How many yelpers does it take to drink a bar-full of White Russians? 70, as it turns out! Last night Edinburgh's finest Elite, yelpers and guests rocked up to Lebowskis on Morrison Street and got down with The Dude. There were creamy cocktails, there were five different beers from Molson Coors paired with five different courses of fantastically fine food. Donny's were told to stay at home, as yelpers were definitely in their element!
As the guests began trickling into the bar it was soon wall-to-wall and booth-to-booth full of 70 eager yelpers sipping on their welcome White Russian and anticipating the epic Lebowskis-Coors feast to follow.
And what a feast it was. There was enough food and beer to make even a Nihilist crack a smile. The first platter to emerge from the magic hands of Andy in the kitchen was Toasted Bruschetta with Smoked Salmon, Lemon Coriander Creme Fraiche. Blink and you'll miss it, those hungry yelpers snapped it up whist supping on their first beer-pairing: Blue Moon. The light coriander and orange peel flavours were the perfect compliment to the delicate flavours of the fish.
Wasting no time, the next beer from Coors did the rounds: Cobra. A lighter beer brewed with rice maize gives it a smooth rounded character, drawing out the flavours of the Spiced Aubergine with Pamigiana and Rocket. Judging by the smiling faces and empty glasses, the yelpers agreed!
How do you follow smoked salmon and spiced aubergine? With huge, steaming bowls of West Coast Mussells in a Thai Broth complimented by the Thai Beer, Singha (what else?) Potentially the favourite dish of the night, there wasn't a yelper who wasn't blown away by the broth. Blythe R 'particularly enjoyed the Thai mussels and Singha, which he thought complemented each other very nicely.' Which is a rather more polite way of saying NOM.
But the main was still to come. The Scottish may be stereotyped for the fish supper, but cast all hearsay or memory of any previous acquaintance. Take one fresh fish fillet, batter it in Blue Moon, serve with a slathering of home-made tartar, skewer with a chunky tatty chip and you have it – the ultimate mini fish supper. Paired with Coors Light, this dish had yelpers demanding more and Jurgen D proclaiming he is now "in love with Lebowskis" (we assume the bar, and not the man).
What would a meal be without a pudding? And not just any pudding. Lebowskis secret recipe Sticky Toffee Fudge pudding, crammed with dates, berries, maple syrup and is potentially what heaven actually tastes like. Those of a weak disposition may want to look away now, otherwise cast your eyes downward at the most decadent of foodie porn. And you think beer and cake don't go? Think again and try this bad boy with the Doom Bar beer. The smoother, lighter flavour contrasted the sweet richness of the dates and toffee delectably.
You'd think after five food-and-beer courses these yelpers would have had their fill, but there is always room for a White Russian or three. And Lebowskis know their White Russians, with over 10 on the menu like the hazelnutty Donny and strawberry and sprinkles Bunny. After the beer, Rachael R 'switched back to White Russians. The White Russian of the month was rather special – its bourbon twist definitely kept the cold out on our trip home.'
Hats off to Andy in the kitchen who cooked up the feast, and the Holy Trinity of Mo, Graham and Scott who head up Lebowskis. Y'know, sometimes there's a bar, a bar for its time and place. And this bar is all about serving amazing beers, cocktails and drinks with the best gastropub fare for miles. Sourcing all their organic ingredients locally, Lebowskis is based on an ethos of fresh food, locally sourced, and tasting the very best it can. Tastier than a strike in a League game, there wasn't a crumb left.
If the food was the dude, then the accompanying beer was a Walter Sobchak if ever we've seen one (wait, does that make us Donny?) The guys at Molson Coors did a phenonenal job of making sure there was never an empty hand, filling 70 glasses of 5 different beers and pairing each dish with the perfect wee pint. The only thing missing from the night was a nice sarsparilla…
Andrew D has frequented the bar many atime, and thinks that Lebowskis' incarnation as less a pub and more 'a lifestyle choice has really escalated this from being a town centre pre-night out pub to a whole night boozer.' Judging by the crowd of yelpers still standing past 11pm, we think he might be onto something! Louise C 'would be gobsmacked if there was a single individual who didn't have a great night and has now added Lebowskis as a kick ass bar to her 'I will be returning here list'!'
A huge thank you to Mo, Graham, Scott, Andy, David and all the staff at Lebowskis who gave us their bar, their food, their drink and their banter; to Jules, Sean and Anita from Molson Coors for all.the.beer and giving fantastic tasting notes to the epic amounts of food; to Robin for the photies; Caitlin N for her fantastic help and support with Yelp as ever; and all the Elites, yelpers and guests who came and brought the party!
Have a look at all the photos / food porn / happy faces here, read all the reviews and write your own here, talk about it, and find Molson Coors and Lebowskis online.
Curious about Yelp in Edinburgh and all these Elite Event parties? Find out more here or message Jenny L to chat more about Yelp. To get involved with the Yelp Elite Parties, get involved with Yelp itself! Write reviews of great local businesses in the Burgh, chat online and meet-up offline with like-minded yelpers and just generally yelp all about it!
Until next time, it's safe to say that Yelp Abides.
Mo & Jenny L
Yelp Edinburgh Community Manager
