Elite Event: Hot LIC Nights at Blend On The Water

I know I took too long to write this but this was a great event. I was very surprised at how wonder the location was. The food was a delight. The drinks were super strong. I loved that everyone had to dress up it felt so swanky and elite fantasticness.
:BATHROOM ALERT:
Wow these bathrooms were super clean. Not to mention the really cool sink. There is a bathroom attendant if you need to ask any questions. Very Clean which was awesome and that made me enjoy the food even more.
I totally wish I didn’t have work the next day because I would have drank so much. The inside of this place blew me away as soon as I walked in. The views are awesome and we took many pictures. It was such a pretty night we were able to stay outside and eat. But eventually we had to go in because we needed to get our food on. You really had to pay attention to whom was serving the food because you would have to run up to them asap so the food wouldn’t clear.
The empanadas were off the chain. The line was so long for them and totally worth the wait. I must go back here one day. I was very very very we got a card that states we can get a free sangria. Not to mention the $ 25 we get off the next time we go.
VERY GOOD EVENT BEST ONE YET!

Best. Unilocal.Event. in a long time!
Kudos to Jando, the CM team, and the wonderful folks at Blend on the Water for making this such a great event.
Great views, great food, great drinks, great venue. The staff were amazing.
Really, I cannot wait to go back.

Thank you for your hospitality CM Jando!
Gratitude to Kevin C. for persuading me to go to my first East Coast Unilocal Elite party and doing everything you can to get us in. You are the definition of kindness.
I can’t recall the last time:
1) I had way too many drinks.
2) Doing push up to prove that GIRLS can do it too!!!
3) Stuffing my face really late at night and missing my bed at the same time…
Words can’t describe how wonderful it feels to be welcome on the first night in the City with many Unilocalers. Surely got us off on such a good note. Once again, thank you for showing us how East Coast party. Until next time, see you on the West Coast. Cheers!

Monday night blues? Unilocal Elite bet it with a cocktail attire party by the water’s edge. A return to Hunter’s Point Park at evening’s end to indulge in Latin cuisine with great drinks, and spiffy attire. Jando pulled a great event complete with a Step and Repeat banner for Elites making us feel like celebrities for photo sessions. Despite of arriving late, work obligations combined with getting lost from walking the long trek, discharge from the 7 train Vernon Boulevard station the food was nearly gone. I only intake a mouthful of the Ruby pink drink. Elites were able to invite two guests. The space was entirely crammed, noisy hall, lack proper air ventilation, very dark, and I felt hot.
The bite size food appetizers were great and surely inviting for a return visit for the full length version of eating my fill. Appetizers and finger food of passing Hors d’Oeuvres are a teaser or simply a preview. Seeing Elites dressed in the best cocktail formal attire was very impressive complete with shoes, composed hair and make-​up. Whoa!
Many thanks to Jando S., always a sincere pleasure to grant my attendance RSVP and to Nelson, Matthew for their great efforts making this event another success.

Amazing times were had by all at this LIC event! It began with a great walk along the waterfront with friends which quickly turned into oh crap lets go get in line because this is going to be a big one! Oh and let me tell you, my friends, it was a huge event! By far the largest that I have had the pleasure to encounter. Plus it was still easy to get drinks and food! what more can I ask for in a Monday night event?
We got our passes checked at the door and were able to mosey in for the usual name tags and first round of drinks. Restaurant was large with high ceilings and windows. Small outer deck was available which provided for some killer views of the Manhattan skyline as the sun went down. It was amazingly beautiful there and we quickly secured seating on the benches so we could enjoy the twinkling city all evening. Once the obligatory photo was posted, I quickly acquired another ruby drink and headed up to the food station. I was only able to get a chorizo arepa at the time but I was in luck because they were always walking around with plates of food to sample. The servers were incredibly friendly and seemed thrilled to have us in their restaurant. Always a pleasure to see happy people!
Speaking of enjoyable folks, the Queens Brewery was serving fantastic Blueberry IPA (not too sweet but you could definitely taste the fruit) and a Lager. Both were really tasty and offered a nice mix to the highly alcoholic rum drinks. I’m hoping to check them out more.
I can definitely imagine heading here in the future. It was pretty simple to get to, even with the walk from the G. Ambiance was lovely, food was tasty and lets not forget to mention that amazing city skyline. I don’t think dinner could ever be bad with a view like that. Thanks to Jando and the whole Unilocal crew for having a spectacular evening lined up for us! As always, we all had a great time in a great new spot to add to our ever growing lists of places to revisit!

