UYE Unofficial ISC

What a fun UYE.
Gracious hosts Donna and Kemp were wonderful. So great finally getting to meet Donna in person and Kemp is just as great of a person.
There was plenty of wine to get the party started and keep it going.
Ruth cooked up a mean mediterranean meal.
Her watermelon concoction was sweet and amazingly refreshing.
The chicken schwarma and the beef kefta were two of my favs.
Of course the meal wouldn’t be complete without dessert.
That pear was to die for and that pastry was so savory.
Great job Ruth and safe travels.
The best part of the UYE was meeting many of the great reno Unilocalers.
Everyone was so nice and friendly.
Reno really does have a great community.
Until next time.

Better late than never, so here goes… This was a fabulous ‘unofficial’ ISC. Big thanks to Donna and Kemp for hosting. Their backyard was the perfect setting for a casual get-​together with fellow Unilocalers.
I feel honored to meet the chef for the night, Ruth. She has this amazing energy about her and she was open and curious and passionate. I’ll get to her cooking in a minute. I feel sad that this will be the first and last time (for a while) that I get to taste her food, but at the same time, I feel very fortunate that I even had the chance!
I was so excited about the menu, and if you know me, you know I don’t have much knowledge about food, but I am quite adventurous when it comes to it and this is another chance to embark on one.
The drinks and the food were wonderful. They were homemade, original, and very tasty indeed. My favorite was the chicken that were cut like calamari. Soooo good! And the dessert? Oh mercy. I completely lost all self-​control. But was happy to oblige.
My favorite thing about these ISCs or in most, if not all, of the other Unilocal events I’ve attended is this: I get to try/​taste something new. Tonight it’s the sambuca (with grapefruit juice, thank goodness for that). It looked pretty, but man, was it strong. I’m not woman enough for it. But I’m proud I almost finish half a paper cup.
Congrats on this successful event, Donna, Kemp, and fellow attendees, but most especially to Ruth. Bön voyage!

A big thank you to Donna and Kemp for hosting such a wonderful event and welcoming my family and I to join your fun and lively Reno group. It was great meeting everyone and bookmarking some «go to places» to check out the next time we’re in Reno.
Ruth– Big shout outs to you for a delicious meal. I enjoyed it all from my first bite of the watermelon feta salad to my last bite of the buttery, mouth watering baklava! You have such a gift and prepared such an amazing all around meal. We ate so much, we rolled outta there. Wishing you all the best of luck in Paris!
To all you Reno Unilocalers and family, thank you all for being so kind, warm and welcoming. We look forward to seeing you again soon! If you’re ever down the hill in Roseville/​Sacrament, hit Jeff and I up :)

I have to second Robert’s opinion on this one: it was nothing less than a five-​star event. For a backyard soirée, it couldn’t have been any better. A beautiful night, generous hosts (you too, Sheila!), a comfortable place to sit back and have great conversations, no corkage for whatever wine you wanted to bring, and, of course, wonderful food by a talented chef. That was the best $ 10 I’ve spent in a long time! Thank you so much, Donna and Kemp!

When someone takes the time…
When someone opens their home…
When someone does the dishes…
When someone cooks amazing food…
When someone makes it only $ 10…
There is nothing less than 5 stars for an event. Add to that, great friends and new people to meet, some great wines floating around and me being back in town I had a really wonderful night.
My favorite was the watermelon salad. Such a great balance of savory sweet light and rich.
Thank you Donna for putting this great event together and thank you Ruth for cooking such a wonderful meal. All that flavor all that fun. I can’t wait to have another event at Donnas! (wink wink)

What is not to love about an evening hanging with fellow Unilocalers in a gorgeous backyard eating delicious Israeli food. Thank you Donna and Kemp for opening your lovely home and incredible patio/​backyard for an awesome evening!
The food was all very good. I really enjoyed the watermelon salad appetizer. It was light, cool, and super refreshing. I also LOVED the tabbouleh. It was absolutely scrumptious.
Great evening, delicious food, incredible friends and lots of laughter. Thanks for a wonderful event Donna!

It is official — Donna S is Super Woman.
As always, the camaraderie and great conversations are what make these events so outstanding. Welcome to the California Unilocalers who joined us.
Ruth did an outstanding job of feeding the 20 some (??) people who were in attendance. I really liked the falafel, beef kefta, and all of the salads. The desert was amazing I forced myself to find room for it in my very full stomach.
Donna and Kemp’s back yard is the perfect venue for group gatherings. Water feature, fire pit, shaded patio, serving area and gorgeous lawn and garden.
Super fun! Super venue! Super food! Super company!

A huge thank you to everyone that came, especially those who came over the hill from Roseville– fabulous to finally get to meet you. And major kudos to Ruth G who prepared an fabulous Israeli spread for us to enjoy.
Ruth started us out with a red grapefruit cocktail that had a little «punch» to it. And a refreshing salad of watermelon, feta and fresh herbs. Then she filled the kitchen counter with huge bowls of lovin’- Israeli salad of tomatoes and cucumbers, tabouli, a mushroom and corn salad, shawarma, beef kefta, falafel, pita bread and hummus. There was enough for thirds if you had the room. Later in the evening she whipped up some dessert– individual baklava and pears soaked in wine with a Crème Anglese.
The patio was packed and it was great to see everyone mingle around. Several new faces and many good friends.
Reno has a great Unilocal community– I love you guys, you really get out and support each other at so many different events. Thanks for making this another great event.

August 14, 2015 Friday — 6 PM for dinner
Bunch of Unilocalers
Atmosphere — 5 stars
Food — 4 stars
Service — 4 stars
Background — Attending Donna’s second UYE for the week. Thanks Donna and Kemp for hosting this event at your lovely home.
Atmosphere — Donna and Kemp’s patio was the scene for another great Unilocal event, the Unofficial International Super Club. The night was beautiful and filled with amazing company.
Food
Drinks — I brought my own beer Sierra Nevada’s Oktoberfest. The Arak (Sambuka) and grapefruit punch looked good but I am not a fan of licorice.
Dinner — A lot of food was offered up and everything was so good. Items that stood out for me was the tabouli, chicken shawarma, and the falafel. The one item for me that I had to go back for was the beef Kefta.
Service — The food was served buffet style, which made seconds easy okay thirds easy.
Future — I can not wait for Donna to have another UISC.