Elite Event at Kelso Bistro

I don’t normally get into Brooklyn events, so happy that for once, I was deemed worthy enough to get into a Kings County event.
I was excited about trying Panamanian food (however, I know it is more meat-​centered, so have passed thus far) and curious as to how Kelso would execute this event.
The space was nice, they cleared out the tables and made room for the event, but unfortunately, way too many people showed up and the place was a hot steamy sauna after 15 minutes.
Food came out sparsely and you could see all the people flock to the food immediately and the servers couldn’t even get past the kitchen door. And although I really like the sorrel and prosecco drink, they ran out about half-​hour into the event. There basically was no food or alcohol and it wasn’t even 1 hour into the event.
Needless to say, we were pretty much on our way out the door, when Jando chatted us up and kept us around for a bit, and guess what? More food and drinks started to come. So I am grateful that Jando kept us entertained.
Now, I am not complaining over a free event, and always very grateful for the invitations into any event, but also to be brutally honest, execution was poor and improvements could’ve been made on this event. After all, we are New Yorkers, we strive to be the best in the world. But thanks again to the Unilocal team for introducing me to Panamanian food and keeping me happy with sorrel!

The prospect of this event swung me from depression to mania – Panamania.
(Sorry. Can’t help it.)
The event was super crowded at first, and it felt like Kelso didn’t know what hit ‘em: they ran out of drinks muy rápidamente. But they recovered, getting more drinks and keeping the food coming all the while.
The signature drink for the event was Sorel mixed with prosecco – the Sorel had a flavor I recognized but couldn’t quite describe. Seems like the key ingredient is hibiscus – check out the copy from its makers:
. I’m glad I got a chance to try it.
Some of the appetizers were misses for me (fried plain dough?) but others were good (empanadas!) and then Kelso started bringing out proper entrees, plates loaded with plaintains, salad, and arroz con pollo – simple and tasty, with the meat and bones cooked right in with the rice. They really tried to get a whole plate in everyone’s hands. (They followed up with cups of cow’s feet soup, which I missed. Woe.)
Service was friendly as can be. Good on Kelso Bistro for being fantastic hosts, and thanks Peter D. for another lovely Brooklyn event!

What a great event thanks to Kelso and Unilocal!
The food was excellent and authentic, and our cups runneth over with great drinks. Can’t wait to return and try more of the menu. Thank you Kelso for a great night!
The crowd could not have been better, and the owners of Kelso’s could not have been nicer. The empanadas were second to none.

I married a Panamanian, therefore I consider myself half Panamanian. With that being said, you can imagine my excitement when I made the cut for this Elite Event. There were a few glitches but none of that mattered because (a) I really enjoyed the food, and (b) the waitstaff and bartenders were amazing. What more can a gal ask for?
I tried the empanadas and added a little bit of Kelso’s hot sauce. If you like hot sauce, this one’s for you (and I hear they sell it). It includes mustard, lots of scotch bonnet peppers, and vinegar, all blended to peppery goodness. Your eyes will water, your tongue will burn, your nose will run, but you will return for seconds. I definitely did.
I also had generous serving of arroz con pollo and then later the soup. Both were enjoyable.
I had a chance to scope out the menu and everything is reasonable priced.
Shouts to Peter D and co for introducing me to a soon to be local favorite.

Like the PanamaCanal, this place really let the good times flow! Kelso Bistro is located off the Franklin Ave-​stretch and should be a must-​stop for any area crawler.
We dined on great foods like empanadas, fried roti (?) and more with delicious dipping sauces catered on a prestigious platter! My favorite is definitely the roti with the spicy sauce (located in the middle with a warning sign) that acted as a catalyst for my sinuses (in a good way!)
Kelso Bistro is small, and we were a bit crammed at first — literally rubbing elbows, thighs, knees and… other… parts — until they ran out of booze and a good portion of the room cleared out. Me? I didn’t mind as we were assured by the lovely staff that they were bringing more shortly. Of course the AA meeting in the front part of the room (led by Chris D.) required more booze… Thankfully our glorious leader stumbled his way to a nearby liquor store and picked up some Jameson for the group. Never let it be said that we went dry, he really saved the day!
That is what AA is for right? For alcoholics to drink anonymously among their own?
In any regards, the staff was super friendly and on top of their game in bringing the fried platters to the areas that needed it the most and avoiding all the handsy-​schmandsy peoples stalking the kitchen. Had a truly great time hanging out with my Unilocalers, sharing (offensive) jokes with Jando, and putting a face to all the profiles I’ve been stalking as of late. *snicker*
As usual, thanks Peter D, Jando, Unilocal,Yelpers and of course Kelso Bistro for being the best!

