Elite Event @ Nita Nita!

Good times! Awesome margaritas (I’m usually not a big fan of margaritas, but I had two!) and interesting/​unique Mexican appetizers. I missed the Cuervo shots, but I saw plenty flowing in!
This was my first «Elite-​only/​no +1» event and I had a lot of fun, even though I didn’t know anyone when I first got there. I like this setup, since it’s so much easier to meet other fellow Unilocalers. I made new friends like Deanna W. and reacquainted with Unilocal friends like Mike C.
This was definitely a great event to close the year! Looking forward to many more!

I really enjoyed this Unilocal event! But jesus why did it take me sooo long to write a review?
This venue was wonderfully cozy and friendly. The bartenders were very nice and didn’t mind if I continued to bug them to make me another margarita. Always greeted with a smile. Oh and not mention the Cuervo shots going around, gracias las chicas Cuervos ;-)
This event was the best by far. I met many kewl Unilocalers and also I get an awesome lunchbox! I am officially advertising for Unilocal now!
Shout out to the kewl peeps:
Richard B.
Marie B.
Deanna W.
Payam Z.
James F.
We stayed around to very late and way past my bedtime, but it was well worth it. Made some gastronomic-​conscious friends and filled my belly with happiness.
The pumpkin pie martini was pretty good!
PS Thanks Peter D. for the complimentary movie pass, but I forgot to look at the date of the event, and realized just now I have another engagement at that time. :-(

What I remember about last night is why I don’t drink tequila,
and it’s a bit blurry.

Thanks Nita Nita staff and Unilocal organizers for putting together a super fun night. I typically go to these things with a friend, but last night I ran solo. Upon entering I met NYC n00b Garett who was very friendly and nice to talk to. We grabbed margs and talked shop over some olives and a heady cheese plate. I soon met the wonderful Isabella, who challenged me to forget that it was Monday night and down (4? 5?) shots of Cuervo with her.
The staff that was working the event were all very friendly, welcoming, and showed us the menu of tapas that they offer. Gouda mac n cheese! Sweet Potatoes and chorizo! I’ll def be back to try those. I did get to try the pork loin, hummus, apricot chicken legs, and some type of potato dish. Everything was tasty with the pork being the highlight.
I def prefer the smaller Unilocal events like this over the huge Carnival style one a few weeks back. Props to all Unilocalers for being friendly and easy to talk to!

Much cheer, much beer.
Happy holidays, Unilocalers!

Brooklyn Elite Events kick ass!
First elite event in Brooklyn and I have to say I really enjoy the camaraderie and cheer of the smaller gatherings here, makes it easier to meet people if you’re new eh?
Lots to love at this elite event including:
–free Unilocal swag, everyone can find room in their heart for a retro Unilocal lunchbox!
–free-​flowing margaritas and beer served by super friendly bartenders and waitstaff
–the food, lots of grub and tasty too! I enjoyed the pork tenderloin, garlicky hummus and the cheese plate
–the music, yes it was loud but the dj’s put on a good show
and finally the crowd! Shout-​outs go to Chris «I travel a lot» H, Nina «yo where’s dem smokes at» C, Roderick «old skool» A, Caroline «sweet caroline» C, Vivian «I don’t sleep» H, James «Flatbush is not scary» F, Matteo «mad scientist» R and anyone else I may have missed!
Thanks Peter for putting on a fantastic evening!

~ A Holiday Miracle ~
The first event that didn’t result in tardiness the next day, a taxi cab to work, and a debilitating hangover! Hallelujah! The blame is quickly pointing to the strangely absent substance called Jameson…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had a blast. And no, I’m not going to lie. I took a cab to a bar that I am in walking distance of. Only to gorge myself on chili, cheese, olives, bread, hummus, pita, pork, chicken, homefries… and a piece of a chocolate Doughnut Plant doughnut. I will say that nothing filled me up the way Roderick’s hug did…
Perhaps that explains why after 5 margaritas and 5 shots I was not feeling as ridiculous as I should have been. Good thing I was feeling ridiculous enough to break it down with Ethan & Joey. That dancin’ was probably the highlight of my evening.
10 cheers for Peter & Miriam! 10 cheers for Tequila! 10 cheers for good pals and good grub! And 10 cheers to no hangover!

