Elite Event @ Starbucks in SLU

First Unilocal Elite event in Seattle, and of 2014! Woo hoo!
I’m one of those Unilocal snobs who usually does write Unilocal reviews for chains. Yet, I’d say this is a great exception. Starbucks Evenings is a great concept: Not just coffee but also wine, small bites and desserts in a relaxed, late-​night atmosphere.
A few favorite moments at the event:
–Bacon-​wrapped dates were extremely tasty. They’re a must with a nice glass of wine.
–Amavi Syrah was hands-​down my favorite red wine. I’ll come back to Starbucks Evenings just for a glass (although a bottle is $ 20 cheaper at the Amavi tasting room in Woodinville).
–Met the infamous Mikey from the Starbucks employment ads. Enjoyed his company!:
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–Absolutely loved the take-​home souvenir of a Reidel Starbucks Evening wine glass.
Check out Starbucks Evening locations around Seattle: Terry & Republican, University Village, Olive Way, Madison Village, Issaquah, Woodinville, and Juanita.
Shout out to my new pals: Inna B., Kristin L., Jessica W., Jarrod L., Kyle… and the list goes on. Oh and did I mention the fabulous Katy H.?!

I frequently work from Starbucks (mostly on the eastside), so I’m really excited about these new evening food/​beverage options (at some locations)!
This was a great event because it was easy to meet new Unilocalers (we were sharing plates of food!) and because the Starbucks team had some great wine and flatbread samples for us. I also enjoyed the talk!
The best part, however, was probably the man who stopped by our table and asked us for suggestions — specifically dessert suggestions. It was a great conversation because he seemed to really care about what we want to see on the menu. I vote for crème brûlée (and berries)!
Thanks, Team Unilocal and Starbucks!

Great event! Loved the staff from Starbucks who put the show on!
I’m definitely going to consider the evening stores for those late night work sessions.

Very nice! I love the atmosphere in this concept store, it’s laid back and cool. We tasted three kinds of wine as well as some of the new food offerings, and I was impressed with all of them.

This was a pretty fun experience, and while I almost never visit Starbucks due to the high competition of coffee in Seattle, the food and wine offerings might sway me. The flatbreads were surprisingly alright. I hold most of the café food they serve in fairly low esteem and was expecting the equivalent of a microwave meal. It was a few levels above that, and I’m not extremely picky when it comes to snack food. The portions were small which was also nice since I wouldn’t typically be looking for a meal at a coffee shop.
Their motivation is to provide a relaxing experience in the evenings when people might not want coffee. Their execution holds promise, and I definitely agree with the coordinator when she said she would be turned off from a wine bar if she didn’t want something formal. I don’t know about going in yoga pants though.
Serving wine and food at a coffee shop isn’t new of course, but I won’t be complaining if it gains popularity.

I was notified a day before this event that I made Unilocal Elite! My first year! Day of this event I got an email saying they had cancelations and were taking RSVPs! I was soo happy and excited I got in. My first Unilocal event /​Elite event! And it being one hosted by Starbucks as well was icing on the cake since I LOVE Starbucks!
I was excited not knowing what to expect, but also one of my besties is an Elite and she was going too so I was sure it’ll be a good time! When we got there, everyone was super friendly, a great crowd! The session was very organized and informative, I liked how small the event was (25 Elites only) so it wasn’t chaotic. I loved how we not only got to taste food, but also taste the wine/​coffees that paired well with them (so I’ll know what to get when I go next time!). Also, they told us the technique to tasting wine and coffee. Being able to ask questions, give input, and talking with the program coordinators was a great experience too! Not to mention, the swag bags were awesome! I am definitely looking forward to the outcome of Starbucks Evenings (I know they’re still in the testing phases) as well as other Unilocal events!

