Samoa Soirée

First time attending and had a blast! There was a lot of good food AND I got to hang with some very cool folks! I was a pig in mud & enjoyed everything especially, the Lemon Chicken dish made with Savannah Smiles. Whoa!!! There were also had fried green tomatoes that I enjoyed. Pad Thai was another YUMMM & some beef thing with a jalapeño. I could’ve eaten an entire tray. ALLLLLL of the desserts were delicious. Thank you to Jordan B for your guidance on all of the good stuff!!! I believe there were more desserts which was a concern for two ladies I overheard talking at the end of the night. It wasn’t a concern of mine. Bring it on!
I def made my rounds. I’d walk to a food vendor/​station, bring the food to the table, stand in line at the bar for a drink, & finally sit down to enjoy my collection. This process caused me to miss the shrimp that I heard of & possibly more. But again, there was a lot of good food. Also, I think the point of the set up was to walk around & taste while standing and socializing. But, who am I to follow protocol? :) I would have preferred some trays of food circulating so I can sit and relax but, no worries at all. I truly enjoyed a night out and what better way than at my first Samoa Soirée!!! Thank you!!!

I was obliged to have the honor of representing Unilocal Hampton Roads at the 8^th Annual Samoa Soirée benefiting the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast. I thoroughly enjoyed myself from start to finish. The Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center was a wonderful spacious event, and all the sponsors were both welcoming and accommodating.
Throughout the night I had the privilege of sampling dishes from some of the finest restaurants around HRVA. The theme the restaurants had to follow was that the dishes had to incorporate girl scout cookies as one of the ingredients. It was real interesting to see (and taste) all the creative creations.
Later on in the night, we got to vote on our three favorite dishes and I must say that the thin mint cupcake from Twisted Sisters, the chicken pad thai seasoned with thin mint from Cyprus Grille, and the rah rah raisin chicken sausage with savannah smiley tzatziki sauce really took the cake (or should I say girl scout cookie) lol. The thin mint cake pop from RJ’s Café, The somoa cheesecake from Travinia, and the do si do chicken taco from Anchor Allie’s all get an honorable mention, although, there really wasn’t a dish there that I did not enjoy. Furthermore, I have a lot of new places to bookmark and try on Unilocal this year. :)
Along with the good food there was also good company at the event. The Unilocal fam and I got to share a table with WVEC channel 13. Ashley Smith in particular was so fun to kiki with all night, we even snapped a few selfies with her. She did such a good job hosting.
I must say, the Samoa Soirée was an excellent event! It is always nice to dress up, get out, and have some fun while supporting a good cause.

Attending the 7^th Annual Samoa Soirée was a treat. The Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast were more than welcoming. It took place inside the Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center, which is a gorgeous venue with panoramic views of the water.
There was complimentary valet parking provided by East Coast Valet. Awesome. No real coat check; just two huge racks of already filled black coats So if you weren’t the first hundred people, you had to pile your coat on a nearby countertop or take it with you. I opted to hang mine on the chair of our table, as to not mistakenly get taken by someone. Then I went to pick up my program, a seamless check-​in.
The ballroom is where the main event took place — over a dozen restaurants participated in creating original appetizers and desserts inspired by Girl Scout Cookies. Well, more than inspired; the chefs had to use a Girl Scout Cookie as the key ingredient. It was like a real live episode of Chopped, without watching them cook. I almost tried everything; loved most. And was easily stuffed with my sweet tooth fully appeased. We were encouraged to vote for the People’s Choice with marbles given to us at check-​in. Winners were to be announced later in the evening, but the time kept getting extended as people were still eating and loving it.
Outside of the ballroom was the silent auction. Wine festival tables/​packages, horseback riding lessons, artwork, etc. Also, there was an open bar there, and inside of the ballroom that moved at a swift pace. No long lines anywhere.
Overall, the Samoa Soirée is a fun, impressive and organized fundraising event.

