A Pizza The ‘80s Elite Event @ Pie Hole

Again, I am late with a review. I wanted to thank everyone I met it was nice to see familiar faces. i would like to thank the Pie Hole for their generosity on making Unilocalers feel welcome!

This event proved that Salt Lake City really was built on rock n roll. It was a rad time eating delicious thin crust pizza pie and drinking cheap beer & the occasional fuzzy navel.
Once you got past the difficulties parking your IROC or Lambo Countach it was all easy going from there. It was killer time brushing elbows with the other elite SLC Unilocalerati. We dined on cupcakes and pizzas in excess that only the 1980’s could appreciate. There was no question about Who’s the Boss, Unilocal was the Boss.
The stylist gave us all tubular hairdo’s that were so out of this world, even Alf could appreciate them. And while we didn’t figure out who shot JR, we did figure out that partying at Pie Hole is about as much fun as you can have in Salt Lake on any given Wednesday night.
Cheers to Jeffery for putting on such a killer event!

Great crowd and great pizza.
The evening started off with circling the block a few times to find an empty spot, but eventually I managed to slip into one. Seems with all the new restaurants in the area that parking is getting more and more scarce. Hopefully the area merchants will get together and come up with a good plan on validating for more of the garages.
Anyhow, I wandered into the Pie Hole and was immediately impressed with the towering sculpture of PBR cans. You have to love a place that can make an immediate statement of FUN.
The pizza itself was very tasty and definitely unique. The «Potato Bacon» pie is a must try (though I’d recommend a slice only, would be a bit overpowering from there). Overall, the pizza was definitely some of the best I’ve had in Salt Lake. I’m not a big thin crust fan, so I had to go to 4 stars, but other than that just great.
The even itself was fun. The DJ was awesome (never thought I’d be able to use my love of 80’s TV themes so much in one night) and Mallory was great at getting the crowd to pose for pics. Still wondering if they hadn’t coordinated for a Family Ties theme between the DJ’s Marty McFly outfit and Mallory’s name…
To top of the evening (or to start depending on your choice), Heavenly Cupcakes were a nice treat. They were tasty, although the one I had was a bit dry after sitting out for awhile in the hot restaurant.
A great first experience at a Unilocal event though.

I wasn’t so lucky with the parking sitch. I had to drive around many many times, hoping to find that blessed spot that just happened to open up. No such luck, so we parked far away and walked it.
I was wearing 5 inch metallic heels and the walking was slow-​going. A group of youngins behind us (who I am almost positive were snickering under their breath about our getups) started pushing past us. Since it was so important to them to go around us, I moved to the side and let them in front of us just as we reached the Pie Hole doors. «Awwww, it’s CLOSED!», the girl exclaimed. Now it was my turn to push past her and open the door. One of the guys told me, «Um, it’s closed for a private party, you can’t go in» and I turned and smiled and said, «We’re invited». Ahh, to be Elite.
Awesome party, great pizza and fabulous drinks. I loved the food and can’t wait to go back. I grabbed a menu on the way out and their prices are great! Slices are super cheap and they have $ 1 PBR every day.
The hairstylist did a great job replicating hairstyles from the 80s and I got excited when they busted out the crimper. I had a pink one when I was a kid. The free hand lotion they gave us was great, too.
I had so much fun and it was great seeing everyone again so soon after the last event. I hope there are many more to come.
Thanks Jeffrey, you really outdid yourself this time.

Our story begins in a small Ukrainian village (then the USSR) circa 1982. A young goat herder named Pavel Podscratch had but one dream. One day he would leave his family goat farm, move to the USA, and become a roadie for Chicago.
Fast forward your VCR’s to 1986. Pavel had defected to the US aboard Yakov Smirnoff’s tour wagon, only to find that Peter Cetera had left his beloved Chicago to pursue a solo career. He found solace in the only thing he could. Cocaine. Flake. Snow. Peruvian Lady.
The more he scored, the more he wanted, eventually squandering his dreams to support his habit. The last anyone ever heard of Pavel was when, in a foggy haze, he stumbled out of the mall where he worked, and into the night sky.
Fast forward to 2011. Replace Pavel with another wide eyed lad, about to meet his undoing in another form. His drug of choice, the Elite event. Sure, he’d been to a few Unilocal events, but not like this. This was different. A bar, a DJ, costumes and 80’s hair abound. He met people he’d only seen online. He reconnected with others he had dined with previously. The pizza flowed like Ramblin’ root beer. Ms. Pac-​Man eyed him suggestively from the back room. He had finally made it!
He just had to have more. He begged his pusher-​man Jeffrey, «Please just one more man. I’m good for it! I’ll do ANYTHING!» But it wasn’t to be. Like so many stories before, our lad walked out onto State St, and into the cool spring air, his dreams crushed, clutching his Unilocal bandanna he got for checking in… the only remnant of what almost was.