The second time I’ve set foot in Brooklyn for a reason that’s not IKEA related. Thank you Unilocal for always getting me to try new things… hey don’t think dirty now! Small, cozy intimate space at Nita Nita, with a nice back patio that was sadly too cold to use. Friendly bartender, very friendly Nita staff (hello Tiffany, thanks for the advice about the Sixpoint), good amount of free snacks.
Best part was the chance to finally REALLY meet some Unilocalers. So hello again to Isabella, Caroline, Peter, Jon, Becca and to top it off, finally meeting sarah w! Thanks Unilocal,a great way to cap off another glorious year as a Unilocaler.

Cheer’s to the last Unilocal Elite event for 2009!
Wonderful event. Nita Nita is a bit smaller than I imagined but it was the perfect size since it was just eliters. Margaritas were great and I really enjoyed the pork dish. It had a great sauce and that hint of delicious fat on the edge. Potatoes were ok and chili was really watery.
and who could forget the lunch boxes with the «sandwich» inside!!!

Another Unilocal Elite Event down — can’t wait for the next one. I ventured back to my old stomping grounds of the BURG to hit up Nita Nita. I walk in with my fellow elite homegirl Kelly W — who was waitlisted (shhhhhh… but she was welcomed in with open arms). We scurried to the back to pick up our ever amazing Unilocal Lunch box with thermos. YAYer… ONE STAR FOR THAT
We mosey on up to the bar to the ever so awesomely sweet and friendly bartender who sweetly gave us free margaritas (minus the $$ for the tipping… OF COURSE) — we sat down and lovely ladies came in with the shots — that immediately went into our somewhat weak margs — but still ONE STAR FOR THAT!
We load up on cheese, and bread, and hummus and pita — and then the chilli, chicken and pork loin start to roll out — all empty dishes were quickly taken away by Nita Nita staff — and the food was good — ONE STAR FOR THAT.
Now, the last two stars goes to 3 new Unilocal people I met — Dana G, Tony C, and Peter D — One goes to Peter — you the man — great event, you are charming and seem so sweet — even if you stole my camera, and punched a girl in the face at the Preakness and got thrown out by security — I still think you are swell! ONE STAR FOR THAT
And the last star goes to my men Dana and Tony — you guys are the shittt. Not only did Dana G charm his way into hanging out with my and my lovely friend all night at the Unilocal event (with promises that his dad was Jay Z, ex girl friend was Rihanna, and enlightening us to the fact that New Hampshire is indeed a coastal state) and then, he and his homey Tony came out after where we drank more beer and played Wii — where Tony kicked some serious ass. ONE STAR FOR THAT.
SO MUCH FUN. Nita Nita was really cozy — the outdoor area WAS AMAZING — imagine a huge backyard with tables and summer time fun. The food was good, the staff was sweet and the music was flowing. GOOD TIMES Unilocal… GOOD TIMES.

This place was so much fun, I melted right in.
The freebies were flowing last night, I even won a bottle of wine!
I’m so glad I met like 10 new Unilocalers, that was awesome.
Pete goes deep sea fishing, F’n A !
Getting to sample the chili was probably the highlight of the night.
This is a perfect place to go in the winter! Its on a corner in Williamsburg and oh sooo cozy.
Shot outs to:
Andrew B
Matteo R
Cynthia D
Vivian H
Marie B
Max S
Brian H
Brianna M
and anyone else I missed!

txt from last night…
It was fun.
Too much alcohol if that’s possible.
I actually turned down free shots.
Not as crowded as NYC events.
Sorry you weren’t there.
*thanks peter d and Unilocal staff for a very cool, very well-​stocked event

Brooklyn Unilocal is where it’s at!
And Peter D. is our prophet!
Best Unilocal Elite event for me so far: the perfect combination of a great, cozy place with the right amount of people. It was easy to mingle and get to know a few new Unilocaler freinds, like Richard B., Marie B., and Deanna W. Always great to see the friendly faces of usual suspects like Payam Z., Brian H., James F., and Joey H.
Who knew Kelso Pilsner tasted so good, but I must have liked it a lot since I had 5 pints. And who knew that tequila shots tasted so good! Thanks a lot, Cuervo girls! Food was great too, particularly the nice and moist chicken legs and a very tender pork tenderloin. I missed the chili, but I feasted on the cheese.
The staff were amazing. Two of the most friendly, professional, and cool bartenders I’ve ever met. If this was my neighborhood, I would take residency at Nita Nita.
Discovery of the day: Torontonian Unilocalers (i.e. Payam Z. and Deanna W.) are mad cool! Torontonian Unilocalers FTW!!!
To James F., Brian H., and Joey H.:
Sorry we didn’t make it to that place on N6 and Bedford later. What was it again??? Looking forward to seeing you at the next event!
Unilocalers I missed last night (sorry guys, you missed the event of the year):
Janeen B.
Cara A.
Gabrielle M.
Dr. Gonzo M.
Kyle H.
Wendy C.
Natasha L.
Jim U.
I am not entirely sure (after 5 pints of Kelso and 3 shots of Cuervo my brain still feels kinda foggy), but I think Vivian H., Deanna W., and me were the last Unilocalers standing last night…

