Elite Event: Elites Go Old Skool

Bonkers. In the best, most complimentary way – completely bonkers.
1. A youth run supper club that provides direction, training, and real world skills to at risk youth? This is a business I would happily support. What a wonderful, proactive concept. Yes, please and thank you!
2. And, what a supper club it is – red walls, low light, absolutely simmering in a sexy sort of soul swank.
3. Packed full of enthusiastic elite Unilocaltastic love – new people, new faces, and now new friends.
4. Serious music talent for your swaying and supping pleasure.
5. Fresh and crisp cocktails made with the all-​natural and totally inventive Joia soda. Mmmm-​hmmm.
6. The eats, my good gracious, the EATS! Here’s where it gets bonkers (ie: crazy, off the hook delicious) – the highlights for me: The mac and cheese because, my people, there is nothing better than pairing pasta with ooey-​gooey cheese – everybody knows that – and Old Skool pairs it so, SO well. The Pan Seared Shrimp and Smoky Cheese Grits made me long for Sunday supper with my sweet, Southern Mama… and I don’t even have a sweet, Southern Mama. And, finally, the sweet potato tart… because what’s not to love about sugary sweet potatoes baked to perfection in a tantalizing tart? Nothing… that’s what.
Like I said, Bonkers… brilliantly, beautifully, deliciously… bonkers.
As you depart, a sign reads: Enter as strangers, leave as friends.
Done and Done. Well done Old Skool. Well done Unilocal (Jon A!).

This was a stunningly pleasant Elite Event.
It was the first Elite event I’ve had the chance to attend in the past 4 years, and it was good to be back.
The Unilocal family of Elites is just as friendly and conversational as I remember. But even better than the feeling of comradery was the feeling of taking part in something special by being a patron of the Old Skool Café.
It was amazing to find out that the Old Skool Café does out reach for at risk youth by giving them employment at this dapper supper club.
What was truly inspiring was the food. Being a native southerner I take southern staples very seriously. The Old Skool Café’s kitchen delivered in every way possible. Ribs on point, collards cooked correctly, and the most astounding element were the «stand up grits» served with the shrimp and grits.
My father would be proud.

What a wonderful event supporting a fantastic program. The collaboration between Unilocal and Old Skool was perfection. This was my first legit Unilocal Elite Event, and it did not disappoint. The event was thoughtfully done down to every last detail. Major props to CM Jon A and those that helped to put this together. Splendid job!
The food was outrageously good. Usually I’m not a fan of passed appetizers as they can be small, cold and bland. Not so at Old Skool. They were large and in charge! Full of flavor and tantalizing to the senses. I can’t tell you how amazing it is to be greeted at the door with a biscuit!
Beyond the food, service was exceptional. The kids were on point this night. Upbeat, cheerful, and great servers. Old Skool should be very proud. It was nice to see them not only serving, but interacting with guests. I would definitely come back if I were in town. The intimate dining space would be perfect for a romantic evening, or even a small dinner party.
Overall, I had a wonderful time eating, drinking, and socializing with other Unilocalers. A First Class Unilocal Event, for sure!

Yet another well-​designed introduction by Unilocal to a venue I wish I had known about previously.
The food was off the charts. We were able to taste nearly everything on the menu from the jambalaya to the chicken and the ribs. I couldn’t find fault with any dish. And the Valentine’s Day spread sounds particularly amazing.
Incredible venue, great music, ambiance. Definitely a diamond in the rough and not to be missed. And it should not be forgot what an amazing cause Old Skool supports and the invaluable opportunity it provides for local youth.

Favorite Unilocal event so far! I was impressed with the food, mission, and people running Old Skool. Every course was delicious and the live entertainment was great! Loved the supper club feel, and I’d definitely make a point to come back here with friends. Thanks Old Skool + the Unilocal SF Team for putting on this event!

Awesome chicken gumbo, Great Service and Live Entertainment.
Lucky to be an elite!