Very happy that my 100^th review could be for this fun event! I had my first Panamanian food and also got to go farther down Franklin Street than ever before!
My +1 and I missed the first round of food, but we made it right in time for the paella, fried plantain and ensalada. I enjoyed the whole plate, but holy platanos was that plantain incredible. I really would’ve been cool with just plates and plates of nothing but plantains. Later on we had some of the cow foot/​feet soup… not sure how many feet were in there. I had a bit of it, thought it was really good but that it needed to cool off, became immersed in a conversation, and soon realized that Mr. +1 had finished off the soup. :) I guess that means it was tasty.
The Sorel and Prosecos were not really my thing, but I enjoyed their free-​ness and drank em anyway. :) The passion fruit juice packed a real flavor punch.
The venue was small but very nice, and as we rounded the second hour it started to clear out and felt a lot more spacious.
Thank you Peter, Kelso Bistro, Sorel, and everyone we met and said hi to!

Scrolling through the 32(!) Unilocal reviews I’ve discovered so far all the reviewers are Elite! I guess Elites don’t waste time LOL. I think I’m the first Plus 1 to review the event.
Thanks to my Elite, Nathan E, I was able to get on the list. I’ve never been to Crown Heights before so it was a new experience. Walking down the street, I could tell where the event was with all the people trying to get in. At about 7:45 it was so crowded you could barely move. They ran out of drinks and appetizers. But the crowd was festive and fun as we patiently waited for more food and drinks just like Oliver Twist. The staff appeared overwhelmed with the Unilocal crowd, but still remained accommodating, smiling, and even gave us Coronas.
Luckily the crowd thinned out. As bartender/​Sorel guy Jack promised, more cases of Sorel and Prosecco arrived. Sorel is an artisanal liqueur made in Brooklyn, heavy with cloves, hibiscus, and hints of ginger and nutmeg. Paired with Prosecco, we kept Jack busy refilling our glasses! I need to find out where Sorel is sold.
The dinner plates came out, heaping with Arroz con Pollo, chicken wing, salad and plantain. Lots of Panamanian goodness for everyone. I was touched that waitresses also handed out free plates to some older gents that were hanging outside the whole time, probably regular customers.
It was fun meeting so many Elites and their Plus 1s. I also got to meet Peter D. Thanks Peter for organizing the event, especially in a place I probably never would have noticed. The excitement and enthusiasm of this Unilocal community makes me want to try for Elite status too! Friend me and watch for my reviews ;)

What a great Monday night event out in Brooklyn. Many thanks to Deoroop M. for having me as his +1 at Kelso Bistro. Otherwise, I would never have experienced a first time at Crown Heights and Panamanian cuisine. While Kelso Bistro might appear to be a hole in the wall from the outside, it’s actually far from it. It’s a small and narrow space, but it’s very nice, quite clean, and newly renovated. The layout is a little strange at first, but that’s because they removed all tables and chairs to accommodate what seemed like well over 40 people (it was a very full house). There is booth seating to the left and on right is the bar.
Sorel/​Jack from Brooklyn, mixed with Prosecco, was the star beverage of the evening. I’ve never had Sorel, let alone even heard of it, but it’s (dangerously) so delicious. It’s on the sweet side and has a rather exotic taste to it. We had the Sorel on ice, but the bartender mentioned that it can be enjoyed hot as well. Servers went around with large platters of some great fried goods, such as flour fritters, beef patty empanadas, fried dough, etc. served with some dips of chipotle, hot sauce, and sweet/​sour sauce. Midway into the event, they brought out plates of yellow rice and beans with plantains, salad, and baked chicken (skin and bones intact). It was all delicious, but I would have to say my highlight dish of the evening was the cow-​foot soup they served at the very end. Really unusual dish, but it turned out to be the most delicious soup I’ve ever had. Seriously, it was amazing. It was super comforting, ultra-​hot soup with tons of flavor. It’s very hearty, compared to regular beef soup. It’s definitely worth having at Kelso.
Halfway into the start of the event, they temporarily ran out of the alcohol. Awesome Deoroop M., however, saved the day for us thirsty ones. He went out of the way to grab a big bottle of Jameson from the local liquor store to keep us warm and happy as we patiently waited for their replenishment of Sorel. Shots after shots after shots, and then some more Sorel. A fantastic and really fun Monday night overall. I really liked the food here, and Kelso’s staff was very nice and friendly to all of us. I’ve never been to this part of Brooklyn, but I don’t see why I shouldn’t return. Thank you Peter D. and Jando S. Thank you Deoroop M. for having me as a +1.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Kelso last night. This was my second time at Kelso, and I am just as pleased! I see Kelso has revamped its image in a few ways– the updated décor looks awesome and the addition of «Bistro» to its name shows that Kelso is changing with the neighborhood. As long as the food stays delicious and the atmosphere chill, I’m good with that!
Firstly, this event was a plus one, so my boyfriend and I turned it into a date-​night. Yay! We started with a taste of the sorrel liquor, and then enjoyed several Ariana cocktails– the sorrel liqueur with champagne.
Secondly, the food was amazing! My boyfriend and I sampled rounds of fried goodness– from fried dough (I had no idea fried dough could taste so good!) to empanadas and corn fritters. The tasty array of sauces provided were the perfect accompaniment to all the goodness going around. As for the hot sauce, the one too hot to be left out with the other sauces because it required a verbal disclaimer, it was amazing! I respect the fact that the hot sauce truly warranted the given warning, and as a connoisseur of hot sauces, I can say this disappointingly is not often the case. I asked, and Kelso’s hot sauce is made in-​house and very flavorful.
Thirdly, this event was a three-​course dinner with appetizers (A.K.A. fried goodness); a sizable, full plate of delicious rice, plantain, salad and a chicken wing; and flavorful soup to finish the night off.
I will be back to Kelso very soon, potentially before or after a first-​Saturday event at the nearby museum. With the updated décor, Kelso is the perfect date-​spot for delicious Panamanian eats and drinks.
Thanks Peter D. and crew for another awesome event!

