Yelper Party: Summer Sip-nic @ Rock Wall Wine Co

Ed’s picks:
Best food — A-​Town Pizza & Kabob House
Best Beer — Sing ha
Best shave Ice — Mustache Mikes
Best Filipino Food — Rolones
Best French Mexican Poutine
It was a beautiful day. We came early enough so we could blitz the lines and get full before the lines got too long. There were a lot of chill cool people to meet and we had a great time.
I can’t wait to get invited to another Unilocal Event!

Another memorable and awesome Unilocal party!
Plenty of vendors were present with free samples of food and alcohol. There was lots of variety in the food that was being served to fellow Unilocalers. I had wine, beer, cold cumber soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, fish tacos, and snow cones all in one day. I’ve never had so much stuff to eat and drink at one place!
I really liked the Elite area. It helped me feel V.I.P. and see exclusive stuff that not everyone can see. The cool headphones you could listen to with a live DJ were a nice touch as you went around looking at the various eats. I especially liked the s’mores that were being served which highlighted my day.
This place was also packed with lots of people. I didn’t get to see and meet up with everyone I knew but I’m pretty sure they were stuffing their faces with delicious food! Luckily, the venue was also spacious enough to accommodate everyone and never felt too crowded. The parking wasn’t bad either with plenty of space for tons of cars.
I really enjoy these big Unilocal events and hope to be able attend more in the future. The venue was awesome with plenty of great vendors sampling their tasty cuisines. Thanks to Nique, and the rest of the Unilocal Elite Staff for creating another great event!

I am one lucky gal. I am saying this first, because sometimes I have a hard time remembering this especially when life is in a bit of flux. Flux-​fun word and it can sound dirty but it is a safe one to use around the in-​laws.
Why was I lucky on Sunday? I wasn’t supposed to be in town but plans changed, so when my favorite Unilocal date of all time (Linda M.) invited me to be her +1, I decided to go even though I typically don’t go to large events.
We arrived around 2:15 and when I saw the line, I did my «norm» of chatting up the Guardians at the Gate to gauge how quickly the daunting line was moving. The line to get in was managed beautifully and while Linda grabbed our spot towards the back, I made my way to her by saying «hi» to people I hadn’t seen in a while. There are times I can be shy, but one of the things I love about Unilocal is there is an immediate form of common ground. Additionally, being the step-​daughter of a beloved reviewer by many (Toni M.), I tend to know who her peeps are so I can introduce myself that way too.
Lots of folks have already written about the food and drink details, and to be honest, Linda and I perused parts of the vendor area but spent most of our time in or near «the dome». I had a couple of bites of a couple of things, a couple of sips of a couple of drinks but like my favorite part is the people. Seeing old friends, meeting new ones and playing my favorite six degree game. As Linda and I were doing the peruse, I kept seeing a woman whom I recognized but couldn’t remember how. I was going all over it in my head and a little out loud so when Linda and I returned to just outside the dome area, we saw her and Linda pushed me to go talk to her (see, I can be shy sometimes). After doing the ruling out part of how, I finally figured it out. She was an El Cerrito woman and then it hit me. Our daughter’s were on the same soccer team when they were ⁶⁄₇ years old. 10 years ago. Amazing.
I tried this game with another couple as the man looked familiar. Well, couldn’t quite figure it out, but six degrees again, they had just moved to the Bay Area several months ago from Phoenix and the wife went to elementary school in San Ramon. I grew up in Phoenix and now live in San Ramon. It gets better. The Mad Hattrix and I got to have some real face time and she introduced me to her friend Alex who GREW UP IN PHOENIX and we are the same age so all of our teen angst and shenanigans could be easily discussed by where we went to high school, blah blah blah.
When Linda and I first walked into the dome we saw Eugene in a massage chair and I knew it was just the beginning of good times. Being with my date Linda, spending time with my «tall drink of water», Bill B., Markus, Emily and Jac, Amy J, Kim, the list goes on. Making some new friends, connecting with people I have been friends with on Unilocal but had never met in person made this a day to remember. The only down side was not seeing some people who were there just due to the size of the space.
I cannot emphasize enough how grateful I am for the hard work Nique, Unilocal and «the crew» put into this event. I don’t come to these things for free food or alcohol, I come for the people and the experience, and sure enough, there were experiences to be had.
Thanks Linda for letting me be your +1 and for not calling me your #2! xo

