Elite Event: V Spot

I was really excited about coming to this event because my plus one is a vegan. The location is good and the layout has a lot of potential.
I must admit that I was a little disappointed with the lack of food. I never come to these events with the expectation of replacing my meal but I do expect to be able to sample a few items from the menu.
Unfortunately, when I arrived around 6:40p, nothing was left (not everyone works 9 – 5). Thankfully, the owner came by our table and asked us if we sampled anything and we said no. He brought our table some mushroom and «cheese» empanadas. It was DELICIOUS! The different sauces were also great. I wish I was able to sample more items.
The vegan wine was good and plentiful!
I would definitely come back again. I really liked the owners and the little bit of food I had is worth giving this place another try.

This was the first Elite event of the year for 2016 at V Spot, the newish vegan outpost of the original V Spot location in Brooklyn. While I have nothing against vegan food, it would be interesting to see what V Spot would roll out to entertain guests with for a decent sized venue. That call was answered in the form of chips & salsa and baked empanadas.
Lobetia Wines (their distributor) provided some lovely organic wine to pair alongside the small bites. The wine flowed freely, and it was quite delicious, especially the viognier and chardonnay. The venue was set up with tables with seating for 4 – 6, though we soon learned we had to line up to pick up food at the centrally located spot for chips & salsa. Most notably the salsa quickly ran out before I got to the station. As I am aware that their Latin-​flavored menu is quite extensive, this was certainly a missed opportunity to showcase some of their best dishes on their main menu.
This was certainly the event to catch up with familiar faces. I point out though that there were a stunning amount of new elites that in past events. Thanks Ruggy, Unilocal NYC, V Spot and Morty from Lobetia Wines for a wonderful night.

I came here for an elite event and did not know what to expect. If a person wanted to describe how I eat/​my habits the first word that would come to mind is carnivore. However…
This place is VEGAN. What the hell was I going to eat? Surprisingly, ALOT. So they had some samples out of popular items and they were so good. The nachos were phenomenal, the baked columbian empanadas were delicious definitelg my favorite item, and avocado fries.
Also, the people were friendly and it was super spacious. I would recommend this place for anyone. Meat eaters would definitely find something on the menu.

This was a great event! The space was laid out very classy, with long tables where people could sit comfortably and mingle. The owners were super nice and made a point of talking to everyone. Mordy, who did the wines, was a real hit. There was enough wine for several glasses and he was pleasant to talk to. He had a bunch of different selections. They really chose their best food items to feature (avocado fries and empanadas!). I left feeling really satisfied and after having a really good time.

This event was quite disappointing, especially in comparison to how awesome the events usually are! I arrived at 7pm and the food was 99.9% gone. Admittedly, the event started at 6, so I was an hour late, but I was under the impression that the event was from 6 – 8. I’ve never actually arrived on time to an event before (it’s difficult when your job has unpredictable hours), and usually at these events, the restaurant does a great job of continuously bringing food out. The lack of food led to a lack of socializing. I did manage to get some wine though, and that was actually quite delicious.

Y’all.
Let’s not discredit the awesome coordination and effort put in by Ruggy and the V Spot staff.
An event is what you make of it… I had a great time!
Anything involving free food and alcohol at a Unilocal event (or really any event), you should probably come on time. If you don’t, you risk other hungry Unilocalers eating it. I mean, it’s FREE. Should any of us be complaining? Also note, Ruggy specifically prefaced the event invite with a *this won’t be a full meal* type of warning.
I would say from the food, the best item was the fried avocado fries and the fried empanadas. They were flavorful, crunchy, and gluttonous. I mean… insert word fried before anything and it’s most likely going to be awesome. Vegan, or not vegan. So is this the healthiest version of vegan food? Probs not. I don’t think they’re advertising that though so I’m supportive. Would I come back on my own volition? Probs not. Just not my personal style.
I preferred the viognier of the wines I tasted. I knew about organic wines and about biodynamic practices vineyards can use, but I didn’t know there was such a thing as a designated vegan wine. So, that was interesting.
Got to meet new table-​mates, had interesting convo and launched off my week with tummy full of wine and vegan munchies.
Thanks everyone.

