Elite Event: WC Restaurant Week Kick-Off Party @ Ruth’s Chris

Better late than never!
I had some major fraud on my bank account and spent the day trying to get things fixed up before my trip to NYC. I was so bummed I missed out on the amazing samplers. I heard they were delish.
However, I want to thank Belvedere Vodka and Nique and the Unilocal crew for making sure that my crummy Sunday turned into a Sunday Funday!

My second YEE for the month of April and I had a great time! Upon checking in at the front of the restaurant, I noticed that there were two sections: food and bar. This type of setup is genius because everything was organized and I didn’t have to scramble around the whole venue looking for the things I wanted to try.
I went to the food area first. This event happened at the start of Walnut Creek Restaurant Week so there was plenty of food samples served. I couldn’t remember them all but I remember there were about 5 restaurants. All of the food samples I tasted were delicious and leaving me wanting more. I took some business cards of the restaurants and will try more of their food later on!
After eating plenty of food samples, I headed to the bar. I didn’t know we get complementary drinks so that surprised me. I ended up getting a vodka martini straight up in a fancy cocktail glass. The drink tasted fine and nothing too out of the ordinary.
The bar was filled with lots of people. At first, I was overwhelmed (I’m a shy guy) but I eventually loosened up and was able to meet some cool new people. Everyone I met was very friendly.
For most of the event, I was at the bar. The bar area is very fancy. They have a nice liquor section and the servers are well-​dressed. Whilst at the bar, there were also serving Ruth Sliders to people which I ate plenty of. I also ordered myself a Black Russian (which I paid for) at the bar to help pass the time. By the time the event was over, I was happily stuffed with food and had my fair share of drinks.
Another great event organized by Nique F. and the rest of Unilocal Elite Staff. With free food and cool people, this was a great way to spend my Sunday afternoon!

YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY IN MY TUMMY TUMMY TUMMY
What’s better than getting to eat food from lots of difference places at once?
…Give up…
Trick question! Nothing!
In my not-​at-​all-​humble opinion there is nothing better than sampling bites from different places, all at the same time.
The fun YEE event took place at the Ruth’s Chris location in Walnut Creek and had two rooms (one event room plus the bar area) swimming with Unilocaler’s and their +1s. A variety of restaurants made appearances. Most notably Va da Vie with a spoonful of tartare. Maria Maria’s burritos were a little difficult to eat due to one hand cradling a cocktail and the other one fighting the foil they were wrapped in. But they weren’t bad. A great mushroom broth hid in the back corner. Havana’s skewers provided me an opportunity to talk with their rep about the catering location on Main Street. Our office is too close to here to not do some business with them down the road! (Pun intended)
I didn’t try the sliders. I imagine they were Ruth’s Chris since the ever-​so-​professional ladies from the restaurant walked these around. Also skipped was the butterscotch pudding. My need for sweet is very hit and miss. It was MIA that day so I went with a pass.
The Belvedere Ginger drink was great. Found at the bar across the hall from the private event room. Immunity-​boosting ginger has amazzzzing medical benefits including to help prevent colon cancer and fight ovarian cancer. Good thing I went back and had a couple of drinks while at the event. Doing my best to stay healthy!

It was a scene, I tell you. The upstairs venue filled with just the right number of finely turned out brothers and sisters of the Unilocaling variety. No exaggeration — I can’t think of much that puts a broader smile on my face than the company I was keeping Sunday afternoon.
I’ve never crossed the lintel of a Chris establishment before but I daresay (and this is what the CM likes to hear) I will in the future. Maybe even this very one. Fine space, excellent bartenders, front of the house all accommodating and pleasant. Can’t speak to the wait staff as our party was in the big room with food by all sorts of folks on sticks and little plates and as described by the others pretty darn delicious.
That I was able to deepen the WC vibe by dipping it in a little Heart and Dagger immediately after the party decamped made for a three bears afternoon. Just right.

Really a super event, but then they all are. The cocktails were fantastic and strong. Quickly got in trouble over those. After we left the party, we had to walk around for a while and order more food at Pomegranite (which we had always wanted to try anyway) before we could safely leave for home.
Loved the ginger Belvedere. We are now inspired to keep a stash of ginger beer at home as a mixer.
Food was great too. My favorites were the Ahi appetizers from Va di Vi and from Ruth’s Chris (particularly the latter). I also enjoyed the Chimichurri steak from Havana. Rest is kind of a blur, not suprisingly.
Parking was a challenge, but we lucked out and found somebody leaving just as we drove up. Leaving was easy.