Two words: Lunch. Box.
A cool, out of the way spot with very friendly staff. Gorgeous back garden that was too cold on this night. We huddled up inside and I got edified.
I graduated cumma sum laude with a B.S. degree in information that is useful at Nita Nita but probably, no definitely, nowhere else. Unilocal Elite are composed of only the finest teaching staff on the Atlantic seaboard.
— I am OLD (Botany Professor, specializing in fertilizer and weed-​killing products)
— You can be fired from a country if you can’t bust out their language fast enough (Professor of Tagalog)
— You can have 10+ drinks and still pass all drunk driving tests (Platinum Alumni Benefactor Donut Plant)
— Some boys know a lot about fashion (Professor Martin Margiela)
— You can bless a lunch box with your bum (T.A. uh, hmm, eff it it was Liz)
— When you have less cigarettes, you can put it in. Then it’s easier to pull out (King Cord or as they say in France Cord du Roi)
How much do you think those blank Unilocal nametags go for on eBay?

First of all — there is going to be a Thread Jam… That’s right folks — all the greatest threads read to the beat of the bongos and the sweet bass line of my fretless, because Simple Fact — Rod is an idiot.
Second of all — Michael F — wherever you are — it was proclaimed tonight that a Cigar Night is in demand to provide artificial warmth via cigar smoke and the warm coating of a good scotch/​cognac. Let’s make that happen.
Third of all — Peter D is the effin man, as this event was amazing. Joey Cuervo sponsored this shiznit and the amazing staff @ Nita Nita kept those shots coming. Also, the beer, the name of which escapes my buzzed mind, was a local Brooklyn brewery was fantastic and kept me from mixing margaritas with tequila shots, thereby throwing up in and all around my mouth. Had that been the case, I was covered with backup XL cuervo T-​shirt.
Food was pretty good. Hummus, chili, cheese, chicken legs — a truly excellent collection of tapas.
Also, it was of the utmost pleasure seeing the gang and meeting some fresh faces, as well as finally snagging a cool ass vintage lunchbox. Walking home thru the streets of billyburg, I felt like a true hipster. Thank you Unilocal!
Petey — well done mate.

Look, you know it’s going to be a great event when within 10 seconds of getting your name tag there’s a shot of Cuervo Silver in your hand. 20 seconds and you’re toasting with Chris I, Briana M, and Lisa Q; 60 and you’re lifting a tasty margarita – rocks and salt, the way Jesus intended – to your lips. In case I’m not being clear, there was no shortage of tequila at this party, and the folks at Nita Nita! made sure we took advantage of it.
Many thanks to Jason behind the bar, who greeted me by name each time I approached («wait, how did you kn– Oh.»), and thanks, too, to Kevin G, for making multiple runs to the buffet. And of course, a million thanks to Peter D, who knows how to throw a party in the 718 like nobody’s business, even if he doesn’t live here.
Brooklyn, YES!!!

