Championship Dining Experience for Elites at Don & Charlie’s

Sooo, Julia T. thought she was late writing her review? HA… I’m several weeks delayed :-/​However, my excuse is that I wanted to try out the gratis bottle of BBQ sauce before the review!
Before I get to that, let me get back to the event, from a vegetarian perspective.
This is not my first Elite event, however it is my first in PHX. And what an event it was! From our wonderful hosts (and hostess, Lindsay F.) to the food to the service (love me some Donna!) to the Gallo wine (so.much.wine).
I had:
— Spinach artichoke dip which was excellent and worth the 4000 calories personally consumed
— Caesar salad — lovely, not over-​dressed. The offered wedge salad had bacon, so I didn’t order that, but it looked great.
— BBQ Salmon — the major show-​stopper for me (until desserts…)
— TWO Chocolate cake w/​ice cream & chocolate-​caramel sauce. Yes, two. Turns out the owner, Don has a connection to the industry I work in, and we started chatting on my walk back from the ladies’. We discussed desserts and he personally brought mine out… and then I got another from our server extraordinaire, Donna! I was able to share out my extra dessert, because let’s be honest, after that large and fabulous of a meal, there was not a chance that I could finish one, let alone two huge desserts!
At home use:
— Bottled BBQ sauce — I tried to re-​create the BBQ salmon I had, and while mine tasted pretty good considering I am awful at cooking fish, I’ll be back for the salmon in house. For home use, the sauce is nice and thick, with a great flavor.
I did not try:
— Liver pâté? I think that was it… the few brave souls around me who tried it seemed to enjoy it
— Shrimp cocktail — silly shrimp allergy precludes my trying this, but it was DEVOURED by all at the table
Don chatted us up during and after the event, and I’m now a follower on his Facebook feed — you’ll find cute anecdotes as well as contests and other special offers. Way to embrace social media, Don & Charlies! I’ll definitely be back, with carnivores in tow!

Forget the whole Elite event thing, this stands as one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. Great food, impeccable service, many of my Unilocal friends and I made a few more while there. Thank you to Don and Gallo for hosting us.

Ok so I’m the newest to the Elite group and I guess maybe the slowest to writing the reviews; forgive me, just getting back from whirlwind weekend down in LA! Damn its Monday already?
I cannot write about how great the Championship Dining Experience for Elites at Don & Charlie’s was! All I kept thinking man it’s pretty sweet to be elite!
Hats off to Don & Charlie’s! Also big thank you to Lindsey!
It was so great to meet people and share laughs with! I am an outgoing person and I think I just found a bunch of others just like me lol Luv it!
So there was wine and somehow I wound up drinking 2 glasses, I am not a wine drinker, I come from a family with strong background in wine, but me I never got into it, but somehow it was good and hit the spot!
Another thing I’m not a huge person on was at the table, shrimp, yea im not a fan, but I had 2! Can you believe that, it was that dang good, and the cocktail sauce, man that had a kick to it, left me with a smile! I love the spicy!
I had the wedge salad, it was good, I have no complaints! Maybe more bacon & blue cheese, just cuz those 2 flavors together make a crazy explosion of happiness in your mouth! Oohhhh yeah!
I got the 12oz prime rib! Oh damn that was heaven! That’s more beef I have eaten all year! Been on a health kick this year & have almost dropped 70 pounds and been sticking to the lean proteins, but omg that prime rib did this body good, the double stuff bake potato, gawd I couldn’t finish it but it was heaven! I didn’t eat all day because I knew my elite meal would push me over the calorie limit, and hunny I didn’t care! Um but it did set the tone for the entire weekend and now I have to work out even harder during thanksgiving weekend!!! But it’s ok!
For desert I ordered the chocolate cake and omg it came with a thing of sauce to pour over the cake! OOHHH yea I went all chocolate crazy and got chocolate wasted!!!
The night was a great night! Honored to have been invited and to have met some great people! Look forward to more events!

