YEE: Wine Down Lounge Elite Tasting

Finally a Unilocal Elite event in Long Beach. YAY!
As always Ryan C. hosted a great party. Walking in, we met some cool fellow Unilocalers, were served 4 types of wine (2 white wines, 2 reds), and appetizers were being served. My boyfriend and I tried the hummus, the ceviche, cheese and crackers, and our favorite, a mini slider! That mini slider was freaking delicious, packed with flavor especially for that size!
The venue was a great place to host a party; there was the main area downtairs with high tables for attendees to chat, as well as an upstairs lounge area (where we stayed mostly to chat with more Unilocalers), as well as outside for a cool and nice view of Downtwon Long Beach. It was a great way to meet up with some fellow Unilocalers and also find out about this cool wine bar, my first wine bar of many! Thanks again Ryan C for hosting a great event :)

This was my 2^nd Elite event and I’m glad I go to attend!
I finally got to meet Ryan which was awesome!
I’m somewhat a n00b when it comes to wine, so I came to this prepared to learn a little more.
I tried ²⁄₃ of a flight that included a Chardonnay Blend and the Back Seat Blonde.
The Chardonnay was a bit too dry for my personal taste.
So when I went back around, they suggested I have the Back Seat.
The Back Seat Blonde was absolutely up my alley.
The food was unfortunately the main focus of the event (not sure if that was meant to happen?).
The waiters were always around and were so polite.
If they passed out all the fun Unilocal Mad Lib napkins (
), they’d appear with more.
The Shrimp Sopes with Crème Fraiche were just right.
I despise mushrooms, but I pushed myself with my glass of Chardonnay Blend to try the Mushroom Tarte with Goat Cheese Mousse (
).
They actually complimented each other and the goat cheese made me not make that ‘bleyck’ face that I do when I eat something I can’t stand.
The one slider (without the lettuce) stole the whole show.
I don’t know what they put in it, I suspect truffle cheese, but holy cow it was absolutely amazing (
).
The Seared Ahi bite was a great refresher (
).
The waiters ended up leaving a tray of Shrimp Sopes with me which made me feel… Gluttonous…
The Crème Brulee dessert was great but a smack in the face sugar-​wise.
When I went for water, the bartenders were a bit off-​putting.
They didn’t want to pour me a glass of water, but instead pointed me in the direction of water jugs.
I went to pour some water and they were empty.
They did have one water jug near them, and poured it for someone else…
That aside, the night was great!
Thank you for letting me be a part of this event!

This was my 2^nd Elite event and a much better experience than the first one! We arrived a little before 7PM and was greeted by Ryan at the front, who was really friendly and welcoming!
The interior was very nicely decorated and there is a small room upstairs where you can sit too. We started off with the White wines, I think I liked the Sauvignon Blanc better than the Chardonnay blend. We also tried one of the red wines, which I really wasn’t a fan of too much.
Mostly everything I tasted that night was really delicious! The only thing I wasn’t a fan of, were the Goat Cheese & Mushrooms Tart but the bread with cheese, Ceviche cones, Basil Hummus (although I usually don’t like hummus), Crème Burlee, Beignets with cinnamon sugar and Sliders were delightful.
omg THE SLIDERS, where definitely my favorite of the night. The patty was so tender and flavorful, it melted in my mouth. So sad that we were only able to grab one during the whole night T-​T Most of the time whoever was near the kitchen doors grabbed most of the food before it got to us, boo.
Overall, it was a great experience and left with a happy stomach and some free Unilocal swag ^.^

In the real estate biz, they say its all about the location-​location-​location and Ryan’s postings almost always get my attention when they are weekday Long Beach Elite events. This four flight tasting at the WIne Down Lounge was no exception.
This wine bar is tucked away behind mature shrubbery along Ocean Ave. so you hardly even notice it from the street. And maybe thats why it has been on Unilocal for about 2 years now and only has 50-​someodd reviews. Not good.
I mean, just because of that fact, I was a bit apprehensive about sending in my RSVP. But you know what? Even though this was touted as a wine tasting event and after the third try, I finally found a drinkable Cab blend thanks to the Robert who is also the sommelier, the appetizers were what really shined for me. Kobe sliders, ceviche tucked into tiny cones, basil hummus, shrimp sopes, mini crème brûlée tart– just delicious!
It’s got cute décor, seating inside and out and valet parking via The Sky Room on Locust Ave. for $ 7.
Thanks to the OC CM Ryan C. for allowing me to attend. I would have never known about this place until Unilocal created this YEE.