Short Story:
Best Unilocal Party ever! Woot! Nothing is more fun than eating and drinking with fellow Unilocalers and foodies :)
Oksy, now that I calmed down a bit… here’s the long story:
I got there at 1:30PM and I’m glad I did. The line grew really long by 2PM, the start of the event. I checked in with my friends and proceeded inside. I have to say though, line management on checking in needs some improvement. I think it takes too long and there was confusion on where to go as there was a separate line for Elites though it were no signs. I’m not an Elite, but you could have stood in the wrong line.
After walking to Rock Wall, I was greeted by beer and snacks. I tried the following drinks:
Ale Industries —
Mmmm, this beer was my favorite. I’m preferential to Ales.
Lagunitas —
A good second choice, though a bit more bitter than I expected
Green & Go —
An interesting concept for salads… it was definitely good. Though I wonder what differentiates them from all the other independent salad vendors out there.
Pretzel Crisps —
I’m a fan of pretzels, so fantastic snack! And I got a tree bag for Instagram-​ing them
GrilledCheezGuy —
I waited over an hour for this… gotta say it was good but not worth the hour wait. I would go back to their store. Assuming I don’t have to wait an hour!
Roline’s Uniquely Filipino —
This was savory
A-​Town Pizza & Kabob House —
I’m a new fan of this place and will definitely be going back. Their kabobs were tender and juicy! They even had pizza there… an interesting tie in!
Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill —
I’ve always been a Rubio’s fan!
Whole Foods Market —
Their wrap was okay, though the meatball was better
KRAVE Jerky —
This was some good jerky. I like their lime flavor and the fact they had pork and chicken and not just beef!
Luna Bars —
Apparently they are for men too…
KIND Healthy Snacks —
I think they are a good on-​the-​go snack
Peter’s Kettle Corn —
I am a fan of kettle corn in general and this exceeded my expectations. Especially the chipotle flavor!
Honest Tea —
I like their drinks, though a few of them had a lot of sugar
hint water —
My favorite flavored water by far!
DRY Soda —
Hmmm, I gotta say the cucumber one tasted quite fruity. I would go and buy some.
Ice Carving by Dana Eng
A Unilocal ice sculpture!
In the end, it was a fantastic event. A special shout out to all the Unilocal employees (Nique F), the vendors, and everyone who made this possible! Thank you from a Unilocal fan!!!

Wow. What a party! Nique, along with the whole Unilocal team that put this fantastic sip-​nic together deserve a round of applause!
I managed to get to the event über early and did not have to wait very long. I made my rounds through wines, a few beers and all the samples my «food restrictions» permit within the first hour or so. So many wonderful companies, way too difficult to mention every single one of them, but some of my favorites were…
Humboldt Hotsauce —
–Took home a bottle of the Habanero Mango (the hottest one). Sweet with a spicy (almost stingy) kick! Yum! I love it!
Cypress Grove Chevre —
— Truffle Tremor made me say oh la la, while their Gouda made my heart skip a beat. This company makes heavenly cheeses!
Millie’s Boutique Biscotti —
— I try to avoid the sweets and breads often, but life hasn’t always been that way for me. Working as coffee barista in the past, I had my share of biscotti (and pastries). This is by far the best biscotti I have ever had in my life. Whatever great grandpa was doing with the dipping in the cabernet or zinfandel and what they continue to do, is working for them!
The Tea Room Chocolate Company —
— I found the idea of mixing teas with various chocolates and nuts fascinating and probably spent way too much time at this stop. So many different teas and combos to choose from, I think I will be making a visit to The Tea Room soon…
Sugar Knife Artisan Sweets —
— Both spots Sugar Knife was handling did not disappoint! They were taking sweet care of us, in the elite dome, with custom– made s’mores and dishing out wonderful bites on the main floor as well. It’s places like this that make me happy they’re such a far trek to get to; otherwise I would probably become a regular customer way too fast.
Sugar & Spun —
— Can’t tell you how excited I was these people were here! I had just read a review about their amazing, not-​to-​be-​missed Salted Chocolate and Peanut Butter cotton candy and they were handing them out for free! Another slow addiction that could easily creep up on me, if these guys were any closer! Delicious!
Reuschelle’s Cheesecakes —
— This cheesecake deserves to be served on a silver platter and nothing less. Absolutely amazing! I don’t eat much of this ever, but the one bite I had, made me think, maybe I should.
Singha Beer —
— I was d.d., so I limited my drinking to mainly vino, but couldn’t resist the lovely lady coaxing me into trying Thai beer (which I’ve never had before). It was marvelous and I loved the way I got an arm band to remind me later. Great idea!
Nottingham Cellars —
— This winery had a descent Barbera and an even better Zinfandel. The wine quality and taste stood out the most to me, other than Rock Wall’s.
Rock Wall Wine Co —
— First time here and certainly won’t be my last! What a gorgeous view of the city! My favorite was their 2011 Rock Hound Red (Blend). I even bought a bottle ($ 14!). Smooth and full bodied. Another hit!
Cressie Mae Hoops —
— Thanks for bringing your hoops! After all that food & wine indulgence, the optional hoops to work up a sweat were sweet! I want to hoop more often. I am inspired!
Silent Storm —
This was certainly another highlight to the event. Be a part of the dance party or not, your choice! Met some fellow dancers in the dome and rocked out to silent storm’s playlist, DJ Tanoa throwin’ back old school hip hop and mellow funk or the other station filled with high energy funky beats. Craziness! Yet soo much fun!
All and all, the day was a blast. I always love to run into all you other Unilocaling Unilocalers and enjoy reaping in the benefits as an elite! The dome party was off the charts and the rest of the sip-​nic had me absolutely beaming with pleasure. Yay!