This was one of my favorite and most intimate Unilocal Elite Events. I sat at a circular table with a group of people that I really enjoyed talking to. It was like one of those conversational and cozy dinners. I felt I could get to know the other Unilocalers and ask them questions that I would not normally ask. For example, I asked the other Unilocalers if they normally give 2, 3, 4 stars or if they could sum up their favorite restaurant in the Phoenix area, what would it be? What’s funny at these events we noticed since we love tasting new restaurants, we generally also enjoy other interests. I rounded up a list of the Unilocaler’s favorites that I hope to try in the area.
Not only that, the food was spectacular! I was in dessert heaven as I tried every dessert on the menu. My favorite was the crème brûlée… Every bite was rich and blissful. Additionally, how often do I get to eat filet mingon? It was above par! They gave us a generous amount of food that I gave to a friend while I picked her up from the airport a couple hours later. The appetizers were fantastic too! Spinich dip and shrimp! The food was delightful and makes me a fan of Don & Charlie’s. Nice touch by giving everyone a company owned bbq sauce!
Another job well done, Lindsey! We’re lucky to have you throw such awesome events!

Big thanks to Lindsey, Unilocal and Don and Charlie’s for having me at this wonderful event! I had never been to D and C’s before and I have to say, impressive! I typically don’t like steakhouses due to the uppity vibe and high prices for super unhealthy food. Yes, the food was unhealthy, but well worth the guilt! The steak was amazing and cooked to perfection. I ordered a twice baked potato which was probably the best I’ve ever had. And the salad was stellar. The best part about D and C’s was the laid back atmosphere. If loved the sports décor and super chill vibe. Definitely on the top of my list for steakhouses in the valley! Not to mention the service was impeccable.
As far as the event goes, it was a little different than what I have experienced in the past. I typically like to be up and moving around so you can mingle with your fellow Unilocalers. Due to the dining experience, we were not able to do that. With that said, I got to know some lovely fellow elite junkies at my table and enjoyed myself. The nonstop wine refills helped as well!
Thank you Unilocal.You rock!!!

OMG I don’t even need to eat for a week!
I have been to Don & Charlie’s several times before but not in a few years; so I was very excited to return even though I didn’t expect that my favorite items would be a part of the limited Unilocal menu. Whoo Hoo! This menu was like Christmas morning!
Filet Mignon — CHECK
Shrimp Cocktail (IMO the BEST cocktail sauce in Phx) — CHECK
Wedge Salad — CHECK
Crème Brulee — CHECK
Not to mention the yummy liver pâté that I LOVE and always eat way too much of before my meal even comes. Seriously, this is exactly what I would’ve ordered if I had my choice of everything on the menu! Thanks SO much to Lindsay and Gallo wines, and especially the wonderful staff at Don & Charlie’s for putting this event together. The service was outstanding and they seemed genuinely pleased to have us all there. I promise I will not wait so long to visit ever again :)

A huge thank you to Unilocal,Lindsey, Don and Austin (owner and gm of Don and Charlie’s) for one of the most fun events I’ve ever been!
Although I’ve been Elite for almost a year now, this is the first Elite function I’ve attended, and I sure did pick a good one! Don and Charlie’s has been a favorite restaurant of mine and my family’s for years. I go way back because I was a customer of Carson’s Ribs back in Chicago since I was just a very young girl. I was so excited to see this event pop up I knew I had to join in the fun.
Unlike most Unilocal functions where you get an assortment of appetizers and 2 drinks, last night we were treated to a full meal with our own choices of salads, main dishes, potatoes and desserts. I’ve tried just about everything on the menu over the years and last night was treated to a house salad with the most amazing house anchovy dressing, prime rib w/​horseradish cream, and their «famous» au gratin potatoes. Oh, and did I mention this was after the BEST chopped liver in the valley, shrimp cocktail and their delicious spinach/​artichoke dip. And wine … bottles of red and white were pouring freely, I know I had at least 2 glasses and when some at our table wanted soda instead of wine, we were brought that too along with extra in a carafe. The service was phenomenal and attentive and I don’t think we could have asked for much more.
I had a chance to reacquaint with Unilocalers I haven’t seen in a long time and met some new friends as well. Loved the Elite bingo and 2 lucky winners went home with $ 50 g/​c from the restaurant. In addition we all brought home a bottle of Don and Charlie’s BBQ sauce, Unilocal sunglasses and a sports themed ornament.
Thank you again for letting me be a part of such an awesome evening!

