Elite Event: South Lake Union Discovery Center

Goodie bags and leis? Of course!!!
Tasty bites and Prosecco? Yes, yes, yes!
I was glad I arrived a little early and got a chance to check out the display at the Discovery Center and look into the past, present, and their hoped future for SLU. I was amused to see some of their future projections of being recognized for certain things…
I got moved around different groups, and in the end I ended up part of the Cool Blue party.
We started off with Flying Fish. The moment we walked in, a few people dining said « Unilocal? We love Unilocal!» The room was crowded. The owner/​chef seemed really enthusiastic, but didn’t linger. There was plenty of pink sparkling wine, but I saw only one tray come out for each food option. I don’t think their expectations were quite spot-​on. There was lots of disappointment in the crowd because the munchies disappeared in no time (as they always do when you bring a tray at a time). They had a few employees in the room that seemed to just be looking around doing nothing for most of our visit. Hopefully they picked up some ideas from the experience, and know what to do (and not do) when they’re doing an event like this in the future…
Portage Bay was much more flowing with the food and had a LOT more space for us. Kind of resulted in little groups instead of lots of inter-​mingling, but that’s our own fault. ;) I enjoyed the caprese skewer, but stayed away from everything else because I was trying to limit my meat consumption. (Every item they offered had meat and/​or cheese in it.) I think I had two glasses of sparkling wine this time…
On the walk over to Tutta Bella, a random fellow asked us what we were up to. He was familiar with Unilocal,but had *no* idea we had events, too. He seemed excited about the idea. Woo! I love talkin’ Unilocal to random folks…
Tutta Bella definitely did all kinds of right with this event. The guy was friendly, he was absolutely down to have them make one vegan pizza at our request, and that Tiramisu was To Die For. There was more sparkling wine, and lots of great service. He even gave us little «buy one pizza, get one free» brochures! GREAT way to get lots of us to return for more!
The only slightly uncomfortable moment was when he said something about how next time we shouldn’t bring 30 people… and/​or should return as paying customers. Aside from that slight odd moment, we had a great experience… and, our table even left a tip this time!
All in all this was a fantastic event, and I’m so thankful that Katy H. and the two women from the PR company made it happen.
Plus, I rather enjoyed being able to say «Tonight I’m having dinner at Flying Fish, Portage Bay, and Tutta Bella!»

I was invited as a +1 to this event and I had a great time! Definitely a foodie’s paradise. But now I’m Elite so I can go to these things on my own, yay!
First of all, I enjoyed the Discovery Center and thought that was a great place to meet up before heading off to our respective locations. I was in the Blue group, so we went to Flying Fish first. The chef came out and talked for less than a minute. The room was awkward. This was the location that I enjoyed the least, since everyone pretty much had to hover around the tables to get a taste of the appetizers and I’m not so sure everyone got a taste of everything. I liked the bruschetta the most, and thought the cheese thing and the crab thing were just OK. I’m glad I got to try it out but probably won’t be back here.
Up next was Portage Bay Café. If their catering is that good I can’t wait to go back for breakfast, which they are known for! The restaurant isn’t open in the evenings so we had it all to ourselves. The owner was present during the entire time answering questions and talking about the restaurant which was nice. I didn’t get to try the caprese skewer since I was one of the last people in the door and they ran out (lesson learned!) but I did get to try everything else. I loved the risotto ball and proscuitto, but the lamb slider was the star of the show. Delicious! I want to try this place for breakfast sometime for sure.
The star of this event was the third stop, Tutta Bella. The host was really nice, present during the entire time we were there, and freaking adorable! This place was voted best independent pizzeria in the nation and I can see why. The pizza was flowing and I got to try three different kinds — margherita, a fig pizza, and the mediterranean pizza. They were all so good, I was stuffed! Then they brought out tiramisu. I don’t normally like tiramisu but this was heaven — HEAVEN! And not to mention the excellent grapefruit cocktail and the BOGO coupon for my next visit. Tutta Bella really knows how to impress, and I can see myself coming back here often.
Great job Katy H. on planning another excellent elite event!

