Elite Event: What’s It Rawll About? @ The Studio & The Seed

As usual, the Unilocal elite event was fantastic and incredibly fun. This time it was yoga and raw food tasting at The Studio and The Seed respectively.
I’ve never done yoga before, but the class was easy for me to follow and I found the experience to be invigorating (I’m not super flexible, so it wasn’t as relaxing as it might be for others, lol). We got a one week pass to return to the studio on our own, and I plan on doing that next week to see if this is something I want to get serious about.
The Seed is the raw food kitchen down stairs, and I gotta say, for being meat and gluten free the food was really good. The pizza here is the best in my book, but the coconut pie is a close second. Since I’m lactose intolerant I love coconut ice cream, and this pie was delicious. I’ll come by here again.
The game with the tasting was also fun, and I’m excited to plant my complementary lettuce seeds.
Can’t wait for the next event!

I can genuinely say I had a great time at this event from the moment I arrived until the close of the event. Michael orchestrated the whole thing with precision; there was never a dull moment or a time when I felt something could have been planned better. (And I’m an opinionated woman!)
As planned, we started with yoga at The Studio, which was superb. I’ve been to a number of yoga places in this town, and The Studio is now my favorite of them all. (Nice environment, good people, solid class schedule… etc.) We all received Unilocal sweatbands, which made it fun to see our red wrists all move in unison during the class. Everyone was in a great mood and strangers were starting fun conversations with one another throughout the room. I think they kept the Yoga class fairly easy for us, as there were a good amount of first timers in the room.
After yoga, we went downstairs to the raw food café, The Seed. We were all placed at random tables to encourage us to get to know people we haven’t yet met. I think that’s mildly anxiety provoking for everyone initially, but this was such a great group, you were bound to be placed with good people. I know I was!
Then my favorite part… the food trays made their way to our tables. We rated each dish on the Unilocal 1 to 5 scale and guessed all of the ingredients inside. 4 of the 6 dishes were 5 star for me. Oh my gaaad, the SUSHI. Please go, if for nothing else, to try the sushi. I am salivating thinking about it.
After the contest was over, we were all given a one week pass to The Studio, a gift certificate for Seed, the recipes for all the dishes we were provided (which I’m stoked about), some soil, and some seeds. (I think each person got a different seed… I picked Swiss Chard.) All of it was placed inside a pot for growing the seeds.
All in all, this event far exceeded my expectations. Thank you, Michael, for putting on such a great event! I’m going back to The Studio and The Seed tonight… I can’t wait.

Being able to do things and go places in your own hometown that you have never heard of is always a treat. Throw in some exercise, free food and swag and you have just made my week!
Michael has done a great job placing us in situations to which we not only enjoy ourselves, but we also want to return and also want to share with others. To me, that is the essence of community and Unilocal.
If you are Elite and missed it… Dude, what are you thinking? If you’re not Elite, get after the reviews my friend, because the Elite Badge comes with some great privileges.

My First Elite event, and won’t be the last!
I like the combination of meeting all the Unilocal people in real life while supporting local businesses and trying something new… it’s a win all the way around.
I will echo the chorus of praise for Michael, the event was well organized and enjoyable.
I am new to yoga, and the instructor we had was so calming and peaceful. She led a great class and kept it simple but challenging for us new folks.
Here’s what I enjoyed about the raw food tasting… The owner, chefs, and helpers while clearly passionate about Raw food, were not on any sort of high horses or soap boxes. They were simply sharing something loved, and that was clear. Am I a raw food convert? Maybe not today, but it did for sure make me think about my food and the choices I make.
I am also going to look into yoga classes — again, I don’t think I’ll ever be a regular, but the studio, instructor, and over all experience made me curious. (Which, I suppose is the purpose of Unilocal events, eh?)
Again, great event, wonderful meeting fellow Unilocalers in the world of the real, and great business that is clearly passionate about what they do