Being a vegan for years now, I was already familiar with VSpot’s organic vegan Latin menu from their original Brooklyn location which I used to live by. When I moved to Manhattan in January it became too difficult to get to on a whim, so I was excited a few months ago when this location opened up but had yet to visit until now. I was super stoked there was an event that not only spread the word of how delicious vegan food could be, but an event where I could eat everything on the menu without having to scrutinize every ingredient!
I saw many, many new faces here… In fact I had only met 4 – 5 of the people here before. I was happy to have the opportunity to chat with old friends and meet new faces.
The layout is nice and large enough to accommodate large parties in the back room which had some remaining character from it’s predecessor inhabitants (Korean hotpot-​type restaurant). The artwork on the walls could use a little work; being chock-​full of «VSpot opening soon» posters which was a little confusing. I felt like maybe they could bring in some artwork from an artist local to the owner’s hometown or something, or just anything but «opening soon» posters framed which was a little odd and off putting to the décor and ambiance.
However let’s move on to the important stuff! Their food is top notch, as always their empanadas are divine and I am sure if you gave it to someone that eats animals they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. The avocado fries were exactly as heavenly as they sound like they would be, with a crispy fried exterior and interior filled with divine ambrosial ripe avocado fit for the fat vegan gods.
The wine selection was stellar, with vegan organic wines from Mordy, the distributor who was kind enough to offer a bit of nearly every major grape group. There was a lovely cab, temperanillo, chardonnay, sparkling wine and a viognier that paired lovely with the spring rolls.
I see some of the less-​than-​deserved reviews here are from people arriving late, but that’s just the name of the game people. We’re all adults here and know that if you don’t arrive on time to something you might miss out. Really, don’t hold your inability to arrive in a timely fashion against the business. Although I’ll admit more food would have been preferable, but they were making all these things fresh as we were going through them — so what’s better, food cooked en masse and left under a hot lamp for hours or freshly baked food made to order? Also, if we were able to review Unilocalers I’d probably give the lady wearing the Canada goose jacket with fox fur trim to a vegan event 1-​star.
To conclude, great event (if you arrived on time) and the owners I met are very nice and ensure that their employees excel in customer service. Thank you to VSpot, Ruggy, Unilocal and everyone else for throwing a lovely event! Congrats to Alex for doing big things, and especially congrats to VSpot for opening a third location!

The V Spot and the place itself was awesome, the food was nicely curated and Vegan food actually tastes good (who knew!). I always appreciate these Elite events and getting to talk to people (who come on time) and having a place to sit was nice. The avocado fries were divine and the Vegan wine was actually very good and tasted like regular (non-​vegan) wine. However, the setup of the event could be improved if each table had their own dishes instead of waiting in line and having a free for all where people take too much or too little of each dish.
There could have been more management of the food. And, unfortunately, some Unilocalers were not the nicest at the event (some coming late and taking the seats of others, some being rude, some taking too much food or scolding those who took food for others at their tables). I appreciated the staff & Unilocal to organize the event, but Unilocal Elite people need to not be so elitist. Other events I have been to has not been as bad.
Overall food and the V-​Spot is ⁵⁄₅!

Admittedly, the first YEE of the year was, perhaps, a hair of a letdown, which I feel bad saying. (I’m too nice. We all know this. Haaa.) But! I’m not saying I had a bad time. My evening was most pleasant.
Though I’m not a vegan, many of my friends and former roommates are, so I have become used to the food offerings. V Spot’s Latin (and Kosher!) twist on vegan food definitely intrigued me and whet my appetite to come to this event.
Upon arrival at about 6:10, the place was pretty packed, long tables already lined with people. I kind of awkwardly stood around with my coat and backpack for a few minutes while I gained my bearings. I saw a table full of wine and a table full of small appetizers. I got a taste of the wine before moving onto the food. There was a slight wait (which definitely got longer after I had exited the line), but the food was already disappearing when I arrived to the front! Still, props to Vineet for being a gentleman and letting me have the last empanada. ;-) I did get to sample all of their offerings: tortilla chips, avocado fries, said empanada, and their vegetable-​filled spring rolls. I did enjoy everything I ate, the empanada being my favorite offering. The earthy spices and its texture were wonderful.
By 7 p.m., there was seemingly a mass exodus of folks, many mumbling about the lack of food. *shrug* To quote Jane S., «Yelp Elite Events are not only about food, but some people think otherwise because they just leave after they have eaten/​sampled the food.» I stuck around to converse with other seasoned Elites, and I got a chance to speak to Mordy from Lobetia Wines about the organic and vegan wine selections they were kind enough to serve us that evening. I got to sample the Cab and the Viognier; to my knowledge, I’ve never had the latter, and though I’m a lover of all wines red, I really enjoyed its fruity crispness.
I think a little more variety in the food served would have been nice, but the folks running V Spot were kind, and I saw a few people that arrived past 7 p.m. going home with some boxed empanadas, courtesy of the owners. Very cool! Honestly, I’d come back and give this place a shot for dinner, especially with my vegan friends that are so hardcore, they refuse to go to restaurants that serve meat. (I’m not even kidding.) I scoped out their menu, and it looks great!
Thanks to Ruggy, Unilocal,the folks at V Spot, and Mordy from Lobetia Wines for a pleasant (and animal-​friendly!) evening in the East Village.

