Elite Event at Bella Luna & The Milky Way Lounge

Gotta stop missing these elite event reviews!
This was a really really well hosted event. Tons of snacks, buffet-​style. The parfait desserts were damn good and just kept coming. Sampled all the drinks and they were great. Definitely got the vibe that the Milky Way cared and wanted to show off — I also liked that were weren’t sequestered completely from the people who had come for dinner and drinks on their own. It was the first event I had been to where I kind of felt like we blended in (well, a little).
Funky space. Kudos to Leighann for making me get out to a place I would have never gone otherwise. Oh, and Bananagrams was blast.

The food was delicious, the drinks were even better, and this was overall the ideal way to spend a weekday night.
I made some new friends, beat my old friends at Bananagrams, and am already looking forward to going back to Bella Luna and the Milky Way Lounge!

Wooohooo, my Elite Event Cherry has been popped. How scandalous! =)
I had such an awesome time on Wednesday night. It was my first event and the hubby was my +1. He’s not a Unilocaler and thinks it’s kinda funny, the whole idea about reviewing places I go to. After this event he was impressed and gave me a pat on the back and said. REVIEW MOREEEE! lol
The passed tapas were yummy, but the dips and the cheese table had me hooked. Free drinks. first thought. they’re probably weak and not so tasty. What a shocker when I saw the specialty drinks and of course I tried them all. So yummyyy and not weak AT ALLL! The Rose Plum drink was my favorite.
We ended up playing Elvis Monopoly with 2 girls that wanted to play. We had a fun night laughing, drinking, and eating. What’s better than that. ohhhh and let’s not even get started with desserts. O em geee! Hellaaa goooddd! :)
Can’t wait for the next event!

I love seeing all these fine ass Unilocalers in one spot, and I love more going to places I would have never gone on my own accord. I had been to JP once prior to this event… for Sam Adams Brewery tour… for someone’s birthday… yeeeea… WTH — I’ve been missing out!
So much fun with the food, games, Unilocalers, annnnnd bringing a +1 who had never been to a Unilocal event before!!!
Oh oooooooh… and winning WINE RIOT TICKETS! Seriously, so excited, I never win anything and was trying to convince a friend who will be in town to go to this, and now… WE GET TO GO! yesssss
Thank you to Leighann and her Unilocal helpers (including Kevin who came from the DMV!) and for everyone who had a hand in making this event awesome. :-)

This was my first Elite event in almost two years and was a great way to get back into the groove.
I tried all the drinks except the colada (not a big fan of coconut and alcohol) and they were very tasty. Stayed away from the ‘Gansett as I think it pairs best with chili dogs and those were unfortunately not on the menu. Next time, perhaps.
Pluses to Leighann (nice to meet you in person finally) and Maura (great personality, red dress, cowboy boots, enough said) for hosting and for the bartenders for being quick and cheerful all night long. I hope everyone tipped them like crazy.
Like everyone who is not a veggie, I thought the gorgonzola/​buffalo chicken/​sweet potato chip combo was a miniature package of awesome. Loved the dips and those little red hot peppers… yeah…I ate a LOT of those. I also want to know what the glaze on the strawberries was. As is strawberries weren’t great enough on their own.
I didn’t expect to get sucked into Wii Bowling but I quite enjoyed it, even bowling with my off hand.
It was also nice to meet Mary in person. She’s all right for a UNC grad.
Great time, looking forward to the next event.

I’ve gone to three events, and by far this was my favorite. First of all, there was plenty of food! Thanks so much to the staff for keeping the tables filled and coming around. I noticed how hard they worked and they were constantly checking the tables to make sure there was food. Super appreciated it since I went to the last event and starved, especially since there weren’t many veggie options. Loved the dip and bell peppers, mini carrots, and chips, and the chocolate tasting spoons and little peanut butter tarts were diviiiiine.
Second, the whole, game thing was awesome for breaking the ice. Met Emily D and hubby and had a great time playing monopoly and chilling with them. All Unilocal events should be over an activity! Games were great — what better way to share a table and meet new folks?
Thanks for an awesome time. Super enjoyed it.

I really shouldn’t be reviewing this… because I work there as well as being a +1 last night… but I just HAVE to.
I have been to a handful of Elite events, and this was by far my favorite… apps, food, deserts, beer, wine, sangria AND vodka drinks?! yes please.
there was finally plenty of food for me even though I am chronically late.
the chocolate cups of fruit… AMAZINGLY yummy and those buffalo chicken temptresses??? wow. i think I have gained weight just from those little doozies. It think I ate 10 – 15 of them.
I am not going to talk about the service staff or the bar staff or Maura the hot sassy girl in the red dress because I know them — and that would be unfair. Lets just say they are truly deserving of your praise.
Leighann, I barely know ye, but awesome event.