This was my first Elite Event and if they are all this good, no wonder everyone raves about them!
I got there early and spent some time meandering about the Discovery Center which I had seen before, but never gone inside. The model of Seattle was neat, as were a number of the exhibits – perfect for killing time waiting for the event to start. I was thrilled to find that I ended up in the same group with the lovely Clover & Vanessa, although given the high friendliness levels of my fellow Unilocalers, I doubt this would have been a problem if I hadn’t known anyone in my group.
All three restaurants were within a couple blocks of one another, so we headed off to Flying Fish, which as the other reviewers have suggested, was the least remarkable of the three. In a way, I think the blue group got lucky with the order of their visits (FF, PB, TB) because each stop improved on the last. At Flying Fish, the chef? did come out and talk to us briefly, but it was hard to understand what she said and the servers were nice but not very engaging. The vegetable crostini was good, but awkward to eat with no table, plates, or napkins and the chairs pushed around the edges of the room were more a hindrance than anything else. The only saving grace for Flying Fish is that I LOVED the goat cheese ‘poppers’. But that’s not going to be enough to get me to return. It’s unfortunate they didn’t take advantage of this opportunity to really wow potential future customers.
Onto Portage Bay, which had sort of an industrialized feel but because the restaurant was open only for the event & there were tables for us to gather around, it felt kind of cozy. The staff was fun and friendly, and the printed menus were a nice touch. I loved my lamb slider, but felt other items were unmemorable. I’m not sure I would challenge a big crowd to come here, but I’d like to stop by and try out the breakfast sometime.
The final stop of the night as the sun went down was Tutta Bella. To be perfectly honest, I kind of raised my eyebrows when I saw that Tutta was included in the Unilocal event, but boy was I wrong to judge! The manager? was exceedingly friendly and engaging, easy to understand, and proud to announce their prestigious award. Unlike the other restaurants where we were definitely limited to appetizers, Tutta kept churning out full sized pizzas like nobody’s business. I tried the margherita (tomato & basil) and some spicier one that I couldn’t identify. After making certain that everyone was full of pizza, they brought out tiramisu, which I have had in Italy. I rarely like American-​made tiramisu, but Tutta’s was so light and fluffy I could’ve easily eaten more! Offering a choice of drinks was a nice touch as well, as we had already had two glasses of champagne/​sparkling wine.
The only downside was that as one of the last to arrive, plus eating outside, the pizza had gotten a bit cold by the time I ate it and the crust did a poor job standing up to the toppings. However, the crust was absolutely delicious and when I come back here, I’ll order the toppings I prefer. And I will be back here, and not just because Tutta Bella gave us all coupons. Now THAT’S how you wow future customers!

This was super fun. Thanks Katy H. for organizing this! And I’ve now found two places that I’m really excited about.
First of all, who knew that Portage Bay Café (aka the organic table) also does dinner parties and catering? Their location in SLU looked like it would be very nice for a party — neat wood paneling around the ceilings and GREAT food! We got lamb burgers, caprese salad skewers, risotto balls, and prosciutto pesto appetizers. They were all delicious.
Tutta Bella was surely the star of the evening. The pizzas were delicious and saved my hungry tummy! The restaurant is situated on top of Whole Foods and has a great brick oven viewable from anywhere in the restaurant. They also cook their own olives — these were some of the best olives I’ve ever tasted. Buttery and lightly salty/​savory but not too briny like many you’d find elsewhere.

