Yelp’s Winter Kickoff And Pie At Great Maple!

Tis the season for some quality winter fare and intimate Elite style gatherings, and there's no better place to enjoy both than at Yelp's Winter Kickoff And Pie At Great Maple. The restaurant, known for its seasonally-inspired menus, award-winning desserts and epic wine list, went all out by shutting down the entire restaurant and treating our Elite Squad and guests to round after round of passed apps and a sensational selection of seasonal alcoholic beverages. It was an evening that had everyone falling for their menu and sure to return soon!

From the first moment, it was clear to all our guests why Great Maple has such a stellar reputation. Their knowledgeable, approachable staff served up a steady stream of passed appetizers including house smoked beef brisket sliders, grilled asparagus with pecorino, crudite platter with green goddess dressing, oysters Rockafellar, grilled winter pear with fresh mozzarella and smoked blackberry jam, kale and quinoa salad, procuitto with gruyere and fried egg flatbread, black fig and smoked pork belly with fig demi glace and Gorgonzola cream sauce, yellowtail with pickled cucumber ponzu, fresh polenta and pork belly, portabello mushroom fries with a pesto mayo, house roasted ribeye with a chimichurri sauce and yes, the maple bacon doughnuts.

The drink selection was equally impressive. Complimentary seasonal mini cocktails, draught beer, French white wine and French red wine kept the crowd roasty, toasty and jolly. With all of this fabulous food and drink, there's no way that anyone would have room for a pie eating contest, right? Think again, friends!

To end this evening of decadence, fifteen brave souls took on the challenge of diving in face first into one of Great Maple's famous key lime pies… no hands! At the end of the five minute competition, there could only be one winner: Mark! He walked away with a $200 gift certificate and a bottle of veuve clicquot. Second place Adam T also grabbed a $200 gift certificate while Teresa N took third with some tickets to Taste n' Tinis. Once again, very generous of the fine folks at Great Maple. The pictures are a must see!

Thank you so much to Johnny, Bree and everyone in front of and behind the scenes at Great Maple, it's fantastic team of chefs, bartenders, servers, Chris Brake Photography for the photos and the incredible jazz band for setting the mood all night long. Of course countless props go out to the lucky group of Elites and their guests in attendance for bringing Yelptastic attitudes and snapping all the pictures that were contributed to the event page. You can find additional photos on the Yelp Flickr page and the party reviews can be found here!

Brad B

Yelp San Diego Community Manager