. I met and chatted with some new people and my only wish is that I could have had more time to mingle with more people.
Thank you, Mother Nature, for the perfect summer night weather. Thank you, Emily and team, for setting up a lovely evening.
Eli’s is a pub. You go there for their outstanding selection of beers. They do pub grub: good basic food. ‘Nuf said. If you want 5 star cuisine, go to a high end restaurant and be ready to pull out your Platinum credit card.
I didn’t get to try everything on the menu (tristesse :(() but what I did try, I rated from a range of OK to OMG.
I LOVED the Saranac Lemon Ginger Saison just like Anne E. And the Eli Cannon’s 18^th anniversary was also good. I think I was in one of the last groups hanging out on the deck, I just didn’t want to leave, but the mosquitos attaching my ankles sealed the deal.
The staff were outstanding. They kept the food coming, the beers coming, and the lady who stacked the glasses past her head as she cleared tables: amazing. Heather, our server, was professional, polished and she remembered our orders. 5 stars for the staff.
FOOD Highlights: The beef skewers with coconut: could not get enough. I didn’t want to swallow it because I was enjoying chewing them so much. The spicy hummus with carrot sticks and pita triangles: yum.
The cupcake I had was OK. I didn’t have the Irish Car Bomb cupcake, so I will have to go back to NORA and try that. I like Fusion Bakery’s cupcakes (red velvet = OMG, they are located just across from ION restaurant, soon to move to a larger space next door to Cold Stone Creamery on Main Street).

Food — Between A-​OK & Yay! I’m a fan.
People — Woo HOO As good as it gets!
I love Eli Cannons at heart — I live in Middletown so this is my backyard, so I have to love one of the more rockin’ places in Lil’ M-​Town. *rant warning* And I know some people have said they did not feel that Eli’s food last night was representative of what it «really is» but honestly folks — the food at Eli’s isn’t that great to begin with! It’s the BEER that is amazing. Yes, I’m going to say it… I think people have really high expectations of Eli’s so they go there expecting food greatness. It’s just good. And «just good» is good enough for me. This is why I return to Eli’s…not because it’s a 5 star restaurant, but for the experience and to spend time with those I am there with. *rant over*
However– on the top of the things I actually like at Eli’s — I was delighted to see the hummus. Folks — us Lady Unilocalers have to watch our figures, especially when there is cupcakes to be had later… so I was glad that I could munch on celery and their tasty garlic hummus. I also really enjoyed the cous cous, but I only had one because it was really messy — and that one little cuplet was enough.
Also — I’m sorry Eli’s — you are one Unilocal event too late with your Spinach Puff Pastry… Le Petite France rules in my Puff Pastry opinion.
Beer — I LOVED that they paired the beer with the food items that they had. Much more rhyme and reason to it all — and I love the 18^th anniversary ale so that was the drink of the evening for me last night.
Cupcakes — again… people! NoRa’s cupcakes are not some «premier cupcakery with a show on the Food Network» but they are still pretty darn good — the fact that Middletown HAS a cupcakery is pretty awesome on it’s own. But the Irish Carbomb is the BEST cupcake they have — so let’s look on the bright side (yes yes, I’m going all Pollyanna on you now)!
People — You know who you are. You’re great. And Emily, you did a great job putting this whole shebang together (hello there was a blow up shark)! Let’s look back together and see how far we’ve come since that cold cold night at Peppercorns… Unilocal events are KICKIN’!

Thank you, Unilocal,for allowing us to have an event at a place that I love most… Eli Cannon’s! I never knew that Eli’s had an additional area, and that was cool to have a totally different feel than the inside. I know some people complained about it being too tight and feeling claustrophobic inside. And thanks to the wonderful weather that day, it got to feel beach typical with the wonderful breeze coming in.
Since i’m a newly promoted Unilocal Elitist, I was kind of nervous because I really didn’t know anyone. Thanks to Emily C., she got me to loosen up. Then I met Emily’s +1 and Unilocal staff member, Nick «the photographer,» Dan R. and his +1, Rolf and his +1, Anna E… and it was a wrap! I had so much fun! I had to grab one of the beer warmers. Those will come handy during the fall/​winter. It’s amazing how people from all across Connecticut met at this one location, all for the sake of Food, Drinks, and networking.
The puff pastries, cupcakes and brew were all so good. My fave was one of the puffed pastries that had chicken or fish in them? And the steak skewers were so good. I was overwhelmed with excitement that evening to remember the specifics. I had the car bomb cupcake, which they put a nice chocolate malt ball on top. I didn’t know the inside had cream cheese or fudge in it. I’d definitely like to check out Nora’s Cupcakes again.
I had a lot of fun, and I can’t wait for the next event!

