After the amazing insanity of Yelp’s Iron Chef Cook-Off, a 300 person party held just the day before, the Cincinnati Elite Squad was overdue for some peace and quiet. And what better place to find some Zen and balance your Chi than at Yelp’s Serenity Now!!! Elite Event at The Civic Garden.
This beautiful giant green space in the middle of Clifton is the definition of hidden gem. Created by a beer baron over 50 years ago, it now houses both acres and acres of plants as well as eco-friendly educational opportunities (they teach you to do things like raise chickens in your backyard.)
“Like many places, if it were not for Yelp, I would have never known about this hidden gem. Such a peaceful, green spot in the middle of an urban environment! Awesome.” John B touted.
The Elite Squad came together at night in the beautiful Serenity Garden, a Japanese inspired floral event space, to relax, eat organic food and drink some delicious beer.
The evening began with delicious themed treats. The night was all about the beauty of nature … and we ate that way too.
There were amazing cupcakes from Sugar Cupcakery, the only organic cupcake place in the area, that were displayed on glass trays. They brought flavors like sweet corn raspberry, savory blueberry and even chocolate lollipop cupcakes on a sticks! “The insides were mixed with banana and the outside coated in fudge,” Paige M said, munching down. “I usually find chocolate cake to be too rich, but the delightful combination with fruit made it so tasty.”
Grateful Grahams, a vegan graham cracker vendor, brought fantastic chocolate and regular crackers for people to munch on. They even made ones with little chocolate “Yelp”s right on top!
And of course, a cool night outside wouldn’t be right without beer, and we did it up right. Great Lakes Beer (going again with the garden theme) came with every single one of their beers … yes, all of them. Whatever you wanted to try, they had it. Local rep Lisa Farmer came and explained all about what Great Lakes does and how their beers differ from others (and from bottle to bottle.)
“Lisa from Great Lakes Brewing is one of my favorite beer people and the fact that she brought their entire line was so awesome. She did a wonderful job explaining the different beers to people who weren't as big a beer fan as us,” Carla G happily stated.
All the guests were even treated to brand new Yelp sunglasses, a schwag item never before seen in Cincinnati. The idea to have a garden party might have been a bright one, but it didn’t blind anyone that night.
The weather was cool, crisp and perfect and the food and drinks were amazing. It was an event that made everyone a little more serene. “As far as Elite events go, this one was quiet, uncrowded, and completely laid back. And just what the doctor ordered,” Meg G told us. “It certainly lived up to the name. There was no way you couldn't feel a moment of serenity sitting in the garden and hanging out with friends.”
But don’t just take our word on the night’s awesomeness, you can read all the reviews right here. You can also check out the other awesome pics by photographer extraordinaire Anna Penny on the Official Yelp Flickr page.
Namaste,
Alex S, Yelp Cincy Community Manager