This was a very fun crowded event in downtown SLC area. The Pie Hole pizza and Heavenly cupcakes were OK overall. It is nice to know that after 1800 hours you can park on the street for free, but the parking garage charges you five dollars to park :(The bar tender and photographer were really cool to talk to. It is always good to meet new food loving friends and keep up with existing friends.
First Pie Hole pizza has some great toppings and good pizza for the most part on top, but the crust is a disappointment. I like a little bit more crust under the pizza, but it is decent for a NY style pie. Trying every type of pizza they offered will make you very full. The Thai chicken, pepperoni pizzas, meatball, veggie, and pies with bacon all were really good and would buy if I ever go back. Staff at the Pie Hole are great and very friendly. Overall the Pie Hole is about a 3 star place with decent prices. Parking is almost non existent at the location though.
Heavenly cupcakes are a unique concept in that they deliver to you and orders are done on the phone and online. Overall for flavor for the one I had I give it a 2 with presentation and uniqueness about a 3. Wish the cupcakes were a little moister so a 3 for them. Very nice owners that were good to talk to.
As an event overall I give it a 3.5 stars so a 4. It is nice to see how each event turns out. Hope for a continuation of great Elite events. I cannot wait to see how some of the pictures turned out. If I had longer hair the stylists would have been fun.

Well I did it… I pulled out my 80’s outfit and took the embarrassing half-​block walk to the Pie Hole event. Totally humiliated until I entered the 80’s extravaganza!!! Whoo hoo fellow Unilocaler’s, you rock! I no longer felt alone.
Jeffrey did a fantastic job with this event! The cupcakes were «Heaven», the Aveda girls did such a great job on my husband’s hair that I’m not sure he’ll ever wash it again, the music was perfect and the pizza you ask? WOW! I loved the veggie pizza and I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the potato and bacon pizza but it was delicious! I’m a thick crust kinda girl but I have to say if I’m going to eat a thin crust pizza this is the place I’ll eat it! We were presented with six different pizza’s, I had bites of three of them (too full for anymore) and each one had it’s own unique flavors, they were deeeee-​licious! Thanks to all who made this event so fabulous!

Totally rad! (um, and embarrassing)
Sweet bodaciousness! I’d forgotten how bad the hair was in the 80’s until after one of the salon chicks got her hands on my husband’s. Yeah, let’s not go back in time. I made him run into Smith’s after the event and, well, people were unsure what to do with his quaff.
I thoroughly enjoyed the threads, tunes, and the dish. The staff were some of the most outrageous in their designer duds. Pie Hole pizzas are better when served reheated (double crisped by the oven) but I still enjoyed my bacon and potato. Bartender was awesome too — my bottled root beer was mighty fine.
How could you not love an event that had a Pac Man arcade game at the ready?
Glad I went, and glad the husband’s hair is back to normal.

So I’ll give you one guess-​who ate 5 half slices of Pie Hole pizza and 2 Heavenly cupcakes? Yep, you got it. This chick. There were just so many awesome varieties and it was all so good — I just had to! How great of them to be so generous and work so hard in the kitchen for us. I’ll definitely spread the word and will be back. And I loved the strawberry cupcake. I’m not a huge cake person, but this was more like a banana bread consistency with a great yogurt-​y topping, and just the perfect amount of crispiness on the outside.
Thank you so much to the Aveda girls for my crimped and headbanded ‘do’. I was excited to have some help completing my outfit. You are awesome.
Ms. Pacman, it was fun to see you again after all of these years.
Fellow Unilocalers, you are so fantastic. Loved the outfits and the enthusiasm. Jeffrey you did a great job putting it all together. I think you’re awesome x radical (some 80’s math for you).
Rob the DJ/​Marty way to make the party rock — and it was fun to see some of the music videos that I was ‘deprived’ of in my youth.
It was a little awkward walking back to the car three blocks away in the dark. My friend and I felt a little too much like ‘pretty women’ as we booked it and tried not to make eye contact with the passing cars. But a GREAT night!