It was only Providential intervention in the way of the Halal cart on fifty something street with maybe mist falling I’m not sure that saved the succeeding vacation day from being a total curtains drawn aspirin and crackers until nightfall.
Interestingly, Providence took the form of Kevin C., who instructed the driver to not head straight to the Nomad as my impaired judgement had originally thought best and instead venture midtown for this repast. Interesting, because it was Kevin C. that took this horse to water in the first place. Mind, you can only lead a horse to water, you can’t make him drink.
Horse did that all by himself.
What a splendid surprise! The O and her far flung friends and us all at an Elite event barely half an hour after setting foot in the City for our three-​day food adventure. And what an event. Beautiful people, setting sublime, wait staff who seemed never to have been chum in Unilocaler-​infested water before made me smile.
Jando is proof positive that my experiences on the left coast are not unique. The Company clearly takes care in selecting our masters and mistresses of ceremonies, and like those thrown by our emissaries in California, this soirée was so well done.
Thank you all for the hospitality. Please come to San Francisco soon so we can return the favor.

Absolutely love this place and will definitely come back! The views, the drinks and the food were all great!
I like that is a wide open space and I wouldn’t feel claustrophobic. One of the waitresses told us there is all day happy hour on Monday which is awesome and would definitely be a great perk to the start of the week.
Thanks to Jando and Blend for setting up this super fun night!
Can’t wait to come back!

We NEED more dress-​to-​impress events like this one! We felt like superstars from the moment we walked in. The restaurant itself is *gorgeous*. From the giant windows giving you the perfect view of the Manhattan skyline, to the modern furniture and décor — Blend on the Water exudes classiness. At first, we were worried that there were too many people present but the lines moved pretty quickly. And because there were also waitresses making rounds with serving platters, it was a night of nonstop cocktails and appetizers!
THE FOOD: The arepas topped with pulled beef and guacamole were definitely my favorite! (I just HAD to come back for seconds.) As for the fried plantains, they were a bit too overdone for my taste. But the dulce de leche tarts, despite its bite-​sized servings, were very rich in caramel. Unfortunately, I did not get to try any of the other appetizers going around — elite members get really aggressive about free food and were basically camping outside the kitchen door.
THE DRINKS: Not going to lie, I lost track of how many I had. What I do remember, though, was that the mojitos were strong and The Ruby cocktails had a really delicious grapefruit flavor. Queens Brewery reps were also serving one of their lagers and a blueberry IPA. New drinks kept magically appearing in my hand throughout the night, and I was 100% okay with that. Long story short, my designated driver had to make sure I didn’t stumble –too much– as we walked back to the car after we left. Who parties hard on a Monday? WE DO.
What really made the biggest difference, though, was the willingness of all the staff members to go above and beyond in their customer service! The manager stopped by our table to talk, and treated us like VIP. I received one of the many $ 25 gift certificates they were handing out, and ended up giving it to my coworker the next morning upon my recommendation. :) Jando and his crew have outdone themselves again! We had an epic night, thank you.

AWESOMENESS~!!
Party by the water front with awesome views and with awesome beautiful dressed out Unilocalers!
Drinks: The Ruby and Mojitos and Queens Brewery — Drinks were really great. It was a bit sweet sometimes and sometimes it was a bit on the stronger side, but overall it was pretty good.
Food: Arepas, pizza, tarts, empanadas, bruschetta. The food was pretty good when it was fresh out of the oven.
Swag: $ 25 gift card to return! Oh hells yea I’m going to return!
Great meeting a whole bunch of new Unilocalers from the online forums and checkins. Always good to see people in the flesh and not just their first and last intial on the Unilocal sites.
Thanks to Jando, Matt and Blend on the Water for hosting an awesome Monday Event! Special high fives to Ruggy and Peter for making an always welcomed apperance.

It’s always great to head out on a Monday work night to explore a new part of Queens i usually didn’t know about. LIC has really changed with the new condo buildings and gantry park. It’s coming along and a nice bit of life in the neighborhood. Blend on the Water is one example.
Great spot on the water overlooking the manhattan skyline. It’ll provide plenty for groups and parties or even holiday events. The event provided a nice overview of it’s great service and latin themed dishes. Stand outs were the Ruby lemonade, nice bit of rum and refreshing lemonade taste. The empanadas which were fried up well and had lots of flavor. Also a variety of combinations that didn’t disappoint. The goat cheese pizza and the chorizo bruchetta were huge standouts. Delicious and satisfying. Topping it off they had great dulce de leche and fruit tarts. Yum. A new find as well was the Queens brewery beers that were on hand. The beers had a nice taste and i can see them expanding more in the area for distribution.
The space really caters to a nice atmosphere, wonderful and attentive bartenders and staff. They answered all my questions on the dishes and drinks and the restaurant itself. Super friendly and i felt i was taken care of the whole night. Drinks and food were flowing and aplenty throughout the space. They also handed out $ 25 gift cards to Blend. WIn win. I’ll definitely be back to see what else they have on the menu. On that note the menus were so cool. They were backlit up in a book form. Swanky lit up menus. Cool.
Big thanks to Jando, Ruggy, and Peter for putting together a great event in LIC for us to experience and explore. The management and staff at Blend did a great job as well as the sponsored drinks through the night. Wonderful atmosphere while catching up with some elites i knew and met some new ones as well. Also played host to some Bay Area elites who were in town vacationing as we showed them how New York elites throw down a event. Glad you enjoyed the night Elaine N. and Markus N.

