Dancing with the Yelpers

On the face of this event, I didn’t think I was going to fit in very well. You can normally see me wearing some jeans and a witty or comic related t-​shirt. Yes, I’m using up all my «t-​shirt wearing days» before I get too old and can no longer pull off the look.
Further more, I don’t think I’m a great dancer despite what proclamations that some Unilocalers seem to think. So having a dancing with the Unilocalers event on my «to do» list wasn’t really in the cards and so I didn’t sign up.
Flash forward to wearing a nice suit and doing a couple of two steps walking into the event, I wondered how did I get here. This was not my beautiful life…
But hey, it was my lot to get talked into being a +1, which in the end wasn’t so bad. First off, the whole dessert selection laid out to the right as you walk in was just something out of Willy Wonka’s factory.
And unlike the trend of being sure to eat before you go to a Unilocal event, least you want to be drunk off all of the free booze, this one had a great food selection. So many choices and so many tasty treats. Plenty of steak to go around. And while the choice of ribs wasn’t the first one you’d want to make while wearing a suit, it did have a mighty good taste to them.
The wine and drink selection was pretty damn good. Sidecars that were made really excellently. A couple of wineries also representing with some big bold reds that, well, let’s face it, are the standard for representing California’s choice of fermented grapes.
Both of which helped with those hesitant in going out on the dance floor to learn some moves. And hey, I did get to make some quick foot work when an ex lobbed some passive aggressive comments towards me. Which just goes to show myself that I’m still good with the fancy footwork.
Thanks to Brittany for a great event. Thanks to the Unilocaler who dragged me out there to Beverly Hills, a place where I always feel a little out of place in. And hey, it’s nice to clean up well every now and then while changing up my wardrobe.
Great time had by all.

What an AMAZING night of event! Great food! Lots and lots of food! We were about 20 minutes late to the event and was panicking that there might not be any food left. Were we wrong! Food just kept on coming, wine and drinks just kept on pouring, waiters and staff just kept on clearing the mess, and the dancers just kept on dancing!
Chef Franceso SPOILED us with his delicacy.
There were beef ribs– Delicious and tender! Prosciutto Pizza, Risotto, Garlic bread, Octopus, Shelled oysters and caviar, Tri Tip with sweet potato, paninis, tuna sashimi, I’m missing out on a few other dishes.
The dessert table by Pastries by Edie, was just breathe taking! And it tastes SOO goood toooo! Tried the Crème Brule and the fruit tart! Delicious!
Arthur Murray of Beverly Hills for dancing with the Unilocalers! Great deal for the class so my friends and I will stop by to try it out!
The Malibu Wine, Rosenthal, Semler, Saddle Rock, and a ginger infused tequila! AYCD!
We were so full from this event. We were going to grab coffee on the way back home, skipped the coffee, and went to a lounge for more drinks to let the food go down! :-)
Thank you for making me feel like the Elite of Beverly Hills and Tra Do Noi, Brittany B and Unilocal!!!

I’ve only been to a handful of Unilocal events in the past and Dancing with Unilocalers event by far serves one of the best food (plus dessert) I’ve ever had the pleasure of indulging. The three dishes that really stood out was the grilled octopus on mashed sweet potatoes, filet mignon and frisee salad with hazelnut, and bacon wrapped dates. I don’t remember the exact names of the dishes as the place was in complete disarray by the time I got there. Then there was fried risotto balls which I wasn’t too fond of… looked fabulous visually but tasted nothing like the way it looked.
OMG the desserts were impressive & visually beautiful. I think I tried everything and they had hundreds of them laid out on the table.
As one would expect, the area where they served food was a complete disaster. I didn’t know where the line was. It was grab what you can and go. Where were the utensils!!! I was totally stalking one of the chefs as he was preparing the octopus dishes. I lost the first round as it went fast so I had to stand by. Where should I sit? Who are these people? I don’t recognize anyone (expect my friend Marko M. whom I found out later).
I somehow managed to sneak out of the dancing contest (phew). Trust me no one wants to see me pull those ballroom moves, lol.
Overall the food is definitely memorable… and is the highlight of my experience. Even though I didn’t recognize most people here, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Isn’t that the point? And lastly, kudos to Brittany B. for organizing and making this into another spectacular event.

A Short&Sweet Review… Shorter than most reviews and sweeter than a quick tip.
SHORT (not so great…)
1. The only downfall, which I would go through it all over again for this event, is trekking up the 405 during rush hour.
2. Yeah… First to get tapped out during the dance competition… my two left feet were not made for dancing.
Sweet! (the Good…)
1. The food was delicious and limitless. From the Proscuitto Pizza to the pastries from Edie, every bite was delectable. The food and drinks were spread throughout the restaurant and accessible… lines? What lines?
2. The venue was located at Tra di Noi Foccaceria in Beverly Hills and fitting for such an elegant event. The music was going and the Unilocalers were mingling. The setup couldn’t be better!
3. Thanks Brittany B for throwing an Awesome event! I seriously get excited every time I’m invited to your event because they are over the top! A special thanks to Christina Y and Katie B for making the night memorable!