Not much I can say that hasn’t been said already.
Just these things, I guess:
1. So many hungry people fed that day. I was taken aback at what is clearly the effect of the Great Recession, made manifest that day before my very eyes. The gaunt frames, sunken eyes staring far away, feet shuffling closer closer to those free grilled cheese sandwich pieces. But for events like these I’m certain these people surely would starve.
2. I was going to take a giant hit of acid first thing that morning then in my haste I forgot and later I was hella glad because those people dancing to the invisible music would certainly have put me back into that small cushiony room.
3. A hawk. Did you see the hawk?
Pulling a party like that off is no small undertaking. I’m sure the others here that have sadfaced about the long lines and tent for the people that write more than three reviews a year that got to sip full Pilsners in, I’m sure the others meant to write about how thankful they were that Nique and her associates work very hard to make stuff like this day possible but forgot because they couldn’t get past that Me part.
I’m not hatin. Not at all. It takes all manner to make this world go round. I was glad to see everybody there, irrespective their stripe.
Met old friends, made new ones. That’s the part I like the best.

What can I say that hasn’t been said already? My god, what an awesome event.
Being a retired east bay elite I promised Nique (if she would have me) that she can still count on me crashing her parties; and I did just that.
My lady, her brother and I ventured out from SF to check this event out. This was supposed to be the east bay’s equivalent of the south bay midnight summer Unilocal party (where her and I met, I might add) so I was prepared for a good time.
We showed up (fashionably) late, empty stomachs and itching for a nice cold beer.
First things first: holy hell this venue was huge. From what I overheard it was a retired naval base so to me, there is nothing cooler than seeing wine being stored in an airplane hangar. When you walk outside, you get an unobstructed view of the bay and san Francisco which really added to the event. There were SO many vendors that it was a little overwhelming.
A few notables were:
–the lagunitas booth serving up ice cold IPAs
–the trumer pils bottles in the elite dome
–silent DJs
–Alaskan brewing co.
–rubios fish tacos
–the photobooth (I rocked the gumby)
–THE ELITE DOME
–the impromptu poem writer (we got a poem about how we met. Def a highlight)
I should have really checked out more of the food vendors but seeing as we got there by 3:30 I didn’t wanna waste any more time by standing 30+ minutes in a line for a grilled cheese.
It was, as always, a pleasure to see Nique, Jon (SF CM) and all of my elite pals I have met over the past few years. Also good seeing people who are my friends on Unilocal but hadn’t met until Saturday.
Thanks to Rock Wall Wine and staff for hosting this epic event… we couldn’t have asked for more.
Until next time…