You can tell when a business takes pride in there craft! I see that in Blend… The details & personal touches made this Event Top Notch. Didn’t have the opportunity to try all the appetizers, what I did try was the Cocas Spanish flat bread with Wild Mushroom truffle ricotta & The Crispy Arepa w/​braised short rib, avocado, lime scented crème topped with micro cilantro. Was nothing short of perfection.
Hold Up Wait A Minute, let’s not forgot about the drinks supplied by Deep Eddy Vodka, Queens Brewery & Bacardi Rum served by the Great Staff Of Blend On The Water!
Hands down 1 of the best & well organized events, I had the pleasure of attending. The spot is dope from the waterfront views, food, drinks, service, family friendly atmosphere & of course the Co Ed bathrooms! I had the pleasure of meeting some great people tonight, some I known, some I only known in the Unilocal community online & some I didn’t even know existed. Everyone was even cooler in person. It was a packed house of Well Dressed, Sexy, Hot & immersed in Unilocal swag. Big ups to Jando, Unilocal Team, Queens Brewery, Anthony & the entire Blend Family thank you for the invite.
FYI: Stopping by next weekend with my Krew to enjoy BLEND ON THE WATER!

Gorgeous space. Really breath-​taking views. My friend and I took a moment to take some water side photos before running into the massive winding line outside of the doors of Blend. This is pretty much the perfect spot to take a date or person visiting from out of town perhaps. Good thing we all got discounts to come back and try their regular menu!
The drinks — I liked all of them. Lush. The ruby red was a bit sweet but I like grapefruit vodka. The mojito was my personal favorite. Queens Brewery? I had never heard of them before! But they’re just starting up and from their regular lager, I can tell they are going to be a solid addition to the now growing craft beer conglomeration that is taking over Queens. Also, they are the official beer of Queens Restaurant Week. But again, the DRINKS. They were flowing copiously all night. Like there were points where I had to be all «I think I have enough (Inserts triple fisting) at my table». Great waitresses.
Foods: Favorite by far were the empanadas. Of them I tried the chicken, spinach, and cheese. The cheese was amazing. I’m a jerk (I don’t know the name) so we are going to call it Hispanic Melting Cheese, is my favorite! Slightly fruity and gooey. Second favorites were the little mini pizza flatbread things with caramelized onions and cilantro hidden under the cheese. I’ve never had cilantro on a pizza before, but it works magically. Chorizo sausage bruschetta, mini custard tarts, Tostone Nachos with shredded chicken, guacamole, pico de gallo, and cojita cheese. If you got those latin nachos fresh out of the oven, you were in luck. A little sad that I did not get the chance to try the arepa. But the line was pretty long for most of the evening and it was smaller than my palm. So I took the loss.
Enjoyed the more empty space both in the lounge area under the shiny disco ball and the back out door area with the skyline. Saw some familiar faces. Chill evening that got me slightly more inebriated than I had anticipated for a Monday. This went on past 9:30?! For reals?! The staff was pretty amazing. The manager went around asking if we were all having a good time and in addition all of the waitresses were super friendly and accommodating. Also, how often do we get to see all the cms at one event together in harmony? Great event and great job, Jando!
*Oh yeah, also wanted to address that I think formal attire should be enforced more frequently. Men in suits. Men in suits. Men in suits. Good job, you fancy pants Unilocalers.