This event was great! It was my first event in a while, and I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. Having not spent a lot of time in SLU, and having never participated in a progressive dinner, I was intrigued.
Our group started at Flying Fish, where I tried the little bruschetta (and quite enjoyed it) but passed up the crab cakes — not a fan of seafood. Being crammed into the back room was a little challenging, I felt (it seemed like I kept running into people or stepping on someone’s purse!), but we made it work.
Next we moved over to Portage Bay Café, another place I’d never been. More free champagne awaited us, as well as caprese skewers (which are generally some of my favorite things in the world!), risotto balls (which I thought were really good as well), and lamb sliders (which I passed up). I liked the set up here, how we had all the space to roam around or grab a table.
Our final stop of the night was Tutta Bella, which is one of my favorite places ever. You can’t go wrong with great beverage options (I went with the cocktail, although I’m still curious as to what it actually was — it was delicious!), whole pizzas (I’ll always love margherita, but MY GOD that fig/​goat cheese/​prosciutto pizza was amazing), and being handed coupons while we ate our delicious food. High five!
I didn’t get a chance to really engage with any of the chefs/​owners, but I was okay with that. I was content to enjoy all my food and the company of the lovely Sarah M (hi!).

This may have been my favorite event… and it didn’t even have anything to do with beer!
My group started at Portage Bay where we were served sparkling wine, arugula pesto, caprese skewers, risotto balls and lamb sliders. I was able to doctor my food to make it all vegetarian and couldn’t tell you which my favorite was because I loved them all so much!
Next was Tutta Bella for pizza. This stop was a little more complicated — the delightful staff were putting whole pizzas down on one table outside and you had to do sort of a mob-​scene thing to get a slice but oh man was it worth it. I tried a pretty basic margarita pizza and one that had grilled veggies on it that was heaven in my mouth!
Last was Flying Fish with a creative bruscetta and crab cakes. The staff was very patient with my repeated questions about the content of the dishes (I have weird allergies) and once I figured out what I could eat, I was set for the evening.
I loved that this was a smaller event with plenty to see and taste and lots of fun people to talk to. Thanks to Katy H and everyone who helped put it together!

I was a bit worried at the beginning of this event that it wasn’t going to go as well as I had hoped. The idea was great — visit three SLU restaurants and meet the owners/​chefs and try out some of the great food. I was quite excited for the opportunity to try a couple restaurants I had never been to before.
As our group (go Team Blue!) arrived at the first location, Flying Fish, I immediately realized my expectations for this event had been too high. The room was very small and cramped, the chef only spoke briefly (for about a minute, tops) and I could hardly hear her, and the food was, well… there sure wasn’t much of it! Now, I’m not one to complain about free food, but it was certainly a letdown. The crostini was good, but the crabcake was very oily. The cheeseball was okay, but much too rich. After that initial serving of three small platters of food — that was it! I wasn’t even sure if everyone had an opportunity to try each item. After that, it was awkward standing around for 20 minutes, with little to no interaction with the staff. I truly felt like Flying Fish could have done much more with this opportunity and failed to even really give it a try. I give them 2 stars, and that’s being generous.
However, once we moved onto the remaining locations, things improved greatly and I started to really enjoy myself.
Our next stop was Portage Bay. The owner was out during the entirety of our time there, answering questions and making sure everyone was pleased with their samples. They even had a small menu that showed what they would be serving! The lamb slider was very good, though I thought the bread was very sweet. The prosciutto was tasty and the risotto balls were definitely interesting. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to try the caprese skewers. They only brought around one plate at the beginning of the evening and since we were some of the last people in the door, they were all taken by the time we got inside. They never brought out another plate, which was disappointing. Overall, I’d give Portage Bay about 4 stars at the most.
Our last stop was Tutta Bella. Thank god for Tutta Bella. They really saved this event. In fact, I would have been happy had the event JUST been at Tutta Bella. I had a fantastic time here. The staff was warm, friendly, and welcoming. The food was literally ENDLESS! I think I had at least four, if not five, pieces of their absolutely delicious pizza and a huge portion of tiramisu. The host kept walking around to ensure that everyone was happy and full of food. He knew our table had scarfed down several pizzas already, but he still brought more and made sure we had gotten to try all the different types. He was amazing — really friendly and personable — and he really helped make this stop the best one. And when we left, we each got a BOGO coupon for pizza! I know that after the amazing treatment we were given I will DEFINITELY be back to Tutta Bella.
Overall, I had a good time and Tutta Bella was a fantastic way to end the night. Thanks to Katy for putting on a great event!