The line seemed daunting but only added to the anticipation. Once the clock struck two, it moved at a steady pace. Talking with friends, the time passed quickly, and before I knew it my wrist was getting slapped by a post check-​in Koozie, and there I was ushered in.
What a day. The weather, for starters. A bright blue sky and a view of SF like something out an F/​X movie. A breeze just light and crisp enough.
The vendors of beverage, next. Wines and beers abounded. So many to thank, but Nottingham Cellars was my first and offered a crisp Chardonney. Entwine I missed unfortunately, as I remember fondly their fine offerings from a YEE in WC. And of course Rock Wall Winery itself, the host for this swarm of Unilocalers. A glass of another chardonnay bought at their tastings room kept me a happy camper thru the latter half of the event.
The vendors of eats: such a nice balance and variety of tastes. Krave jerky, my first sampling after hearing much hype, didn’t disappoint. Rubios brought their blackened tilapia taco, a welcome return taste from last year’s Beerwalk, and one of the more substantial noshes. To echo another reviewer though, the goats milk «Truffle Tremor» cheese from Cypress Grove blew me away. I could eat that for breakfast, and I possibly just might.
The entertainment: A-​town Agency’s DJ captured the mood of laid-​back revelry with its Americana Surf vibe
. Sculptor Dana crafted the most impressive ice cube, at about the proper size for my fantasy bourbon on the rocks
. Best though, was the silent disco offered at the elites dome. Two DJs offering some very fun beats. Watching the couples glide to the non-​music, hearing MJ’s «Billy Jean» in my head lip-​reading the happy dancers, brought the biggest smile to my face.
Such happiness and contentment is thanks in spades to CM Nique and the entire Unilocal team. For a guy who frets over entertaining a whopping six guests, you make doing it for a mere 2,000 or so seem like child’s play. And always with a smile and welcoming attitude. Thank you, thank you.
Lastly, to friends: Some new, many familiar, some even close. I’m grateful for you all, and happy we have the flame of YEEs like this to bring us moths together. And to those who traveled from as far as Vegas (or almost as far, Stockton) my thanks to your journey and company.

What a Beautiful day. I jumped in my Whip Black Beauty and Rumbled to the Alameda Navy Base where Rock Wall is Located. When I arrived there was a well controlled Parking lot. I parked Black Beauty .
The Line was Huge but at 2 PM it moved very quickly. Next thing I know I have a very cool Beer Coozy. I rolled to the Elite area and enjoyed a Milagro Chair Message oh Ya relaxation here I come.
Next Stop Sm ores Yum Yum .
Truman Pilsner Ice Cold in the Bottles all you could drink Yes !!!
Silent DJ headsets get your funk on. Solo Dance Party.
On to the Main Party
Rubio Fish Tacos, Numerous Food and Drink Stands
Our East bay Cm Nique F Did an Awesome Job Planning and Executing the Sip Niq.
It was great Meeting New Unilocalers and the Usual Suspects.
Rock Wall was a perfect venue for a Event this size. With Breath Taking views of the SF Bay Area.
2013 the Year Of Trials and Tribulations and Getting Back to Basics!!!

Driving through the old Naval station gave out a slight creepiness. It was deserted like an old ghost town. You can hear the tumbleweeds blowing through the empty streets and feel the heavy sighing of an empty warehouse… this part of Alameda was deader than a doorknob. But once you turn right on Monarch Street. BOOM!!! People everywhere, lots of cars were parked, and you can see a mega long line formed to get into a party. Just like a Disneyland theme ride, the scene takes you through a drabby town and then go on a tailspin of an adventure. Welcome to Unilocal Summer Sip-​nic! You’ve arrived!
The San Francisco bay views from the Rock Wall Wine Co. was gorgeous! Not a single cloud in the sky, just pure sunshine was offered on this day, which makes enjoying this event more better.
While the DJ blasted music from the past, I Sip-nic’d on almost everything!
!) Grilled Cheese Guys — toasted pepper jack cheese sandwich. The line for this was mega!
!) Verde Fries — fries with shredded pork, guacamole, sour cream, Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. The line for this was mega!
!) Whole foods — 2 types of wraps and 2 types of meatballs. The BBQ meatball was rolling!
!) Rubios — Talapia fish tacos made fresh!
!) Coconut water with various fruits
!) Rock Wall Wine — I’ll have to go back to buy their wine.
!) Beers beers beers
!) Chocolates, gourmet cotton candy, gourmet marshmallows that burned my fingers
I played!
!) Hoola hoops — I think my waistline is thinner today. I went for it and had 3 hoolas going at the same time.
!) Silent DJ headphones — 80’s music… ahh…good old 80’s music
!) Orange ball lounge chairs — I bounced and bounced while I ate my food. love those chairs!
!) Watched people play ping pong circle
!) Watched people take silly photos at the photo booth
This is an exception venue to host such a large function. I can’t imagine all that coordination and vendor guidance that Team Nique had to do to get this place up to speed. I mean, everything was pretty organized and lines hardly crossed over each other. I’d hire Team Nique to work my party anytime :) See you at the next event!