First Elite event of 2016 at a Vegan establishment, I liked it!
This place adds a unique twist to Vegan cuisine by adding all those delicious Latin flavors. The location is surprising in midst of all meat centric restaurants aka korean spots nearby which is good as it stands out.
Though the place does not look very spacious from outside it’s actually quite big. The event was held in the back section which is used for private events for people anywhere between 45 – 60. I see many vegan parties getting organized here in near future.
I came around 10 minutes past 6 and there were already a lot of people. They had set up tables but the food was not served instead one had to get in a buffet style. There were avacado fries, tortilla chips, empanadas and vegetable rolls. I got to try everything except empanada, those avocado fries were super tasty. To accompany food, there was delicious vegan wine & wine kept flowing entire night & it was really good.
I saw a lot of new faces here infact I just knew a handful of people here. I am going to counter those negative reviews. First off the Unilocal events are meant to experience a place and sample the food, and do not serve to replace your meal. The events are not just about food but also learning about the establishment and meeting new Unilocalers.
Thanks Ruggy for putting it together, looking forward to more in 2016!

Got there at 7 pm and all of the food was gone! :’(I was able to snag a few chips, which were great and to this event’s credit, the fresh organic wine was definitely a hit, but otherwise I feel like I didn’t get to experience V Spot like I thought I would. I’m sure it was unpredictable, but perhaps next time the crowd could have been more limited like an event like this, or perhaps people should have been encouraged to come on time or not come at all. Sad to have missed out on the other samplings!

I did not get a good feel of the range and quality of food at Vspot from the items served at the Unilocal Elite event since three of the four items showcased — tortilla chips, deep fried avocado and veg roll (rice sheet stuffed with raw carrots and greens) could not really reflect the culinary prowess of the establishment. Would need a return visit to better judge the food.
For those considering a private party, there is a backroom available.

I got to this event at around 6:20pm and left around 30 minutes later since it didn’t seem like much was going on, sadly. I even brought a friend and was hoping to introduce her to new people. The elite event at V Spot took place in the back section of their restaurant, as the front of the restaurant was serving paying customers. It was a very tight space for too many people in my opinion and most of the space was occupied by a never-​ending line of people waiting for food.
I did see a lot of new faces that may or may not have been at previous events — I saw a lot of people eat and immediately leave, which is cool, but if you’re a first timer, give the event a chance! Go talk to some folks!
Wine was aplenty at this event, but I don’t drink, so that’s a moot point! It did seem like most people were enjoying the self-​serve drinks. There were tons of bottles.
As for the food, I agree with others — there was a small assortment that I’m sure does not reflect the menu of V Spot — empanadas, tortilla chips, vegetable spring rolls, and fried avocado fries. I’ve definitely been to YEE’s with less food, so no complaints here. The avocado fries were the best part and were freshly fried — yum! Empanadas were nothing to call home about, for sure. Spring rolls — I’m biased because I’m used to Vietnamese spring rolls, so these were boring for me. I did like the sauces — the spicy one was really good.
For the new faces — hope to see you next time!

As a full blown carnivore, I was pleasantly surprised by the V Spot! I was expecting bland, dry food, but their empanadas were hearty and the avocado fries were crispy with a creamy center. If a vegan friend invited me here, I wouldn’t hesitate to come back and sample their large menu.

I came late to this event… but only so I could bring my brother. I start off by saying that to let you know that by the time I came it did look like the event was dying down and the food was gone.
Butttt thanks to Ruggy my brother and I were made some delicious empanadas on the fly. So happy and thankful for V Spot cooking us up something last minute so we did not go without. We split the empanadas and they were beyond yum! They came with a spicy tomato sauce that I just loved. Not sure what was in them but it intrigued me enough to being my meat eating boyfriend to come down and try it soon.
The wine bar brought to us by Lobetia Organic wines did not disappoint. I was wowed by my vegan sparkling wine that to me tasted the same if not better than my regular wine. It tasted very frah and crisp! Always a plus with wine!
The place itself is way bigger… or rather longer than I thought. You enter and it feels cozy but the restaurant keeps on going. The back was where our private event was held. It was cool that we had our own section. Very chill music and vibe all around.
Cool event in my book.

As a former vegan who still enjoys the likes of tempeh, seitan, and other vegan food, I was really looking forward to the first NYC Elite Event of 2016 at V Spot. Unfortunately, the event was a bit disappointing, not only due to the lack of variety and quantity of food, but also due to the lackluster atmosphere of the event.
I arrived at the event around 6:30PM, thinking that since the event was from 6−8PM, I will have plenty of time to hang out, check out the scene, enjoy the food and drink, and talk with the owner. By the time I got there, the restaurant already ran out of food — probably because the early birds took enough food to satisfy a full dinner. I was left to munch on flakes of tortilla chips and a couple avocado fries. Luckily, they brought out another platter of empanadas… but not enough to serve everyone in line. I did manage to try a half of an empanada. I think it was baked, so not as greasy as most empanada. The filling was made of seitan (I think?), and it tasted like meat! I also loved the doughy AND flaky exterior of the empanada. I wished V Spot had samples of other food items too… I will have to come back!
I feel like people were already getting ready to head out by the time I arrived. Unilocal Elite Events are not only about food, but some people think otherwise because they just leave after they have eaten/​sampled the food. The event definitely felt like it was winding down by 7PM. I still had a great time hanging out, but going forward, I think Unilocal should limit people who just attend these events for food… :)