Well, I know Katy suggested to eat dinner beforehand, but honestly I never do before Unilocal events (sorry Katy!). As usual, my empty stomach was well served!!! Tutta Bella had a great selection of spirits and food from pizza to desserts. This could only be followed lightly with fare from Flying Fish (delicious crab cakes) and a final stop at Portage Bay. Who knew their lunch food could also be quite delicious! It was great meeting fellow Unilocalers!

Space and beauty
the event itself was 5 stars. Katy and Lori, the SLU Community manager, did an excellent job coordinating the three groups so that we could try and meet the chefs of the restaurants as well as check them out. Katy and Lori deserves all the stars in the world for the excellent execution of this event.
I am, however, giving this event 4 stars purely because of flying fish. To me, they deserved about a good 2 to 3 stars. I thought the chef/​wait staff was not engaging, the food decent but not grand and the space for the group too cramped. Holy bezeejub was i sweating! not to mention the fact htat when we came in, i’m sure it distrupted the people who were dining at this establishment. the food was good, but not super memorable. The only thing i really liked were the crostinis… and really… if the crostinis was what made the place great, doesn’t that say something? The crabcakes were too oily and the cheeseballs were too rich. Also, what was up with the staff leaving? If you know you’re going to be having to handle 30 people, wouldn’t you want there to be more waitstaff on board to handle the big group? hmm.
Portage bay gets a solid four stars. Jeff, the general manager, was great. He explained the restaurant well and the ambitious endeavors they were conquering. The lamb sliders were FREAKIN AMAZING! but i thought the risotto balls were really hot and bland. maybe if it had a bit of aioli sauce it would be a good balance? maybe a sprinking of truffle oil? i don’t know, but it was definately missing something. The prosecco they served was VERY delicious and perhaps the best they served the entire night. I actually took a picture of the bottle so that i could go out and buy a bottle. I wonder if they’ll servie it with their breakfast menu? that would be great.
The space of portage bay was great! i loved the open space and the wooden boats along the place. it was very nordic seattle. Great place for an event.
Now to my favorite of the night: TUTTA BELLA. tutta bella, tutta bella, tutta bella. all the SLU restaurants should go to tutta bella, and learn from them on what is considered excellent service, excellent space and excellent food. They were, by far, the most accomodating, the most engaging and the most delicious restaurant. Their pizzas were amazing. The dough was made by flour imported from italy and their sauces were made from tomatoes grown at the base of mt. vesuvius. How do i know this? well, because the SERVER told me. it wasn’t the manager or the chef or the owner, but the server. The person that the customer would constantly interact with, knew this. For this, it makes the restaurant experience more enjoyable as there is more of a connection with the place. Their tiramisu, was by far, the best i’ve ever had. The cream was light and complimented the espresso soaked bread perfectly. It was airy and filling and the perfect end to a perfect evening.
All in all, i want to thank the three restaurants for being so wonderful and accomodating. I know that i’ll be going to tutta bella and portage bay again!

A big thank you for all involved for putting on this lovely event! Whenever my friends ask me what goes on in these Elite events I can never give them the full explanation of awesomness!
Now coming into the event I was very excited as Tutta Bella has probably been my favorite Pizza establishment in this area, and I had never tried Flying Fish or Portage Bay. I couldn’t wait to try out some of the local products and chat with the owner/​waitstaff.
Our first top was Tutta Bella, and it was sure awesome! Just like I had remembered it. Plenty of pizza to go around, lots of great drinks to enjoy, and overall atmosphere was great. I was hoping that there would be a time where the owner/​manager would talk to us about what they were all about. I know personally that Tutta Bella has an interesting backstory, and would have been pretty cool for all to hear. Regardless, this spot was my favorite by far!!!
The 2^nd hit was the Flying Fish. Honestly wasn’t too impressed by this venue. We came in to a room and were greeted with some finger foods on the table. The pesto bruschetta and crab cakes were very delicious. The only thing was that after the initial serving, that was it! :(Now I’m not one to complain about free items, but just something of note. Also the waitstaff wasn’t as engaging as the location at Tutta Bella. Now on to the next!
Portage Bay was last, and I was excited after I found out it was after business hours so they would be dedicated just to us! The champagne and eats were very tasty and plentiful! The lamb sliders were something to write home about :) Another cool spot as the manager gave his little schpeel about the restaurant and how it came about. Very satisfied with this trip.
All in all, I will have to say that this event was a pure success! Only taking off the star due to the lack of intimacy at the 2^nd location. Katy, thanks so much for helping put these on! See you guys at the next one! :)