«Can we have Elite events that aren’t just bar get-​togethers?» I whined to our ever-​patient Michael. I live an hour away and these weeknight drinking events just don’t work for me. Thank you, Michael for listening.
What a fun day! First, the yoga. Now when you are going to go meet a bunch of internet strangers, isn’t the first thing you want to do is go somewhere wearing no make-​up and work-​out clothes? And don’t you want to expose your inability to stretch in unusual situation body positions without breaking into giggles all the while dripping in sweat?
The Studio class was taught by the wonderful Alicia, who was very soothing and patient and good not only for newbies like me but also others who had much more experience than I.
Rochelle, the owner of the Studio and the Seed, the raw restaurant below, was very welcoming and wonderful, making us all feel like a bunch of friends she just invited over to hang out. Michael organized the Guess What Ingredient? Game, which had us all seriously puzzled as we tried to guess what each dish was made out of. I couldn’t really help with the two dessert versions, since I inhaled them both so fast that I didn’t take the time to actually inspect them to see what the ingredients were. SORRY.
It was an extra nice touch to score the Unilocal shot glass. Sweat band. Gift bag full of gift certificates, free yoga classes, seeds, dirt, pretty plant pot.
And really nice to meet again with some familiar Unilocalers (Hey Doug! Hey Robert! Hey Ly!) and match names with faces (Hey Tabs! Hey Paul S! Hey Michelle! Hey Ashley!)

I want to give a big Unilocal thank you to our awesome, friendly, creative, approachable and welcoming community manager, Michael T. first off, and then secondly to the two amazing businesses, The Studio and The Seed.
This was my first elite event and I was a bit nervous, it can be awkward making that jump from cyber world to real world and I got to say, it went extremely smooth (a lot in part to Michael who makes you feel like an old friend) for me. You Unilocal people are so friendly! ;)
Part one was an introductory sort of yoga session in The Studio. I have taken a beginners yoga class at UNR and have done the wii fit so I had some yoga experience and was looking forward to a nice relaxing and rejuvenating workout. The room was a pretty warm and I ended up soaked in sweat by the end for just a «light» session (I did actually need my «blood, Unilocal and tears» sweat band!) I prefer a dark yoga room though so I kept finding myself distracted by the brightness and also because I had to keep my eyes open to watch everyone and the instructor as I had a hard time hearing her (no fault of hers, I have moderate hearing loss). I just loved the range of everyone from newbies to some experienced to some who looked like pros. After this session was over I was seriously considering signing up for classes. Also sidenote, the instructor was gorgeous and cute as a button.
Next we headed downstairs to The Seed, a place I have been intrigued by because of Unilocal reviews, but not sure I would have ever made it in on my own. Michael had us divided into 3 separate teams to play a «guess the ingredients game» which allowed is to expand our social bubbles and interact with people in a fun and slightly competitive way. I loved it. The Seed staff prepared a 6 course tasting menu of all raw, vegan (no dairy or meat), gluten free, processed sugar free items.
The were a shot of kombucha, I think it was a lemon raspberry?, a cabbage wrapped taco, a pizza, a mock tuna sandwich, a sushi roll, and two desserts, a coconut ice cream dream and a chocolate heaven pie.
I needed special accommodations and Michael and the Seed actively checked and rechecked to make sure I could safely eat everything.
Our team rated all the dishes 4 – 5 stars, the pizza, sushi roll and desserts being our favorites. Things that stood out for me were the spicy sauce and guacamole on the taco, the entire pizza slice, the sweet onion bread for the mock tuna, the sushi roll (I need more of those), and the coconut dessert. As Michelle said (go green iguanas!), I’m not normally a coconut fan, especially shaved coconut and I ate this whole thing, happily and eagerly.
My team lost, but I had a blast joking around with my team members and attempting to be real food chefs (I think I’ll stick to just eating haha). I got so busy and exited trying to guess the flavors that I only got one picture of the first dish but looks like others got some great shots of the rest of the courses.
At the end, everyone got a sweet goodie «flower pot» with vegetable seed packets (and soil), recipes of what we ate, $ 5 off at The Seed and a week worth of unlimited drop in classes at The Studio. I feel like I robbed the place!
Also the owner of the studio had the most adorable pibble roaming around, giving kisses. He can also do yoga too!