I would like to give a shout out to Jake the awesome dessert chef who made the blueberry cheesecake stuff. That was awesome! Maura was nice enough to run out to the kitchen to get him so I could thank him and give him a high-​five! I’ll definitely be back to Bella Luna to get the blueberry cheesecake. The crab stuffed mushrooms were a close runner up in the food department. It should also be mentioned that the waitstaff was super nice and enthusiastic about the event!
Definitely another great elite event. Thanks Leighann! I never got a chance to get to the old Milky Way but the new one is definitely a nice place with a great vibe. The back room provided a fun place to play games and mingle. Plus, any restaurant that has a Wii and a huge television to play it on is alright with me!

Though the only game I pleYed last night was seeing if I could sample each tasty beverage offering; I had a simply fabulous time. As always, my favorite part of these events is just hanging with all you fools and traumatizing my +1. It was my first time in the new Milky Way/​Bella Luna and I was certifiably impressed with the space, the food, and the service.
How rock star were those bartenders? They managed to gracefully deal with the mob of Unilocalers along with their regular clientele. My favorite drink was probably the white sangria with wee bits of melon, and you best believe I will be copying that recipe for some porch drankin’ in the coming months. And it seemed there was always a stealth server at your elbow with some goodies. The Buffalo Chicken and Bleu Cheese thang=1 square inch of perfection. The chocolate mousse Unilocaled my name from across the room and when I heeded the call, it did not disappoint.
All that, and I didn’t end up lost in the Arboretum at 3 am. Whew. Thanks Leighann and all that made it possible!

What a great event! This was my first one, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I got there it didn’t take long to meet a few people, and even strike up a game of scrabble with another couple!
The bites were delicious but my favorites had to be the Buffalo chicken chip things, and the chocolate mousse — whoa.
The mixed drinks were good and strong, and the gansett flowed like wine!
Thanks for a great time!

Holy crap! Awesomeness that happened:
1) new, super cool friends
2) crab stuffed mushrooms
3) chocolate mouse from HEAVEN
4) super friendly staff
5) board games, Wii and pool
6) delicious Ruby Rose drinks that I consumed a few… or 4… or 5 of…
And in the spirit of Christopher M, «who grabbed my ass?»

Quinn’s right.
Wait, more?
I have to write more?
Fuck.
FINE.
OKAY.
Err.
Maura, I would have kissed you tonight. Tomorrow your chances are considerably slimmer, but tonight was your night girl. I fucking hate cowboy boots, but not on you. Thank you so much for making sure that my sad little veggie-​ish self didn’t starve tonight.
Timmy, read questions in the beginning of Quinn’s review.
Anywho.
This event was awesome. I’m truly looking forward to coming back to Milky Way. Even if it means riding the Orange Line somewhere.
The food was great, not over the top, but still crazy delicious. Honey/​vanilla glazed strawberries?
Madness, I tell you!
Even the blue corn chip bite was super good. Oh… the chocolate bowls! Honestly the first one was discarded (oops!) but the second one was excellent.
Service was excellent, I never once felt unwelcome or that they hadn’t planned for «this», despite some of the shenanigans taking place. I haven’t the slightest complaint about everyone working there tonight. Yay, rainbows!
It’s events like this that remind me why I Unilocal.
Thanks Leighann, Timmy, Maura, and everyone there tonight.

Leighann, you knocked down my drink, so you owe me another one!
How about this Saturday around 7?

So, me and JP got off on the wrong foot. The last time I was in Jamaica Plains, it was 4AM, we were at a gas station, lost trying to get back to Tewksbury after seeing Rocky Horror in Harvard Sq. Yes this was when I was a sophomore in High School, I learned of JP’s existence because when we asked someone at the gas station where we were he yelled, «You’re in Jamaica Mon». I didn’t know JP was a place and became scared for my life.
Flash forward to day of the event, I hop on the orange line ready to embark further than I’d ever gone before (past ruggles), I wasn’t so scared for my life (thanks day light!), but still was a little nervous. Bella Luna & the Milky Way Lounge were just a couple blocks from Stony Brooks ready to shelter me from any fear I might have.
The place was pretty cool, even had a huge parking lot (I know better than to drive to a Unilocal event). Giant connect four is awesome, even if you lose (darn you Damien). Timmy was awesome at the bar. Maura was running around being fabulous getting people food and getting pointed at (bad Daniel!). The place is awesome, and close to the T, you totally aren’t gonna get stabbed.
Also, I said I wasn’t gonna drink, but I had one of those plum vodka and cranberry drinks and they were kind of too good…
Rock n Roll bingo seems like a blast, I heard an Alkaline trio song (Mercy Me) so it def. has some cred.
So, Thanks Timmy, Maura, Leighann, Kevin, Tyler? (The guy who brought wine riot tickets, that I totally won) for a wonderful night

One of the best events in a while!
Great venue, how cool is this new space?! The interior and exterior are awesomely modern and hip. I can’t wait to go back.
The food was DELISH! Bella Luna, you really rocked this one. The dessert table was out of this world and a fun surprise. The blueberry cheesecake was out of control yummy.
The games, décor, and vibe were also so great. We played the gigantic Connect Four, which was really fun. Awesome job Leighann and Unilocal Boston!