Who would’ve thought an old naval base could house a great winery to host Unilocal’s East Bay Sip-​nic? I wouldn’t of in a million years! This weekend, Sip-​nic was the place to be in the East Bay today!
I urged my sister, bro in law, and cousins to sign up for this event and luckily we all got in. As we arrived at the Rock Wall Winery around 1:30pm, parking was a cinch. We notice a line of approximately 20 — 30 lining up already. As soon as that clock hit 2pm, the line was split up in waves to control overloading the registration table. When I was checked-​in, I was notified that the white dome building is for elites. My sis was sadden that I was going to be separated, but I decided to take a look around with my family first before visiting the dome.
My highlights in the open area were:
— A-​Town Pizza and Kebob House: I had very tasty ground beef, steak, and chicken meats with a side of bread and slice of pepperoni pizza.
— GrilledCheezGuy: I only waited about 15 minutes for a sample of a mini grilled cheese slider topped with sirracha. Oh so good! Just for waiting awhile, people got to also sample a homemade peach jam topped on a small baguette bread piece.
— The Stroopie Gourmet: Freshly made miniature waffles with hot caramel in the middle. I got hooked on these little bites of heaven!
— Chunky Pig: Caramel popcorn infused with tiny pieces of bacon. GENIUS!
— Snap Fiesta: Great photo booth fun with props and memories to keep in picture form thanks to Snap Fiesta.
As for the Elite Dome, my highlights were:
— Chocolatier Blue: Chocolates infused with such flavors as Mango, Strawberry, and Banana Split. Banana Split tasted just like it is, Banana Split!
— Sugar Knife: this vendor had a S’mores with a variety of marshmallows. I tried the Banana and Coconut S’more, once it hits your lips it tastes so good!
You did it again, Nique! Kudos to you and the Unilocal team to bring this event to existence. To Rock Wall Winery and staff, thank you for hosting the event and providing great wine and beautiful view of San Francisco across the way. And to all vendors and entertainers, thank you for your contributions to make the event possible. I hope as we, the Unilocal community, helped the Derby girls and (Park)ing Day make a difference with our donations.

Wow. The lines were crazy but most of them kept moving for the most part, except for the grilled cheese and French fry line — the two items my friends wanted to try. Judging from the pictures, it looks like I missed a lot of the sweet stuff at this event. I thought the Grilled Cheese Guy was all right — definitely not worth the 30 minute plus wait. He «sold out» last time so my friends and I wanted to try it this time. Oh well, I again chatted with a few friends in between waiting so it wasn’t all bad.
I also think the bottle neck line in the front room was also pretty lame. Had I known we could’ve just gone up to each vendor instead of get in one line, I would’ve been able to see more. The drinks were more spaced out than the food so I think that’s what was so confusing. I didn’t want to cut in front of people so I stayed in the buffet style line. Oh well, I can’t complain much — during the time waiting I was able to find most of my friends that were wandering around.
Security was tight at the front thanks to Rosa who kept everyone in order. No cutters! We got there about a half hour before the event so we made it inside in record time. Check in was a breeze — Nique has these events down to a science.
You can’t beat the views at Rock Wall — everyone knows that is the main selling point of this location. The picturesque views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco Bay makes this a fantastic East Bay treasure. There was lots of room to roam and lots to see so it never felt overly crowded.
The build your own s’mores was probably the best thing about the elite only dome. Other than that, it was just another less crowded area to hang out in. I decided to forgo Silent Disco even though it’s one of my favourite things. I did get to give some mighty good hugs to some pals up there.
I’m pretty bummed I missed the photobooth though. That’s usually one of my favourite things to do with groups of friends. Ah well, next time. There’s so much to see and do at these events.
I will plan on looking at the vendor list more thoroughly to strategically visit the vendors I didn’t know about before. A lot of the vendors here had been at other events. It’s nice to give love to new vendors and people. :)
The three hours went fast and it was over before I knew it. I missed meeting some new folks that added me as friends so I guess I’ll have to save that for another time. Overall, I enjoyed this event and if you went to have fun & not just go for the freebies you’d feel the same way. It was so great seeing my fellow pals on this beautiful day. Thanks Nique for making the East Bay community a diverse group of wonderful people some of whom are great friends I see outside of these events.