I never started « Unilocaling» with the intentions of becoming Elite or privileged by any means. My reviews and participation on Unilocal truly reflect my love for food, respect for restaurants (ambiance, décor, service, etc.), and of course… cocktails! (Plus, it helps keeps my writing skills in check, and maybe helps others choose places based on reviews.) However, when I made «the list» for this very special event at Don & Charlie’s — I won’t lie — I felt pretty special.
I’ve been to several Elite events with a +1. I’m not part of any « Unilocal crew» so Elite events have always been great, but a bit disengaged. Only having brief conversations with others but mainly sticking to conversations with my guest.
This event, however, was VERY intimate and forced us all out of our comfort zone to play « Unilocal Bingo» in order to meet others. Great idea! Then, I was lucky to sit at a table and enjoy a meal with complete strangers… who quickly became 5 AMAZING people I can’t wait to run into again.
I’d never been to Don & Charlies nor had I heard about them. From a glance at their website I would have assumed it was a sports bar and we’d be choking down wings and sliders. I could not have been more wrong! What a great steak house… a casual, non-​chain, filled with decades of sports memorabilia.
The wine was flowing and the starter of Shrimp Cocktail and Baked Spinach and Artichocke Dip started the evening off.
Who was ready for a full menu??? Definitely not me! But I ordered the House Salad (garlic dressing ON THE SIDE please…) :) and then my choice of the 8 oz. Filet and «Cheesy» Au Gratin Potatoes were stellar. The filet was cooked to perfection and was delicious! I happened to taste test the Baby Back Ribs from the oh so gracious Linda A. Amazing!
Dessert. I HAD to go with the «off-​menu» special selection of the evening… bread pudding! But not just bread pudding… PUMPKIN bread pudding. The serving was twice the size of my filet but the best part was the table passed around all desserts and we got to try a little of each. Nader chose the Key Lime Pie which was excellent and refreshing after a heavy steak meal. And although not a fan of cheesecakes normally, Judy shared hers and it was also great. Served up with some coffee to offset the wine buzz… and all in all — this was the most amazing event ever.
Bravo Lindsey! Fantastic event.
And a special thanks to Don & Charlie’s for hosting us at their restaurant and providing us with top notch service and food. I’ll definitely be back now that I know it’s there!

Good food, decent wine, neat people what more could you want?
The meal started with onion bread, staled bagels (I didn’t get it) and a plate of pâté‘ onions and a hard boiled egg. Very old school and mostly ignored by most.
There was a small Pre fix menu to select from. The tables were given a shrimp cocktail app that is served on a bed of ice and a artichoke spinach dip, which was rich and creamy with yellow tortilla chips.
For salad I went with the Cesar, nothing special here, just fresh lettuce and cheese, it was a good size. Some went for the wedge that looked a bit fun.
My main I had the BBQ glazed salmon, the glaze was subtle and the fish was nicely cooked, it is a smaller portion as salmon goes. For a side I had the Cheesy AuGraten potatoes, Cheese cream and flavor, my tongue loved what my arteries hated.
Last but not least was a crème burle‘. From the surface it looked tame but under the cream lurked a chocolate surprise.
IT was a solid dinner, The items were all very traditional and presented in a classic style. The inside was not my style cluttered with sports memorabilia, dim lighting and low ceilings, but I think this is the appeal of this place for most.
Lindsay did a great job pairing the wine with this dinner as they were excellent compliments and Don & Charlie’s was a great host, Charlie was there and larger than life to say hello and thank you.