Another great Unilocal event. I had never heard of Kelso before, but I was excited to try Panamanian food. My +1 had eaten at Kelso before (pre-​renovation) and was excited to learn that they were open and renovated again. She said this was going to be her new Friday night date spot!
We got there about 5 minutes after 7 and the small venue was already packed. No problem. I have come to expect this from Unilocal events. Although some events are more packed than others. We were able to get to the bar and get a drink no problem.
The drink of the night was some liqueur called «Sorel» topped off with prosecco. It was pretty good if you like Sorel. I dont think I could have too many as it was pretty sweet. It had kind of a cinnamon-​y flavor. Felt like something you might have around the holidays. We met the owner/​creator of Sorel, «Jack from Brooklyn.» He was nice enough at the time.
Onto the «Kelso» experience. The staff was really great and the owner friendly. They were very patient and brought out lots of food for us Unilocalers. There were trays and trays of appetizers. They were tasty but all fried. Not exactly the healthiest but that did not stop me from trying one of each.
I was stuffed. Later on they brought out some chicken and rice with a side salad and some excellent fried sweet plaintains. So sweet and tender. I think they brought out even more food after I left but I was already stuffed around the time the rice came around. The Kelso staff also served passion fruit juice and some other juices. People really seemed to enjoy them. They also saved the day when the Sorel ran out pretty early in the event and brought out some beer for us thirsty Elites.
It was a good experience and I picked up a Kelso menu to bring home. I would definitely come here again for dinner. The food was good and prices extremely reasonable.
The only downside of the evening was my experience with Jack from Brooklyn (the Sorel guy). I asked him where I could buy Sorel, and he rolled his eyes at me and told me with such an attitude «Ummm like 300 locations.» Gee thanks dude. Sorry, I havent heard of your drink. Sorry I was actually going to pick it up to try at home. Maybe mentioning a few places in the neighborhood would have been better. Also, when the drinks ran out, he just started ignoring everyone and playing with his phone. He didnt seem apologetic at all or very interested. Eh, if you aren’t interested, I’m not interested.
Thanks to Peter D and the Unilocal crew for putting on a great event. :)

First ever elite event in Crown Heights. A Panamanian restaurant that’s right in my backyard close to home. In my book, this is only a win-​win situation.
Walking past Kelso Bistro, you would never think twice about a place that seems like a hole in the wall. I can truly attest that this is one of the best local food spots I’ve been to in a while and definitely NOT your average hole in the wall. This was surely very unique among the other Elite events I’ve been too because it highlighted the Panamanian culture through it’s food and drink.
Despite the event being over capacity at certain points and time, there was plenty of food to go around. Every Latin/​Central American/​Caribbean/​West Indian country has their own version of fried dough and theirs was very delicious. A little bit on the sweet and salty side but balanced in perfect, fried doughy goodness. Chicken paella with a side of sweet plantain and salad, show me to the next plate because the first one was devoured, fork napkin and all.
Sorel, which is actually sorrel infused with cloves, ginger and organic grain alcohol (30% alcohol by volume) mixed with Prosecco. Recipe for a nice, bubbly, refreshing drink. Can I have another 3 drinks please, on second thought can I have the bottle?!
A special thanks to Peter D. for bringing Unilocal to Crown Heights and exposing us to such an awesome and delicious Panamanian restaurant that I had no clue existed. Jack the bartender, the Sorel staff and of course, the waitresses of Kelso for being so hospitable and accommodating to the Unilocal horde. Big shout-​out to Jandito and Matthew for helping out and making this event another success (and also facilitating the over consumption of alcohol at all times).
Btw, any establishment that is BYOB… THROW IT UP!!! Nuff said…