It’s embarrassing how badly I’ve been wanting to try this place… and did not have an opportunity to come. Just life getting in the way and lack of planning on my part. Finally, when Unilocal decided to have an event here that was ALSO on a free night for me, I was in. RSVP’d…and got on the waitlist. So I did what any person in my situation would do — email Jon and ask pretty please to be removed off waitlist. On the night before, I get an email with my pass. WIN!
The reason I’ve been intrigued at this place is not because of the great food (which I PROMISE I WILL GET TO LATER). It’s because of what I’ve read of the amazing work they do with high-​risk youth. In a former life, I worked with disadvantaged young people. Though my youth did not have experience in the Juvenile Justice system (yet for some… smh), I know how difficult it is to work with young people in general. Adding the fact that these are youth who did something stupid and had the unfortunate luck to get caught… it makes to so much harder to empower these young people. Hearing an average success rate for youth in the program was about 50%, it’s pretty good. Yes, 50% would fail you in school. But 1 in 2 youth being able to turn their life around is nothing to scoff at.
The youth there were awesome. Romaine (Spelling is probably totally off) was great at the front door, greeting people on their way in. Carlos made an amazing presentation to everyone, and really showed off what Old Skool Café is trying to achieve. All of the waiters and waitresses were amazing, but Serena NOT Williams was a favorite of mine. Just because she was also inclined to chat with people while bringing around bites of delicious foods. Speaking of… FOOD…
–First Course–
Sweet Potato Biscuits with Honey Butter: I was a bit hesitant when these came around, but since they were the first bite and I was hungry… yeah, I partook in one. And wow. Yum! It got all the sweetness needed from the sweet potato, but wasn’t overly dessert-​like. It really grew on me (and my friend) and we were more than eager to take a 2^nd biscuit when it came around.
Taumoepean Ota: No idea what the young person was saying when first introducing this. We just saw a creamy ceviche-​style food on a crisp tortilla and grabbed one. Evidently its Tongan, which makes sense that they know how to make a decent one. Though not Southern in style, it’s a great reflection of the community in Bayview. A lot of Pacific Islanders are here, and this thing was delicious. Like, delicious.
Old Skool Ceviche: After the Taumoepean Ota, this one paled in comparison. It was still good, but the fish couldn’t stand up to the strong flavors of all the other ingredients. I realize tilapia doesn’t have much flavor. It was still a great bite. On the same house-​made tortillas. DELICIOUS. I’d like a bag of those tortillas to go please!
–Second Course–
Bayview Baby Back Ribs: Slow cooked and delicious. I totally didn’t mind getting my fingers dirty, and was pleased that most of the people I sat with also didn’t mind. The ribs were moist, but soft. It totally felt like it was smoked for hours.
Jordan’s Fried Chicken: Was good, but I’m not so sure about that size. It was perfect for the venue — chicken wings and drumettes — but I’d like to see how they do chicken breast and thigh pieces now. These pieces had great flavor.
Spicy Collared Greens: I love collareds. So. Good. These had a kick of spice, which made it all the more delicious, and was SO good. I could have had a plate of these alone. When I saw people weren’t really taking them as quickly (seriously), I helped myself to second… and third helpings.
Mac and Cheese: Weirdly, I’m not a big Mac and Cheese fan. These were pretty good, but I think it took a little bit of time to come out so some of the cheese was starting to harden. But… it DID come out after the wonderful presentation, so I don’t mind.
–Third Course–
Abu’s West African Peanut Butter Stew: My friend saw «peanut butter» and was disinclined to like it. The chicken was a bit dry, but the taste worked for me. Think Thai curry, and its got about that same texture/​flavor.
Daniel’s Gumbo: I needed some rice to go with this. The pieces I ate were super flavorful, but It was SUPER FLAVORFUL. Needed some rice to balance the taste.
Pan Seared Shrimp ‘n’ Smokey Cheese Grits: Probably among the best grits I’ve had in a while. The first time I had grits, it was this gooey mess of stuff that didn’t make me like it, so I’ve been weary of it since. This one was probably some of the best grits I’ve had, and the shrimp on top was quite well cooked.
Mini Sweet Potato Tarts: I could have had a dozen of these suckers. Really. good. Seems like anything they have with sweet potato is delicious… I’ll have to return and confirm this assumption.
Service was spectacular. The youth were totally on their game and were stellar. At the end, they were particularly good in asking if we’d return. Why yes. Yes, I shall return.

Is «awesome» still Cali lingo like it was circa 1990? I am from New York, so what do I know?
In any case, I am going to use it because it really is the best adjective to describe the San Francisco «Elites Go Old Skool».
Awesome event organized by some awesome peeps, for an awesome cause at an awesome venue.
Oh yeah, and the spicy collard greens were awesome (tubular perhaps?) too.

