I'm a huge fan of Scratch, however they have earned all my accolades through fantastic food and…read moregreat service. So it's no surprise that tonight's event set the bar for excellence. The 2 drinks showcased the prohibition style bar and featured Pennsylvania made gins. The food was creative and delicious, everything I would expect from Chef Matt. Everything was paced beautifully to allow for fun conversation. Stella's shortbread inspired dessert was amazing. This was a perfect evening, and I have to congratulate Rachel, her staff, and everyone at Scratch.

When this event popped up, I was very excited to try a place in Troy Hill, especially since Penn…read moreBrewery is about as far as I have ever gone in this neighborhood. But what really got me jazzed was the next morning as I was commuting to work, I heard Randy Baumann, host of the DVE Morning Show on WDVE, talk about attending a fund raiser the previous night at Scratch. He went on and on about how great everything tasted and how the owners locally sourced their ingredients and did wonderful things for the community. Then he dropped a bomb, more like a cricket and mealworm bomb. He explained that they use crickets and mealworms as a protein supplement and they are organic and he raved they tasted great. To most people, including myself I don't have an interest in eating bugs. However, I thought, if picked to participate in this event, as they say when in Rome, I would eat some bugs. To my pleasant surprise all samples offered that evening were bug free! Speaking of samples, they were all delicious. All but the third sample was vegetarian. I noticed, as the owner pointed out when he delivered his speech, that they offer a lot of vegetarian options. We has a fried risotto ball, a mushroom goat cheese crostini, a cracker with pulled pork, and a shortbread cookie at the end for dessert. We were also given two cocktails that were invented specifically for this occasion. I liked the first one best, finding the latter to be a little on the sweet side. I had a great time seeing some Yelp friends and I was so happy to hear Don, the owner, explain the concept behind his establishment and how passionate they are about the community. Best part about Elite Events in my opinion. We also heard from the chef, and bartender. Really fantastic event, I look forward to going back. Thanks Scratch, Rachel C, and Yelp, awesome event!

Thanks to Rachel our CM and all the staff at Rolling Pepperoni who made this event so great…read more I personally never been or herd of Rolling Pepperoni before the event. I found it was not in the greatest location as I passed it right by 2 times before I found it. I finally found it and went in. The person behind the counter was very nice and extremely helpful. I choose 3 different pepperoni rolls. Each one was better than the next. I love pepperoni all the time it is a separate food group to me. So I was very pleased to find a new place that specialized in pepperoni. I will definitely go to one of there locations again.

I stopped by here this a couple of Saturdays ago with my wife for some pepperoni rolls. We had not…read moreheard of Rolling Pepperoni before and since we both love pepperoni rolls, were excited whenever a Yelp event popped up here. It it's located on Butler Street right across the RD Fleming bridge which means that I have driven by it a number of times without ever having noticed it. After looking it up online we were easily able to find it and parked in the parking lot right next to it. Immediately upon entering the shop both my wife and I were greeted with the inviting smell of pepperoni and baking bread. The inside of the shop here doesn't consist of much, just a display case full of pepperoni rolls and a place to order. Then they have a kitchen and oven where they were making more rolls. Since this was the Yelp Elite Event I was able to pick 3 different rolls. After perusing through the menu I ultimately ended up choosing the Hot Trot, Monongahela and Wagon Wheelie Rolls. They were all placed into a single bag and after ordering some more on my dime, my wife and I were out the door and headed home. All of the rolls that we had ordered tasted good and had a nice ratio of roll to fillings. Out of the 3 I tried both the hot trot and the Mon were my favorite, while my wife enjoyed the wagon wheelie especially the addition of the pickles. For my two I have to admit that I liked the hot trot the best due to the addition of the hot peppers. However, if you are an olive lover, I would highly recommend the Mon as you really get a nice olive flavor from it. The bottom line for me is that I would stop by here again in the future. This was an awesome Yelp event in that it taught me about a new local place to try which my wife and I will definitely be back to in the future.

We went on the Harmony tour. It was fantastic! Sylvia was very knowledgeable as were many of the…read morebusiness owners we encountered. For walked and ate for two hours. Highly recommend!!

Delicious and informative 2 hour walking food tour exceeded my expectations. Richard was our…read morehistorical expert and guide... He gave us a informative and interesting tour that was the perfect balance of facts, food and walking. We had cinnamon bread from Mancini's, pepperoni roll at Jimmy & Nino Sunseri's, hummus at Labad's , chips and salsa, , meat samples at Parma Sausage, a macaron at My Sweet Lilly's, cheese samples at Stamooli 's and several other tasty treats. Our son and daughter in law had dinner a good your with this company previously, and they preferred this one! I'd do it again !!