A fun evening organized by SBUX to walk us through the Starbucks Evenings experience. This is the name Starbucks has given to their late evening wine, beer, small plates and dessert pairing program that they are experimenting with. The event was well organized and there was a lot of good information shared by the Starbucks employees present. They took us to a wine tasting session of all the wines with a one by one guide by a wine expert on the flavors and details of the food options that would pair best with the wines. They also had a flight of coffee and dessert pairing for us to wrap up the night. Overall the late night menu is a step up in terms of food quality. Liked the sun dried tomatoes flatbread, bacon wrapped dates, chocolate cheesecake brownie, the Syrah.
At the end of the event the Starbucks folks sent us off with some free swag which just made the night an even better experience.
Overall a fun evening experience!

Wow! Great event. I only wish that I had been able to attend the whole thing — for some reason I thought it was a more casual affair and we could just waltz in for 30 minutes and then waltz back out. But it was more like a structured tasting. Happily, I got to taste two red wines — which were both delicious, I particularly enjoyed the pinot noir — spiced pumpkin seeds, two different flat breads, and the bacon-​wrapped dates (with chorizo?). Those last ones were soooo gooood.
I met some nice new people and had a very pleasant time.
(I was sorry I could only make a brief appearance! I was in the midst of a trivia night in Ballard, rushed over to do this, and then had to rush back. My team needed me. ;))

The presentation for Starbucks Evenings was informative. We learned that Starbucks now offer (in select locations) a variety of beer & wine, small plates and desserts after 2 PM on weekdays and 12 PM on weekends.
Once they checked all of our IDs to make sure we were legal, we started off with a small sampling of prosecco and seasoned sunflower seeds which were delicious. I could actually see myself going to Starbucks and drinking this prosecco. It was quite tasty.
We had a total of 3 wine samples with some flat breads. We also had a coffee tasting with a brownie cheesecake dessert at the end. I really dug the bacon wrapped date with balsamic glaze. How do you go wrong with bacon though? They brought out two different flat breads — the first one was cold and the second was warm. I’m not sure if that was intensional, but if I were to order it on my own I would definitely request for it to be warm.
The presenters gave a thorough explanation of their wine options & «how to taste wine». I drink wine regularly so that portion of the evening went a little slow for me. Definitely informative for a newby though! It is true that you can look at a glass of wine to check for clarity, sniff it for the aromatics & swish the glass to aerate the wine. Honestly though, IMHO, a good glass of wine is all a matter of preference and it was nice to sample the variety of what Starbucks has to offer. I’ve had delicious unfiltered chardonnay before which doesn’t fit into the mold or the «rules» so go with your pallet. Their options range from local wines to Italians and some.
We sampled a Syrah, which they are retailing for $ 50 a bottle and also happens to be their most expensive option. I can’t see myself going to Starbucks and spending a significant amount for a glass of wine or even a bottle, but it’s nice that they have a variety to offer that’s not a generic brand. It seems to me their team worked really hard to select some quality wines for a reasonable price. I could see myself spending $ 10 a glass at most. I noticed the little message on the stemless wine glass. Loved that little detail. Nice touch. We all received a glass to take home with us.
My suggestion to Starbucks would be to rotate a seasonal wine as they do their coffee. The food portion was perfect. Add truffle popcorn instead of mac n cheese (it’s too heavy as a wine nibble). Keep the desserts bite size because they’re pretty rich.
Another well orchestrated event by Katy & Marc with lots of goodies from Unilocal and Starbucks. It was an intimate gathering with only a handful of Unilocal elites.