Old Skool Café has such an inspirational mission!
I love the foundation and purpose of what this restaurant stands for.
The soul food, was undeniably amazing and delicious! My favorite were their ribs. Their chicken wings, were my second favorite!
The live music, added on to how unforgettable this evening event was!
Bringing forth the Unilocal community and meshing it with the Old Skool Café’s purpose to raise awareness and to bring forth the reputation of why it «soul“y exists, is exemplified in their creation of their soul themed food as well as the youth staff members who are cooking and serving it up!
As always, thank you for letting me experience such a priceless event that you just can’t put a stamp on anywhere else!

Thank you Old Skool for taking such great care of us! Food was fantastic and hospitality was even better!
This was hands down one of the best Elite events!
Old Skool has such an amazing mission. Giving at risk kids a second chance and real world job experience. I definitely will be back to support them! Don’t forget, they cater too!
Shout out to Jon for organizing such a great event!
Joia and Boston beer, amazing drinks! Thank you!

Let’s give it up for the chefs and young adults at Old Skool where they’re always keeping it real. I love their mission and their concept. The positive energy here is off the charts, people!
Food is on point. Collard greens were stupid-​ridiculous. Just check out all the pics!
The venue itself is pretty swanky. I loved the set-​up and the colors. The live music was also fantastic — great talents!
Meeting new friends is always nice and this event did not disappoint. Good to know OSC caters, too.
Thanks to Joia and Sam Adams for the libations. The DIY Unilocal bow-​tie bar was cool, too, even though I tend to be a menace with a pair of scissors in hand.
Big thanks to the CMs for organizing another unique and exciting event with meaning!

My first Elite event as a Bay Area Elite!
–Thanks to Jon for hosting this event and bringing attention to a restaurant promoting a worthy cause.
–Thanks to the staff at Old Skool for taking care of us, your food was quite delicious!
–Thanks to Aren A., who took me as his +1 (we both needed it)
–It was nice to meet fellow Unilocalers Aaron Y and Mari, Ryan and Eliza. You guys were great tablemates and I’m very glad to have met all of you.
–The people who were brought on to improve the Unilocal user experience were quite nice! I’m glad to have met you and have a little chat.
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CONCEPT: A faith-​based violence prevention program masquerading as a supper club. Mentored by chefs, all the cooks and waitstaff are the youth it wants to give a second chance — the at-​risk, previously incarcerated and foster care youth. Working at the supper club will give them the mentoring and skills they need to go forward in their life. I wish them all the best.
VENUE: Small and intimate. Restaurant felt very homey and was set in the Southern style.
SERVICE: Service was excellent! All the staff was dressed for the occasion and brought forth their hospitality!
DRINKS: Aside from that I REALLY needed to relax after two intense weeks of school, Aren convinced me to go because spiked Joia sodas were being offered I’ve had Joia sodas at a SD event before and they were even more awesome when spiked with a little gin or vodka. The lemon spiked with gin was my favorite.
FOOD
–First Course–
Sweet Potato Biscuits with Honey Butter: I normally don’t like sweet potato mashed or fried but I fell in love with these biscuits upon first bite. Didn’t taste much of the sweet potato, but maybe it was due to the the taste of the honey butter? Texture was similar to cornbread.
Taumoepean Ota: A Tongan island specialty. Diced swai flavored with lemon, chili pepper and Tongan cream sauce. Served with tortilla chips. Yummy cream sauce, I’d definitely would like to get the recipe for it. Swai texture was quite soft and similar to sole.
Old Skool Ceviche: Diced tilapia, red onion, red bell pepper, jalapenos and lime. Served with tortilla chips. Not a fan of tilapia anything but the ceviche brought lots of flavor to the chip. I like ceviches that are quite tart.
–Second Course–
Bayview Baby Back Ribs: Slow-​cooked and grilled ribs served with our house made blackstrap molasses: basted with our Speakeasy beer BBQ sauce. The ribs fell off the bone and the beer sauce was finger-​licking good. One of my favorite courses.
Jordan’s Fried Chicken: Seasoned with Old Skool’s special rub of spices. Chicken was tender and the skin had lots of flavor.
Collared Greens (served with ribs) and Mac and Cheese (served with chicken): The greens had a slight briny taste to them. Mac and cheese was done well, soft macaroni with three melted cheeses.
–Third Course–
Abu’s West African Peanut Butter Stew: Chicken, creamy peanut butter, fresh herbs and coconut milk. Reminded me of a mild panang curry. The chicken was a bit dry but I liked the broth. Just missing a bit of spice.
Daniel’s Gumbo: A New Orleans classic made with andouille sausage and chicken. Sausage was very flavorful and was the centerpiece of the gumbo. Also liked what the mushrooms did to add flavor to the gumbo
Pan Seared Shrimp ‘n’ Smokey Cheese Grits: Shrimp was a little on the greasy side but the crispy batter blended well with the grits.
Mini Sweet Potato Tarts: Tasted like mini pecan pie, one of my favorite Southern desserts. The tarts had a flaky crust that fell apart in your mouth and the sweet potato tasted like pecans.
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I definitely look forward to more SF Unilocal Elite events. Thanks to the SF Unilocal community for making me feel home here.