This was my first Unilocal event and we had so much fun!!! The event was perfect. I really liked the four flight wine tasting that was free flowing. I think my favorite of all the wines was the Cabernet called the Brunette. It was so good that I ended up buying a bottle.
I wasn’t able to try everything, but the bites that I did try were delicious. The basil lemon humus and the shrimp sopas were amazing. I think my favorite, was the bacon/​filet slider. This was probably the best slider that I have ever had. The patty was perfectly cooked with a nice pink color in the center, and the bacon added so much depth and flavor. I think Jonathan called that slider «My burger can beat your burger.» To end the night we finished with the mini chocolate crème brûlée, they were bite sized and left you with a desire to have more.
This was truly a fun event. It wasn’t overly crowed and the whole staff and servers were all very friendly which made the night all the better. I also enjoyed meeting all fellow Unilocalers. Cant wait for the next event.
Thanks again Ryan for the setting up the event.

This was my second YEE, and I have to admit I had more fun at this event compared to Yori in Brea. Maybe it had something to do with the free flowing wine…
Nah, it had to do with Ryan C. doing an awesome job again (he also accommodated my +1 last min — Thanks again Ryan!); It had to do with me finally meeting Vanessa H. who is super cool (and her +1 Ayza); It had to do with me seeing Lili H. again (she’s super nice), and meeting Steph H. (who has been Elite since birth and has 3 Gold Badges), and meeting Vera Chris who’s reviews I have seen, but never met her; 5+++ Stars on the crowd fa sho!!!
There were four wines available (see menu). I tried the Cabernet Blend and the Syrah, and ended up sticking w/​the Syrah the rest of the night. The wine was very good. It was smooth and did not leave an aftertaste. It also paired nicely w/​the food: 4 Stars.
I tried the basil hummus, cheese, goat cheese & mushrooms, shrimp sopes and the sliders. All were 4 stars except the basil hummus — 3 Stars due to the pita bread being dry. They were a few desserts like donuts and crème brûlée. I didn’t try them but my friends did and they said they were good: 4 Stars.
The service was excellent. The wine servers put up w/​me even though I kept losing my wine glass. The servers kept the food rolling although everybody was scattered and the place was packed. The venue is very cool too. You walk up to the bar in the rear, and there are several wine racks around. In addition, there is a small upstairs lounge area w/​a couple of couches. I liked this place much better compared to the wine bar across from Congregation Ale House (can’t remember the name): Both 5 Stars.
I would definitely return to try more wines and the very good food. Thanks to the owners and staff for a great experience, and thanks to Ryan C. for arranging this ultra cool event!!!

Thanks to Teresa C. for inviting me and to Ryan C. for hosting such an awesome event!
A subsidiary of the upstairs Sky Room restaurant, Wine Down Lounge does not disappoint!
I enjoyed the four 2009 wines they had to offer for the night:
Reds: Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon
Whites: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
The food was also really yummy! My faves for the night were definitely the Seared Ahi Tuna, the chanterelle mushroom and goat cheese tart (loved, loved, loved the garlick-​y flavor!), and the the bacon/​beef patty with blue cheese burger. It was seriously to die for!
To top the best dessert of the night by far was the crème brûlée tart with the surprise blueberry in the middle. De-​frickin-​licious.
I can’t wait to go back to here and hang out! It’s such a great spot.
Thanks again to Ryan C. and Wine Down Lounge for hosting such an awesome event!