Awesome Summer Sip-​nic Unilocal party in the East Bay, expertly planned by Nique F. and other Unilocal staffers. We arrived early to avoid the crowds and it seemed most people had the same idea! (Hi Ashley D!) With so many attendees, there were lots of long lines (except for a few, they moved quickly). No biggie! It’s kind of expected at such a huge event.
There were plenty of food and drink samples to try. I wasn’t able to try everything, but I was still happily satisfied. :) The Luna Bar staffers and Peter’s Kettle Corn crew really hooked us up. They were so generous! I’m going to be grinding on that stuff later tonight!
I didn’t find out about the Elites-​only dome until after 4 pm, but once I found it, I bumped into Bobby and Eugene. Hi guys! The Justin’s Butter table was all out of baguettes, but I was able to snag a packet of cocoa hazelnut butter spread. A shout out to Marcos and Brandon at the next table. Hot Stuff and super chill. Thanks for the Trumer Pils! :) ;) Yummy!
Thanks so much, Nique F., Unilocal and all of the vendors who generously donated their time and products. It was great to sample stuff I haven’t tried before. I was really looking forward to Inna Jam, and they were super nice! I tried the pepper jellies and they were delicious. The Spun Sugar booth was cute and fun. Lester recommended the strawberry cotton candy. Yum! It was really addictive.
Waiting for the sugar crash!

Happily Crawling The Rock Walls AND Wining About it!
SITREP
Oh. My. GOD. Fun stuff was in store at the Unilocaler Party SUMMER SIP-​NIC @ Rock Wall Wine Co. [I usually give KUDOS to Unilocal-​crews at the end of reviews, but I have to say quickly, «Nique, you really ROCKED MY WALLS, sweetie! Such a fun event!”]
After trekking out to «The Island» (Alameda), I — and about 2000 of my closest Bay Area Unilocalies — got treated to an out-​standing venue, with out-​standing service, with out-​standing food & drinks, kinda standing-​out there in the old Alameda Air Field.
THE SETUP
First off, PARKING! EXPANSIVE! No outrageous garage fees, meter maids or other crap to worry about! WOW! Gotta say, being on a remote island for «a three-​hour tour, a three hour tour» has it’s advantages!
AN ELITE DOME!
When I saw that dome, for a hot second I felt like I was standing on the field back at Coachella, or even at the Death Guild THUNDERDOME standing on the hot playa sand at Burning Man. But no, it wasn’t anything grueling!
Inside the dome we elites got treated to even more special stuff!
* Special beer,
* Champagne
* Delicious sweet taste bites of strawberry& mango treats
* And a bakery stash of Baguettes! Hell yeah! Baker Christopher let me grab one and I just now finished eating brie on it! «Ce la vie!»
SILENT DISCO!
In addition, we were treated to a Silent Disco RAVE in the dome wearing our headphones, and dancing! We must looked particularly creepy dancing to a rhythm individuals without headphones were probably wondering, «WTF? Synchronized Seizures!» Good Times!
TASTY TASTES — TONS of options, including:
Wine & Beers — best part because there was almost no waiting:
* Alaskan Brewing Co
* Ale Industries
* Sierra Nevada
* Singha Beer
* Trumer Pils
* Mad River Brewing Co
* Carica Wines (My 2^nd favorite wine at the event!)
* Nottingham Cellars (absolutely tasty)
* Rock Wall Wine Co* (our hosts wines were outstanding — the Faona was my favorite.
Food I thoroughly enjoyed & got to try, included:
* GrilledCheezGuy — they were such an amazing team of guys
* Roline’s Uniquely Filipino — Their beef skewer was so tasty!
* Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill — YUMMY Fish Tacos!
* Pretzel Crisps — (shhhh…I made of with about 5 bags)
* Artistic Bites — so smooth and delicious!
* Peter’s Kettle Corn — the bacon popcorn was to die for!
* Chocolatier Blue — I got both the DARK and the WHITE versions!
I was somewhat disappointed at the long LONG lines — but that’s a given — but (my second consecutive «but», I know) it seemed interesting several vendors did food prep AT the event, instead of BEFORE — NOT good time-​management. For ex., it was a 25 minute wait before GrilledCheezGuy had any of grilled cheese sandwiches ready. «Hey guys, perhaps come early & be ready BY 2pm instead of starting samples 30 minutes PAST start time? Just a suggestion.» Doing a boys camp back in Maryland, it was easy to pre-​make grilled cheese sandwiches (& other reheatables) wrap them in foil & easily reheat at camp sites.
But prep considerations aside, the Grilled Cheese was excellent. But it DID turn me off to waiting in any other long lines after that, so I totally MISSED OUT on any pizza & other delectables. But there you have it. Bottomline: a fun event with free taste bites, so no expectations.
ICE SCULPTURE LOGO
It was so cool that Unilocal went to the effort to have an Ice Sculpture Artist create the Unilocal Logo out of a large block of ice! I was happy to get some of the different stages shown in my pictures. [I even enjoyed some one-​on-​one time with the ice sculpture myself!
]
EUGENE & VICTOR!
One more item off my Unilocal bucket list! I met both my esteemed Bay Area role models! Such fun!
KUDOS
Major props go to the Unilocal team that handled the business-​end of this event, by making things were running so smoothly. Nique was beautiful, fantastic and whimsical all at once. The gorgeous Jessica T was on hand as well as the stunning Christina. Precious Meredith from HQ made a wonderful rare appearance.
Yet I have to admit, it was awesome seeing buds Jon A. (CM San Francisco) and Alex L. (CM Sacramento) do all the heavy lifting for the lovely ladies. :D
There were so many other Unilocal staffers and location-​workers doing amazing things for us, my apologies that I can’t remember all of their names. But their hard work made the event so much for all of us Unilocalers who were able to attend. THANK YOU!
THE LOWDOWN
Nique & East Bay Unilocal knock a home run out of the park with this excellent Beer & Wine tasting event! My hats off to Unilocal,Rock Wall Wine, and all the vendors for the most spectacular large Unilocal event I’ve been to all yea