With so many new restaurants in this area, PAN went under my radar so when this event came up I was…read morereally excited to learn of it and get a chance to give it a try. First impressions were the space was small and intimate, with a lovely outdoor seating area and a modern looking downstairs where we yelpers gathered to enjoy the evening. Since that area was a tad small we were pretty packed in there, sardine like. Wait times for drinks was a tad on the excessive side since only one bartender was serving the masses. She was very nice though and well deserving of the tip we gave. The complimentary drinks were not my favorite though and I wouldn't order them again. The one drink I did purchase wasn't bad but more on the meh side. Strong though so that's a plus. My favorite food samples were the wild Columbian river salmon Nigiri, the edamame hummus, and the fried tofu. The Salmon topped this list as it was fresh and satisfying. I could have just eaten a plate of that and I would have been good. The hummus was very tasty, but they dished a big spoon of hummus and only supplied a few plantains chips. So there was a lot of wasted hummus. The bit of fried tofu was a nice sweet way of ending the samples. Since I am not into fried or sweet things this small portion worked. I have to agree with others that with the space constraint and the way everything was managed it was a bit clumsy. The samples, like the drinks came slowly, but I am not one to kick a gift horse in the mouth. I enjoyed most of the food, and may make a return trip probably for brunch. As always it was great seeing my Yelp friends and thank you PAN, Rachel, and Yelp for allowing us to try this new spot.

Guess what? PAN…read moreserves Brunch on Saturday and Sunday. (and the menu looks amazing) PAN has a rooftop patio. PAN has a new dinner and cocktail menu. PAN's emphasis is on natural ingredients and modern Asian dishes. PAN's happy hours are 5--7 Tuesday thru Friday, and noon-3 on Saturday and Sunday. PAN offers catering. I learned this from viewing their website when I arrived home from the night. However, I would have preferred to hear it during the event, since it is always nice to hear about a business and what they have to offer, in order to encourage me to want to come back. The food industry is quite competitive, so it always helps to make yourself stand-out. Yelp events are a great way to meet-up with fellow yelpers and try new places. This event succeeded in this regard. I had a great time, the staff worked very hard to keep us going. Unfortunately, interaction between the staff and their yelper guests were at a bare minimum. I was starting to wonder if we were really welcomed in their restaurant, or were they just making the best of it. PAN looks like it has a lot to offer, and I am glad I had the opportunity to be part of the night. I have attended a handful of yelp events, and they were superior in every way, so I have to admit that this event cannot compare to these past experiences. Confusion and the lack of communication interferes with the flow of an event this size. Many thanks to the organizers and staff for a night out with fellow yelpers, and for providing some very tasteful dishes. The fried tofu and edamame hummus were my two favorites.

The only thing better than chocolate truffles is free chocolate truffles…read more I stopped in yesterday at Sinful Sweets which is downtown. The store is on the small side but has a great selection. They have cupcakes, candy truffles and ice cream among other things. Everything looked amazing. The gal behind the counter was super friendly and extremely helpful. I would definitely go back again for some more chocolate. The only negative is he parking, If you are already downtown defiantly stop in and check it out. It can be hard to find a parking spot anywhere around except in a lot which is not cheap if you are only coming for chocolate. Overall service was fantastic store has a great selection and chocolate was delicious.

Sinful Sweets is out of my way, but I can't resist good chocolate! I stopped here on a Monday…read morearound 3 o'clock to claim my free truffles. Parking was impossible to find. I circled around the area many times and ended up setting for a spot that wasn't exactly a spot while I ran in to avoid the $15 fee at the parking garages. When I entered, I told the woman I was there for my Yelp truffles. She redeemed my offer and handed me the premade panic of 4 truffles. I immediately asked her if any of them were peanut butter and she said, "oh no none of them are." When I got to the car, I immediately opened my truffles because like I said earlier, I really love chocolate. I smelled the first piece and knew it was peanut butter. I then found the "menu" on the back of the package. The truffles consisted of: peanut butter, espresso, fudge, and Guinness stout. I knew the only one I'd like would be the fudge, so I chose to eat it in the car. It was good, but the chocolate was not milky enough for my liking. Knowing your product is a very big deal, especially in today's day and age because of all of the food allergies. If I would've know the assortment, I definitely would've purchased other truffles that I know I would've liked to try and give a fair trial. I would rate this event a 3.5/5.