The Mister (and my favorite +1) and I had a great time at the SLU Progressive Dinner event last night.
Stop #1 was the SLU Discovery Center, where we got to meet and greet some fellow Unilocalers, were given a goodie bag and were sorted into «Hot,» «Cool» and «Funny» groups. I’ve driven past the Discovery Center a hundred times, but had never gone in before. Somehow, I was expecting it to be an environmental education center. But, it’s not. It’s actually a place to learn about all the cool things that are happening in the SLU neighborhood. That area has seen huge growth in the past several years with the trolley coming through, condos being built and many cool businesses moving in. This center has interactive exhibits to help folk learn about the past, present and future of the neighborhood. Très cool.
We were in the «Hot» (red) group and so it was on to Tutta Bella. As others have said, the Tutta Bella crew really went out of their way to make us feel welcome. They had three drink selections, endless pizza and even gave us tiramisu for dessert. Yum!
Onwards to the Flying Fish. I was a bit disappointed in this stop. We were led to a private room and handed a glass of sparking rosé. So far, so good. There were seats lining the periphery of the room and most people sat. I was expecting some sort of greeting or something from the restaurant manager, but that did not happen. Instead three plates of appetizers were brought in and quickly consumed. I was expecting these would be replenished, but they were not. (I’m not sure if everyone in the group actually got to eat something there.) What we had was tasty enough, but the whole time there was just a tad odd. Whereas at Tutta Bella and the Portage Bay Café, the staff interacted with us the whole time, here we were just left to stand around on our own waiting for something that never happened. Oh, well.
Our last stop was the Portage Bay Café. What a cool spot! This is primarily a breakfast/​lunch spot, so, at 9:00 PM, we had it to ourselves. It was a great, open space and there was candlelight. Very inviting. The staff carried around trays of yummy appetizers. How can you go wrong when fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and risotto are involved? At one point, a manager came out to welcome us and tell us a bit about Portage Bay’s history and mission. It was a nice way to end the evening.
Many thanks to Katy for planning and pulling off this fab elite event. It was a great idea and really worked well. I’m glad I got to come along for the ride (or, walk, as the case may be… : – ).