What a fabulous event! If you missed it, you definitely missed out.
Perhaps a bit too much wine for me? I was super social and tottered back and forth between the wine bar and the outside seating area. The staff at Wine Down were fabulous as well, trying to get outside with more of the delectables: basil hummus w/​crisp pita, shrimp sopes, snapper ceviche cones, a creamy mushroom baby quiche and my two faves the sliders & the aged cheddar with quince on baby toast.
I really enjoyed my 5 or 6 glasses of the Blonde Chardonnay, and there were at least 4 other red or white wines for tasting and I can’t recall how much was tipped in the jar, but it looked like a pretty good stash for the staff!
Wine Down was quaint and cozy, but not too cozy, with a wonderful outside area.
Lots of Unilocal Love to Ryan and Jaime, Vanessa, Drew, Thomas (can’t wait to go to Hamburger Marys!) Kevin, Roy, Sydney, Monique and Hai. I made some new friends and finally met a few Unilocalers on my list: Louie, VeraChris and Lili (love that handbag).
Ryan (affiliated with Long Beach or upcoming Taste of Long Beach) was on hand with our fabulous CM Ryan C. and we had a nice little chat about the area and the upcoming event. Raffle tickets for Taste of Long Beach were won via check-​in and unfortunately my hubby and I were not winners, and none of my friends were winners
:(To the winners, enjoy!
Plenty of Unilocal swag, I now have a nice little to-​go nail file for my makeup bag and Rohlin got a pin he really liked, along with the famous Unilocal Mints.
Where are the desserts? Lots of lovelies and perhaps a bit too much made as many people had already left so our table and awesome Unilocal grouping had tons! Beignets with cinnamon sugar and a dipping sauce of crème anglais, tall shot glasses of vanilla milkshake with baby choc chip cookies & cute little crème brulee tartlets finished off this fabulous elite event.
Tip: your four legged friends are apparently welcome outside. I fed a few tidbits (for shame!) to a cute little dachsund that was somebody’s plus 1 and what a well behaved and delightful pup.
Thank you Ryan C for another winning elite event and to Wine Down Lounge for hosting.