7 Ingredients to making a memorable Unilocal Elite event
1. Mad props to Lindsey! Thank you SO much for getting this fabulous event together and pulling it off seamlessly. This Unilocal event raised the roof!!! WOOT WOOT!
2. Special thanks Don of Don & Charlie’s! He came and greeted us himself, what a genuine dude! Such a generous host and opened his restaurant to us. And the D&C’s own BBQ sauce to bring home as a parting gift.
3. Gallo wines reps — Thank you so much for asking me if I wanted wine. I would still be at D&C’s next week if I had any. LOL!
4. This was a Unilocal elite event only. It was great! Instead of entertaining my +1, I had the freedom to roam around and mingle with other Unilocalers. The Unilocal Bingo helped give me a reason to too!
5. 5 course meal: Basket of bread and a plate of onions, liver, and hard boiled eggs, Shrimp cocktail & artichoke spinach dip with tortilla chips for apps (most delicious); 3 choices of salads — I skipped, 12oz Prime rib was my entrée choice with AuJus (YUM); my side was the cheesy AuGraten potatoes (double YUM); & for dessert NY Style Cheesecake (creamy and most excellent). I got to try bites of everything from the generous Unilocalers at the table.
6. I sat with the best group of Unilocalers (Sofen, Sarah, Linda, Nader and Kelly). I meet new Unilocalers and got to know ones I know before better. Thanks for sharing!!!
7. Riley RULES!!! PHENOMINAL service. He paid detailed attention to us. He anticipated our needs before we knew we needed them. You need to ask for Riley, he is the BEST!

What an excellent evening — probably the best Unilocal event I have been to yet. This was my first experience with Don & Charlie’s — I have been to Spanish Fly before and did not realize that one of the best restaurants in town was a few feet away. I was greeted by Don as I entered the dining room and his hospitality continued throughout the event. Typically at these events we get a little sample of various things from the menu, but I have never been to an event where a full was meal provided.
We started with the shrimp cocktail and spinach & artichoke dip. I love spinach & artichoke dip and this was incredible. Next course I went with the Caesar salad. Yummy! For the main dish I chose the prime rib with raw horseradish. The prime rib was among the best I have ever tried. The horseradish was very strong and even a small sample didn’t just open my nose, I felt it in my entire head. To top off the meal I was enticed into trying the pumpkin bread pudding. I don’t even like bread pudding but OMG — it was slap ya mama good! This was the best thing I have eaten in my entire life.
It was great seeing a lot of my Unilocal friends I haven’t seen in a while (Ebony, Aileen, Linda, Robyn, and Dottsy) and the bingo activity allowed me to meet new ones. And I was impressed that despite the small event size there were 4 Mark’s (okay 3 Marks and 1 Marc) in attendance. And I was impressed to see Mark N. find an Old Style beer! Great job on this event and a big thanks to Lindsey & Don!
I was not aware of Don & Charlie’s before this event, but I will not forget it. I will be back!

«How the hell did the VEGAN get invited to a steakhouse event???»
Yeah… I was wondering the same thing, but thanks to Lindsey’s hard work, she was able to secure me a spot and a delicious vegan meal! At a steakhouse!
Warning: The Vegans Are Coming. Be Prepared. Get your vegetables ready!
My table was obviously the best, as it sat me, Lindsey F, Nathan S, George S, Sunny B, Scott D, and some other people that I don’t remember because I had several glasses of the delicious Cab that never stopped flowing. Hopefully everyone overheard the subject matter we had going because it made for an interesting time.
The hands down BEST thing about this event was Donna, our amazing server. She was literally the most friendly, on-​the-​ball, server I have ever had and she has quite the personality. You can tell she loves what she does, and I love her.
Thanks to D&C for accommodating my special needs and making me a salad and a special pasta primavera so I could partake in the championship eating. I really enjoyed the leftovers today!
This was seriously such a unique and fun event, and I look forward to some more intimate Elite events in the future!