Tutta Bella: 5 Stars
Portage Bay: 3.75 Stars
Flying Fish: 2 Stars
It was cool to start this event at the SLU Discovery Center since my bus goes by it every day and I always wonder what’s in there. All the models were amazing and it was fun to hang out in the «kitchen.» I really wanted to send my boyfriend a text saying I was «in the shower» but then he’d think I was running hella late. The Block Party food tickets and SLU passport card were an unexpected and generous party favor. Nice!
I was in the Cool Blue group and we started at Flying Fish. The place smelled way too fishy when we walked in. I could neither hear nor see the chef and/​or owner over the din of the restaurant and cramped crowd of Unilocalers. They passed out champagne. Good start. They brought out three trays of appetizers. And that was it. I got one (greasy) «crabcake» about the size of a large olive. The champagne kept flowing but no one really interacted with us and I left hungry and annoyed. I doubt anyone that attended this event will go back. Their loss.
Portage Bay was a vast improvement. Nothing on the menu sounded that great to me but I needed to eat *something* so I tried the lamb slider (even though I don’t like bleu cheese) and the risotto ball (even though I’m not a risotto fan). The lamb was actually really good, though the general consensus was that the risotto needed a little seasoning. I really liked the prosciutto with pesto, and wished the serving was larger. One person in our group had a food allergy and the chef prepared an item just for him, which is awesome. The staff didn’t enforce the initial «no sitting» rule, which my tired feet appreciated. Overall the food was good and we felt welcomed and taken care of at Portage Bay.
Last stop was Tutta Bella. Tutta Bella saved this event. The manager (?) was charming and engaging. I’m pretty sure he was gay but I wanted to take him home with me. As a friend, of course. The very thin crust pizza was yummy yummy. There was beer from Big Al’s and some fruity drink that the nice lady made virgin just for me. And then there was the tiramisu. Dear god. Possibly the lightest, fluffiest, bestest tiramisu I’ve ever had. I think they said it’s won awards and it should. Oh, their pizza is award winning too. And in case this fine sort of dining is too pricey for us financially challenged Unilocalers, WE EACH LEFT WITH A BUY ONE GET ONE FREE COUPON! YEEEESSSSSS! Why didn’t the other venues think of that? Tutta Bella was the one place that gave us love and as much (delicious) food as we wanted, and guess what? I bet every single Unilocaler will be heading back and telling their friends and writing great reviews. They’re smart. They win. We win. It’s a win — win world.
Thanks for another great event Katy!

First let me say a big THANK YOU for those that helped put this event together. The tote bags were nifty and I had never been in the Discovery Center before and it was fun seeing all the models and demos.
I am knocking a star off because I was not impressed by Portage Bay or Flying Fish. I have heard that PB has excellent brunch, which I am willing to try, but I was not impressed with their spread for the evening. The food was good, but portions were tiny — and the wait staff was borderline rude about ignoring you and not allowing you another taste. We got a small taste of champagne and then they offered spritzed water. The big open space was just that — left open and barren (except for the beautiful wooden table). We all sat at our little tables along the edges and didn’t mingle. It was just «meh.»
Tutta Bella was full of pure WIN last night. All of the wait staff were cheerful and made me feel special and that they were happy we were there eating all of their food for free. They were, in one word, generous! They kept bringing our pizzas, asked us if we wanted more, filled the champagne to the top (and let us have more than one drink), and had more tiramisu than we could finish! I wish this had been our last stop so we could have ended the evening on an amazing note.
I’ll admit, it’s hard to follow the act that Tutta Bella did, but Flying Fish could have pulled it off. I have heard good things about this establishment. Upon entering I received angry looks from patrons and was assaulted by the smell of fish. We were shuffled into a small back room like cattle, given a pink bubbly drink and a few small bites. The garlicky citrus salad thing on toast was okay, the crab cake lacked enough crab and was super oily, and I didn’t try the other thing. On a positive note, I really liked their front door.

This was only my 2^nd Elie event but for someone new to the Unilocal Elite community, it couldn’t have been better… At the last one I was the nerdy kid randomly introducing myself to people I didn’t know but who seemed to know each other… I still had a great time but at this event I felt I got to meet so many more people in a more organic way which was AWESOME! Such a fun event.
It was also great to try the different restaurants… with some it definitely left me wanting more (AMAZING service Tutta Bella), some not so much (I got told off by a waiter at Portage Bay for taking 2 bruschettas… erm they were pretty small and totally delish, was it really that big a deal!).
All in all, fab event and total snaps to Katy for organising.

This is hands down, my FAVORITE elite event EVER!
I loved the smaller format with only about 100 people, each split into three groups of 30 – 40 people. This really gave us a chance to schmooze with our usual crowd while getting to know new Unilocalers that we otherwise wouldn’t have met in a larger party.
I loved the neighborhood emphasis. Three great restaurants representing an up and coming neighborhood. I can’t wait to go back to Tutta Bella for more pizza and tiramisu, Portage Bay for more lamb burgers (did you know they serve more than breakfast?), and Flying Fish for some yummy crab cakes.
Thank you Katy for always doing such a fabulous job.
And thank you Unilocal for introducing me to South Lake Union, a neighborhood with delicious restaurants, easy freeway access, and best of all, generous street parking.