This was my first elite event and it was awesome! I've been wanting to try Benjamins for a while- a…read morefriend of mine raved about them and I had them on my radar for a while. I was super excited to try burgers! The first sample that I received was the jalapeno burger. WOW. Delicious! The sauce was incredible! I definitely want to go back there and order one asap. I was lucky enough to receive two of the sample burgers and they were definitely the star of all of the samples in my eyes. I was also impressed how well the mini burgers were cooked. A tiny bit of pink and really juicy! Delish! Next, I tried their crab cake on a bun. Considering I am not the biggest fan of seafood and this was literally my first time trying a crab cake, I had nothing to compare it to. I liked it- but couldn't finish it because I thought it tasted a little fishy. The shrimp and grits was awesome! I recently visited the Outer Banks and saw shrimp and grits at basically every restaurant- but did not order it. I was excited to see they serve it at Benjamins! It was delicious- the shrimp was prepared right and wasn't fishy at all. The grits were really tasty too. Antny's ice cream.... omg the ice cream! Thick, cream cheese consistency almost, real apple pieces... apple pie in ice cream form. WOW. I was obsessed. I need to visit Antny's ASAP before they close for the season! It was awesome! Drinks! The Avery Brewery IPA was hoppy but also had a malty undertone that I wasn't a huge fan of. I enjoyed it though, I love trying new beers! The sangria was awesome! I agree with Kimberly B. in saying that a buffet style would have been awesome and a little easier, rather than the wait staff having to hand deliver each item while they were busy in the restaurant- which is why I took off one star. There was plenty of food for everyone though and the food was delivered hot and fresh- which is definitely better than the potential of cold food in a buffet. It was an AWESOME event! Thank you Rachel C for setting it all up! I defintely plan on returning to Benjamins soon! I know my boyfriend is going to love their burgers! The restaurant staff was awesome and very professional as well! Can't wait to go back! P.S The chapstick is awesome! I love the passion fruit flavor!

T'was a bittersweet event. I was most excited to hear of the burger bash, but was concerned it may…read moreinhibit the opportunity to watch the Bucco's play in their one and done Wildcard Playoff game. Scoping Benjamin's I was assured we would be able to mingle, eat, and enjoy what I was hoping to be a Pirate victory all in the same night... Two out of three ain't bad right Meatloaf? Yes I would have much preferred the trifecta for the night but sadly it ended with a loss, at least at the stadium nearby... Moving on. This was our first visit to Benjamin's. The streets were packed with fans attending said game so parking was more challenging than I am certain almost any other night of the year. However we, as other pointed out, just had to circle the streets of the North Side a few times to find a spot. We arrived early and sat at the bar to enjoy some drinks and comradery with local Pirate fans. When it was time to start we made our way up the steps to the semi-private area where the other yelpers flocked to. We grabbed a couple drinks and made our way toward a back area since the area where the couches were located were occupied. We met up with Tim W. a well-known Elitist and had the opportunity to actually meet and chat. One of my favorite things about the events are meeting all the great yelpers in the community and enjoying the events with them. We also got to see Aj S and share several laughs as he is always a blast to be around. I think the major thing that the event lacked was the restraint of the vulture yelpers that hovered near the pool table and cleared out the sample trays before they made their way about the room. I have read the suggestions of other yelpers that a buffet may have helped this dilemma. I honestly don't think so. Free buffets bring out the worst in some people.. We were given tickets for drinks, so why not for food? Ah ha! Now we are talking... Anyhow that was the main drawback, since many trays were devoured right at their beginning destination we did miss some of the initial samplings. However, what eventually made its way around ended up being pretty darn scrumptious. The first thing that came our way was a smoked salmon with, capers and aioli, on a crostini. It was very good reminiscent of a lox and bagel. The next tray that came about was Shrimp and Grits served on a spoon for one bit sample. The corn grits had a habanero cheese in them and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. Such a balance of heat and flavor this was one of my favorite things, the perfect bite! I will order it when I visit again. A Veggie Slider tray made with Balsamic-Rosemary Goat Cheese & Granny Smith Apple chickpeas, and veggies made its way to us next. It was ok, had some good flavor, just wouldn't see me ever ordering it, but great option for those who are not carnivorous. Unlike the others at my table I did get to sample one of the pulled pork sliders with slaw, very good. We also got a crab cake slider, which was not my favorite, however I heard others signing praises so again just a personal palate opinion. I think like many others our favorite and winner of the evenings offerings was the candied jalapeno slider with candied jalapeno cream cheese & apple wood smoked bacon, taste buds were in awe. So, so very good. Definitely will pair well with the grits upon return visit. Lastly we got a bowl of Anthony's ice cream with three flavors, apple pie, ginger and one of pumpkin. I tasted each but opted to give them to Matt as he has a sweet tooth that won't stop and honestly I was feeling full only after single samples, so I can only image how the folks that attacked the waiters were feeling. We had a really nice time here, up to that Pirate loss when we packed up our ball and went home. Thanks Rachel for organizing the event and Benjamin's for all your tasty treats, see you at the next event