Dedicated to Briana, because she’s as big a fan as I am:
Brooklyn calling to the faraway towns
Now Unilocal is declared, and drinking goes down
Brooklyn calling to the Unilocal underworld
Come out and start eating, all you boys and girls
Brooklyn calling, now don’t look at us
Now that Eater dot com has bitten the dust
Brooklyn calling, see we got all that swing
Especially Brian H with his corduroy jacket thing
The waitress is calling, the drinks caving in
Brain stops functioning yet you want more gin
A forgotten tip horror, but you have no fear
Brooklyn is drowning and I used up my liver.
Okay, you get the point. I obviously worship the Clash. How much do I worship them? Well, before I got to Nita Nita, I hit Academy Records and bought a vinyl copy of «Sandinista.» Oh yes, you bet your ass I spent $ 15 for a record that’s about 30 years old. Sod off, you digital music lover you!
But back to the Elite Event. God I love free drinks. It’s so much better than non-​free drinks, you know what I mean? The margarita that I drank about seven times, and the five shots that I took in between, totally hit the spot. And may I give credit to the bartender that took care of us? Liz and I gave him part of a chocolate blackout donut from Doughnut Plant and he pretty much hooked us up. Actually Liz gave him the donut but I jumped on that magic carpet and rode it like I was Aladdin, you bet I did!
The food I didn’t really sample because I had eaten beforehand. But may I just say that the potatoes were really, really good? I kinda took someone’s plate, who left it on the table, and I ate it. Hey, it was just sitting there for at least 30 seconds and no one was claiming it, so who am I to deny someone having the pleasure of eating it? Who cares that the person who had the pleasure of eating it was me?
Let’s get down to brass tacks, people. peter did a fab job of finding this place, and to Miriam for just being fabulous. And no, I am not being biased when I say that. I will definitely be back to Nita Nita either on a Sunday or a Monday, because that’s when my fave bartender in the world will be working.
Credit must also go to the manager of Nita Nita. She went around, asking people if they needed help and to seek her out if they did. What a great way of taking care of people, in such a simple way. Too bad many businesses don’t do that anymore, which is a shame.
By the way, did i mention that I am typing this from my iPod touch while still here at Nita Nita? I’ve drinken and I can’t get up!
PS I also wanted to mention that it was a pleasure meeting Hugh Jackman last night. He even had the Wolverine sideburns going and the cutoff gloves for the adamantium claws and… Huh? That was really Joey?
Nevermind…

My first margarita was uneventful
At the second, the long haired (and I mean this in the nicest way possible) kid-​rock-​looking bartender informed me that «this one should do the trick»
Oh bartender, little do ye know…
3 in, and a shot of cuervo silver, and I am finally starting to recover from the cold.
the 4^th, he informs me, will be (I’m not joking) «a spicy meatball»
Oh bartender…
Actually as long as the margaritas are free, I think I love you.
The food, was copious.
the company, was delicious.
the only sad spot in my night: just before leaving I use the powder room and spot an abandoned Briana M. name tag. Like the ghost of Unilocalers past…
Who wants to come back for drunken brunch with Santa? Bottomless Blood Mary? Merry Christmas to us all.

One great party before we say goodbye to 2009! Unlike the previous Unilocal Elite events I have been to, this one is actually more intimate and a better occasion to talk to other fellow Elites.
I got to sample the delicious roasted chicken legs, Pork Tenderloin and rich Chili bowl. Their Margaritas is great too! All the Elites I spoke to tonight were all awesome and friendly. I just wish there was dessert!!!

Awesome night thanks to Unilocal Elite Event! Let me break down the night according to my booze intake*:
1^st Margarita: I came in and discovered this nice space filled with some usual elite suspects whose faces are familiar. I ran. I mean I walked to the bar to get my margarita fix. After that I proceeded to get some food in my tummy fast so I don’t end up on the floor too soon.
1^st tequila shot: I found a conversation buddy near the food table, Johnathan L. Super friendly! I just made myself a friend! yay!
2^nd. tequila shot: Johnathan is a cool guy! more shots! yay! He got us some pork loins and bbq chicken drumsticks. Delish.
2^nd. Margarita: The chilli at Nita Nita is awesome. Yum yum! I met Mike C. another friendly fellow Unilocaler.
3^rd. shot: It was there when I came back from more food gathering…
3^rd. Margarita: Finally meeting up Laura & Sarah W. Awesome girls! They are soooo much fun!
Somewhere in between the booze count, Nita Nita’s manager? or owner? Came to chat up with the people. She was very nice, asking if everything was well and explained the specials of the venue. Nice touch.
I was more than alcohol happy at the end of the night. Very happy that M. called me up and meet up with me to go back home… cuz I think I would have fallen asleep on the L train and end up in Rockaway, the last stop, where the a MTA employee will kick me…
* Might not be accurate because I might have lost count…
Thanks Unilocal!Nice wrap up for the year. Thanks Peter D. for hosting. Thanks to the two nice energetic Staff Unilocalers (Sorry I don’t remember your names) who sit by the door in order to run the guest list, the name tags and taking pictures. Hopefully I see everybody next year!