The wine tasting & food pairing concept was amazing and made it not only a fun event, but actually informative. I think it’s rare in EE for the food and drink sponsors to educate us on what we are consuming.
The Starbucks night menu here in the PNW will feature regional wines (and a a couple not regional), which is a huge plus in my book. I am a huge Syrah and bacon wrapped date fan, so they had be sold when they made that one of their pairing. The Syrah they offer was a very good lightly smoky (as opposed sweet) syrah and paired perfectly with the dates. The flatbreads were also quite tasty. The rest of the small plate menu looks amazing: Blue Brie Cheese, plate, Parmesan-​Crusted Chicken Skerys, * Truffle Mac & Cheese. Yes please!
The last pairing was the Salted Caramel Cheesecake Brownie with their verona coffee. I am personally not a fan of sweets and almost always skip dessert, so I wasn’t anticipating this one so much. Like the wine, they took us step my step through the coffee tasting process. They did suggested that we drink the coffee while eating the brownie. Mind blown. «Slurping» the coffee with the brownie in my mouth made for one of the most perfect desert.
I am excited to have them roll out in other Starbucks. I live & work in the downtown vicinity, so would love to see it here, but I do think that their wine prices will have a hard time competing with happy hour price. But the small plate prices are spot on and the ambiance of drinking wine in a coffee shop is very different than going to a bar or restaurants, so maybe the higher prices will be worth the change of scenery.
Thanks again for a great event, Unilocal

This was a great, informative event held for about 25 people.
Different than events I’ve attended in the past, we were introduced to a new local «scene» in Seattle — Starbucks Evenings. To make Starbucks more relevant throughout the day and evening (not just for your morning coffee), Starbucks has started to introduce beers and wines to their menu (in some of their locations), along with small bites; available after 2pm on weekdays and 12pm on weekends.
We sat and enjoyed great pairings of their wine selection and food options while learning about the concept and the products they have to offer. The flatbreads, bacon-​wrapped dates (stuffed with chirizo, YUMM), and salted-​caramel brownies were all pretty good. We even got a chance to talk with the Starbucks representatives and give feedback. It was a really cool experience.
Though I don’t know how frequently I would go to Starbucks for wine, myself, I can see the appeal and think it’s a wonderful idea.
What an awesome event to kick off 2014. Thanks Katy and Marc!
**The Starbucks swag bags were perfect! I can’t wait to use my wine glass!**

SUPER DUPER informative on coffee and wine. i love that starbucks is pushing their way into an evening type menu that includes wine, beer and small plates. all the flat breads were super tasty and the bacon wrapped date. ANOTHER LEVEL! meeting katy and mark was awesome, they were so nice and super receptive. this was totally a more intimate event, less people better people-​people interactions, which is sort of nice compared to the «usual» super fun, fast pace events that they normally have. not to mention with a ton of people. we got to try several of the wines that they will likely be featuring on the menu — two whites and two reds. all very good and i’m not a huge wine drinker. they paired each wine with certain food items from the menu very well. staff at the south lake union starbucks was super knowledgeable. very impressed! we got swag bags that included the starbucks new wine glass and a couple coupons for any food items to try. overall awesome event!
i would love more events like this because it is a nice run off of the normal events.
way to start off the new year Unilocal :]

Awesome event!
I didn’t realize that some select Starbucks served beer and wine, that’s so cool!
The event itself was small and I got to meet some cool new people! The waitstaff consisted of coffee masters and they were really attentive. The food was good and the wine was yummy!

Excellent wine, coffee tasting night hosted by Sbux! Fun sneak peak at Starbucks Evenings, offering select wines, small plates and dessert nibbles. Starbucks coffee and wine experts led us through each interactive pairing, featuring reds, whites and Starbucks Verona blend. A lovely community event, so much fun!
Another top-​notch EE from Katy H, kudos :)

First off, what a wonderful experience! Something I would never thought Starbucks would do, they did! Wine, beer, complex and flavorful appetizers at night! And I can go without worrying about the dress code because there isn’t one (shirt, shoes and pants is an obvious requirement)! It’s nice to go somewhere laid back, familiar and comfortable to unwind after a long day at work. They support local wineries which is amazing seeing I didn’t know some of the wineries the wine was from, and they are here in WA!
The chicken flatbread paired with the Amavi Cellars syrah and the salted caramel brownie (especially paired with the
Clover Brewed Café Verona was to die for) was my absolute favorite of the night!
I cannot wait to return with some friends so they can experience this for themselves! Thank you Katy and Marc for coordinating this event! And a BIG thank you to Starbucks Terry Ave N for hosting such a wonderful evening!!! :-) Thank you for the wonderful swag bag too!!!