Blend on the Water is a gorgeous space with amazing views. It was dusk and the NYC skyline and Queens Bridge were bathed in a perfect golden light. A room full of beautiful people in cocktail attire — this is one sure way to beat the Monday blues!
We were warmly greeted by the friendly Unilocal staff — scanned our party passes and name tags. Quick and efficient access was appreciated by all :)
It was nice to have the options between Ruby (vodka), Mojito (rum), and blueberry IPA or lager (beers). An assortment of hors d’oeuvres were passed around — chorizo bruschetta (didn’t have I heard it was good), empanadas (ditto), ropa vieja tamales (yum!), tostones with guacamole (yum!), fruit tart (didn’t have any) and dulce the leche tart (ditto). We didn’t get to try a lot of the food because we chose not to be one of those (ahem) vultures standing by the kitchen doors.
There was an arepa station in the back area where the sous chef created delicious bites next to the guys from Queens Brewery. There was a line for these heavenly, crispy arepas (braised short rib, avocado, lime scented crème, micro cilantro) but it was well worth it.
In addition to Anthony and Lance from Blend on the water, I also got to meet Guy from Deep Eddy Vodka, and Pete the CM from Brooklyn. Ruggy was there representing Manhattan, Nelson snapping away with the camera and Jando worked the room talking with everyone. He made sure everything ran smoothly and everyone was having a good time.
My buddies and I made some new friends from Brooklyn and ran into familiar faces. Even people I haven’t seen in years that fortuitously showed up as +1’s. There were plenty of open space and seating and made it easy to mingle. It was awesome to catch up with my friend Jean from highschool.
The bar was busy keeping all of our glasses filled — they also had waitresses serving drinks to people who were chilin in the dining room and outside by the water. All the staff that we encountered were friendly (+ good looking) and they seemed happy to be there and have us as guests for the night. Anthony and Lance were professional and generous hosts!
I plan on coming back here soon for a proper sit down dinner. I really liked the semi-​private area in the back with the mural — I think it would be a nice space for a private dinner party.
The Barcardi mojitos with sugar cane garnish reminded me of summer and vacations in the tropics.
Thank you Unilocal and Jando for a magical evening!

This event was AMAZING!!! Thank you Unilocal for allowing me to participate. I missed out on some overtime at work but this was sooooo worth it.
Drink flow was on point ty bartenders and the appetizers were grrrreat!!! The waitresses did a great job explaining each app. Alexis, one of the waitresses, was so sweet & very informative on their menu & happy hour specials. Everyone was dressed to impress and looked amazing. This was my second time at blend and I can’t wait to come back. My plus 1 and i were extremely full and happy. Jando ty for an amazing time!!!

Had a great time at my first Elite Event last night. Thank you Jando and Unilocal crew for setting up this event!
Blend On The Water is such a great location for either girls night out or a romantic date night. The service here was wonderful. All the waitresses had great personalities, and like many other Unilocalers said. beautiful! The managers were going around the restaurant. They were cleaning up the empty glassware and making conversations with everyone, telling them about Blend. Very personable.
The bar was a little slow, but what do you expect when it’s open bar and there’s hundreds of Unilocalers waiting for their drinks. Like someone else suggested, since there are only 3 drinks available. they should’ve made it in large batches and handed it out to people. Someone is bound to drink them! I wasn’t drinking, but I tried my cousin’s Ruby Red Cocktail and it was delicious. I didn’t know the Deep Eddy vodka was flavored! Now I’m going to have to find it and purchase a bottle. Did not get a chance to try the mojitos or beers.
The appetizers they had going around were all very delicious. I couldn’t decide on a favorite because I liked all of them! But unfortunately, I was unable to try the arepas that everyone is raving about. The chorizo bruschetta was flavorful and different. The empanadas had a crispy, chewy texture and filling that was seasoned with lots of latin flavors. I tried the chicken and chorizo empanadas and they were both very delectable. The tostone nachos were different. I loved them! The flavor of the chicken on it along with the guacamole and cheese was a flavor burst in my mouth.
I’m really glad they had a Unilocal event here. I’ve heard lots of good things about this place, but have yet to try it out for myself until last night. Will definitely be coming here and recommending it to everyone. The service is great, they have an amazing view of Manhattan, and the ambiance of the restaurant is great.
We couldn’t find Kayla for our gift card from our Unilocal check-​in, but I will be coming back regardless! Love this place.