WOW WOW WOW
I am late reviewing this but all I can say is wow!!!
This is why I LOVE LOVE LOVE Unilocal!Events like this one really makes being Elite fun!
The food was amazing. Like a fat pig I had a serving plate filled with all the delish food I could stomach. The sweets were the frosting on the cake to the event. I really enjoyed the cheesecake pastry: D! I want more :(
The dancing was excellent everyone did amazing and I was SHOCKED me and my +1 was able to dance to the finals. But my dress was way too tight to really get my groove on combined with the fact I am not a great dancer. But it was a blast!!!
SO glad I drove 20+ miles for this event worth every mile: D

Haha, success! That’s me, photobombing, in the background of the main listing pic! Love you guys, but I couldn’t resist!
Anyway, despite my dance partner being under the weather at home, I had a lot of fun at this event. Tra di Noi pulled out all the stops, food-​wise and service-​wise. That prosciutto pizza was yum! I even got the last Ginger Sidecar of the night, despite the fact that the event was technically over. I loved seeing everyone all dressed to the nines and ready to do some dancing. I had a great time twirling with Nick G (thanks Matt P, for trying). As always, great to see old friends and meet new ones– Marko M, Nicole A, Emily S, Frank M, Sue Z, Javier J, Tim C, Antho L, Love C, Matt P, Jenny B, Nick G, Jena S, and of course, our lovely CMs– Katie, Christina, and Brittany. Thank you to Tra di Noi and the Arthur Murray dance instructors as well! 2012 is off to an excellent start!

What a great event, with great people, and amazingly great food!
I truly feel special to be an member of the Elites, and especially when I get to go to an even like this. The food at Tra di Noi Focacceria, that is made by their oh so cute chef, is so mouth watering amazing.
I had so much fun dancing and chatting with my fellow Unilocalist.
I can’t wait to go back and bring the bf for a nice romantic meal.
oh and p. s. the place is perfect for an event. I can totally picture having a private party at Tra di Noi Focacceria.
Until next time…
xx

You know this event was good if it left you wanting more! The music they played was good hip hop music. I wish there were more Unilocalers dancing on the dance floor and that we had more time at the venue.
However, I am thankful for the opportunity we had to try out the food at Tra di Noi. My favorite dish would probably be the seared octopus! And the desserts were amazing… so amazing, Love C wanted to marry one of them… I think the peanut brittle one with cream and fruits in it.
I loved seeing my Unilocal buddies break it down on the dance floor. A lot of Unilocalers can really dance! Go Nick G, Love C, and Ron N for being in the top five in the salsa competition!
Thank you Brittany B, Christina Y and Katie B for making this event such a success!!!

I really had a blast at this event! I used to dance a lot but haven’t had a chance to do so as of late and so I was glad for the opportunity to kick it up a little at this awesome event!
I thought the restaurant served really good fare and enjoyed everything that was offered from the sashimi and bacon wrapped figs place on a plate of greens, to the filet mignon and deep fried risotto bites to the prosciutto pizza slices.
And the desserts, wow, the desserts were plentiful, varied and delicious!
I wish the dancing part could have lasted a bit longer but having the dance lessons by Arthur Murray and Co. and the salsa contest, really topped the evening.
All in all with the good food, dancing and meeting up with fellow Unilocalers, I’d say it was a great way to bring in 2012 the Unilocal Elite way!
Great job once again Brittany and Katie! I always know that any events you put on will be a class act and this one certainly was!

This was definitely one of my favorite Elite events yet, although all of them are great! Everything from beginning to end was just amazing. The wine, food, and everyone’s attire was on point. Chef Franceso really spoiled us this night. Had I not been the designated driver for the night I would’ve went crazy on the alcohol.
And being one of the salsa dance competition winners was TOTALLY unexpected! Jenny and I had absolutely no salsa experience and were really intimidated by peeps on the dance floor who looked like they knew exactly what they were doing. I guess we were really good at making up moves because the judges seemed to dig it, lol. Faking it till you make it actually works! And what a great prize! I’m predicting a VERY full stomach and lots and lots of wine to wash it down.
Great seeing and meeting new and older Unilocalers!