There were a lot of firsts for me at this event.
First time eating Panamanian food.
First time drinking Sorrel.
First time having cows feet soup.
And let me tell you, all three of these were fantastic. And I still cannot get over how good that soup was. Seriously… amazing. That soup was sooo good. Yes the empanadas, corn fritters and chicken rice was all very delicious. but OMG that soup! I wanted to take it home and make love to it. (my tongue is still burnt from trying to drink it to fast)
The staff here was very accommodating. We packed the shit out of this place and yet they were still able to bring everybody food. Carrying the appetizers though the sea of people to hit all sides of the room. Even though it was a bit cramped at first, I was able to try a little of everything.
Overall a great event. Great people. and OMG that soup!
Thank you Peter D, Matt, Jando.
And THANK YOU Jack, Renee, Sorel Girl, and the rest of the staff!!!

Coming to this event I was getting lots of looks and stares. And this time it wasn’t because I was a drunk stumbling mess…
Well I guess they were later, but at first it was because I showed up in costume.
Going to a costume event afterwards I had two options. Leave the event early, then go home and change. Or rock out in the costume all night. C’mon, am I really going to miss part of a Unilocal event? Blasphemy.
So I showed up as Walter White asking for the Panamanian cartel. Some people got a real kick out of it. A couple of the workers there really dug it. One didn’t know the show and when told who I was, wanted to take a picture with me. She asked if I was the main guy. I explained that I came as the main character of the show. She then got the owner over to meet me. I think the server thought I was actually Bryan Cranston. Jack from behind the bar asked if I intended to kill him later. I assured him no, however when the drinks stopped I became highly agitated and all bets were off.
Less than half an hour into an event!!! What’s going on? However it was a blessing. For starters, the crowd dissipated. It was super packed at first. Second, it was going to be a long night. A break was needed.
Then Deoroop saved the day by arriving with my good friend Jameson. It was much appreciated. Three cheers for Deoroop!
Now for the food. Having eat here before I assure you the appetizers are all on point. They’re all delicious. The options of sauces are awesome, especially their famous hot sauce which they now sell! Those unaware had to beg Jack for a drink as quick as possible. The main dishes were alright. Nothing mind blowing but good.
In the end it was a fun time catching up with friends, with it being my first event in over a month. Big thanks to Jando working the door. The amazingly friendly staff at Kelso. I’m going to give the place another try. Deoroop for saving the day. And Peter D, who just had a big milestone in his life… Being friends with me for a year. Congrats Pete!

In the words of Peter D., Unilocal is all about supporting local businesses. While most Elite events are about showcasing a new establishment, it’s nice to see every now and then an event celebrating a place that has been in business for so long that it has become an integral part of the identity of a neighborhood.
I hope my fellow Unilocalers enjoyed this introduction to Panamanian cuisine, since Kelso is one of the very few Panamanian establishments in NYC. As for me, I am totally addicted to their Carimañolas and their homemade delicious hot sauce.
I also love sorrel i.e. hibiscus, and the Sorel and champagne drinks were the perfect refreshment for an event that got hot pretty fast.
More than anything, though, Kelso is a very friendly, welcoming, warm place; you’ll always find here excellent service (thanks, Kesha!) and simple, tasty food prepared with passion (thanks, Veronica!).
Great to meet new Unilocalers Heisemberg and Jesse.
Deoroop M. is the new Rony M.

Fun event! It started out a bit crowded and we may have been ravenous with the food, but all good things come to those who wait. By the end of the night, everyone had a plate of rice and chicken and double-​fisting Sorel/​Prosecco. The chicken was delicious and nicely spiced. The Sorel was clove-​y, so if you’re into that, definitely hit up Jack from Brooklyn. We also had some cow feet soup, which was tasty. Will definitely try to come back for a full meal.
Special thanks to Peter D for organizing, Kelso Bistro for hosting us, and Jack from Brooklyn for delivering the booze!

