This blog was written by Fort Lauderdale Community Intern,Bryn Crowell.
Hold onto your taste buds, fasten your foodie seatbelts, and get ready to feast your eyes on an unforgettable night out with the Yelp Elite Squad. If you’ve ever wondered what our group of local food enthusiasts get up to on a night out, you’re about to find out.
On the evening of September 20th, Yelp Broward-Palm Beach’s crème de la crème, the dazzling Black and Gold badged Elite members, descended upon the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood for an extraordinary evening! Our cherished Black Badge Elites? They’ve been rocking with the Yelp squad for a jaw-dropping decade or more! Our shiny Gold Badge Elites? They’ve been spreading the local love through Yelp for 5 to 9 years, earning every bit of that golden glory.
This was a night all about celebrating incredible businesses, having a blast atOculus Bar, savoring delicious delights atAbiaka, and celebrating these long-time Yelp Elites. At 6:30pm, guests promptly convened at the first venue of the night: the luxurious Oculus Bar. While enjoying the bar’s captivating ambiance, they indulged in two handcrafted cocktails: The Oculus G&T and The Austen.
在眼睛酒吧的绝佳时间,离开后寡糖r spirits soaring, they embarked on a brief walk to Abiaka Wood Fire Grill, which offered a breathtaking view of the iconic and fully illuminated Hard Rock guitar hotel in all its glory.
As they settled in at Abiaka, baskets of piping hot, freshly baked biscuits arrived at each table, like little pillows of heaven. Abiaka’s friendly servers swooped in, ready to take drink orders. Following that, a procession of family-style appetizers emerged from the open-concept kitchen and graced the tables. After an obligatory Phones Eat First photo shoot to capture the perfect shots, Yelp Elite members began to devour the blue crab hush puppies, jamon toast, hamachi ceviche, and grilled shrimp cocktail. This, of course, was just the warm-up as our Yelpers made their final selections on main courses.
It was decision time and the Squad had some tasty options on their hands! A mouthwatering lineup included tenderloin, halibut, Joyce Farms chicken, shrimp, and seared scallops. The best part? These dishes wouldn’t be coming out alone; they were accompanied by a table full of family-style sides including salt roasted fingerling potatoes, wood-fired bok choy, and the Abiaka ratatouille.
Just when our Elite members believed they couldn’t possibly consume another bite, each table was treated to an impressive dessert spread. They began to waver upon seeing the beautiful platter of key lime coconut cream tart, warm chocolate banana pudding, and a Black Forest tart. It was impossible to resist indulging further.
The evening started to wind down as guests began to clear the dessert boards bite by delicious bite. William Otis, Director of Food and Beverage at Hard Rock, came out to personally deliver handwritten thank-you notes to each and every Elite. The sumptuous dessert display and thoughtful thank you’s proved to be the metaphorical cherry-on-top of a very sweet evening.
But don’t take it from us, instead check out thereviewsfor this event!
Want to join in on the fun and be a part of the Squad?
You cannominate yourselffor the Yelp Elite Squad throughout the entire year. Once you submit your nomination, the Elite Council will review your profile to see if you have what it takes.
