Elite Event @ The Observatory

Shame on me for letting my review for this place go unwritten for so long.
My summation of my experience starts with the bus ride out here. Along 82^nd. There were people mumbling to themselves, visible ass cracks, strange and unidentifiable smells, and wandering eyes. In short, I was not a happy Trimet patron.
Everything melted away, however, as soon as I arrived at the Observatory and was greeted by my beloved Yeeps in fancy dresses, feathers, pearls, vests, and fedoras.
What a lovely night. Despite the heartburn I acquired from their Tom Kha martini (*so* worth the discomfort), I had a wonderful time rubbing shoulders with my favorite Elites, downing pint after pint of excellent beer, sampling whiskey, being covered in «You’re Cool» stickers and eyeing the plates full of appetizers that weren’t vegan. That last point almost made me deduct a star until the veggie burgers were rolled out. I was thrilled at the notion of something substantial and delicious with which to counter my rapidly increasing BAC… until I saw the cheese plastered over the top. My heart sank. Life lost its meaning.
BUT! BUT BUT BUT! The waitress came back later, scouring the crowd to find me, to present me with a plate topped with a beautiful, perfect, rotund cheese-​free veggie burger. I think a single tear might have rolled down my face, and that was before the first sumptuous morsel hit my lips.
Without a doubt — best veggie burger I’ve ever had. Ever. I do believe it was a mushroom-​quinoa concoction (it must have been specifically crafted for me) and it was glorious. I’d return for that alone.
Everyone working there was friendly and they catered expertly to a crowd of rowdy (but festive!) critics. Another slam dunk for the Unilocal Elites.

The call went out
He gave a shout:
Said to Get Swanky!
Bring your hanky!
Wear your mink!
Have a drink!
Thank you Don Bee.
The party was Love Lee!

I usually only wear a suit to things like job interviews– but a chance to show off to some Unilocalers was not to be missed. Spicy cocktails and plenty of whiskey with a jazz band and lovely-​dressed people made for one fun night.

Ummm… This place was freakin’ amazing! I had secretly always wanted to venture to this neighborhood and (thanks to Unilocalers) this wish was made possible…
First: Food– was great! Really great! I could of lived on the brussel sprouts on a stick and the desserts were divine! People should really follow their example of mini, warm bread pudding!
Second: Drinks– quality was great and the drinks were poured heavy! I had a tasting of the spicy vodka …(although a bit hot for me) it was delicious!
Third: The Crowd– You guys totally rocked and looked fantastic. Nice to see most of you all gussied up. Minus a few.
Thanks y’all (and mainly Mr. Don) ! It was a blast

Woohoo! My first Elite event as an Elite, not just a +1!
Yeeps, you were looking mighty fine last night. Danielle K. and I were rocking the feathers! I saw some swanky dress coats, long, lovely gowns, and dapper top hats! Everyone was looking good, even JW in his t-​shirt (no, but seriously, that was a cool t-​shirt)!
The Observatory were incredibly accommodating. Jacob G. and I agree we will be going back for dinner very soon. Those veggie burgers were a thing of wonder and beauty. Not to mention the chicken nuggets and shrimp and pinapple skewers were damn tasty. That beet salad was also really light, and if the rest of the menu is as good as what we sampled last night, I might just find myself making the trek back out this way on the regular, even though I live way in SW!
That Crater Lake Vodka was super awesome! I’m bummed I didn’t win the raffle for it. That rosemary-​pear cocktail they served with the vodka was a nice, refreshing and slightly savory drink. It was also really good in the Sea Breezes I wound up ordering (although, I would not recommend a Sea Breeze with the pepper vodka; I was served one w/​the spicy stuff on accident). Thank you to the lovely ladies behind the bar for making me another one! You guys rock!
Thanks again to everyone at the Observatory, and especially to Don! I hope we have more swanky events in the future. I kind of like getting gussied up!

If I had only known what it meant to be Elite I would have quite my day job and wrote reviews all day long to get invited sooner. But then of course I wouldn’t have any money to go out so I wouldn’t be able to write reviews. Argh!
Well we had a great time and I look forward to other events. Thanks Don!!! Oh and thanks for saving me the very front parking spot even though we were a little late. My Mini loved the special treatment.

Wow, what a fun time! This was my first Elite Event and I had no idea what to expect. My date and I were not disappointed, in fact we were blown away by all the good drinks and food. The Tom Kah tasted very much like the soup, so they were successful matching that flavor. I personally loved the gin more than anything — so good!
I hope The Observatory realizes how much this has helped to expose their business. I’m definitely coming back with friends to try out the amazing food I was able to sample (I was strategically stationed near the kitchen, it turned out). It was nice to meet everyone and I hope to see you at future events!
Great food. Great drinks. Great people. Great music. Great job, Don!

I was banking on being a little more casual– swank but I was surely disappointed.
It was a lovely evening filled with booze and food. The bartenders are super awesome for bringing creative concoctions.
The party was accompanied by a band that played matching music. It surely fits the vibe of the crowd.
And ofcourse, how can I not forget the lovely Unilocalers that were there. And the thread talk pre-​party was right. Feathers, LBD, short dresses and yup, a tshirt, were all involved.
Don, you are the man!
PS
The after party was also a blast.