Omg! I had so much fun. From the time I arrive to the time I left the staff went over and beyond taking care of us. I have been to quite a few Unilocal events and this one was probably one of my favorites. Yes, the food plentiful, and the wine was flowing, but seriously it was a nice small event and I got to spend time with some Unilocalers I haven’t seen in forever as well as meet some fabulous new ones.
Standing in line one of the lovely waitresses Donna says hello and offered to me some wine. What? When is the last time you have ever been offered wine while standing in line? I was in love! lol I checked in, picked up a bingo card and was on my way. I got to see Mark T, Nadar, Kelly, Aileen, Dottsy, Chrissy, Donjay, Linda and I got to meet Tyger, Monica, Julia T, Stan, Stacy, just to name a few. Whew!
After chatting it up with everyone, we sat down to a pretty full menu in which we had a pâté, shrimp, and artichoke dip for appetizers. We got to choose which salad we wanted and I had the wedge with blue cheese crumbles, bacon, and blue cheese dressing (yum). I also ordered the ribs as I had heard good things about them from other reviews I had seen previously and they did not disappoint. The sides varied from mashed potatoes, to there infamous Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes. I kept eating Mark T’s as they were so good. I actually ate more of his meal than my own (he had the prime rib, rare) but it wasn’t because mine wasn’t good, it was just that his prime rib was delicious and he looked as if he needed some help lol. Plus I got to take all mine home for dinner today so it was win-​win for me :)
Dessert, sweet baby Jesus. Our fabulous waitress Pam recommended the crème brûlée for me after me I was trying to figure out between the key lime pie or that one and most people at our table had the delicious chocolate cake and Mark ordered pumpkin bread pudding, which is a holiday special. OMG, I do even like bread pudding and that was off the hook. I was slightly disappointed in my crème brûlée. Not that it wasn’t good but because it was cold and I like mine warm. So Miss Pam wrapped me up a piece of Key Lime pie as that was my other choice. How sweet was that?
As the wine continued to flow as the night progressed, I got to catch up and meet some fabulous new Unilocalers. Oh and the kicker, I was the lucky winner of a $ 50 gift certificate to Don and Charlies, which was presented by Don himself. Score!
Thank you to Lindsay, Don, Austin, and the entire staff at Don and Charlies. You opened your restaurant to us and spoiled us rotten! That was beyond generous of you!

If every single elite does not give this event 5 stars, I have no idea what they expect from a FREE event…
I had never been to Don and Charlie’s and I was excited to try it out! What I wasn’t expecting was a full meal though! I for sure thought I’d get a nice dinner, but they served each of us a FULL meal! I know everyone will be mentioning this, but wow, talk about generosity.
I had the prime rib, twice baked potato, key lime pie and a sample of everything else at my table! Everything was fantastic and heavy! I was ready to burst when we finally left. My prime rib was probably my favorite entrée. It was cooked a perfect medium-​rare, and was loaded with great flavor from the sauce. I hope other Unilocalers had the opportunity to try it! As far as dessert, the key lime pie and the crème brûlée were the standouts to me! There was hidden chocolate at the bottom of the brulee (SAY WHAT?!)! Delicious! Delicious! DELICIOUS!
My table was great, by the way! A quick shout out to Sofen, Judy, Sarah, Linda and Kelly! Me at a table full of great women? Nothing wrong with that! =)
Thank you Lindsey, Don & Charlie’s, the wonderful servers and any other sponsors for a tremendous elite event! This one should go down in Unilocal Phoenix history.