One of the few good things about having a spouse that is out of work, it allows us to make events we normally would never be able to attend. Owning a dog comes some restrictions, they can’t walk or feed themselves, so we have to come home and take care of Kaya. This often limits our ability to attend events during the week.
On this occasion, Laina had already walked Kaya before she picked me up from work and we were among of the first arrivals. This gave us a chance to talk to Ryan about the wedding he attended and admonish him for not bringing the highly coveted Unilocal socks (Foiled again!). Being early also allowed us to snag an outside table and it had quite the rotation of people come through. Drew M., Sidney S., Kevin B., Steph H., Louie B. (nice to finally meet you), Thomas O., Roy B., Lili H., Monique N., Hai and it was nice to meet VeraChris for the first time and it was cool to hear this was her first Elite Event.
The event started with the wine tasting with four wines available for sampling:
Backseat, «Blonde» Chardonnay Blend, 2009
Coquelicot, Sauvignon Blanc, 2009
Backseat, «Brunette» Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, 2009
Coquelicot, «Black Oak Vineyard» Syrah, 2008
My wife sampled the Chardonnay Blend and the Cabernet Sauvignon Blend and I had a couple of glasses of the Syrah. I believe Laina liked the Chardonnay Blend a little more, but felt both were a little dry for her taste. I thought the Syrah was good, but I am not a wine connoisseur, so I can’t really give an accurate rating of the wine.
Shortly after the wine tasting had began, the first tapenade came out. It was Lemon and Basil Hummus in a small glass (
). I thought the lemon and basil gave the hummus a good flavor, but Laina would have preferred if the pita had not been deep fried. The next item to come out was a slice of Fiscalini Cheddar with Quince on a Grilled Bread (
). I thought the sweetness of the Quince helped to offset the sharpness of the Cheddar. Laina liked this offering too! The food just kept coming with Red Snapper Ceviche being the next item which made it to our table (
). It contained Avocado, Peppers, Pineapple, Kiffer Lime, Red Onions and Cilantro which went well with the Red Snapper. At this point, my phone decided it was a good time to take a nap so there are no more pics! Another seafood item was our next sampling, a Shrimp Sope with Cabbage, Peppers, Garlic and Meyer Lemon Crème Fraiche. The Mushroom and Asparagus Tart with Goat Cheese was very good and many Unilocalers (including myself) thought it was a great item. Unfortunately, my wife doesn’t like seafood and is allergic to mushrooms, so she didn’t try any of these fares. The next (2) fares were Wine Down’s sliders: «And the Pickles» (Natural Filet Mignon, Manchego, Tomato Confit, Avocado, Boston Lettuce, Fried Pickle and Secret Sauce on a Brioche Bun) and My Burger Can Beat Up Your Burger (Natural Filet Mignon, Applewood Bacon, Blue Cheese, Red Wine Braised Onions and Arugula Chanterelle Aioli on a Brioche Bun). Both the sliders were very good and they were disappearing as fast as they would appear.
For the raffle, (3) people won 12 tickets to purchase food items during the Taste of Downtown event in Long Beach (June 5^th & 6^th). I thought I had rigged the raffle to win all (3) sets of tickets, but I was foiled once again! Ryan provided a list of vendors at the event, what fare was being offered and how many tickets each item would cost. While the raffle was going on, the servers brought out Chocolate and Blueberry Crème Brulee Tarts and Cinnamon Beignets with Crème Anglaise for dipping. The Crème Brulee was very good and the Beignets were a little dry until you dipped them into the Crème Anglaise. For those who couldn’t get the hint it was time to leave (I never catch those subtle hints), we were treated to Vanilla Shake Shots with a Chocolate Chip Cookie! The shake was a little thin for my taste, but it had a nice flavoring and the cookie was good. I think I had like (6) shots, because many of the Unilocalers had left and I didn’t want the fare going to waste.
The final element was the great company! It was really nice to sit back and talk to so many Unilocalers while the evening came to me. It was nice to catch up with Ryan before the event and see Jaime again. Laina to a look at the wedding pics while Ryan was setting up for the event.
Rohlinism: Good food, good drink and good conversation … what else could you ask for from an event?
The wife and I agree, this was one of the best Elite events we have attended. Great job Ryan and thanks to the management and staff of Wine Down for hosting this event!

Is common knowledge that Ryan Rocks, right?
Well he rocks even more when he is tan =)
(good tan BTW I’m kinda yellow these days so I’m talking out of envy)
This time Ryan hit the ball out the park organizing YEE: Wine Down Lounge Elite Tasting, an awesome event near downtown Long Beach.
The location was really nice, well decorated with tons of awesome wines.
For us Unilocalers they prepared a complimentary flight of 2 whites and 2 reds
Since I’m not into white wines, I tried the red ones the syrah didn’t convince me soooo the cabernet was my drink of choice for the night =)
And scrumptious hors d’œuvre: miniature versions of their dishes.
All were great but my favorite were the Shrimp sopes, OMG!!! heavenly. Also the basil hummus
and to finish the night some glorious mini-​crème brulet and mini– milkshake and cookies.
It was great to see Joe P, Michael, Rohlin & Laina, and so many cool Unilocalers (my apologies if I don’t mention everybody but you gotta understand a Chinese old lady’s memory is not the best)
and finally meeting in person Louie, Vera and Jess.
Last but not least thanks Roy for being an awesome +1 and for transporting this COL (Chinese O L) Hopefully I’m a good «wing girl» =)
It was so much fun! Obviously the ambiance was awesome, fun and upbeat.
Thank you very much to the Wine Down Lounge crew, in special Eliza and Pierre, great job and of course to the awesome Ryan.
Great event.
Until next time.
Cheers!