I am soooooooooooooo honored I was able to attend this most awesome event a few Saturday nights ago. From arrival to departure — a wonderful experience. Special thanks to Xersex and Ms. Katea (Love you both!!)
My guest and I arrived about 615 pm (event time 6pm-​10pm). We opted out of the valet parking because the parking garage wasn’t far and we were «on time.» As a result, parking was available on the 2^nd floor and for a few hours of celebrating we only paid $ 3.00.
The walk from the garage was less than 5 minutes. And even though the weather was brisked, no harm no foul. The valet attendants seemed a little all over the place anyway. And I did notice after the event, some guests were waiting (with no heat) for their vehicle. And by 930pm it was super chilly. As a result, if able I would suggest parking in the garage, if you head over to the Half Moon Cruise Center.
But once inside, there was a greeter whom pointed us in the direction to register and obtain our souvenir pamphlets. This process was fast and smooth. There was also a coat check (no additional cost). Our pamphlets include our name and bidding number as well. We also received a cute bag of green marbles. These marbles served as votes to be casted for the participating restaurant dishes. These votes counted towarded the «People’s Choice Award.» There also was a panel of judges. These judges were responsible for the other awards to be given out at the end of the night. So not only was this a contest, but it was a fundraiser as well. A silent auction took place while the event was in progress as well. Hence, that’s what the bidding numbers were used for. Some of the auction participants include: Mermaids Factory, Farm Bureau Live, Gordon Biersch, Embassy Suites, ODU, Farm Fresh and the Ferguson Center, again that’s only a few of about 79.
Before you entered the main room, the front room included the silent auction items and hor devours spread (cheeses, fruit). Here also included an open bar (beer, wine and water). Pretty much the appetizer before the meal took place in this room. But once you reached the carpeted area… let the party begin!
The guest speaker, Vanessa Coria, gave the welcome message. Even though, it wasn’t silent during this time, the show went on. And sampling was already in progress.
The sounds of Lewis McGehee filled the room somewhat. I really couldn’t hear him over the many guests at the event. As a result, this added feature was just ok. Perhaps a full band would be ideal next time. And this way, people that ate too much (like me) can dance off the added calories. Nevertheless, let the sampling begin.
I believe about 19 restaurants/​venues participated. While I didn’t sample them all (by choice), I did have a few favorites. My ultimate favorite, Rocket Fuel Juice Bar & Food Lab. They are located in the Bute Street YMCA. They had an amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing salad, that I cannot wait to try again and again. I think I had about 3 bowls :) And the presentation was super cute!
I also overly enjoyed the dish from Cypress Grille. They are located inside the Embassy Suites in Hampton. The shrimp, quiona and a few edamame made this dish soooooooo yummy!!!
Some other participants included: AJ Gators, BRAVO, Cotton Southern Bistro, Farm Fresh, Hell’s Kitchen, Lucky Oyster, Now You’re Cooking, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Twisted Sisters Cupcakes. Whewwwwwwwwwwwww… and that still wasn’t everyone. So perhaps you can get the feel as to why I didn’t sample it all. I mean it was just way to much. But next time, I am NOT going to eat before attending this event, because I was sadden I couldn’t indulge in EVERYTHING!
This event was pretty much standing room only. But if you were fortunate enough to secure a table of 8 or so then you were A OK. But it was a lot of movement, so even thought we didn’t have seats we were just fine. But I’m thinking if I did have a seat, I may have eaten myself into a coma it was so so much to sample. And the sampling lasted all night long.
The staff and all that participated were friendly and all seemed to enjoy the evening just as much as the people they served.
The awards were announced around 915 – 930 pm. Awards were given and pictures were taken throughout the night. I’m not sure where they will be posted. But it was such a great way to spend a Saturday night and for a great cause. And if you had your own camera, you could take pictures in front of the Samoa set up.
All eateries that participated used girl scouts cookie (s) of their choice to create a dish for tasting. This was such a neat idea and I am looking forward to next year, when they’ll be celebrating year 8!
The event cost $ 60 per person. So in my case $ 120/​couple. We were full off of food and drink and left happy! Tips were honored! Not your typical Saturday night, and for that reason alone, I loved every moment of it!
See you next time

I totally forgot to check in, but what a GREAT EVENT!
Beautiful and spacious venue, nice décor… it was good to see lotsa folks dressed up enjoying some GREAT food!
There were about 18 – 20 tables of food; there was so much to sample– from Shrimp with quinoa to Lamb chops with Samoa sweet potato, to chicken risotto balls and Tuna Tartar! We tried pretty much all the savory samples. Then on to dessert — we tried cheesecakes galore (my favorites were the ones from Ruth Chris, and the Strawberries & Cream dessert bar from gb&d), a cupcake, fruit tarts, smores, even bread pudding!
There was a band playing, there was a little photo booth set up where you could take pics with props and even a giant Samoa cookie, and also a silent auction going on in the back. Definitely a fun event — great way to spend a Saturday night!

What a great event! Walking in from the cold weather into a warm (heated) and friendly event, you were welcomed at the door. Check in tables by last name made getting registered very easy. As you made your way into the event, there were tables for the silent auction. After passing that you walked into the grand room. A half circle of chefs and restaurants greeted you not only with sight, but delicious smell.
As we made our first circle around to check out the food, you couldn’t help but want up just jump in line and get food. Our plan was to start savory and end sweet. Well, that didn’t work out as so many places had both! The group I was with loved Smalls BBQ with their pork belly, but I have to say, my favs of the night were Bravo! Bacon cookies and 80/20’s brownies. Holy cow. I could have died and gone to heaven after eating those two treats.
Overall, the atmosphere and ambiance added to a phenomenal evening that wasn’t you’re typical Saturday night. I look forward to next years event! Thanks to Xerxes for hooking it up.