An interesting event at an interesting restaurant. It was a little bit more jam packed than I am comfortable with and when my date, Stephy P. made a bee line for the crowded hoard of Unilocalers near the kitchen I almost cried but then she retrieved me something fried and something fluffy and sauce and I pulled her begrudgingly back away from the savage beasts. Whatever the spicy empanada like roll was it was great, especially with the hotter dipping sauce. It was spicy enough that it redeemed my trip to Bonnie’s for new york’s alleged ‘hottest’ wings this weekend. The fluffy things I think are called Hojoldne and taste like pillows of yummy fried dough. Ketchup/​mayo (aka what I like to call hispanic/​puerto rican sauce) everywhere. Including my shirt. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the soup/​or yellow rice with chicken/​chicken bones. BUT I loved the sweet plantains.
Sorel. I’ve actually had it before once randomly at a poker game quite some time ago. To me, it tastes like Christmas. I hate Christmas. But its very spicy and tingles your tongue with wafts of nutmeg, cloves, allspice. Is that a Deodorant? I think it would taste better maybe with a dark rum instead of Prosecco though or just on its own. Sorel is weird. Booze ran out at one point but was remedied with Hawaiian tropical fruit punch, corona and heinis.
I did have fun at the event though. It was a great way to wind down to a god awful stressful few weeks. Or rather starting the beginning of the week off with a bang. Monday Funday. Someone had too much fun and is home sick today! Yay! Thank you so much for the fantastic event Peter D. Sorry for notching my stars down and making you cry. And always a pleasure to see Jando in the BK!

After numerous attempts and rejections of getting into a Brooklyn Unilocal Event, I made it my mission to get in somehow. Luckily, my friend added me as his +1. Yay for me! It was my first time trying Panamanian food and it was GREAT! I especially loved the chicken paella (which had a little bit of a kick to it). They started out with some fried foods like empanadas, fried dough, and arepas and ended the night serving some kind of Cow Feet Soup (awesome since it was a cold night). To my surprise, it was not bad at all and very filling too. I’m a native to Queens, but I was very welcomed by Brooklyners during the event. It was a full house (literally) and lets just say everyone got very cozy next to each other. There were some parts of the restaurant that made me feel like I was at a College Frat party, but everyone that was sitting around the sofa and hanging out by the bar were very relaxed and chilled. Despite running out of alcohol during the first half hour of the event, Kelso Bistro saved the day by bringing out more booze and beer from the back. The servers were AWESOME so I definitely wanted to give them a shout out! I have yet to try more restaurants around the area so «WATCH OUT BROOKLYN, I’M COMING FOR YOU!»
Thanks to Peter for setting up an awesome Unilocal Event!

FOOOOOD!!! yummy yummy food. This event was great because it had my two favorite things: Food, and more food! Seriously was actually pretty stuffed after the Arroz con pollo, which of course came after the huge tray of appetizers than included empenadas and these yummy meat filled fried casava things. YUM.
Also, that Sorel liquer is a must buy. As a trini, I consume most of the world’s sorrel, but i didnt know there was a liquer i coulda have been having as well! Another gem from Peter D. Excellente!

The food here was pretty good — I’m Hispanic so fried foods appeal to me. The meat filled things were delicious as we’re the tortillas… ohhhhh delicious tortillas and yellow rice, no Latin themed event is complete without rice and BEANS!
The flour bakes were yummy when lovingly drowned with ranch and chipotle mayo. I called them «the Latin-​American iceberg lettuce». Yummy (to some, I freakin LOATHE iceberg lettuce!) but with no nutritional value whatsoever. I prefer these over I lettuce though ANY DAY.
The staff here was super friendly. Should out to Lori who was holding the fort down when they ran out of prossecco and Sorel about 45 minutes into the event. They improvised though with bottles of Corona and Heineken. I hate Heineken, but Corona works and then 30 minutes later someone arrived with more booze — huzzah!
Awesome event overall, thank you Peter, Jando and the rest of the Unilocal team!

1. My first Unilocal elite event. Woohoo!!!
2. Thank you to the Kelso Bistro staff. You were awesome.
3. Thank you Peter and the Unilocal team.
What a great event. I never had Panamanian food. First time for everything.
Started out with some empanada, fried dough, and arepas. It was good.
Next, they served the chicken paella with sweet plantain and salad. The chicken paella had really good kick to it. The sweet plantain was great. It was DELICIOUS!!! My favorite dish of the night.
Lastly, I had the cow feet soup. A good soup to have on a cool night. It kept me warm. Plus I love soups.
For drinks, the staff was serving, Prosecco and Sorrel. That was an okay drink for me.
Overall I was more than satisfied with my night. I was very happy. I had a great time. Plus I finally got to meet Peter. Haha!!!
I look forward to going to future Unilocal Elite Events.