Maura brought many platters of crab stuffed mushroom caps and buffalo chicken topped sweet potato crisps to a table of six kids failing miserably at Cranium. It went something like this:
D: we love you
M: and i love you
D: (an hour later) the buffalo chicken kids are asking about you. they’re finding it hard to fit in at school and they constantly inquire about their mom.
M: is it hard? do other kids pick on them?
D: they have a pretty solid teacher that encourages their peers to be open minded to half human/​half buffalo chicken students.
M: that’s just great.
D: yeah, except yesterday tyson and his brother…
M: purdue?
D: of course purdue! well, they got suspended because some kid licked them at PE.
M: tragic
D: totally tragic. when will kids realize that you can’t just taste a fellow classmate because they’re partially made of buffalo chicken?
M: it needs to be known.
(awesome, nervous laughter)
(more passed hors d’oeuvres)
Needless to say, I have a crush. Prompt, friendly cocktails and pie-​tin sized Connect Four chips (UNBEATEN UNTIED!) Oh, and we stuck around for the fastest round of rock’n’roll bingo known to man. I16B3O65N32G WTF slow down Bingo Mistress! Totally worth the sherpa-​accompanied guide to JP. I love you Milky Way.
Somehow I got blueberries in my guacamole. Sweet and savory? Take THAT PB&J!

Maura. I’ll end the review now.
Ok, but really, she was awesome, sweet, and just so happened to carry the tray of crab/​fontina stuffed mushrooms, so even more excuse to stalk her…(as if the red dress wasn’t enough)
Threw down a couple aces on Wii tennis.
Lost like 6 times in Bananagrams. (pretty sure leighann had a 7 letter word, while I had great vernacular such as «mom» and «it»)
Tried 4 of the delicious drinks there.
Pigged out on mini peanut butter tortes.
All in all, a pretty successful night. Props on the dessert plating and presentation (edible mini chocolate heart trays!). I am a sucker for plating. Now I must go study for my psychiatry test tomorrow morning and get this Pearl Vodka out of my system somehow. Oh jeez. I’m a new fan of Wednesday nights now…

i think during the night i started out as dorise g., and then had a stint as haley t., tim t., michael l., nik b., sho b., lauren d., and wound up as john a.
also, the bartenders were NOT messing around with the hot agave drinks — that thing was like 97% tequila! tried most of the complimentary beverages (and felt silly as i made change out of the tips left at the bar, but hey, at least i was tipping, right)? all delicious, tho the plum one was my fave.
as for the food, the manchego chips were extremely flavorful, the portabella mushrooms robust, and the cheesecake parfait & chocolate fruit bowl desserts (see ericalynn’s description — thanks to the Unilocaler who pointed out that they were, in fact, chocolate bowls, or FAR too much chocolate would have gone to waste in search of starfruit) all kept us well-​fed and helped keep our tummies amply-​coated for the power of agave.
didn’t game too much, but DID wii bowl and tennis. celeste, i demand a bowling rematch! leighann, thanks for yet another fantastic event — can’t wait til april!

Yeah, I’m 32, and this is the first time ever that someone else drove me home in my car. Seriously. Many thanks to Timmy for getting me seriously drunk. And to my friends for making sure I made it home safely.
Good apps. Strong drinks. Dessert table. Lots of folks I haven’t seen in forever. Sorry I’ve stayed away so long. I’ll try to remedy that for next time. Love the new space. Miss JP tons. Thanks for bringing me back to the old ‘hood.

Fabulous event!
I didn’t think that I could possibly be more impressed: the food was delicious and plentiful, the drink specials were creative and strong, the bartenders were friendly and hot, the venue was unique and fun, and all that plus a fantastic group of Unilocalers to spend the time with.
So why was my jaw on the floor late in the event?
Chocolate bowls. Filled with fruit. Seriously, Milky Way — you rock something fierce. Especially in light of the fact that so many of us had no idea that the bowls were edible until we’d already scraped tons of fruit out of them. You totally got us and got us good. I’m forever humbled by your greatness.
What was my life before Unilocal?Boring, and without chocolate bowls.