Only in Halifax will you find a party where the celebrity guest is a 90-year-old turtle, but good ole Gus was a big enough name to draw 250 Yelpers to the Museum of Natural History for our biggest event yet! From a forest packed with craft beer and gourmet pizza, to an under-the-sea hideaway filled with peanut butter truffles and tea-a colada mocktails, Yelp's Museum Mash-Up gave plenty of reasons to explore!
What's that? You've never partied alongside porcupines, live bees, and great white shark jaws? Don't sweat it – we managed to convert a few skeptics. Melanie M "never would have thought of
the Museum of Natural History as a party spot," but "the atmosphere was amazing, there was lots of room to
move around, and it filled my educational quota for the week." Of course, as Maureen J points out, the soundtrack helped set the mood: "It was a perfect balance between
new jams and the throw-backs to High School days (think Mariah Carey and
Mase/PDiddy days). I wanted to dance… in the middle of a museum." The Other Guys Entertainment sure know what they're doing!
While the occasional bear growl kept exploring Yelpers on their toes, there were plenty of more appetizing surprises around every turn. A crowd in the forest caught Mike B's attention: "Low and behold: Bramoso was there! Now it all made sense." Slinging hand-tossed, thin crust slices packed with fresh local toppings,
"Bramoso, one of the best pizza places in Halifax, won him over again with
their pizza." Staying dry next to the tide pool, our friends from Made With Local were happy to come back to introduce Yelpers like Janis S to what they've been missing: "I didn't think I could like a granola bar as much as I did."
On the sweeter side, Meegan D "adored that the amazing family behind Humani-T Café came up with a way to
remove almost two-thirds of the sugar from the traditional truffle
recipe and left us with a truffle where you can actually taste and savor
the flavors beyond just sweetness." First-timer Lindsay Z loved running into "hidden gem" Choco Café. The secret behind their "astonishingly good" chocolates? These cold-pressed Belgians stay naturally sweeter without unnecessary add-ins! The cherries and hazelnuts don't hurt either…
Thirsty? We had you covered on that front too! Fitting right in with the other woodland creatures, Hop City's award-winning Barking Squirrel Lager kept the crowd refreshed. Ashlee F "had to sample Hop City's beer a few times to see if I really liked it… I do. I think I knew that right away though, shhh!" Don't worry, Ash – we won't tell! Keeping it tropical, the World Tea House impressed Yelpers like Leslie F with some sensational – and sippable! – creative concoctions: "If you were at this event and somehow missed this table, that is a true
tragedy. The coconut tea/pineapple mocktail that was being served was
amahhhhzing. When it gets warm outside again, this will be the only
thing I drink."
Whether you were in it for the cause or the competition, the Epic Blind Taste Test Challenge in support of Bust a Move for Breast Health had Yelpers scrambling to prove their palate. But trust – this was no cake walk. "After cooking in restarunts for 12
years and teaching cooking school," Peter B "thought he had one up on this. I am
not so sure I even got 3 out of 5 correct?" You tell us, Pete: the mystery line-up was sliced turkey, dried mango, capers, Havarti cheese, and edamame!
Congrats to grand prize winner Mel H who walked away with over $200 in gift certificates courtesy of Estia, Indochine Banh Mi, McKelvie's, Obladee Wine Bar, and Dimitri's Pizza!
Missed out on the Mash-Up? Relive the magic thanks to Michelle Doucette and Laugh It Up Photobooths. You can catch the snap-by-snap recap on our Flickr page. You can also dive into the phenomenal Yelp reviews for more of the delicious details and be sure to add your own if you haven't already!
Still smiling from our night at the museum,
(with photobooth shattering love from Jane K and Hilary H)
Yelp Halifax Community Manager