Holla to the East Bay! This was my first über event since becoming part of East Bay 4 weeks and ago WOOOAH, Nique sure knows how to throw a Partay! I didn’t sign up for the Beerwalk empire last year because I took the name way too seriously. /​facepalm. Boy did I miss out!
Anyways. party pooper starting with the one very small negative:
Apparently there was an Elite’s only tent which I only found out about after leaving the event. Boooo! It would have been nice to have been told this upon check in or at least have some clear signage for it. I was walking around the event for 2 hours wondering why I only spotted 3 of my 20 Unilocal buddies that had checked in. I have a good idea of where they all were now.
Everything else was positive. Hubby and I arrived around 1:40pm and didn’t have to wait too long to get in. Once the line started moving I think it was bout 8 or 9 minutes till we got to the check in point. Not too shabby! Of course I was representing in my Unilocal Tank and Hubby in his Tee, it was easy to spot us.
The vendors were awesome. So friendly and telling us all about their products. I don’t think I went to one booth I didn’t like. I especially liked the lovely ladies at Red Feather Winery. Not only was the Wine great but talking to them they told us they were located in Livermore, right near our home and invited us to a party at their house tomorrow afternoon!
We stuffed our faces, we laughed, I did the Hula and we had multiple requests to have our pictures taken with the products booths were giving out. Shame I was looking so rough after doing The Color Run in Sacramento early this morning and hiding my allergy induced puffy red eyes behind shades. /​ThirdWorldProblems.
Thank you Nique, Unilocaly Interns, Rock Wall and the many many vendors for a fab afternoon. *Huggzys*. Out for a Run now to try burn off some of the gazillion calories I just consumed.

Super event hosted by our lovely CM Nique F.
Nique and crew arranged an outstanding line up of food and drink vendors equal to last year’s Beer Walk extravaganza.
Some special shout outs to the following vendors:
Rock Wall Winery for allowing a horde of Unilocalers to invade their premises
Rubios for their delicious (and free) fish tacos
business
Sugar Spun for their designer cotton candy samples (free)
Luna bars for giving out as many (free) bars as you could carry
Semifreddi’s for giving out (free) baguettes of bread in the Elite tent
Chocolatier BLUE for bringing (free) samples of their delicious artwork-​chocolates, you definitely want to pick up a box of these to give to someone special!
Sabor Brazil cause I loved their (free) little cheesy bread samples
And thank goodness I got there early and avoided the long-​ass line that stretched out halfway across the island with all the thousands of Unilocalers waiting to get in on all the FREE samples.
I can hardly wait until the next big Unilocal shindig!!!