Well, another 5 stars for the mad skillz of Katy and the progressive dinner goodness that was SLU.
We were with the ‘Cool’ group — of course!- and Rebecca, Inna, Vanessa H, Liz and I prowled around the event knocking back champagne –or sparkling wine, whatev– I’m not that picky when it comes to bubbly as long as it’s good.
The first stop for the cool blues was the Flying Fish, I have to say that parading by the very full restaurant with the diners staring and sometimes waving at us made me feel like ‘Yelpers on Parade’
Thankfully, the wine was opened post haste to ease our troubled minds and the food followed quickly after. There were three choices, I only ended up with the fried goat cheese with tomato jam and was that a capital YUM in my book.
We moved on to the next location, Portage Bay where the atmosphere was more party-​people friendly, with an open empty space to occupy, we all continued to swill champagne and chatted each other up more, and the food came around. Lamb sliders were really quite tasty, the risotto balls with peas were also so good– but HOT– I’m not used to app’s coming out so hot, but still, I was left wanting more.
So on to Tutta Bella, which I had no idea was there previous to this, there’s one here in my ‘hood, which I believe was the first one, that I have frequented frequently. The pizza was good if a bit floppy to eat but delish as I’ve come to expect, and we tried their signature cocktail — grapefruit, some alcohol and more grapefruit, if it wasn’t getting dark (and COLD) it would have been a refreshing summer treat. The Tiramisu, which to be honest, I’m not really a die-​hard fan of, was really quite subtle, something I wouldn’t normally say about that particularly rich dessert. The flavors didn’t overwhelm the high quality cream on top, which balanced everything out to a ‘can we have more please’ result.
Katy, we know you’re great, so you can stop showing off now, you really outdid yourself.

WHAT A NIGHT! I’m STUFFED! We were part of the RED HOT group — led by none other than «Red» herself — Miss Katy.
The whole lot met at the SLU Discovery Center which was super cool. It had a miniature downtown that lit up different places dependent on the buttons you pressed so you could see major employers, residential, transit routes, all sorts of stuff.
Our group started at Tutta Bella. We ate sooooooooooo much pizza. It was all delicious, as well as the cocktails, and then to put the iceing on the cake they brought out some scrumptious tiramisu. I was in looooooooooooooooooooooooove.
Next stop was Flying Fish. Like Angela said, they only brought out one tray of each item, so we didn’t get a ton of food, but rather just a taste. It worked out well as I was still stuffed from Tutta Bella. Met the chef here and she was super nice.
Last stop was Portage Bay. Their bits of bites were awesome, though I didn’t care for the lamb slider, as it was a bit dry for me, everything else was awesome.
Another great event by Katy — so glad to have been able to be a part of this one. I’m already planning my next trip to Tutta Bella.

This was by far one of my favorite Unilocal events!
The Progressive Dinner was so much fun and I got to know so many more people at this event.
We started at the SLU Discovery Center, where we got our goodie bags, map of our restaurants and got to check out the place.
We then went to Tutta Bella, where I had never been before, and it was definitely my favorite out of the 3 restaurants. I will definitely go back to Tutta Bella! We got to try like 5 different kinds of pizza, and even got Tirramasu for dessert. All the food was amazing! They also had a really fruity cocktail and some sparkling wine. Did I mention I was totally impressed with Tutta Bella? They went way out for us!!!
We then walked to Flying Fish. Had a nice glass if pink champagne. I was lucky enough to get to try some of their appetizers. Many people didn’t get any as they only brought out one tray and then they were done.
On to Portage Bay where the owner gave a little talk about the restaurant. Way cool. They had some really great apps! I really liked the tomato mozzarella skewers. So yummy!!!
Overall one of the coolest Unilocal parties! Totally loved it and I got introduced to 4 businesses in one night. I have so many more reviews to write.