If this was my first YEE, I would’ve given it 5-​stars. However, the YEE at Five was a hard act to follow. The dynamics are different when people bring a +1 and there’s no icebreaker. We did meet some new folks, but it was a little more difficult to start conversations than the previous event I went to.
The just-​ok: I was kinda bummed that the Mexican food (Maria Maria) and the beef skewers (Havanna) ran out so quickly. But, another guest and I grabbed chips from Maria Maria and loaded the leftover mango salsa from the skewers at Havanna to create our own appetizer. Delish!
The good: The gnocchi from Massimo were spot on. I loved the gently layered shitake mushrooms and creamy sauce. They were also seared to add extra texture. I thought they were really good. The ginger drink offered by Ruth’s Chris was also really good. The sauce on the Ruth’s Chris burger was very memorable.
The best: The butterscotch with real rum pudding from Lark Creek. Your life is not complete without trying this dessert. The ahi tuna on cucumber slices from Ruth’s Chris was one of the best appetizers I’ve every had in my life. The cucumber kept it cool and added a little crunch, the fish was a nice consistency, and the sauce was to die for. A sweet mixture of wasabi and something amazing that I can’t figure out.
Final note: the people working at Ruth’s Christ were so nice. One server overheard me saying to Christina L., «Darn, you missed the last burger!» The server came back with a slider just for my friend. How thoughtful. They were also really good at pacing the food they brought out so that they did not run out. Well hosted, Ruth’s Chris, well hosted.
Thanks Nique and the gang for an overall very fun event.

It’s rare to enjoy food and beverage at Ruth’s Chris without any damage to the wallet. It’s a great steak restaurant, but you do pay for the a la carte privilege.
I was here for the Walnut Creek Restaurant Week Kickoff Party. The only unfortunate thing about it was that my Lovely Bride was on the floor at home due to a pinched nerve. However, I left her in good hands as one of her good friends came over to hang out over good conversation and wine.
After climbing up the steps to the 2^nd Floor restaurant (the elevator was also available), I was warmly greeted by Ruth’s Chris staff and directed to either the bar area (which featured 2 complimentary cocktails) or the big room that featured ~6 WC dining establishments and wine. I snacked on some lite bites, said Hi to Ivy and Hubby, and then wandered into the bar area where I was promptly invited by Jen and Rob to sit down and hang out. We had a great time talking about Travel (Italy, Portugal, Croatia, and Victoria BC), Vegetarian options, and a whole host of other topics. It’s the personal touch that I enjoy the most about these events.
Many thanks to Nique, her Unilocal Helpers, the various generous sponsors (Wine Sisterhood, Belvedere Vodka, Va de Vi Bistro & Wine Bar, Havana, Lark Creek,
Massimo Ristorante, Maria Maria, and of course our host Ruth’s Chris). There’s a lot of good eating in Walnut Creek and this Appetizer event was a great continuation of long-​term dining relationship.

Finally made it out to one of these fabulous East Bay Unilocal events that I’ve been hearing about forever! Nique– My, my, my woman, you know how to throw it down! Thank you for being the wonderful hostess with the mostest that you are.
Most memorable sample: Massimo Ristorante’s Sautéed Mushroom and gnocchi. So decadent! So rich and earthy! I think I foresee a trip to Massimo’s in my near future…
Monogamy by Wine Sisterhood– My favorite vino there. The word kind of put me off, but the taste is where I started to consider the idea…(and the wine.)
First time to this Ruth Chris Steakhouse location… convenient parking next door, and wonderfully sweet wait staff. The strawberry basil gimlet is served up, which is my favorite way, forget the ice and water in my drink, give it to me straight!
Awesome Party! Great to meet all you wonderful Unilocalers and finally put some real faces and personalities to all your reviews and profiles! :_​) Can’t wait for the next one. Woo hoo. Happy Unilocaling!