These are the types of events that motivate me to continue reviewing and being part of the Unilocal community! I mean what can i say? Food, drinks, the ppl, the space, the sunset all created a memorable monday night.
I’ve always heard of LIC and the amazing locations that this neighborhood holds but had never actually ventured out bc of the fear that it will be a long train ride from the city. Boy was i wrong! The commute from where I live was only 45mins. This event definitely enlighten me to a whole new part of NYC in which I hope to become a regular in.
This space in particular was just beautiful. On specific days they offer specials that would be hard to resist. It so fancy and would be am amazing place for date night or any special celebration. As part of the event we got to try their mojitos, ruby drinks, blueberry beer and a selection of food. The arepas were by far my favorite.
Overall thanks Unilocal,Ruggy, Jando and Blend on the water for this amazing Monday night experience. Can not wait to come back in our cocktail attire to use our $ 25 coupon! ;)

Empanadas, tostones, arepas, oh myyy! Mojitos, limonada, cervezas, oh myyy!
Idioms and clichés aside, it never ceases to amaze me how difficult it must be to outdo oneself. Well, Jandito, you’ve found a way to do it time and time again. ‘Piece of cake’, right? Big ups to the man Jando for ‘pulling out all the stops’ along with Bacardi, Deep Eddy Vodka, and Queens Brewery in tow. This was ‘one for the books’ because they really came through. It was very nice to see everyone ‘decked out to the nines’ with cocktail dresses and suits abound.
I was never a frequent visitor of LIC but Blend may have changed my mind. Blend on the Water, a Latin American restaurant experience was really ‘a sight to behold’ albeit quite dark, intimate (due to lighting), yet spacious. The floor-​to-​ceiling windows are sure to let in some serious views of Manhattan during the day. Definitely perfect for a date night or a group dining experience. The patio access and view of the skyline is a huge draw… and really great for a time-​out, or one-​on-​one conversations.
I didn’t get to try the arepas that folks lined up for in the back, right next to Queens Brewery. I hear they were amazing, according to some. The tostones with guac and subtly sweet dulce de leche miniature tarts were on-​point but the empanadas and chorizo bruschetta were the huge winning standouts. (I like savory, despite being a known sweet-​tooth)
Drink-​wise, on offer was Bacardi mojito (with a legit stick of sugar cane!), and a Ruby Red Lemonade both of which were crowd favorites. I may have been more partial to the lemonade. I’m a sucker (Get it??) for tart-​y tasting things. On tap from Queens Brewery was a lager served up mild and drinkably refreshing.
The professional staff made us all feel very welcome, despite spotting some ill-​informed elites/​guests hanging by the bar and kitchen doors. Let them out so they can do their jobs! Tsk, tsk. That intersection alone bottlenecked everyone from walking to/​from the bar.
Shoutouts to both first-​time Elites or those new to Queens, etc: Elaine, Allene, Mindy, Katherine, Philippe, Nate) Cameo appearances by Ruggy and Peter are also a welcome sight! Let’s not forget Matthew, Nelson, and the rest of the Unilocal Queens team for doing their thing. Finally, a big thanks to Blend on the Water for hosting this awesome event. You’ve made a fan out of me! I feel that $ 25 voucher that was made available is going to come in handy. I’ll be back here ‘at the drop of a hat’!

The gloomy Monday late afternoon did not stop me from attending the Hot LIC nights at Blend On The Water. And I’m glad I did! I also didn’t expect the event to be so damn BIG!
It was my first time to attend Queens Unilocal Elite event and also my first to hang out in LIC.
The East side of Manhattan skyscrapers is the backdrop of this Latin American restaurant. Its openness and the gorgeous view evokes a perfect setting for an outdoor Kiki. Big thanks to Jando S. and the Unilocal NYC staff for arranging such a wonderful night at the Blend On The Water.
Special thanks to Deep Eddy Vodka and Bacardi Rum for some real serious boozing, oh and the beer (Queens Brewery) was great too, not to mention the endless trays of delicious morsels. I really had a great time. I am looking forward to coming back to LIC.

Wow this place was amazing! I pulled up to the event and immediately was stopped by the breathtaking views. It is right next to the East River in Long Island City and has some of the best views of the Manhattan skyline I have seen since moving here. The interior was equally as impressive with floor to ceiling windows to ensure guests don’t miss out on the view while dining indoors.
There was a constant flow of delicious appetizers and drinks being served. When I looked around everyone had a fresh drink in their hand. This was thanks to the incredible service by the Blend staff. Every detail was impeccable and the venue couldn’t have been better. This was my first big Unilocal event and I must say I am VERY impressed. Hats off to the Unilocal team for another memorable Elite event! Can’t wait for the next one :)

Wow. This event is one of the best I’ve been to. The abundance of food and drinks was overwhelming in a good way. The place itself was stunning with gorgeous views of NYC. The staff was awesome and did not seem overwhelmed and were extremely attentive. This is a place I’m 1000% coming back to within the next few weeks. They gave us all a $ 25 gift certificate which is great.
It was cool that the dress code was «Cocktail Attire». My fellow Unilocalers were decked out! My favorite drink was the Ruby and the food was extra flavorful. My taste buds were happy and I can’t wait to go back. I love Queens events. Thank you Jando!!!