This is a 3.5 star rating. Since I am generous, I am rounding up to a four star review. Or I really should say, Unilocal is very generous about always throwing a free party with two free drinks, free good appetizers, and FREE CUPCAKES! :) And… may I mention, mingling with awesome people!
As always, Unilocal does a sensational job throwing a par-​tay! I was pleasantly surprised about Eli Cannon’s outdoor seating, though I was initially skeptical about having a party in a dark pub. I liked the sanded area especially.
The food was a-​okay, but it’s probably because I have been spoiled with the food from Peppercorn Grill and La Petite France. The hummus was good, so was the couscous, but what bothered me was that there was no utensils. So I was pouring couscous down my mouth and I looked like a total idiot. The broccoli was a sketchy color. The pita bread was good. I’m not a big beer person, but the beer was good enough.
My criticism was Eli Cannon’s fault. They should have had utensils and a pitcher of water at the food table. I asked for water and my friend asked for a coke. It took them forever to get us our drinks, but I honestly think that they were understaffed. Also, they should have had a trash can because all the flies to coming to the abandoned plates.
The real star of the show was the cupcakes. I had a chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake and it was fabulous! I think that alone made my trip worth down to Middletown worth it!
Thanks again Unilocal for another grand time!

Hey, everybody! You remember me from such Unilocal!events as «Why Are you Drinking Moonshine on a Weeknight?» and «Who Let Josh Near the Open Wine Containers?»
I must say, when I first heard we were having a Unilocal!event at Eli Cannon’s, I was doubly excited because a) Eli Cannon’s is one of my absolute favorite places on the planet, and b) Emily didn’t make me drive 200 miles to this one.
I did have some concerns about how a place like Eli Cannon’s, which focuses on pub grub like pulled pork nachos (to die for) and burgers and the like would somehow transfer to a more appetizer-​focused presentation, and I must say, though it wasn’t perfect, they managed to do a pretty impressive job.
First of all, anybody who leaves out a seemingly endless supply of hummus is alright in my book. The chipotle hummus was pretty good and an interesting take on a classic treat.
The skewered steak strips were… whoa. Yeah, the real deal. You didn’t need a knife to tear them apart. Some complained about the difficulty of eating them, but I didn’t have a problem.
The stuffed pastries were pretty impressive (and also cooked in some kind of volcano which allowed them to maintain degrees in excess of the center of the Sun). Both the buffalo chicken and the spinach were quite good, though I can no longer feel my tongue. And who doesn’t like taking shots of couscous?
Lastly, there were the cupcakes. I am not what you’d call a cupcake aficianado and the culture of $ 4 cupcakes confuses me a little, but I must say, those little sugar bombs from NoRa were impressive. I didn’t have quite the religious experience which seem people seem to, but I must say, they were pretty good and I think I only got a tiny bit of diabetes.
So let’s talk about beer for a second. For once, scouring for people’s drink tickets didn’t seem to work because, lo and behold, everybody actually enjoys delicious beer. Huh. Who knew?
Though they had a limited selection (and a surprising lack of summer-​themed beers such as hefeweizens), each drink I had was delicious. I especially enjoyed the Widmer IPA, though the Blue Point IPA came in a close second. The coffee house porter (I forget who brewed it) was also good, though not really conducive to the summer theme.
The environment itself was quite good. I had no idea there were so many Unilocalers in the greater Middletown area. Nice to see such a huge crowd come out, though it’s daunting to attempt to meet (harass?) that many new people all at once.
Overall I thought the event, while not quite perfect (the two servers seemed generally overwhelmed), was an enjoyable respite from the normal weeknight boredom. Delicious beers, good company, a chance to make new friends, and some very good food.
What else is there?