I just realized that the August elite event — the Progressive Dinner was on 8/9/10.hello!
Definitely another fun and different event, which showcased three (or four if you count the Discovery Center) businesses in the South Lake Union area. Upon check-​in, we were assigned to one of three groups, then provided with goodie bags (including food tickets for this Friday’s SLU Block Party). It was fun to check out the DC with its mini models of condos with little people and furniture. We actually found Waldo in one of the buildings, clever!
When the event began, we all made for three different businesses:
Portage Bay – provided prosecco and 4 mini bites: prosciutto atop argulua pesto crostini, caprese skewers, risotto bites, and lamb sliders. The space is large, bright, with tall ceilings. The employees made sure to tell us what they were serving and asked us other questions to make us feel more welcome. It also looked like they were only open just for US, which was incredibly specially-​feeling. (If that’s the right word :))
My favorite was probably the caprese skewer, the mozz was incredibly soft and flavorful, with the risotto bite as a close second.
Tutta Bella – the hosts and employees went all out. He introduced us to their offerings, several pizzas (marguerita, something with fig, something with mushroom), three drinks (beer, prosecco, mixed drink that tasted like grapefruit), and tiramisu.
The floor plan of the venue was a bit odd, with half inside and half outside, but he made sure to accommodate those inside with a couple special vegetarian only pizzas. He also stopped by before taking the tiramisu outside to ensure we had our taste. (Seriously, what was «his» name. he was great! Very friendly, accessible, enjoyed what he was doing.) Everyone had received a BOGO coupon, too! This was my favorite stop.
Flying Fish – provided prosecco and 3 bites – a crostini with veggies, goat cheese ball, and a mini crab cake. I was slightly less excited about this venue, due to its size and floor plan (and I missed the introductions), but they did set us up in a side room which would be great to request if you’re having a group meal. The tastes were interesting enough where I would certainly try them again, so it wasn’t all bad.
For a Monday night, I had a lot of fun and it will be so difficult to go to work in the morning. Initially, I was bummed about being split up from my usual crowd, but it was a great opportunity to chat with new friends and reconnect with a couple soon-​to-​be great friends!
Thanks again to Katy, her troop of volunteers/​photographers, and the businesses that contributed to a very unique experience!

The good, the bad and the ugly. Well, not really. Most of it was good. I actually had a really, really great time meeting and chatting with some Unilocal peeps I haven’t chatted with in a while, and some new (to me) Unilocal peeps that told some HI-​LARIOUS and totally NSFW stories (anna s. i’m looking at you).
But back to the food. It was pretty fun to go to three totally different places and compare the experiences. And that each of the three different groups went to the places in a different order.
I went to Portage Bay Café first — and the food there was spare, but amazing. Definitely well put together and tasty combinations. I particularly liked both the lamb sliders and the risotto balls, but I’m a sucker for those. They were a little stingy on the champagne (Prosecco really), but otherwise, no complaints. Nice people, nice place, good start.
The second place for me was Tutta Bella. I’ve been here many times, but this time got to try a bunch of new pizzas and the tiramisu, which was amazing. I will admit to wolfing down some of the good (hunger pangs) and more than a few glasses more of prosecco… mmm, sparkling wine. Plus the staff went out of their way to be super helpful, both in terms of describing what we were eating and talking about the place itself. And who can complain when you get a BOGO coupon for your next visit?
The third place was a bit of a let-​down for me — Flying Fish. The food was ok, but a little sparse and the seating/​space was awkward. Luckily that wasn’t the end of the evening as the cool Unilocalers (if I say so) went out for an after-​party at Re-​Public (next to the Tesla dealership).
Overall I’d say it was a great event, even if all the food wasn’t totally to my liking. Lots of opportunity to chat with people (more than most recent events, actually), a variety of food & drink, and an interesting setting. Great job Katy H and Unilocal (but mostly Katy H).
Will definitely be back to Portage Bay Café for a brunch, and to check out the SLU block party this year thanks to Unilocal