Had a blast at the Sip-​Nic! Fun event in a really cool and unique location — Nique F. and the crew always know how to throw a fun party!
My highlights were the Sugar Knife custom s’mores, apple pie marshmallow was ROCKIN’ — also had much fun enjoying the Silent Sound DJ headphones in the Elite area. Nottingham Cellars’ Alpha Red was killer, made me want a steak real bad. :) I also loved the Hint water, I hope I can find it in stores soon! Midnight Moon cheese was brainmeltingly yummy. Chocolate biscotti left me speechless. I also had fun groovin’ to the DJ tunes and sitting on those wacky chairs!
My only gripes — some vendors ran out or started packing up at 4:40 or so — I wish the event had lasted a bit longer, and that the vendors had taken the predicted crowd size seriously! I didn’t get to try the pizza, cotton candy or a properly cooked grilled cheese. There were also a couple INSANE lines — surely there’s a solution! For the gigantic line that wrapped through two areas, starting with the KIND bars and Honest Tea, after standing in that line for at least 20 minutes, Unilocal employees told everyone to disburse the line and just walk up to the vendors directly.
Good times were certainly had by all — I can’t wait to sip it all again next year!

Gorgeous day. Gorgeous venue. And yes, gorgeous food and drinks! I’m not kidding. Some of the food, e.g. fancy chocolates, sweet treats, and even meatballs, were so beautifully put together. Rock Wall Winery in itself is picturesquely situated by the water with a great view of San Francisco. Even with all the attendees and stalls, it never felt cramped. Everything was nicely spaced out and that helped with the line management. Though long at times, the lines inside moved quickly too. I loved that the event was partially indoors and outdoors, so we could take in the sunny day but had shelter from the wind.
Check-​in line looked intimidating but it moved very quickly. We were in and slapped on our koozies in no time. The elite tent was pretty cool, except my +1 was refused entrance when we first arrived. That doesn’t make sense that I would leave him outside waiting while I enjoyed the the food, booze, and massage by myself. We had to forgo the tent but eventually returned and allowed entrance, him as my guest of course. I think that was just miscommunication, as some Unilocal employees didn’t know and thus, the security people had no idea either.
I won’t say I liked everything I tried but I appreciated the samples and friendly faces. A few standouts for me were the bacon popcorn, Peter’s kettle corn, cotton candy. Sadly, I didn’t get the chance to try the grilled cheese :(The beverages, alcoholic and non-​alcoholic, were all wonderful. Some pours were more generous than others but it was nice to get a taste of everything.
A big plus was the Über credit. Coming from Emeryville, the credit was more than the cost of our trip there aka free ride! We ran into friends who gave us a ride home after the event, so win-​win!
Thanks for Unilocal East Bay and the lovely vendors and sponsors who made all this happen :)

Waiting for the summer’s Unilocaliest event! Overlooking the bay, Rock Wall Winery is one of the bay area’s premier wineries. Came here for one of their events and has a blast tasting all their wines.
Now to wait for all the 20+ other grubs and sips!

I always enjoy my times at RockWall whenever I visit so this was no exception at all. Parking was easy since there was plenty of parking and the RockWall staff were directing ppl where to park.
There was a very long line to get in. Doesn’t really shock me too much anymore since the big Unilocal events always consist of that. Line moved pretty good speed. $ 10 donation for the RollerDerby Girls. I saw the game last month with Mommy and had a great time. But I still don’t get how the game works.
Lots of different vendors but we didn’t get to experience all of them due to the wait times at several long lines. I think we waited for like 45mins to 1hr in the grilled cheese table line. Holy moly! It was good but def «not worth waiting in line for that long» good.
Waited a bit late to get into the Elite dome so some stuff ran out such as the s’mores & etc. same thing happened with the Photobooth too. :(
But regardless, I still had a pretty good time seeing some Unilocalers around + the hott rollerderby chicks and the painted ladies.
Til next time! :)