Thank you so much for a fantastic time at the Championship Dining Experience! I’d been to Don & Charlie’s a couple of times but never met dapper Don himself before! Here are some of the other things I thought were especially great about the evening’s offerings:
The Cabernet, Louis M. Martini, was totally drinkable and I found out that during the holiday season, they work to promote awareness and raise money for the fight against hunger.
The shrimp cocktail was a highlight — I really liked the sinus-​clearing cocktail sauce!
The wedge salad had enough blue cheese it really didn’t require any dressing, so I’m glad I asked for it on the side. I did, however, dip my fork in for a taste of the very popular creamy garlic and it was super flavorful.
I had the salmon and it was cooked perfectly! Flaky and moist with a sweet terriyaki-​like flavor.
I maintain that my potato selection was the best one: the twice baked. You could really taste the sour cream. The browned top provided a delicious crunch and the chewy skin offered all the best textures a potato has to offer!
For dessert, I had the key lime pie. The crust was outrageous, sweet and nutty. The filling was airy and light with a mild amount of tang.
I really enjoyed my dessert, but, I must say, I think this crème brûlée is the best in the Valley! Thick, rich custard with so many visible tiny vanilla beans, if you didn’t know better, you’d think they put it in a dirty dish! And, a sweet treat of chocolate hiding in the bottom is an unnecessary, yet very welcome, bonus!
Don let us know about their Facebook page. Apparently, they do sweepstakes that will be of particular interest to baseball lovers. Just missed one for scumdevil fans –

This was my first Elite event and, admittedly, I kind of snuck in (no details on that, ahaha). Apparently, this was THE event to go to according to my elder-​elites as this was an Out of the Ballpark event (that is for you Don, since you are a baseball fan).
I have a feeling that if I gave this event less than 5 then I’d be deelited and unfriended. I may even get a brick through my window at home. But why the heck would I give this less than a 5? I’d be crazy to as the event was phenominal — food, service (server, Riley, I will be asking for you again), elites, and of course all free.
But why have I passed by this place early every month and never thought to go inside? Little did I know it was a great place to eat (but in my defense, I was probably passing by on my way hankering for a drink).
Filet Mignon
Ceasar Salad
Cheesy au gratin
Shrimp Cocktail
And ALL the desserts family style.
Filet Mignon was delic. Call me silly but I like to find good ceasar salad… and this was good ceasar salad! It may not have been the best, but it was good enough that I can’t think of who beats it so maybe my memory is bad. Ha! Shrimp was good even though I’m not a shrimp guy. Potatoes were BOMB! And, ah desserts. Now, we all sampled them family style. (What an awesome idea Erin!) And this comes as a surprise to me… but I actually liked the key lime pie the best. Why is this odd you ask? Because I don’t like key lime pie. But, ahem, this was amazing. Could you get it any more fluffy? It was like eating a tasty cloud. YUM!
Will I be back? Yeah, if nothing else just to say thanks and buy a drink! Thank you VERY much to all who made this possible.
Key in Vegas slot machine noises — ding, ding, ding, ding, ding… 5 stars.

Lindsey says I have to start writing reviews again.
This was the best Elite event I have been to in a long time and I have been to some good ones. Full meal of deliciousness has left sharp pains in my belly based purely on the amounts of food and wine I consumed.
I saw Lindsey sit down for the first time ever, possibly in her life. At one point I sat between her and Georgie S’s best sex face. Am I the luckiest man alive? Duh.
Ask Sunny B about the dessert. She was a fan. It was a nostalgia sort of taste for her I think.
They even managed a meal for my favourite vegan Amber.
This is also the first event in which I have met new people and really liked them in a long time. I suck with names, but remember most of them guys. I think I wrote them all down somewhere so I’ll add you if I can figure out where and don’t be sad that I am pretty sure I am forgetting one name and therefore playing it cool and not mentioning any of your names so none of you know who it is. 3 card monty. I’m hood, baby.
Thanks Don and to the greatest server on the planet Donna. I thought about asking her out, she was so cool. She would have turned me down though.