This was my first Unilocal event and my friends and I had a grand time! The parking was easy, there’s a parking garage next to the restaurant and I believe parking was validated for all the cars. Anyways, thank you Nique and Unilocal for all their hard work in throwing a spectacular event!
Upon entering, we headed straight to the bar where 2 complimentary drinks were available: Belvedere martini and Belvedere ginger. The ginger drink was pretty good (my bf LOVES ginger beer) but the martinis were too strong for my friends. Lol.
The types of samples available were from different restaurants in Walnut Creek ranging from Mexican, Italian, Cuban, butterscotch pudding, lots of tuna, sliders, and wine from Wine Sisterhood of course! I think everybody else’s favorite was the buttersctoch dessert from Lark Creek! The cookie on it was AMAZING and the pudding was sweet yet subtle. MMMM… My favorite would have to be the ahi tuna on cucumber with a thin slice of ginger on top, it was a cool and refreshing change after eating everything else. The sliders from Ruth’s Chris were also good, but by the time we tried them, we were too full! The bread was soft, fluffy, and garlicky, and the meat was juicy. Oh yeah, we loved the steak skewers from Havanna but they were gone so fast! The Mexican food from Maria Maria also disappeared after we made our first round.
The staff were friendly and attentive, very quick in cleaning up the mess and serving foods to the attendees. The only downside was that because it was a big event, people tend to stay within their own groups or talk to those they already know. I didn’t get the chance to meet other Unilocalers, but next time I’ll definitely try to attend a smaller gathering!
Overall, a great experience for my first Unilocal event! We stuffed ourselves with samples and drank our hearts away until we could no longer stand.

I was so excited for this event because I love the food at Ruth’s Chris and they definitely did not let me down. The venue is gorgeous and is a nice sanctuary from the busy shopping center. Parking was a challenge on a busy Sunday afternoon, but with patience and some fight in us, we finally scored a spot in the garage.
Food and Drinks
All the food from the vendors were delicious. The few standouts to me were:
–Lark Creek butterscotch pudding … to die for!
–Ruth’s Chris sliders and ahi tuna
–Belvedere ginger cocktails were very refreshing and not too sweet
The instagram projection was a great addition to the event. They weren’t kidding about being instant… photos were projected seconds after upload.
Great event to learn about the restaurants participating in WC Restaurant Week. I just might have to return to get a bigger tasting! I’ve never been to the Broadway Plaza and was surprised to learn of the beautiful shopping plaza! Lots of trees, fountains, and just a all-​around pleasant ambiance. Can’t wait to return for some serious shopping and eating!

Took the fiancé here for our 2^nd Unilocal Elite event together — the bites were delicious and the vendors were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
My absolute favorite was Lark Creek’s amazing butterscotch pudding. I would have gone for round 3 but didn’t want to catch someone’s side-​eye (also, I want to pretend I’m classy). It was so good we googled the recipe on the way home. A close runner up was the sliders with BBQ BUTTER (!!!). Beyond thankful that this is a thing.
Everything we sampled was enough to fuel an afternoon visiting wedding venues in San Francisco, and even held us down when my car broke down… but that is another story for another day.
Thanks for a great time, Nique and Kevin and the Unilocal East Bay crew!

What would restaurant week be without the Elite Unilocalers coming in to kick it off? Nique and team really made this a nice swanky affair on a gorgeous Sunday Funday at the Walnut Creek Ruth Chris Steakhouse.
Loves:
–Ginger Belvedere cocktail created from the RC bartenders. All I needed was 1 and I was done.
–Maria Maria sampled mini chimichangas and other items, but I loved the chimichanga.
–Havana sampled skirt steak kabobs and chicken skewers. Very good. Absolute must visit this Cuban restaurant.
–Ruth Chris sampled mini sliders and ahi tuna on cucumber slices. I have eaten dinner here before and these small bites will definitely wet your appetite before you enjoy that steak with the shoe string fries. The RC owners were so nice and accomodating to all the guests.
Again, Thank you Nique for always taking care of us Unilocalers and making sure we want for nothing. So good to see all my friends who I hardly ever get to see, but cherish the time even for the brief moment we get to socialize. What a perfect day for my bestie and I to enjoy together.

