This was Truly an Honor to be a part of this Amazing Event. I was blessed with the task of being one of the judges in the Drinks and Appetizers category. There was so many different varieties of drinks and apps I can't even begin to name them. Everyone did a great job in creating unique and delicious food items. I must say some were better than others, but none of them disappointed me at all! Which made being a judge that much harder! After our judging was complete, we had the honor of taking in the event and going around to try any and everything we wanted! DELICIOUS!!! ... And Yes!! I paid the price later for eating all of those sweets!! But Man was it worth it! I would do it all again in a heartbeat! read more

See all

I've wanted to be a judge for this event for five years and finally made it. What could be better than sampling a bevy of gourmet creations made with Girl Scout products?!? You never imagine how difficult it might be to consume and rate 18 sugary confections! The full room was laid out with competitors along one wall and the silent auction asking the other. In between were numerous rounds for both reserved and open seating. I perused the auction tables which helps a wide array of items from liquor to experiences. Judging was done blindly, but after we finished I sought out a few of my favorites. I thought the most inventive appetizer was a lemon and herb cracker with citrus salad. My favorite desserts were a homage to the Samoa from Scarlett's Bakery and a delicious peanut butter-chocolate creme brulee (not sure who made it). For fans of desserts &/or Girl Scout cookies, this fundraiser shouldn't be missed! read more

See all

Reading all the the earlier reviews could not really have prepared me for this event. When I won the tickets at a YELP event, I really did not know what to expect. So, imagine my surprise and delight to come to the beautiful venue, The Olmsted, and sample all kinds of desserts, appetizers and drinks created by area chefs. Scouts of Kentuckiana sponsored the event and gave prises to the best desserts, chefs and restaurants (by participant votes) in various categories. I prefer to eat small samples of many dishes rather than eat a huge piece of one dessert. So, this event catered to my every desire...as far as food, drink and desserts are concerned. This event is worth visiting every year to test and sample all the ecclectic items. read more

Thanks to yelp for allowing me to witness, judge and be part of this great event. I must say that I enjoyed the sugar rush. So many tasty desserts and appetizers. The event was very nicely set up. Though there was not an empty seat insight, the atmosphere was very chill and relaxing with the live music playing. Also, I don't care for mint, but there was a tasty dessert that I really enjoyed and it had mint in it. It was extremely delicious. I will put, "my favorite" within my pictures posted. Can't say enough about this event. Very well organized and put together. read more

See all

I'm. So. Full. What a fun way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scout cookie program, and raise money for one of the best organizations for girls in the world! This year the event was held at the Olmsted, a beautiful venue that almost made me wish I had a wedding to plan. Many of our best local chefs from amazing eateries like Louvino, Varanese, Scarlett's Bakery, and Gander cane together with original cocktail and dessert creations inspired by the cookies we all love, and all I can say is YUM. My personal favorite was the banana ice cream with Trefoils from Bernoulli, but everything was so delicious that I literally could not take another sweet bite. I was saved by the savory! Just then, the appetizer buffet opened up, with hot brown crostini, mac & cheese, and fried green tomatoes just to name a few. The wine and bourbon pull and silent auction were great events, and everyone ate way too much and had a great time for a great cause. This was the 11th annual, so do yourself a favor and plan to join us for year 12. read more

See all

I always feel like I am never lucky enough to win anything so it came as a wonderfully pleasant surprise when I was told that I had won a ticket for "Desserts First" from a recent Yelp giveaway. If you are like most people and LOVE desserts of any kind, this event will be right up your alley! I tried wonderful treats from local restaurants like 8UP, BBC and Bourbons Bistro. From ice cream to cakes and drinks, you will definitely be able to satisfy your sweet tooth. My personal favorite was the Rum Mudslide prepared by Ladyfingers Catering. All desserts prepared incorporate Girl Scout Cookies and to see how all these talented chefs incorporated them in their creative creations was very impressive. A wonderful experience all around. read more

See all

Thanks to yelp I was able to experience Desserts First. This wonderful event was great from start to finish. He event space at brown & Williamson club is the perfect venue for people to walk freely and for vendors to have auction items set up. The way that the bidding, and the auctions were conducted electronically was a nice touch. It not only keeps people engaged in what is going on around them, but it allows for everyone to socialize. I enjoyed that part of the event. The desserts were obviously a win win. When you combine Girl Scout cookies with desserts, cocktails, and savory items, how can you lose? The cherry on top of my evening though was the bourbon pull. For $30 I was able to draw a cherry for a select bourbon bottle, and to my surprise, I won the best bottle up there! So thank you yelp and thank you Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana for the experience! read more