How awesome is Old Skool Café?! What a great event! First off, I absolutely LOVE southern soul food. Nothing was too greasy like so many other places, so I didnt feel extra heavy after trying each item at least twice! My favorites were the baby back ribs, the collard greens (mmm, spicy!!), and the grilled shrimp and grits. I realy could list more, but it will only make me hungry again.
Let’s talk about what Old Skool Café stands for. We got to meet Jordan, who’s been with the restaurant for 6+ years. He seems to have grown into a mentor-​type role. Carlos gave a mini interview and it gave us a sense of the great opportunity and service that Old Skool provides. Everybody makes mistakes in life and this places gives people a chance to get back on track! I just think that it was amazing! And talking to Carlos for a couple minutes only confirmed how great someone can be if they have the determination to be awesome.
Kevin, who pretty much oversees the program/​restaurant, was also a joy to meet. So friendly and upbeat! Seriously, I met some great people!
It was also great to meet some SF elites! Shout out to Ryan, Eliza, Isabella, and Aron for being great tablemates with me and Mari! Thanks for the Unilocal bowtie, Cece! And many thanks to Jon for a great event! I’m absolutely coming back to Old Skool! I want to try the catfish!

Jon A. never disappoints and this event was no exception. I loved that Jon planned an event that provided fun, food and awareness for a bigger cause. Not many people know about this venue and I think they should. A small, intimate jazz space that is perfect for a group of about 50. The supper club is run by at risk, urban youths learning to make a difference in the world, as well as learn new skill sets. What they have accomplished is truly heart-​warming and inspiring. I was very grateful to be introduced to this wonderful place and contribute to a wonderful cause.
The food is simply spectacular. The executive chef creates the recipes and the kids execute every detail of the recipe to exact precision. They not only cook the food the food, but they run every aspect of the venue event. My favorites were the biscuits and the baby back ribs. I am not a beef fan but these are the most tender, delectable ribs I have ever had. I am really looking forward to having my next event here. I have even encouraged my company to hold our events here for our driver community because I think it’s a great space.
As for some of the other highlights of the event itself, Joia was there giving out samples of their all natural soda. SO DELICIOUS! I am not a huge soda fan but they have some amazing flavors. My favorite was the pineapple, coconut and nutmeg. I also loved the ginger, apricot and all spice. I didn’t think I would like this one because ginger can be a bit strong but they created the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. If I were to drink soda, I am definitely drinking this. You can check them out at:
The house band, Danielle and KB, were outstanding. Really amazing performers. What I loved about them is that they are totally unexpected. Their music is very bluesy and soulful but Danielle’s look is very hip and emo and KB’s look is very causal and down to earth. You would never expect that these ladies were that talented. They are so in sync and their camaraderie shows. They know each other so well that their music is magic. It was incredible.
I bet some cool new people too! One guy told me all about how background checks and as a company that performs background checks, it was great information. If you are looking for a job, message me because I can give you all the deats on what employers ask for in a background check. You just never know who you are going to meet at an Elite event and it really makes being elite neat.
Thanks you Jon A. for including me in this event. If it’s one event that I would have wanted to go to, it’s this one because it’s such a great cause and a great space. AMAZING!

Whoa — what a fantastic Elite event!
The comfortable scene was set with red walls, antique furnishings and a good and bluesy live act.
I was in town for a conference with a national team of Elites, and this was another layer of icing on the cake. Darn sweet.
Food wise, the chicken wings were mediocre, the cheese & mac, ribs and cheesy/​smoky grits topped with shrimp were all real good, and the spicy greens were amaze-​balls, actually spicy with drool-​worthy pot liquor.
Old Skool is a nonprofit that employes and trains adolescents who’ve gotten into trouble, teaching them the skills that will get them jobs and help them stay out of trouble. Tonight, they served the crowds attentively, smiling the whole time, looking so happy to have a job and an opportunity at a better life.