I felt right at home at the Wine Down Lounge. And anybody who knows me knows I’m normally one who is quite shy and reserved in social events. And when it has anything to do with wine I feel pretty much like a fish out of water. But once I had me some of that back seat brunette cab action (my fav wine of the night) I was right in my element. LOL! Throw me back in the bowl with the rest of the fish. What a great place to be swimming around with the other Unilocal Elites at the Wine Down Lounge in LB! Cheers!
THE WINE:
Backseat, «Blonde» Chardonnay Blend, 2009 (didn’t try)
Coquelicot, Sauvignon Blanc, 2009 (Not bad stuff)
Backseat, «Brunette» Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, 2009 My personal favorite of the eve! think I must have had 2−3−4−5−6???
Coquelicot, «Black Oak Vineyard» Syrah, 2008 (OK, but I prefer a dirty brunette)
THE FOOD: I shamelessly borrowed pics. A great assortment of bite sized goodness
Snapper cevichi taco tortilla roll things (yummy)
Shrimp sopes (So freakin good!!),
Mushroom and asparagus and goat cheese torts (love me some fungi)
Super sliders (so delish! tasted like big boy burgers!)
Basil hummus & pita martinis (the coolest martini looking munchies ever!)

Seared Ahi Tuna bites (Tasty!!)
Aged cheddar & quince jam on toast bite (Nice flavor mix)
Dark chocolate & blueberry crème brûlée tortes (Big Smile!)
Beignets with a tasty cinnamon dip
Mini Milkshakes cookie topped, cute and tasty.

THE PEEPs
This YEE was one cool affair! From the sweet venue, the yummy wine and tasty tapas and just as importantly the chill fun crowd. I managed to rub elbows with some long time Unilocal pals and palettes Michael P, Kevin B, Drew, Steph H, Vanessa H, Judi S as well as meeting some new ones for the first time. It was Great meeting you Vera-​Chris N, Jess I, Joe P, Monique N & Hai (hope to see you in Scouting) and Louie (cheers!) B.
I honestly feel blessed sometimes when I find myself in such great company relaxing and having such an awesome time. Super special thanks to the lovely Lili H. my partner in crime for the evening for inviting me as her +1! Cheers!
Thanks to Ryan C and Jonathan the owner of the Wine Down Lounge for putting on such a fun, tasty night for us elites.
I’ll be back! to try the Sky Room too!

Awesome event in my hometown to pop my Unilocal event cherry! Thanks Ryan C. for setting this up and letting me share it with my favorite +1, Drew B.
If I wasn’t invited to the event, I probably wouldn’t of known this place was here. In fact I drove right by it the first time. We were lucky enough to score some street parking.
I talked to the nice server dude at the bar (well heck everyone was really nice! Sean, a food server, was a sweetheart!) and apparently the place has been open for 2 years. The venue has a nice, cozy, and warm feeling to it. My only gripe was that once it got crowded inside it did get a little stuffy. But I appreciated the fact I could sneak outside for some air and heaters were around.
Okay on to the food! Unfortunately I didn’t get to try everything but the things I did try were awesome!
–Seared Ahi Tuna: Wish there was more! I had one and it seemed to be enjoyed by all.
–Shrimp Sopes: Pretty good bite sized yummy!
–Sliders: Apparently there were a few kinds. I don’t recall the differences, but I enjoyed the one with bacon the best. I mean c’mon… BACON. lol!
–Ceviche: cute cone presentation. It was the first thing I had and it was okay from what I remember.
–Crème Brulee: LOVED it! Had 2… I just had to.
–Beignet: This one was just okay. Also seeing someone dip their finger with theirs before me just wasn’t the business.
Unfortunately I missed the rest. :(BUT that just means I have to come back. So when is their late night happy hour? :D
Complementary wine tasting throughout the night, good nommers, and new friends… what more can a girl ask for?