I was the guest of an elite Unilocaler at this event, and I feel so lucky to have been invited!
The event started with a yoga session at The Studio. I am not a yoga expert, but I’m also not a newbie. However, The Studio knew they would be hosting some yoga virgins, and took that into consideration when putting together the session. The nice thing about yoga is that the same session can be modified for different levels of participants. So the instructor would do a pose, then provide a modified version for beginners and a modified version for more advanced participants. The session was great — it got me shaking a bit in the more difficult poses, but I always felt completely comfortable.
After the session, we all went downstairs for a six course raw, vegan lunch at The Seed. I was a vegetarian for around 10 years, so I came to appreciate meat-​free meals, and still eat vegetarian around 3 days a week. So this meal was right up my alley! Everything was so fresh, and the combinations of flavors were perfection! As it was a Unilocal event, we rated all dishes, and our table gave 4.5−5 stars to all six dishes!
Thanks Michael T. for putting together a healthy event that everyone could enjoy. Now I see why «It’s neat to be Elite!» I’m working on it!

What a fun time! This Unilocal event was a entertaining and healthy way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We got to participate in a lovely and relaxing 1-​hour yoga session with Alicia as the teacher, then play a fun interactive food ingredient tasting game while sampling the scrumptious raw food from The Seed. To top it all off, we were sent home with a cache of goodies, including seeds, soil, and a pot with which to start our own garden! I planted my seeds as soon as I got home — I’ll have fresh garlic in two months. With all the steakhouses, buffets, and gambling in town, it’s refreshing to find a group of businesses who endorse a healthy lifestyle with exercise and clean eating.
I feel very fortunate for being able to share that time with you all! Thanks to Michael for orchestrating this wonderful event and for the staff of The Studio and The Seed for graciously bringing us into their businesses for a day of exercise, mindfulness, and incredibly good food!

Amazing raw food. Perfect for refueling after yoga at the Studio. I love everything I’ve tried so far. Pizza, tacos, tuna and sushi! Yum.

Another Elite Event where Mike T and the hosting business’s definitely out did themselves! Wow, wow, wow!!!
We began the day with a yoga class upstairs at The Studio. Now, I do not normally do yoga but I seriously enjoyed myself. The instructor was awesome. She led us through a beginners yoga class and by the end I felt stretched, relaxed and peaceful. A very interesting and fun experience. Because of this class I will be trying yoga again in the future.
Following yoga we went downstairs to The Seed for a tasting. The format was set up in a game. We were set in teams and we had to guess what ingredients were in each dish we were served. It really made you think about what you were actually tasting and really focus on the taste of food. A great idea! The food was AMAZING! I had never had raw food before (well okay, I have had salad but does that really count?). I enjoyed every single tasting. We had a taco, a pizza, a tuna sandwich, and a sushi roll. All sound good right; however, knowing they are all gluten-​free and vegan it really makes you curious how things will taste with no meat. I was not disappointed! Delicious, delicious, delicious. Then for dessert there was coconut pie and chocolate pie. OMG! Now, I must say that on any given day I will tell you that I do not like coconut. Today The Seed made a liar of me. I want more of that coconut pie. It was out of this world good! The coconut pie is «crave» worthy, you know that food that on a stressful Wednesday night you are willing to get dressed and drive to have because it is just that good.
Thank you for such a wonderful afternoon! I will definitely be visiting both places again!

