Phoenix Elite Event: Pop-Up Mixer with bites.

On Thursday, August 31st an intimate group of Yelp Phoenix Elites were treated to a pop-up mixer full of cocktails, small bites by remarkable local chefs, soothing live music, and a warm introduction to the brand new bites. app – a Valley foodie’s dream!

Elites arrived at a trendy industrial warehouse in the heart of Phoenix and home to app founder, Roza Ferdowsmakan. Guests entered through an iron gate into a modern outdoor space, which then led into the wide open kitchen where they would eat and mingle the night away. As they entered, Elites were greeted by Roza and acoustic music by local artist, Chad Wilson Bailey. From there, they were directed to grab a cocktail of their choice and to sit back and relax while award-winning Valley chefs, Brett Vibber from Cartwright’s and Alejandro Martinez from Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn worked their magic in the kitchen.

Chefs Brett and Alejandro were cooking up delicious creations using locally sourced ingredients right in front of our eyes. Elites were able to ask them questions, take selfies, and more. This was such a cool experience. The best part, this is an experience that bites. app users will now be able to create right in the comfort of their own homes for an affordable cost. Chef Brett whipped up Pot Prawn Ceviche with yuzu, sweet potato, and Mortimer Farms sweet corn, Bison Tartare with pickled nopales, caramelized shallots and foraged chanterelles, and Haidacore Tuna Sashimi paired with Prescott peach verbena and marigold flowers. Chef Alejandro made Argentinian empanadas {his mother’s recipe!} with salsa criolla, watermelon/prosciutto/black pepper feta cubes, and a refreshing cucumber, green apple and basil gazpacho with Blue Crab and Meyer Lemon oil. WOW, not only was every single bite exploding with flavor, they were gorgeous as well. It was truly edible artwork.

After Elites had a chance to sip, mingle with the chefs, and nibble on the dreamy eats, Roza {our lovely host and the mastermind behind this new foodie app} educated Elites on all that the bites. app will have to offer. The app allows users to hire culinary talent – ranging from a talented home chef, to a culinary student, or even an executive chef – to come into their homes and prepare a meal right in front of them. All the user needs to provide is the kitchen – the chefs will handle the rest. How cool is that? The goal is to use as many locally sourced ingredients as possible when curating the menus. Users will be able to sort through chefs based on food types, dietary preferences, etc. Everyone loved learning about this innovative new app and they look forward to the official launch in September.

It was a world-class evening that Elites won’t forget! A HUGE thank you to Roza for opening up her cozy warehouse space for this one-of-a-kind evening, to chefs Brett and Alejandro for the tasty small bites, and to Chad Wilson Bailey for setting the perfect vibe. As always, thank you to photographer Eric Castanos for capturing the event! Relive this unique 5-star experience by reading the reviews and viewing the photos.