WOW… that was so much fun. Good food, cool people and a great ambiance — SCORE! Thanks once again Ryan C. for putting together such an enjoyable event. You the MAN!
I would also like to thank the staff @ Wine Down Lounge and Ryan (from Taste of Downtown LB). Thanks for accommodating us Unilocalers and allowing us to bring a guest. I was so happy to share this experience w/​my best friend. SPECIAL thanks to the waiter that was able to snatch me a COKE… love you dude :)
AMBIANCE: The Wine Down Lounge exudes CLASSINESS & CHARM.
Loved the red & gray colors. Good lighting.
PARKING TIP: Small lot close by on Promenade & Locust (If you’re exiting 710S and go down Shoreline and make a left on Pine Ave, then a right on Ocean… you will see Promenade… make a right… and go slightly down and lot will be on your left!!)
Same parking lot as The Sky Room (which is on top of Wine Down Lounge). $ 7.
*******THE «WINE (D)» DOWN*********
(a little play on words… my ranking in this order)
*Food presentation was simply DELICATE and very APPEALING to the eye!
1) FISCALINI Cheddar and QUINCE paste (jam made from a fruit of a quince tree in Europe) on a Tostini: savory & sweet contrast of the cheese & paste were DELIGHTFUL.
2) SEARED AHI TUNA in a light HOISIN SAUCE: presented on a spoon… so CUTE. Talk about a good blend of flavors. The seared crust of the tuna had a hint of saltiness and MESHED perfectly well with the light hoisin sauce. GOSH I LOVED THIS.
3) BASIL HUMMUS w/​a flatbread: loved the presentation. Saltiness of the flatbread and the creamy basil flavors of the hummus blended well together.
4) SHRIMP SOPES: small bite size sopes w/​shrimp & cream fraiche. Good stuff!!!
5) MUSHROOM/​ASPARAGUS/​ALMOND TART with Goat cheese on top
6) SLIDERS: They had many variations of sliders floating around.
a) a 2 inch high one w/​a pattie, lettuce, tomatoes, fried pickle — i had this one! Woo HOO! Pattie was juicy/​medium rare. YUM-​O!
b) a pattie w/​grilled onions
c) a pattie w/​lettuce, tomatoes
7) CEVICHE: fresh seafood in a cone shaped fried tortilla.
DESSERT:
1) CREME BRULEE: HOLY MACARONI! This was the perfect ending to a great tasting. A nicely whipped up creamy filling w/​blending flavors of caramel & custard w/​a BLUEBERRY surprise inside. LOVED IT.
2) BEIGNET and a light creamy sauce for dipping. Tasted like a donut hole w/​a thicker batter w/​cinnamon on outside. Not one of my faves.
**4 COMPLIMENTARY WINE TASTING FLIGHT all from 2009… UNLIMITED…everyone had a blast!
Nice meeting you: Jess I, Lauren B, Mellssa, Triniti and Vera Chris!

So here we have another wine bar, with the usual suspects, Pinot the Predator, Malbec the Malevolent, Cabernet the Cameleon, HMMM, a game of clue?
So I thought, nope, a great place to literally Wind Down at the very cleverly named business [Wine Down Lounge] nestled beside The Sky Room awaiting this skeptic.
I’ve been to many establishments of this genre and I truly am a wine person only if wine is served with a meal, yet this Elite Event, hosted by our 5 Star CM of the OC which includes the LBCA changed my views on that for MP!
Oh POOP Ryan, I forgot to get my Unilocal socks from you!
=============================================================
A very well orchestrated event, complete with some of the best noshes, wine samplings, perks & attendees.
Add ALL of that together, and you have an Elite Event to remember.
Sliders, Basil Hummus on Flat bread, Seafood, appetizers that till have my palate wanting more along with the Cream Brulees of Blueberry & Chocolate and so much more, so excellently constructed & displayed, I was afraid to partake them from the servers (who with smiles & grace) plates as not to upset the wonderful display.
Ryan, the samplings you helped select were spot on Gobsmaking delightful!
Out of the 6 offerings served up by Jonathan’s wonderful team, I had 3 glasses of red wines, one of the Syrah (Shiraz) with a wonderful dry after taste and oakey flavor and, the other two were of the mixed blend of what comes as close to a Pinot/​Merlot which I favored, savored and went into bliss-​buzz mode!
A relaxing evening to see & spend time with Unilocal friends, Steph H, Stephanie (meeting her friend Charlie), Roy, Drew, Julie (my hugable GF in dine), darling Lili, Thomas, meeting the charming Vodka loving (like MP) & smiling Louie along with two beautiful ladies that are neighbors of mine (who knew), Annette & Amy, I hope I got that right, you made the ending of my night very bright.
Also, a raffle with a twist, that upon check in you had chances to win tickets to the Downtown Dine, with 2 lucky Elite Unilocalers smiling; from the list of businesses for that venue, you will definitely enjoy.
That too, nicely done Ryan, with no tickets to keep track of made this raffle fun while anticipating your chances.
On more kudo Mr. Ryan C, having just gotten back from Cabo, you looked fresh & ready, hosted and offered up an exceptional venue!
Ah yes, an Elite Event reminding MP of the:

My wiener had a great time here. He really enjoyed all the attention. Thanks Ryan for hosting a dog-​friendly event!
The service was solid, the catering director Eliza advocated on behalf of us patio-​dwellers for food (she literally radioed in an a delivery of My Burger Can Beat Up Your Burger), and the space was interesting and welcoming. Accessibility is top-​notch, with the Blue Line a short hop away, and creative parkers will have no problem driving into downtown LBC.
One day, I’d like to rent out the lofted second floor for a corporate team building meeting. The wines they serve aren’t that distinctive, but the service and space make Wine Down Lounge a very returnable place.

Wine Down Lounge is a medium sized non-​pretentious wine bar with tons of comfy seating at the main level, outside, and in the upstairs loft area. There’s a chalk board with by the glass pricing, ranging from around $ 8-​$ 13. Although I didn’t have a chance to review the menu, food is also served.
At this extremely well planned YEE, we were treated to a tasting flight of 4 different wines (2 white, 2 red) and seemingly endless delicious appetizers. The staff was amazing, and I was never left without something to snack on or sip. I can only imagine that the service is fantastic on a regular day!
I had my eye on the unique whiskey selection behind the bar, and am looking forward to coming back to give some of those a try! Thank you Ryan and Wine Down Lounge for hosting such an amazing event!
SYOY!

I think I’ve found another establishment to try and likely add to my «I Love Long Beach» list. The Wine Down Lounge was an awesome spot for an Elite event, and complete with delicious wine and amazing food, this event was firing on all cylinders. I had no idea that there was anything worth visiting in this building besides the Sky Room and its Up Lounge!
I’m not normally a fan of many of the wines we got to sample — chardonnay, sauvingnon blanc, cab, and syrah, but every tasting I had (which was all but the syrah) was really good! The chardonnay was actually a blend, which made it a little more pleasing for my particular palate. The cab was also delightful, and I left this place with a solid buzz… thankfully my +1 Azya C. was driving!
As far as the food went, I couldn’t get enough of that basil hummus with flatbread. Served in miniature martini glasses, this was a fun way to present this tasting! The sliders were absolutely divine, and I also loved the aged cheddar & quince paste on the tostini… I could have had so much more of that! The mushroom/​asparagus/​almond tart topped with goat cheese was also a hit, despite the fact that I could probably skip mushrooms for the rest of my life and be okay with it. I also tried a couple of the seafood-​based offerings (red snapper ceviche cups, shrimp sopes) and found them un-​objectionable. To finish it off, the crème brûlée tart and the homemade beignets were incredible.
Thank you so much Ryan C. for hosting a top-​notch event in one of my favorite places in SoCal. This is definitely a reason for me to come back to the 562 and enjoy an awesome meal!