Everyone looked amazing! Us Unilocalers are an attractive bunch, what can I say…
I loved that this event was not super crowded and there was plenty of room to walk around and no lines (or not very long ones) for food. Great job managing the crowd size!
There were so many different varieties of food (prosciutto pizza, risotto with quail egg, bacon wrapped dates, ribs, filet mignon, oysters, mini paninis…) and where do i begin with that crazy dessert spread from Edie’s? Not only was everything beautifully presented, but it tasted amazing. I took a bunch of desserts intending just to take a bite of each and ended up eating all of them!
The malibu wines (I tried two varieties of red) were also very good, the Cab was my favorite. And then there was the drink special. which I just had to try even though tequila is not my friend.
This was my guest’s first Unilocal!event and he was super impressed, and said «how do I become elite??»
Making people jealous. now that’s the mark of a successful evening!

What a great event! It wasn’t overly crowded, the space was comfortable and gorgeous, the food was wonderful, the drinks were satisfying, the dancers and entertainment were beautiful and admirable, and it was an overall enchanted evening.
Even though we didn’t win the $ 1000 dollar Valentine’s dinner with our stellar salsa moves (ha, yeah right…) it was still fun. If the school weren’t so far away, I’d sign up for lessons in a heartbeat.
I loved how the chef was preparing food in small batches so that it was fresh, yet still available. The dessert bar was decadent, and I totally overindulged.
Bravo for a gorgeous evening!

THANK YOU Brittany and Katie!!!
Another FANTASTIC event :)
Tra di Noi Focacceria was a fantastic place to hold our first gathering of the year. The food was amazing — and there was SO much of it! So many delicious offerings — from ribs to octopus, fancccy grilled cheese, pizza… the list goes on and on. Thank you Chef Franceso Velasco — you did a wonderful job!
The cocktail of the night was an interesting deliciousness as well — tequila and ginger. And the red wine was also flowing.
But my favorite to feast on was definitely the Pastries by Edie. OH WOW!!! So many delicious and beautiful pastries to sample. My +1 and I shared a few and each one of them was to die for. I was in glutton heaven.
The dancing was so much fun! And everyone was dressed to impress — we’re one attractive group of Unilocalers — lemme tell you!
I loved the dance lessons, even though I couldn’t dance myself out of a paper bag.
But watching the professionals from Arthur Murray was lovely.
As always, i loved chatting with my fellow elitists ;) Always a great time — I love meeting new, fabulous people!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you — what an EXTRAORDINARY evening!

Great job with the event! that was unique and fun, and I got to dance with a pro dancer/​teacher! was a bit bummed that the dance event wasn’t for swing, tho. but Katie really ripped up the dance floor with me (c:
The food was fantastic; the ribs and filet mignon were my faves, and those desserts… holy crap the one with the crisp almond something-​something cup and fruit on top was amazing. I got their card, so I’ll be finding out the name at some point.
The caviar on the oysters was a great touch, and the proscuitto pizza wasn’t as good as mine Pc:
Very well done, very much fun, and I can’t wait for the next one!

ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!!!
That pretty much sums up last evening’s unforgettable soirée in Beverly Hills!
As soon as I stepped inside Tra di Noi Foccaceria, I found myself surrounded by sharply dressed Unilocalers casually socializing and sipping fine wines in a setting that was both elegant and chic, yet warm and inviting. And what could be more inviting than an eye popping dessert display at the bar! We’re talkin’ every delectable sweet you can possibly imagine sitting right before your eyes and ready for you to devour! I would have swooped in on those enticing treats if not for the irresistible aroma coming from the kitchen, which instantly diverted my attention. As I was drawn towards the divine sent of truffle oil and freshly made pasta, I walked deeper inside the dimly lit dining area towards the kitchen bar, where I was warmly welcomed by fellow Unilocaler Marko M (his 1^st Elite event!!! Woohoooo!!!), Karen I, Jenny B, Amber D and Frank D. Speaking of Amber D and Frank D, those two tore up the dance floor during the competition and almost won the $ 1,000 grand prize! Mind you, that was no easy feat as me and my partner Nicole B were the second couple to get tapped out! LOL Luckily we weren’t the first, as Jenny B and Tuan C got tapped out first! Better luck next time guys!
Honestly, I was just happy to cut some rug with my friends and hey, heading back to all that delicious food, cocktails and wine was by no means a concession in my book!
With that said, the food was nothing less than top notch! We’re talkin’ buttery soft filet mignon with blue cheese crumbles, tender «fall off the bone» ribs, tasty bacon wrapped dates, warm & crisp paninis, fresh seafood pasta with clams, luscious prosciutto pizza, & truffle Parmesan risotto with a perfectly fried egg to name just a few of the incredibly delicious items Chef Franceso Velasco was serving up last night for us lucky Unilocalers! And yes, no crazy lines and endless, I repeat endless amounts of delicious food and drink to appease even the most voracious of appetites!
Thanks for making us Unilocal Elites feel extra special Brittany B! You are a class act and last night’s stellar event was a shining example of that!
Special thanks also go out to the lovely Christina Y and Katie B for all their hard work, Tra di Noi Focacceria for the beautiful venue and mouthwatering cuisine, Pastries by Edie for the sublime desserts, Malibu Wines for all the delicious wines, Picture Healing for all the fun filled photos, Arthur Murray Dance Studio for the awesome salsa lessons, and the kick ass DJ for the excellent music!
Happy Eats and Even Happier Times!