Another very pleasant evening.
We had to park about 4 blocks away, and our first impression of the evening was that we must have seen half of the Middletown Police Dept on the street, just walking around and patrolling. Six thirty at night and there were tons of cops all over.
Anyway, we weren’t exactly sure what door to enter because there were three of them, sort of like «Let’s Make A Deal». We chose Door # 3 on the far right and walked into a packed dining room. We retreated and walked through Door #1 which was sort of a half bar and half dining room. It was as densely populated as parts of New Jersey. We found a server and said we were here for Unilocal. She pointed us to a sketchy looking door waaaay in the back and were told to go through the door and up the stairs. When we materialized from the top of the staircase we were on a new level of the restaurant, an outdoor level with lots of outdoor patio tables and (WTF?) sand on the ground? Was this the Jersey Shore?
Instead of J Woww and Snookie we eventually found Emily and Catherine and all of you crazy Unilocalers out there. The food supplied by Eli Cannon’s involved two kinds of hummus with pita bread and veggies, two kinds of puff pastry with either buffalo chicken or spinach, craisins and cheese, small ramekins of lemon basil couscous, and plates of Caribbean Steak Skewers. Six suggested beers were offered to pair with the foods.
The couscous were good, but they created a challenge for some of our participants who weren’t quite sure how to eat them in the absence of any utensils. Some tried to down them like a wee nip of Jamesons in a shot glass. Some tried to delicately tap the sides of the dish to dislodge the contents one cous at a time. Some tried to slurp them up like noodles in a bowl of Phở. Others ended up using it as a substitute for toenail polish…
The star of the meal was the Carribean Steak Skewers, tender flavorful with a dressing of grated coconut. They were outstanding.
I really liked the Saranac Lemon Ginger Beer– Summer in a glass…
A tower of NORA cupcakes had no sooner been assembled when it was attacked by the UnilocalERS in a scene that reminded me of the Walking Dead– «Must have cup cakes, must have cup cakes…»
In summary, have I had better food at a Unilocal event? Yes. Burtons set the bar pretty high this year.
But did I have a fabulous time last night? Most definitely yes! We have a pretty nice group of folks here under the Unilocal umbrella, and I really enjoyed spending some time with so many of you.
Ya gotta love Emily –thank you very much for putting all of the details together to orchestrate these events. I’m sure I speak for all of us– we really appreciate it.

I just went to Eli Cannon’s for my first time tonight for my first Unilocal Elite event and it will not be my last! The food was great, the people were great and I really enjoyed my night out! I got to meet some interesting folks and plan on going out with them to share more culinary delights!
The spinach craisin & smoked Gouda puff pastry was delicious! The Gouda had a great smokey flavor and some great character and the craisins introduced a great contrasting flavor. The Caribbean steak skewers, roasted garlic hummus, and lemon basic couscous were also all delicious. Despite not having utensils to eat the couscous, I was able to improvise and use a piece of celery.
I loved that they have an outdoor patio and an area that is like a beach with sand! The props for the ‘photo booth’ were fun and I also enjoyed taking some pictures.
The atmosphere is great and I can’t wait to come back here and introduce Eli Cannon’s to some friends!

I just returned from another fabulous Unilocal Elite event. These guys know how to throw a party. Nice work Emily, Jane, and Catherine! I had been to Eli Cannon’s a few times before and was happy to return since it had been over a year since my last visit.
It was a blast to mingle with old faces and meet some new (to me) Unilocalers. I enjoyed the hummus and pita, a piece of skewered steak, and halfsies-​ed an Irish Carbomb cupcake and a Chocolate Chip Cheesecake cupcake with our fabulous community manager Emily C. All was delish. Thanks Eli Cannon’s and NoRa Cupcake! The couscous was tough to eat without a spoon or fork (or spork) and I tried to kick it back like a shot but didn’t work so well. Instead, I dropped it on my foot and made a mess. As a matter of fact, I made a mess with the cupcakes too with frosting on my nose and down my arm. Can’t take me anywhere.
I LOVED the Saranac Lemon Ginger Saison. How perfect for summer! I also liked the Sierra Nevada too! Will be getting those beers again soon. At first I was not sure if two drink tickets would be enough, but it definitely was — at least for me. Was feeling it before I finished the second one so I put it down since I had to make the trek back to West Hartford alone.
I also adore my nifty new Unilocal sunglasses. Move over, Ray Ban aviators — you have just been replaced! Just the thing to go with my red Unilocal watch from the Burton’s event. Perfect for the sunny days I will be spending outside the next two months when I am not inside writing my dissertation. The beach theme was so much fun and the props for the pictures were sweet. It was great that this was outdoors on such a beautiful summer night!
Also, my Unilocal friends rock and I had always known that. What I didn’t know was how much we all had in common. One new Unilocal friend was taught Biology at Coventry High School by my brother-in-law’s dad. Another grew up in the same town as my boyfriend and her brother played Little League with him. Another lived in Maine also and share a love of Portland with me. Ahhh! So cool.
Wonderful time had by all tonight.