Don, thank you for the wonderful hospitality! The food and service were unbelievable. It was a fun fact hearing a little insight about Lindsey’s dad. Lindsey, you really outdid yourself!
For starter, we were treated with baked spinach and artichoke dip and a classic shrimp cocktail. I was getting so full by just sampling the appetizers and wines. For the main meal, I had the house salad the BBQ baby back ribs. The full slab of the BBQ baby back ribs were smoked perfectly. It was meaty and tender goes so well with their house BBQ sauce. We got to take home a bottle of the BBQ sauce too! And yes, there was dessert. Crème brûlée was my choice, and a cup house coffee. The crème brûlée was so creamy and full of vanilla bean flavor. Other Unilocalers shared their desserts as well. The pumpkin bread pudding wasn’t on the menu, but our Waiter suggested it to us. It wasn’t your normal bread pudding for sure, so good!
Don & Charlie is great place to have special event. Food was amazing, and probably the best service you will have. We all left with a sweet gift from Unilocal!
Merci beaucoup!

Oh how I love an event with unlimited wine and unlimited friends, both old and new. I love it even more when it’s practically in my back yard. And how lucky I am to have been on the guest list (thanks Lindsey!).
I have driven by Don & Charlie’s at least a jillion times (that’s a lot), and thought «Hmm. I wonder if that’s good.» Yes, yes it is! What a special event. Don (we’re on a first name basis now), opened his doors to not 10 or 20 Unilocalers, but more like 50, and we were all treated to 3-​course meals, 5 if you count apps, and 10+ if you count the wine. Stacy M, you were right, the creamy garlic salad dressing is heavenly, my filet was fork tender (and actually cooked to a perfect «medium), and that double baked potato… well Robert Atkins clearly never ate at Don & Charlie’s or he would have never come up with such a dumb ass diet.
Thanks to Lindsey, Don & Charlie’s, and our fabulous server, Stephanie, for a truly great event! I’m looking forward to returning with my husband soon!

Thank you, Lindsey, Unilocal,and Don & Charlie’s for setting up such a fun event for us!
The staff, particularly Stephanie, was in top form and very accommodating. The food was superb (!), beginning w/​the wine; apps [bread basket (soft multi-​grain and toasted & seasoned bagel slices), liver pâté, and the addicting spinach and artichoke dip (the shrimp cocktail was also marvelous, or so I’ve heard)]; salads (everyone at our table had the house, and I the mini-​wedge, and the spectacular creamy garlic dressing!
); entrees (Stacy and Shannon M. had the prime rib, while Heather C. and I had the very tender and slightly-​sweet filet mignon
) plus sides (I ended up wishing I had what everyone else had– the Twice baked potato, but no worries… Stephanie had the kitchen box one up for me to take home!); and finally, the desserts– oh the glorious desserts! We each ordered something different so that we could all get to pass the plates around and have a few bites– crème brûlée (my first time trying it w/​a bar of chocolate on the bottom!
), D&C’s famous hot fudge sundae (w/​fresh whip cream and homemade hot fudge
), key lime pie (w/​fresh whip cream and a very lovely graham crust
), and the three-​layered chocolate cake
. I’d say everything was top-​notch– so hard to choose a clear fave. (A teeny-​tiny complaint– I and a few others didn’t really care for the whipped, almost-​mousse consistency of the key lime filling here. We prefer a more-​dense version; however, the flavor was, as Guy Fieri used to say, bananas!)
Loved the cozy setting and the round tables, most of which seated six people– this allowed a much more intimate atmosphere in which those gathered could get to know each other more. I can’t tell you how many of past Unilocal events left me so disconnected from everyone that I wound up wishing to leave soon after arriving.
Thanks again, Lindsey and Unilocal,for hosting a wonderful event tonight!