What a great time! Loved the Observatory, the bartenders, the DRINKS, the little foods, the band, and the awesome Yeeps!
The Tom Kah cocktail… wow. Spicy, cool and sweet. I will be dreaming of that this summer.

That was really fun! The Observatory is a great spot to hang out and really set it up for a great party for us. I also really, really liked the stout provided by Oakshire Brewing, that was awesome!
Everyone seemed to have a good time and had more fun at Roscoe’s next door.

Thanks to Don and the fine folks at The Observatory — not to mention a bunch of swanky yeeps — I had a total blast last night! I’m so glad to have found The Observatory — I’ll surely be back.
BTW, I will be giving seminars on my technique for getting my raffle tickets drawn. I admit to feeling slightly guilty — but I’ll get over it!

In honor of upcoming St. Patty’s & Don B’s smashing top hat:
There once was a yeep from P-​D-​X
who knew all about the fairer sex.
But what fun would that be?
Suits, stoles, and L-B-D’s
Those yeeps shimmy and that leads to… X
Seriously, yet another amazing event. Swanky space, tasty strong drinks, mouthwatering bites, lovely staff, lovelier yeeps in all their elegant glory, & an irresistible jazz trio that had even Capt Hook wiggling to their beats. You keep setting the bar higher & higher, oh fearless leader. Kudos Don B!

Warm feeling, and great idea to get people dressed up.
I have been to the Country Cat and Ya Hala down the street, and didn’t even notice the Observatory! Thanks to Unilocal for introducing us… it’s a great place, and I enjoyed the music provided by Pete Krebs Trio. When asking for a beer, I felt like the lady was happy to help me with my request… the food was fancy, but not over the top, and the servers providing the lovely food seemed happy to do it. Not sure how they accomplished that, but nice work!
Glad I was able to attend… it’s been a while, and was well worth the wait.

It was fantastic to catch up with my Unilocal pals, and seeing you all dressed up made it even more special! There were some amazing outfits, hats, and feathers!
The food was some of the best that I think we’ve had at the events, and the entertainment added nicely to the swankiness of the event. Well done Don.
The after party was a good time also. I played a sorry ass game of pool, sorry for only sinking one ball Andrew. That wasn’t counting the white one. ooops!

Holy shit. You Yeeps sure do clean up well! The ladies of Unilocal were at their finest tonight. The guys? Downright dapper. J.W. Damn, you can rock a t-​shirt! What a crew. Hell, even the three piece jazz combo exceeded my wildest expectations. Kudos, Don B. You did it again!

Where do I start? Let’s break this down:
— The crowd of swanky elites was fun to mingle amongst.
— The selection of unique drinks was great.
— The sampling of appetizers was amazing. Seriously, great food tonight!
— The live jazz trio put out some wonderful music.
— The free Unilocal swag!
I think by now you already know this — this elite even rocked! Looking forward to the next one. Many thanks to Don, The Observatory, and everyone involved in making this happen!

Even though we were a little late, it was well worth the wait! What a swanky spot! We learned that the Observatory is run by 2 couples, so naturally the vibe is warm and cozy. There was a nice mixture of wood and colors that made for a fantastic spot to sip creative and refreshing drinks with lovely fellow Unilocalers!
Thanks for coordinating a fun-​tastic EVENT!!!

YIPPEE!
Best…Elite Event… EVARRR?
Well, in order to not offend anyone, I may not go quite that far, but MY GOD it was fun to get dressed to the nines (feathers, anyone???) and be all classy with my besties (i.e., fantastic Portland Unilocalers).
I will forgive both Stanley for winning Bourdain tickets and Don for drawing his number, because let’s face it – that spicy Tom Kah cocktail and the jazz trio were forces to be reckoned with.
Thanks for another fun evening, all! This was one to go down in Unilocal annals!

Swankeriffic!
It’s great just be able to attend these wonderful Unilocal events, but to find a babysitter and be able to go have adult beverages and adult fun without the Tax Deduction was a few hours of heaven.
The Pete Krebs Trio was right on all event long and added to the ambiance of the evening. The food was just superb, everything was great (except for one thing, I don’t care what you do to it, a brussell sprout is a brussell sprout). Cocktails were great I was told, I stuck to the designated driver drinks of choice, ginger ale and sprite.
Wish we could have stayed for the after party but the clock struck 8 and it was time to become responsible parents again. It is always nice to see everyone, maybe next time we won’t be such wallflowers and socialize more. After all, as the Wife said, «It was really nice, they weren’t creepy internet types at all.» The Wife is a great judge of character.

Sasha! how did you beat me!
Seriously swanky time everyone. S.U. made me slip on a tux jacket over my t-​shirt on the way out and I’m glad she did (she’s right … again!). Wow! What a nice spot! I stuck to the rye whiskey but others were enjoying the everflow of evertasty cocktails and swinging to the most melodious sounds of the Pete Krebs Trio. Nice time indeed!
Good to see the 3D versions of all those elite Unilocalers who came out. The Observatory is absolutely one classy place. The food was stellar, the service sublime. I’ll have to make the trek around Mt. Tabor and come back for dinner.
Great Job Don B.!!