To enjoy a day off work is to enjoy the great organization of Nique F., the WCRW committee and the Ruth Chris Staff.
We were able to indulge with a selection of cocktails, a Twisted Ginger or a Martini. If you were a wino, then the PromisQuous (Chardonnay Blend) or Purple Cowboy (Cab and Syrah Blend) probably sang to your praises.
In addition we got to sample many plates, Ahi Tuna (from Vi de Va and Ruth Chris’s themselves), Havana’s Mango Chicken or Steak Chimichurri, Massimo’s Gnocchi and of course Lark Creek’s unforgettable made from scratch classic Butterscotch Pudding with Shortbread (this one can rival Flora’s if it had some caramel and sea salt notes as well).
Nevertheless for a Sunday Afternoon it was a nice change of pace mingling with Unilocalers new (or familiar) and prepping for a highly anticipated restaurant week in the East Bay. Five Stars Nique, well deserved as always!

What a fantastic event!
I really was extremely impressed with how well this event was coordinated especially considering the location. What fantastic way to just about bring an end your Sunday.
My hun and and I arrived right on the dot at 3:00. We decided to start the event off at the bar. The complementary drinks of the evening were Belvedere Martinis and a Belvedere Ginger. I went with the Belvedere Ginger and holly sweet heavens, was it INCREDIBLE. Bar tenders were also extremely friendly.
The handful of restaurants presented this evening for restaurant week, included some of my favs.
Maria Maria featured a variety of small bites similar to the Unilocal party they hosted last year. It consisted of chicken and beef chimichangas (my fav’s), chicken and beef tostitos, chips and salsa.
Va Da Vi (another fav) sampled a Tuna TarTare. It was nice.
Massimo (a restaurant on my go to list) had samples of there Mushroom Gnocchi.
Havana featured two delicious skewers. One chicken with a Mango salsa that I could not have being I am allergic to Mango. The other of a beef skewer in a red wine reduction with a green peso like sauce drizzled over it. I thought it was extremely tasty.
Lark Creek presented a mouthwatering, decadently delicious Butterscotch pudding adorned with a little cookie. Certainly mine and my huns favorite of all.
Also a local winery had a handful of white and red wines presented. I tried there Chardonnay and a Cowboy Red blend and they were both nice.
Later they also had Ruth Chris bring out some of there specialties. One cucumber, mustard, tuna appetizer that was nice and refreshing. Also one of my favs, there Garlic Burger sliders in a garlic butter sauce. These little suckers were lip smacken delicious.
It was a real pleasure to have met some new Unilocaler buds such as Markus N. and seeing some familiar faces such as Ivy R.
Yet another reminder to attend more of these events. What an amazing time. Thanks so much Nique for executing such a fine event. Cheers!

YEE #2 for me, and it was a good one. I hope it would be, seeing that my hunny and I were the only ones in Broadway Plaza *not* dressed in shorts and sundresses.
First, the food. It was covered in more detail by other Unilocalers. I got a kick out of Havana’s chicken skewer; the hot spice gave me that kick. The Ruth’s Chris sliders were the big hit. The servers came out with trays often, and the sliders were snatched up within minutes. Tasty patty with spicy bun. And we had eaten chicken ‘n pasta before coming. .. my hollow leg got filled up more at this YEE. Thankfully, there was water for us non-​alkies.
Second, the guests. I arrived having met only one person previously, the ubiquitous Dominique (if you were there, you’ll get the joke). I left having met several others and their spouses: Ivy (hi mom), Amy, Valerie, Joel, Wendy, Lara, Julie, Bill. (no Eugene???) Good crowd of good people. My introverted wife also had a good time, and even took some pics of other Unilocalers that ended up on the Instagram slide show.
Good job, guys. Next stop. .. we’ll see…
**********************
UPDATE: I just saw a pic of Eugene at the Unilocal event in Livermore.

My most favorite Unilocal event are always the ones close to home. We were able to get grandma to watch the baby and have a free afternoon to ourselves.
I think the last event I went to was the Beer Walk Empire. So this was a nice treat.
I couldn’t have asked for anything nicer than the Belvedere Vodka cocktails. The Ginger one was fabulous!
The food selection was also so very nice. We had samplings from Maria Maria, Havana, Massimo’s and Vi Da Vi. Don’t forget the Butterscotch Pudding from Lark Creek. So decadent.
The live Instagram feed was so awesome. How did Unilocal know of my addiction to Instagram?
I got some cute photos with some of my old (and new Unilocal pals). I got all caught up with Jess H., John Z., Eric B., Terry T., Victor G. and Bill B. I was delighted to meet new Unilocal friends too, Joel E., Ron L. and Chanelle N. to name a few.
This was a great event. Held on a perfect day. Hopefully there will be more like this to come.

