One of San Diego's largest Yelp Elite Events in years, Yelp's Trip Back In Time At The San Diego Natural History Museum took place last night and was a culmination of six months worth of hard work by all involved. Not wanting to miss an ounce of the the action, more than 300 San Diego Elites and their guests lined up and took advantage of the early check-in while the busy bodies behind the secenes worked frantically putting the finishing touches on a night that is sure to be one for the history books… pun intended. Crank up the tunes DJ Brandon Noel, we're ready to bed-rock!
All attendees were free to wander the beautifully decorated second floor of the SDNHM and mingle with the permanent residents in the Fossil Mysteries exhibit. There was an extinct gray whale, a mastodon a ground sloth, and even a carcharodon megoladon which kept a watchful eye (and enormous set teeth) over the front bar. Who says that partying with old timers isn't fun?! Chocolate The Exhibition was also open for viewing which ended with an gigantic replica of a box of chocolates — a perfect photo opportunity for Yelp Elites with their over-sized '13 badges. Gorgeous centerpieces arranged by the Poway High School floral design class set the "back in time" mood and would later go home as party favors to a select group of luck Yelpers. Pictures will prove that there was lots to see and it true Yelp fashion you saw it all, food and drink in hand.
The reviews will tell you that the food was as abundant as it was delicious and we have the fine folks at The Abbey Catering to thank once again. They are no strangers to the Yelp Elite community and worked the floor with a prehistoric themed menu served by cavemen and Indiana Jones look-alikes. As always these guys know how to please a crowd not only with their culinary expertise but also with their extreme generosity. Raffle after raffle sent lucky winners on limo rides, trips to Las Vegas and even a trip to Puerto Vallarta!
Bonus points to The Abbey Catering for their constant creativity! Here is the delicious menu that this cast of characters prepared for everyone's eating enjoyment:
Dino Bites- pulled pork & blue cheese melted over sliced baguette
Stegosauras Spikes – stuffed jalapenos with mexican rice and cheese
Volcano Cups – Butternut squash puree with fried sage in phyllo cups
Megalodon Slice – Blackened shrimp quesadilla with corn relish
Trex Skewer – Chicken Satay with jerk sauce
Roasted Raptor Claws – Roasted vegetable hummus
Uh, and how about that spread of desserts? To Die-nosaur for!
Alright Elite Squad, the spoiling does not stop there! Our good friends at Fresh & Easy showed up with wine in hand and went straight for your sweet tooth. Two tasting tables flanked the entrance of the museum loaded with Fresh & Easy chocolates, wine and beer. All the goodies provided and being served by Fresh & Easy were a hit amongst the crowd, and guess what? They're easily found at all F&E locations! Well, perhaps we spoke to soon about everything being easy tracked down at their stores… Remember the finely crafted, wine filled chocolates in the silver boxes? Those were created especially for the San Diego Elite Squad by the Fresh & Easy Master Chocolatier using the F&E wine! Ahh, the sweet perks of being a Yelp Elite.
You can't have a party without drinks and boy did we have a great selection! Two fully stocked bars were popping bottles, mixing drinks and pouring one round after the next. St. Petersburg Vodka meet Joia Soda. Joia Soda meet St. Petersburg Vodka. We know you'll be fast friends and the crowd likes seeing the sparks fly. Karen L puts it this way: "The St. Petersburg Vodka surprisingly went down easy and mixing it with the blackberry/pomegranate Joia Soda made for a delightfully refreshing sipper while I perused the exhibits." Sam Adams came with options and lots of them! Yelpers throughout the museum were spotted sipping Sam Adams Boston Lager, Cherry Wheat, Imperial White, Dark Depths, and Latitude 48 IPA while keeping it safely out of the lambeosaurus' death grip. Mike's Hard Lemondade had their newest flavor on hand, Mike's Hard Blood Orange. Elizabeth C indulged in a few of these and put it simply: "Oh my goodness the Mike's Hard blood orange…wow. Dangerously tasty!" Fresh & Easy kept the bar stocked with Wine Wrights Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that was flying faster than a pterodactyl but the talented bar staff kept all the booze from going the way of the dodo bird, extinct. Like your drinks much, Yelpers?
So many special people contributed to making this night happen, and for that we give you a HUGE collective THANK YOU. Kristina and staff from the San Diego Natural History Museum, thank you! Matt, Zapher and The Abbey Catering, thank you! Letrica and Fresh & Easy, thank you! Irina and St. Petersburg Vodka, thank you! Bob, Lauren and Joia Soda, thank you! Zach and Mike's Hard Lemonade, thank you! Eric and Sam Adams, thank you! Mary and the PUSD Floral Design Dept, thank you! DJ Brandon Noel, thank you! Sara Norris Photography, thank you!
Be sure to check out the photos from Sara Norris Photography on the Yelp Flickr page and the party reviews here!
Until next time… SYOY!