Star-studded opportunity all the way around. Thanks to Yelp, this time-sensitive complimentary…read moreorder of baked french toast at Medittera was not going to expire on my watch. Visiting Mediterra and the quaint town of Sewickly is a motivator in itself, but this perk only sweetened the deal. The cafe is comfy-cozy and charming in everyway, even with the volume of traffic that flows through its doors. Definitely a well-run operation from my experience. Mediterra has so much more to offer after just one visit, and I cannot wait for my next delightful experience.

Another great Yelp solo-type event, however this one was a little different, because it was…read morebreakfast food. I really enjoyed the food (the French toast was soooo good), and the ambience of this place, and look forward to coming back (hopefully many more times in the future) and checking out some of the other menu items . . . Cheers! P.S. Thanks to the Yelp team for setting this one up!!!

I have been putting this review off for a while because I was uncertain how to put pen to paper,…read morebut I can't procrastinate any longer. I am going to treat this review much like a work related evaluation and utilize the "compliment sandwich". So here it goes. A great shout out to Rachel C, our CM for organizing the event and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for supplying our tickets to the show. It was great finally being able to meet Rachel and the generosity of the PCT was phenomenal. I will never turn down an opportunity to view any event at the beautiful historic Benedum Center. Again many thanks! Now as far as the "musical" goes I will point out as others have, this was originally written as an opera. I am not a fan of operatic singing and though I liked several of the songs the switching back and forth from operatic signing to more main stream musical was not pleasing to my ears. I barely could understand the words when they were belted out in this format. The storyline was ok, however it had several racist undertones depicting African American's during this time period as fighting, gambling, drinking, drug abusing criminals. The story was also at times hard to follow, possibly because of the manner of the singing which left me disinterested at some times. I have seen several musicals at the Benedum and this was the most disappointing. Furthermore, for the last piece of bread on my sandwich, I really think the actors did a great job. I may not be a huge fan of this work, but I think the cast was top notch, and acting and dancing were entertaining. And as always any event at the Benedum is worth going to as 9 times out of 10 the experience is splendid.

I was very excited to have the opportunity to attend this show! I've seen tons of musicals, but…read morePorgy and Bess was not one of them. I was familiar with many of the songs (for example, Summer Time, It Ain't Necessarily So) but was not that familiar with the plot. I did know it was more operatic then most Broadway shows that are shown at the Benedum, but it is always excited to experience something new. After grabbing my sippy cup of wine, we took our seats. The seats were great! We were left of center towards the back of the Orchestra. This further confirms to me that there really aren't many bad seats at the Benedum. For some reason, there was a delay in starting the show. I usher at the Benedum, so I know it had something to do with the production company and not the theater. Knowing the show was about two and a half hours long, I was itching for it to start on time. However, once the 25 piece orchestra played the opening chords of the overture, I knew we would be in for a treat. Most modern musicals have ditched the overture and entr'acte, so it was enjoyable to hear both as a part of this production. Once the curtain rose, we were greeted with a minimalist set and a slightly inclined stage. It made me think of how many opera houses "back in the day" had an inclined stage because they did not have inclined seating. Although the set was minimal, it was impactful. This was achieved through creative staging and choreography. Even the fights (which can end up being quite cheesy in stage shows) were done tastefully and made as believable as possible. The numbers in this show drew you in either through catchy tunes or for the emotional attachment. I found myself wanting to dance along with the picnickers in "Oh, I Can't Sit Down" and feeling the raw emotion of the characters in "My Man's Gone Now" and "I Loves You Porgy." Some of my favorites were "It Ain't Necessarily So" "Leaving for the Promised Land" and "Oh Doctor Jesus." However, they were all enjoyable and well executed. Sometimes when things are done in an operatic style it can be difficult to understand a performer, especially when using a specific dialect. That was not the case in this production. Everything was sung and spoken clearly which made it easier for the audience to follow along with the plot. The show had a great mix of solos and ensemble numbers, humor and sadness and it flowed very well from one song to the other. Overall, a very enjoyable experience and a great night out! I highly recommend seeing this show during its run in Pittsburgh.