First off, a big thanks goes out to Unilocal Reno (Michael T.) and the owner (s) and team at The Studio and The Seed for their hospitality. This was a very well organized and fun-​filled event. Your dedication to your work was apparent.
While The Studio is my first choice to practice yoga in Reno, I had yet to try The Seed located directly under The Studio. I love the diversity of classes offered with varying levels and styles. I’ve always felt very welcome at The Studio, which is important when partaking in such an open practice. The owner and all of the teachers are lovely– there’s a strong dedication to the practice and teaching. During this specific event, Alicia taught a nice entry level yoga class that really gave my body a nice stretch. I highly recommend The Studio for your next yoga class.
The Seed was a new experience for me. Being a vegetarian for over 15 years, it’s surprising that I’ve never had a raw meal. The Seed gave us the opportunity to try six menu items, all gluten, meat and dairy free. And, what a wonderful treat it was! It was amazing to me how the flavors of the ingredients popped! I couldn’t believe how easy and refreshing it was to taste all of the flavors. The game component, of the food portion, was a great way to test our pallets. My favorite dishes were the taco and sushi roll. I will definitely be back– with a friend or two to have a full meal. Thanks to the kitchen team for rocking the speedy quality orders.
At the end of the event, we were even given an adorable «goodie bag» comprising of spring essentials: ceramic pot, soil, seeds, raw recipes and discounts for The Studio and The Seed. I’ve already planted my seeding pot and can’t wait to see it sprout. Thanks again for putting on such a top-​notch Unilocal Elite event. I’ll be sure to share my experience.

March 23, 2014 Sunday — 12:30 PM
2 adults
Atmosphere — 5 stars
Food — 5 stars
Service — 5 stars
Background — My wife and I’s second Elite event. This was really two health related experiences.
** The Studio provided us our yoga class

Atmosphere — They are located upstairs in a small business building which has the Spy Shop. After going up the stairs you are brought into a lounge where you can place your shoes and personal items into a cubby. For our yoga session we used the south room. It was large, but the temp rose a bit with the large number of Unilocaler in the room. The instructor was on a raised platform so you could see her. She also walked around to help the rookies, like me.
Service — Our instructor was wonderful. She knew she had a bunch of rookies. For me this was for the first I have tried Yoga. Some of the moves I have done with my Kettlebell workouts so I had some comfort there. The class was slow moving and lots of focused breathing and body placement. I could not believe how soaked I was when I finished. At the end it was relaxing period, I just found my spot and the bell went off three times. I know I am slow.
Future — My wife wants to try yoga some more so I could see this in our future.
** The Seed provided us our rawll food experience.

Atmosphere — A small place behind the Spy Shop on the first floor. Everyone in Reno knows where they are. Love the chalk board menus. The kitchen is wide open so you can see everything they do. They also have some clothes for sale on the one wall.
Activity — As we came through the door Michael T, Reno’s CM, verbally gave us numbers. This broke us up into teams and assigned out seating based on our number. I was on the blue barracudas; I wish I had a 1970 blue Plymouth Barracuda, yeah I know they used the fish logo but fish aint so Vegan. I had Ly and Ashley G on my team who I have met up at other Unilocal Events and final meet Allie at yoga and at my table again. As a team we had to guess what each course had in it. We lost but we gave the first place a run for their money.
Food — We had six courses of food. What I like is that they give main stream food names to their vegan gluten free food. We started with a cabbage taco which was so flavorful. Had some pizza and tuna, both items were good. Then came the sushi roll, it was big enough to be two slices and wished they had cut it down in size. It was still very yummy either plain or in the dipping sauce. I think all four item we had avocado in it so you had me hooked right there. Then we had two desserts a slice of coconut heaven and chocolate heaven. They both simply melted away in your mouth.
Service — Friendly and great staff create unique items for our pleasure.
Future — I want to try some more sushi!
Thanks to the staffs of the The Studio and the The Seed for hosting such a great event. Of course Michael T for logistics! As always great execution of such a great event.

I just love Michael T! He knows how to work with our local businesses and put on a great event!
I had the best time taking a yoga class with my best friend, my hubby. We arrived just before start time, so the only place in the room for our mats was in the front. Rochelle, the owner of The Studio, welcomed us and gave us a brief overview of what to expect from the class. Alicia, our instructor, demonstrated and guided us through some yoga poses while peaceful and meditative music played in the background. It was a great time to get in touch with my breath and my body.
Following the class, we hydrated and separated into three different groups around tables, where we ventured six different samplings of raw courses. Michael encouraged us to mingle and get to know our fellow Unilocalers and then gave us directions to the game «What’s It Rawll About?», where we had to take turns guessing the ingredients in each of the samples. Each dish was amazing, fresh, and delicious.
This event was a great success in that it definitely makes me want to go back and try more classes and more menu items!

