Yelp's got spirit, yes we do! Yelp's got spirit, how 'bout you?
Oh yes we do! Portland's Yelp Elite showed their true colors and team spirit as they came out en masse to Henry's 12th Street Tavern on Wednesday, Nov. 10th to enjoy libations, an extremely generous array of food, games of billiards and some good old fashioned Wii action.
With their dukes up and their favorite fan gear on, Kimberly V and Kade M rolled in with the crowds to Henry's sweet hidden upstairs billiards room dressed in their favorite team colors and fan flair. Orian I's chants of "I want lemon drops, and cosmos too!" were answered by Henry's championship team of bartenders and servers. With the New Deal Vodka flowing along, the line for drinks may have at points been long, but the pours were strong. And while Stanley T and Bob S were cheering for beer, Lompoc's C-Son's Greetings, C-Note, Proletariat Red and Oktoberfest Marzen were going the extra yard to keep those hop-heads happy (hoppy?). 
Needless to say, by the time the fourth quarter came around, the drink fans had nothing but high-fives for Henry's professional drink slingers.
With all that vodka and beer flowing, sports fans can sure get hungry, but even champion eater Kobiyashi's stomach would have been no match for the endless display of delicious food offered up the Portland's ravenous crowd. With platters full of California rolls, spicy tuna rolls, locally-made Zenner's sausages, chili dogs, the signature gorgonzola fries, orange chicken, flatbread pizzas, hummus and tapenade crostini, and even full-on rib platters, the Henry's crew brought their A+++ game. In fact, even self-proclaimed legendary eater Matt M announced: "I can't eat any more ribs!" To which his wife and fellow Elite Kari M replied "I've never heard him say that before." Yeah, there was THAT much food. Of course, not to stop there, the folks at Henry's passed out coupons for free gorgonzola fries upon return visits, so elites could come back for more when they finally get hungry again (which may be a few days from now).
With bellies full and thirst quenched, Portland's Elite community mixed and mingled while playing games of pool on Henry's multiple full-sized pool tables and rocked some Wii Tennis and Bowling on the projection screen in the back. At half-time, the best-dressed put on a cheering demonstration and the fans voted on who should take home top honors for their fan fare. While Sam W easily took top honors for his "I (burst) Boobies" clever fan gear (he won a Ukulele!), it was a tough race between the rest. Kimberly V and Kade M each walked off with a pair of patriotic boxing gloves to battle for runner-up honors. We just hope they keep the fighting fair (and offline!). Melvin T gets an honorable mention for being brave enough to rock full Lakers gear deep in Blazer's territory. With the prizes distributed, Yelpers ate and drank their way to the final buzzer, then off to the Red Cap for after hours. It may have been a regular season Elite Event, but there was no shortage of playoff atmosphere!
Huge thanks go to Mike, Ashley, Brian, and ALL of the folks from Henry's And RUI for throwing an incredible event and seriously raising the bar for food at Elite events in Portland. Your team rocked the spot. A gigantic debt of gratitude goes to Sarah and Tom from New Deal Vodka for always bringing us delicious, locally-made cocktails. If you don't have a bottle of this inexpensive, delicious and LOCAL vodka at home, what are you waiting for? And to Zig (and Chris!) from Lompoc, a humongous thanks for not only bringing us expertly made portland brews, but beyond that offering up 4 delicious choices for Yelpers to choose from, and even one beer (C-Son's) that wasn't even on shelves yet! Of course I have to thank Phill, Hilary B and Monica S for all of the help with the event, and of course last, but definitely not least, to the Portland Elite Squad, without whom none of this would be possible.
But don't take my word for it! Check out the reviews and photos from the event.
Until next time, keep up those amazing reviews, and I will See You On Yelp (SYOY)!
— Don "We Are The Champions" B.