See all

Up the elevator with other business professionally dressed ladies, heading into a dessert inspired Girl Scout Fundraiser, I checked my coat, registered my attendance and headed over to the raffle table to purchase my $100 ticket for a wonderful cause and pretty amazing prizes; trips, spas, cooking classes, and the like.  After filling out my ticket, I held up my index finger, middle finger, and ring finger together only to spout out, "On my honor, I will try to serve God & his country....and to live by the Girl Scout Law!" The lady at the desk laughed, thanked me for my purchase and requested I enjoy my samplings.   I spoke to the ladies of Louisville Eats magazine as Yelp and Louisville eats have some commonalities and moved towards the lane of samples.  First, I tried a multiple layer cake from CenterPlate. It was light, and airy and was inspired my personal favorite; the Thin Mint. It had a lovely mint flavor and I immediately deemed it my favorite.  Next I tried a peanut butter crème brulee with a praline cookie that was inspired by a Tagalong or what us Northerners called the Peanut Butter Patty. Nope, this was my favorite. The peanut butter crème brulee was delish; could have eaten that all day; rich and smooth, and a perfect crusted sugar on the top.  There was a layer of fudge on the bottom that I wasn't feeling; but that crème brulee made up for it.  After juggling a few belongings and papers I had picked up, I realized I could probably find the Yelp table and leave some stuff there. Found my table, met a new friend and the two of us traveled from restaurant to restaurant to try different things.   With my new Yelper friend, we tried and adored the LadyFingers Catering treats.  A Samoa Mud Slide (her favorite) and the Savannah Smiles - Lemon Tart (my favorite). The lemon tart was light and sweet - LadyFingers tart was a perfect blend of sweet and sour, the fresh fruit on top created a perfect balance. I was left wanting a secret stash in my purse - should have brought a Tupperware container - just kidding). The other things I tried: -8Up:  Mint Cheesecake - good, ya know, cheesecake -Bluegrass Brewing Company: Trefoils with goat cheese, short ribs & fig jam.  [I appreciate the no  coconut/non-Samoa cookie, but this was a miss for me. The smell of the goat cheese was over powering that whole section and the taste wasn't there. -Martini Italian Bistro - a big win! S'Mores Inspired martini (yes please!!) and a s'more custard; sweet but the Martini really was amazing. I would go there for the S'Mores Martini. -Brooklyn & the Butcher - Tagalong inspired chocolate cake bite [Very rich] While perfectly presented; I didn't try the following --all the coconut -LouVino had a Samoa inspired pastry, drizzled with caramel and coconut flakes -Morton's had a Samoa inspired brownie -Berserker Brew had a Samoa inspired coconut shooter with coconut cold brew -Liege & Dairy - had a Samoa...BUT....they did make me my own version with less coconut on it. I will definitely be trying their new store up in Middletown, check them out for sure!!! Waffle was the bomb. Ice cream was probably the bomb but I had a lump of coconut cookie so... but the consistency of the ice cream was creamy and delish. I found that many of the restaurants chose to make desserts that were inspired by the Samoa (Caramel Delight). Something I would suggest to the event organizers is to assign specific cookies to restaurants or have them randomly pick a cookie to incorporate into their dessert; rather than 50% be coconut related.  I tried 7 different samples out of 25+ due to the coconut incorporation.  I'm just not a fan of coconut. There are lots of varieties of Girl Scout cookies - let's mix it up and not do coconut for all of them. read more

See all

I had the privelage of attending this event as a guest with the members of Yelp Elite. I must say, it was a sweet treat! The Mellwood Arts center was decorated with sparkly table cloths and open seating, lined with vendors from popular bakeries, restaurants and local sweet spots around town. Each vendor is supposed to use any or all Girl Scout Cookies to create a delicious appetizer, dessert or drink (or all)! A few favorites; the peanut butter (tagalong) cookie Bernoulli small batch ice-cream that they prepared especially for this event. The edible gold dust on top of each cup was a nice touch. Feast BBQ had a delicious bourbon (thin mint) slushie.. It was perfect. I also enjoyed the macaroons from Scarlets Bakery. All of these places had great customer service as well. I'm sure I'll find myself visiting Scarlets Bakery and Feast in the future. A few "I wishes..." I wish there was a program. I wanted to know who was there and what scrumptious desserts or appetizers and or drinks they were serving. I wanted to plan accordingly. The vendors were not organized in any specific order. I also wish I wouldn't have eaten, at all, today. Ha. There were so many awesome treats there that I couldn't enjoy them all. If you get a chance to attend this event, GO! It was fun, relaxing and delicious. I'm no Girl Scout but I promise you will enjoy it. read more

See all

I had the best experience at the 2020 Dessert First I got to try good food from all over Louisville and meet new Yelp friends. I would have never thought in a million years the different types of appetizer, and drinks that could be made with girl scout cookies. All the desserts, drinks and appetizers were good it was so hard trying to choose the best of the three. The presentation of the desserts was amazing also. I didn't want to eat some of the desserts because they were so pretty. You literally have to take one bit of each item to be able to try all of them before getting full. read more