Fantastic! Every time I think Jeffrey can’t possibly do anything to top the last Elite Squad event, he goes and totally outdoes himself!
This really was the best event yet and they’re all amazing.
The first thing we noticed (besides the totally tubular ‘80s garb) was the cupcake shelf. These things were beautiful and they tasted even better than they looked! Thanks Heaven Cupcake! Great name too, btw. The next item on the agenda was a sweet hairdo from the ladies of Aveda. What a great idea! I tried valiantly to Billy Idolize my hair before leaving the house, but it was futile. The Aveda-​ites did it right! I looked smashing! Mallory from Mallory Kerwin Photography was «johnny on the spot» getting some candid photos that I can’t wait to see! Then, of course, there was the pizza. The folks at Piehole made enough NY-​Style pizza to feed a small army. There were tons of different offerings and each was unique and flavorful. My personal faves were the potato-​bacon and the jalapeño and meatball, which was spicy-​hot-​as-​blazes! Holy Yum!
What a great event from top to bottom. The Unilocalers are the coolest folks around and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to making this event completely awesome!
P. S. If anyone has a casette player, I need to come over and listen to my new Lionel Richie tape and I will also be giving Ms. Pac Man lessons upon request.

We picked up some awesome 80s last minute costumes at Farina’s Costumes (25 E Kensington Avenue). After exploring Motley Crue, Michael Jackson, Miami Vice, Top Gun, Beastie Boys costume possibilities, we settled on Mario Bros. I went as Mario and my plus one was Luigi. Our princess was in another castle.
Pie Hole was easy to find, especially since we could see the DJ and people wearing 80s outfits in the windows as we drove by trying to find parking.
After driving around the block once just missing a few spots we lucked into a loading zone spot that had recently become public parking for the evening. Timing is everything. Just ask Ms. Pac-​man,
Here are some highlights:
80s:
just like prom but more casual. I think I saw Pat Benatar, Alex Owens, Desperately Seeking Susan, James Crockett. Nary a Rubik’s cube in sight. Was the ghostbusters ghost graffittied on the wall always there?
Cupcakes:
heaven cupcakes. owners were on hand to answer questions about the cupcakes. Apparently, they will deliver vanloads of their delicacies to almost anywhere. Strawberry was so amazing with an abundance of delectable frosting. Crunchy heath bar on the peanut butter cupcake was a nice touch. There website lists a ‘man cupcake’ composed of bacon and maple with a hint of avacado. Too bad that wasn’t available for Mario to power up on.
Pizza:
delicious pizza; thin crust without too much cheese. Crust reminds me of Maxwell’s fat boy pizza here in Park City. Wide variety of offerings from potatoe/​bacon to mushroom/​black olive/​red bell pepper. Oregano, garlic powder, sariracha (rooster) sauce available in addition to the usual pizza condiments. All the toppings were fresh (not from a jar) including the jalopenos and mushrooms. The PBR is a nice chaser for the hot stuff.
Ms. Pac-​Man
Ms. Pacman is a staple of this place with its employees crowding the list on the machine’s high scoreboard. The winner’s «chompion» trophy included a statute of a woman holding a bowling ball. Could have been a ms. pac-​man or a one of the power pellets that she eats. Charles S. rocked it scoring just below the high score on the machine. He was so busy playing that he missed the announcement that he had won. A true 80s arcade hero! The last starfighter perhaps?
Costume competition:
I was in the running until my doppleganger Sam S. showed up in the same costume (he owned his!) and a better moustache. He had Mario down pat and won the hearts and minds (and stickers) of eleven attendees. Desperately seeking susan came in close second. Crimped hair, leg warmers, and checkered vans made for some fierce competition. There can be only one Luigi.
Raffle:
I wondered if karaōke was involved until I got my raffle ticket just for saying hello to the DJ. The raffle was entertaining with perfect 80s prizes: Lionel Richie cassette tape, ‘Better off Dead’ and ‘Weird Science’ DVDs, cases of Tab, two tickets to paradise (i.e, Eddie Money is playing tomorrow night in SLC). Shout out to our phenomenal community manager Jeffrey S. was an excellent MC and looked like he had just stepped out of a delorean time machine to run the show.
I want my two dollars.

Sweet! What a totally rad and bitchin’ 80’s party. There were a bunch of Betties present all dressed up in their righteous glam denim and neon. Gladly, no bohunks showed up to ruin the evenings. Our main freak, Jeffrey «Pixie» S was the bomdiggity orchestrator of the night.
I was down with Pie Hole’s ample supply bodacious pizza combinations. Each was out of this world. To further our evening grindage, we chowed on some delicious cupcakes from Heaven, while watching hardcore Champion Charles punish Mrs Pacman.
This was one legit evening. Thanks to Pixie and all those who made it happen! Rock on!