Michael does it again! I was pretty skeptical when I heard the next Unilocal Event was gonna be yoga and raw food. I’m adventurous but I am also very unlimber and don’t really associate with all things healthy. But it’s an Elite event and I am in so I went!
Michael gave us a great experience with two different businesses. The Studio which is a place for Yoga classes and the Seed where you can get healthy food!
We started in The Studio for a thankfully short Yoga class. Most of the participants had done this before except for a small handful of us. I was immediately intimidated by all of the «veterans» because I was gonna have to be at the front of the class. Latecomers beware, you arrive late, you get to be in the front. But my intimidation quickly gave way to focusing on my breathing and my movement. The instructor of the class Alicia (?) was peaceful and encouraging with her calm voice. I’m not sure if it was the normal pace of the class or just her pace for this special class, but it moved a little quick for this total newbie. I kept forgetting to breathe. But at the end of the class I felt great. Much happier and at peace than when I went in.
After the yoga we went downstairs to The Seed. In the seed we were walked though 7 different menu items and Michael made it cool by making a game out of it. We had to guess the ingredients of each dish and whoever had the most ingredients would win! I had been grouped with a bunch of younger health oriented women so my group pretty much kicked butt. Winner winner vegan dinner! Anyway the food was amazing. I had never done a full raw experience and all of these actually were really tasty. Before today, I probably would have only gone to The Seed if I had been forced in some way to go. Now, I have a great healthy place to go to when I am in the area. The seed isn’t just for «health nuts» but for really anyone who wants something a little different but still have it be really good.
The overall experience was just awesome with the business owners and employees being so welcoming and friendly. I may not go back for Yoga right off, but I definitely will be back for some of the delicious food from Seed.

Man oh man, does being a Unilocal Elite ROCK! Thanks for another killer event, Michael T. I was pretty stoked when I heard the theme of Elite event #2, as I love yoga and health food! I was skeptical that the event would fill up, because not everyone is into this kind of lifestyle, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a completely packed room when I showed up for our early afternoon yoga session at The Studio. I guess that was the point of the event though. «What’s it Rawll About» was created to show off an alternative lifestyle.
It was great to see experienced yogis and newbies, all joining together, to relax, stretch and breathe. The hour long yoga class was lovely and the instructor, Alicia, put together a great class that was appropriate for beginnings but also challenging enough for those of us that have an existing yoga practice.
After the class, we walked downstairs to The Seed restaurant, a raw, vegan, gluten free diner. This place is super cute and I have come in before for a smoothie, but never experienced the wide range of culinary gastronomy that goes into raw food creations! It was great fun eating through 6 dishes that they prepared for us and being thrown into teams to battle head-​to-​head for the ingredients in each dish. I have to say, while my team didn’t win, it was a great education and a lot of fun to learn about how raw food is made. It was all surprisingly very tasty and quite true in flavor and texture to the names of the dishes. The offerings we had included:
Kombucha
Course 1 — Taco
Course 2 — Pizza
Course 3 — Tuna sandwich
Course 4 — Sushi
Course 5 — Coconut cream cake
Course 6 — Chocolate cake
My favorite dishes were the tuna sandwich and the sushi! YUM! I could definitely eat more of this!
At the end of the event, The Seed, The Studio and Unilocal put together a wonderful event favor including a small pot, a packet of organic seeds, some potting soil, a gift certificate for a week pass at The Studio, a gift certificate for a return visit to The Seed and a beautifully laminated cookbook with all the recipes of the raw dishes we ate, complete with health benefits of eating raw food! So much attention to detail was paid to this event, making it another home run!