This was the second Elite event that I have been to and I have to say that I can get used to these gigs for sure!
I was on a mission tonight and I fulfilled it perfectly. I took the blue line down so that I could get nice and juiced up. I did a pretty good job of that!
I must have driven past the Wine Down Lounge 50 times in the past 8 years that I have lived in Long Beach and I never stopped in so I am glad I got to check it out in style.
I arrived at around 7:10 and the place was bumping. It ended up getting pretty packed but there was a cool loft to hang out in and the outside patio provided plenty of extra room.
I got straight to work on the wine and food samples that came around. They served 4 different kinds of wines and I sampled all 4 of them quite a few times. I am not much of a wine drinker and I was shocked that I ended up drinking the Syrah the most. Boy that stuff makes you feel good after you have had 5 – 10 glasses of it LOL!
Here is what they served and I have a few glasses of each with made Louie very happy!
Backseat, «Blonde» Chardonnay Blend, 2009
Coquelicot, Sauvignon Blanc, 2009
Backseat, «Brunette» Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, 2009
Coquelicot, «Black Oak Vineyard» Syrah, 2008
The different types of food that they brought around where very yummy. The Sliders stuck out the most to me and every time a plate of things things came out, they were gobbled up in minutes. Man they were good!
I met a ton of Unilocal friends IRL this time around and that was the coolest. Hi Rohlin A, Laina A, Micael P, Kevin B, Roy P and hi again Morgan H!
Also I would like to give a special shout out to our fearless leader Ryan C. for throwing such a kick ass event!
Here is a video that I shot during raffle time

Can’t we get rid of wine lists? Do we really have to be reminded every time we go out to a nice restaurant that we have no idea what we are doing? Why don’t they just give us a trigonometry quiz with the menu? — Jerry Seinfeld
After going to a South County (San Jose area) Unilocal event last week, I knew I just had to attend the OC version of unlimited wine and food while I was in the area this week. Having two homes right now is exhausting but being a part of two Unilocal worlds is also very fun :)
As others have noted, the apps served were excellent. Ceviche cones, the crispy bread things with Quince, and the chocolate tartes at the end were excellent. I only tried the red wines, and the cabernet was a decent house red, but the Syrah was terrible (or at least the first bottle opened was flawed).
Of course, what makes these events awesome to attend, besides having an excellent host like Ryan C., was seeing various Unilocalers who one does not get to see much of except online. Especially now that I am working up north for awhile and am only back in the OC on weekends.
Wine Down appears to be a fun lounge that definitely has far better wines on the wine list especially since I believe they pull from The SkyRoom’s expansive cellar. I look forward to visiting again when in the area. With other outstanding places like District Wine Bar, and 4^th Street Wine Bar close by; the LBC is now becoming wine bar central :)
Cool peeps and a fun way to spend a Tuesday night :) Thanks again Ryan for another entertaining event!

Another very cool Unilocal Elite event!
There were many different super yummy things to eat, as well a few different wines to sample. Unfortunately I only managed to snap 2 pix of the food! (I know, BAD, BAD Unilocaler!) The really awesome sliders!
And the delish Vanilla Milkshake with chocolate chip cookie!
There was also a snapper cevichi taco (yum), a shrimp sopes (Delish!), a mushroom and goat cheese thingy (VERY tasty), basil hummus (YUM!), seared Ahi Tuna bite, (WOW!), an aged cheddar & quince jam on toast bite (AWESOME), as well as a dark chocolate & blueberry crème brûlée torte (DELISH!)
Here are Rohlin & Laina making a «toast» with their sliders instead of their wine glasses. LOL
A view from the VERY comfy upstairs lounge area:
As this is a Wine Bar, the have a large number of wines to choose from:
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MUCH THANKS to all the staff (Shaun, etc) at the Wine Down Lounge for the AWESOME nibbles and delicious sampling of wines… AND a HUGE thanks to Ryan C and the anonymous Ryan who is part of the Downtown Long Beach business association for helping to put this all together!
Shout outs to Laina and Rohlin A, Vanessa H, Lili H, Roy B, Steph H, Michael P, Judi S, Kai N, & Monique, Thomas O, Drew M and any others I may have forgotten (sorry)!
This is why I really enjoy being Elite!