Goooooooooaaaaaaaaallllll!!!
Walnut Creek Restaurant Week
What an amazing event! The food was fabulous, the servers and bartenders were amazing and here is my top five favorite moments from the event.
5. Staff — The always professional staff at Ruth’s Chris and the amazing Unilocal staff who are always putting these amazing events together.
4. Meeting the people that always like what I am always doing on Unilocal in person
3. The great Belvedere drinks. I only tried the ginger one and I was stuck.
2. The amazing food; My favorites were ahi tuna, the sliders, and the butterscotch pudding.
1. All the great restaurants that I was able to try at the event and all the restaurants that I look forward to eating at this week.
Thanks Unilocal for another fantastic event.

Thank you, thank you so much to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse for hosting this event. The venue was beautiful and the sliders were delicious!
What a super fun event to help ring in the spring weather with. The location was perfect equipped with great food and a great shopping area for after the Unilocal Elite event.
All of the food was delicious and I’m so happy that these restaurants came out to the Unilocal Elite event to let us have a taste of what is to come at Walnut Creek Restaurant Week.
Some of my favorites:
Lark Creek: Butterscotch Pudding
I can definitely see why Lark Creek brought this yummy dessert to the event. It was absolutely delicious and I would definitely venture there for another taste.
Massimo Ristorante: Potato Gnocchi
I’m usually not a huge fan of gnocchi in general, but boy did Massimo turn me around. The lovely potato gnocchi and mushrooms combined with a delicious sauce really made me think twice about not being a fan of gnocchi.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse: garlic sliders
These sliders looked regular, but oh boy were they far from it. The garlic flavor cooked into the beef patties is what made these sliders exceptional. I definitely want to go back to Ruth’s Christ Steakhouse to try some of their main dishes.

Nique and Unilocal put on another great elite event. The party was the ideal way to kickoff Walnut Creek’s Restaurant Week. I enjoyed the chance to talk to Unilocal friends and taste a variety of interesting food from several Walnut Creek restaurants.
I liked everything I tried. I will not say which one was my favorite, they were all good. I will just book a table at one of them first and then the others.
The Belvedere cocktails, served in bar, were good too. It was an enjoyable afternoon party. My sweetie stayed home, and he was kicking himself then I told him about the party.

Oh we fancy.
2 sections, one side for food, the other for drinks. Where to begin? I was told that the Mexican cuisine was all out. I was only 20 minutes late, and out so soon? Parking was awful. Parking structure is right around the corner, but it was packed! Drove all the way to the very top and back down before finally finding parking.
The Butterscotch Pudding from Lark Creek was magnificent. I’m not a fan of butterscotch, but these were delicious. They looked like Nilla wafers dipped in peanut butter (or really dark banana cream). Each batch takes 24 hours to prepare. These little itty bitty things take an ENTIRE DAY to make. Can you believe that??! It’s real butter and scotch plus shortbread with vanilla bean (hence the black specs). Rich, creamy, buttery goodness with whipped cream on the side, mmm. It’s a winner.
The Potato Gnocchi from Massimo Ristorante was another treat. The gnocchi was larger in size than typical gnocchi. Includes mushroom slices and gravy/​sauce. Also sampled a spoonful (literally) of ahi tuna poki, which tasted great, except I expected it to be cold instead of room temperature. Also had excellent ahi tuna on a cucumber slice. Sampled a bit of PromisQous white wine from the Wine Sisterhood. Indicated as a «threesome,» of what, I’m not quite sure, but it seems to have a hint of pear.
It wasn’t until I made my way to the drinks side that I finally sampled one of the amazing sliders. Not sure what’s in it, but the meat and bread — wow, so good!
Two drinks were offered at the bar:
+ Belvedere Twisted Ginger — Belvedere Vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, ginger beer, and 2 dashes of bitters, garnished with a lime wedge
+ Classic Martini — Belvedere Vodka
The martini is essentially just vodka. Comes in a girly cup, but not a girly drink — don’t be fooled! The first was far better in taste, especially with its hint of sweetness.
Thank you Brian W. and staff for the amazing samples of goodness!