See all

Guys... I've been wanting to attend Desserts First for awhile now. 2016 was its 10th anniversary as a fundraiser for Girls Scouts of Kentuckiana. However, my previous job was always busy at the time of year Desserts First was held, so I never bought a ticket. However, I started a new job in January, and when I saw information about tickets, I HAD to go. If I went alone, I was going. However, (full disclosure) my friend Toree P. won tickets and SO KINDLY took me as her +1. After the event, I can say I happily would have paid for that sugar coma. A regular ticket was $65, but it was a fun event with delicious food--MADE WITH GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!!!--and would have been worth it to me. The venue (Mellwood Arts Center) was very beautifully set up, and tables from local restaurants, caterers, and other foodie-places lined the room. There was also a stage with music and a silent auction in the center of the room, in addition to the bar. (I didn't buy any drinks, though available, because I was saving my space for all of the drinks and food being offered otherwise.) We arrived a few minutes early, so we were able to start making our rounds when the event started at 6. Toree and I decide to start in one corner and work our way around. On the website for the event, it says, "Desserts First showcases Louisville's finest chefs who create original desserts, signature drinks, and hors d'oeuvres using Girl Scout cookies as the key ingredient." Desserts were by far the most plentiful. I'd suggest bringing a sweet tooth and minimalizing what you eat the rest of the day, because you will without a doubt be full. It was neat trying so many different things from different vendors. My mind was truly blown. I wish my stomach was bigger, because I had to just take a bite or two of some many things, simply because there was so much food and not enough space inside of me. I feel wrong giving any shout outs to any particular vendors, because I loved just about everything. It was awesome to see how the chefs interpreted things and came up with their own concoctions, just for this special night!! DELICIOUS. DEEEEEE. LICCCC. IOUSSSSS. I've attended events like this in the past without a table. It's fine, particularly price wise, but having a table as "home base" was very nice to spread out--and also to sit to give my belly some off between rounds. I plan to be back to Desserts First. A delicious splurge for a cause! read more

See all

I won tickets from yelp. This was a great event. Lots of local culinary talent. I was esp impressed with the chefs who chose to do a savory offering with Girl Scout cookies playing a key ingredient. Auction was fun and the "bourbon pull" was well worth the money. Go early because some chefs ran out of food. read more

Desserts First - Auction is heating up - Festivals Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

I'm writing this as I am still in a sugar coma, but this event was SO GOOD. I didn't take a single photo because my hands were always full of desserts and drinks! My mom and I arrived at the Olmsted right at 5:30 as the event was starting. We each grabbed a glass of wine and found our table. Before we started the dessert tasting, there was a small table of cheese, crackers, and veggies so we snagged some savory snacks while we sipped our wine. Next we embarked on our dessert journey. Both of our favorites came from Brooklyn and the Butcher. We were shocked and disappointed that they didn't win any awards. They had a bacon caramel cheesecake and a bourbon white russian with a Girl Scout cookie rim. HEAVENLY. I also loved the S'mores pop-tart from Varanese, Cellar Door's key lime tart with Savannah Smiles crust, Feast's Thin Mint slushy, Bourbon's Bistro's Do-si-do infused drink, and a Savannah Smiles ice cream from Bernoulli. In between desserts, we had to go back for a round of veggies to break up all the sweets (and my mom needed a second white russian!). We also signed up for some fun silent auction items, though we did not come out winners. After our veggie break, we took a final lap in the dessert room and cast our votes for Best Appetizer, Best Drink, and Best Dessert. My one critique: I wanted a program! It was hard to see and remember all of the different restaurants and desserts. When it came time to cast our People's Choice votes (both my drink and dessert vote went to Brooklyn and the Butcher), it was hard to remember them all, particular some of the restaurants, as some of their signs weren't very large. This was a great event for a good cause and I found a few new restaurants I'd like to try! read more

Excellent display of desserts from local chefs in Louisville using the wonderful products of Girl Scout cookies. Gave 4 stars as we found 5 of the sane type of dessert (cheesecake or short cake with strawberry). I would suggest more chocolate next year! Fun, delicious fund raiser! read more

Desserts First - Festivals Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

See all

I went to desserts first for the girl scouts back on February 22nd at the olmstead. This is a great event and even better fact that the money goes to the girls scouts . So they get these chefs from all over town. E=ward 426, scarlet's bakery, cellar door chocolates, varanese , gracious plenty. Eddie Merlots, wild ritas , feast bbq. Gander, Bertoli icecream ,Lou Vino and many more. These chefs create desserts , drinks and appetizers with the girl scout cookies. can I say how fun yummy and Delicious this event was. Im going back next year. they also had a wine pull , Bourbon pull and a silent auction with a good variety of items. Im ready for next year. read more

Oh. My. Gosh. This event is AMAZING and I am already looking forward to next year. I was lucky enough that I got to be a judge for this event and as a judge, we were able to start sampling items before the event was fully opened. One of the two rooms in use was lined with so many chefs/bakers/geniuses with amazing looking and tasting desserts. I was able to sample everything at least once and was soon and the biggest sugar high ever. Along with all the desserts, they did have catering with dinner type food/savory food. The line for it was way to long so I just enjoyed the desserts. They also had a Bourbon Pull ($15 each) and Wine Pull ($10 each). The wine had a greater variety as there were pretty much only 4 types of bourbon you could get, but they were some nice bourbons. The silent auction had items fro just about anyone. All around an amazing event, raising money for a great organization, and an exceptionally fun time with crazy delicious food! read more