What a great event! Food, drinks and desserts were plentiful all night and there was no line. I liked that it wasn’t crowded and there was lots of space to get your groove on.
There was so much food, but I only tried the oysters and the prosciutto pizza. The oysters were amazing! I loved the touch of caviar on top. Pizza was pretty good too, but very buttery.
They served wine and a tequila drink for this event. I actually quite liked the tequila drink, only because it didn’t taste like tequila. But, after 3 of those, I’m sure feeling it today.
It was nice running into a few familiar faces and catching up.
Awesome job CMs!

As Bruno Tanioli would say, «That was a juicy salsa! So much content and so much flavor to satisfy the most demanding appetite»
That pretty much sums up how last night’s party went.
Food was over flowing with inspired dishes. Oysters, filet mignon, baby back ribs, sashimi, prosciutto pizza, Quail egg on top of parmasean risotto… just to name a few of the fancy fare. Tra Di Noi really outdid themselves.
I have to mention those amazing pastries from Pastries by Edie. I have to mention the really excellent canoli like fruit tarts. And they kept refilling, it was enough to make you wanna dance.
This elite event was way vivacious like Bruno, not stuffy like Len, and definitely had none of Carrie Ann Inaba’s female douchebaggery.
I even picked up a few things watching the dancers and their fleet footwork. The people from Arthur Murray were even kind enough to hand out Unilocal Deals so I can be more like Maxim and less like Metta World Peace.
Thanks Brittany, Katie, and Christina!

Thank you Brittany and Katie for the great YEE!
Great food, great people, great venue! As my +1 remarked, «Yelp really attracts good-​looking people.» Everybody. looked. fabulous! Idk if anyone had a chance to check out the real menu of Tra di Noi Focacceria, but their prices are reasonable ($ 15-​$ 20/​dish) and their dishes sound yummy!
Please bring back the desserts by Edie’s Pastires! They were extremely generous with their dozen+ offerings that made me feel like I was in a top chef desserts tasting competition.hehe.

What a great event… can’t believe 2012 is off to such a fabulous start!
Parking was super easy… free parking in the underground lots as well as street parking. Loved that everyone was dressed up… made for such a fun night.
The food was amazing… from the oysters, sushi bar, bacon wrapped dates with beets to the freshly baked pizza, ribs, octopus and so much more. Chef Franceso Velasco did a phenomenal job!
The desserts by Edie’s Pastries were scrumptious… so much to choose from. Tried a couple and was impressed with the freshness and taste.
The dancers from Authur Murry studio were so awesome… I was so happy to get on the floor and jive with the hubby!
Thank you Brittany and Katie for organizing such an awesome event… made for a fabulous Unilocal night!

Brittany and Katie sure did a smashing job tonight at the Dancing with the Unilocalers Elite Event! The night was complete with good food, fun friends, dance lessons, and even a dance competition (which we got booted out early)! Fun to see old friends and meet new ones!
Tra di Noi Focacceria — thanks for hosting such a great party. Good food and servcice! I’ll certainly be back! Superb food:
Beef Ribs: Super tender & fall off the bone ribs, served with some BBQ sauce. Tender, juicy, and succulent! YUM! Grade: A!
Tri Tip: Delicious tender trip tip beef pieces served over a bed of mashed sweet potatoes (?). The meat had tons of flavors and bursted in your mouth! Grade: A!
Prosciutto Pizza: Imported prosciutto, sage, stracchino and parmesan cheeses. Delightful, as the salt from the prosciutto added a nice dimension to the smooth taste of the cheese. Grade: A–
Risotto with White Truffle Oil: The dish smelled amazing and everyone was ooh’ing and ahh’ing over the dish. I didn’t get a chance to try it, but everyone around me was raving about it!
Raw Oysters & caviar: Simple and elegant dish. Raw oysters topped with a dab of caviar made a great combination! Grade: A-​.
Loved the food here as it was well made. I’ll be sure to bring my colleagues and customers here to try this wonderful food! Good stuff!
Arthur Murray of Beverly Hills — thanks for the fun dance lessons! I’m signing up for lessons!
Pastries by Edie, Inc — Superb desserts! Wowee! I’m hooked!