A Very Merry Yelpie Awards

Another great (sadly last) event by the amazing Kelly Stocker! We will miss her so much! Great food, great drinks, great company, and fun awards. Good schwag too! And it was fun to discover this little gem, with a great bar list including our favorite tiki drinks! We’ll definitely be back!

This was a bitter sweet event filled with awesome Unilocalers, tasty craft cocktails, and fun awards. A big congrats to all the winners!
Dennis and Justin of the Roosevelt Room are both class acts. It was no surprise that they are gracious and generous hosts as well. For my feelings on the Roosevelt Room, I wrote a review a few months back:
Kelly is special and will be sorely missed. She set the mold for what a CM is. We were all quite lucky to have her as our CM!

Ponders: Hmmmmm… (furrows caveman brow) tappedy, tap, tappedy. Hmmmm… «Most Controversial Unilocaler»? (scraches beard) tappedy, tap, tappedy (writing and editing acceptance speech). What could possibly be the meaning of this?! tappedy, tap, tappedy. They wouldn’t believe me anyways if I told them the true story of how this all got started. .tappedy, tap, tappedy… To be continued..

A great event to end the year! It was great to see the familiar faces and also mingle with some new faces. The venue was great and The Roosevelt Room did an A++ job at service throughout the whole night. Also high five to their staff for offering water throughout the night — definitely helped the morning after. Thank you to Kelly S yet again for making this event happen and also for making my last couple of years being elite AWESOME! You will definitely be missed.

Annnd welcome back! This is Queefa Culpepper reporting from the red carpet at the 2015 Unilocalie Awards! The trophies have all been handed out and we are gonna just try to get a few words with the glamorous winners of Unilocal.Oh! There’s Ms Deji M, Most Funniest!
QC: Deji, DEJ! How do you feel about your award?
Deji: Oh, my Papi called and was all like Deji, why you no call me about your mashor award? My Dej, you are worth ALL the awards… and I was like, oh Papi you cray see and then I said, ohwaitarethosecakeballs??? thanksbye!
QC: Hrm, ok… Ahh, there’s Ardie, Most Congenial! Ardie! How’d you like the event?
Ardie: Oh, it was just fine… and how are YOU Queefa? and your folks? Is your dad over his pneumonia yet? Let me know if there’s ANYTHING I can do for you!
QC: Wow, you are really, really sweet Ardie, thanks!
QC: Ah, Errol! How do you feel about winning Best Wordsmith?
Errol: It occurs to me, Queefa, that ***existential observations and witty wordplay and philosophical insertions*** and Kelly rocks and Unilocal rules!
QC: …huh? Oh, yeah! Well said Errol!
QC: Leila, LEILA! Slow down! Just wanna ask…
Leila: Woot! UnilocalFIES! YEEEELPFIES!
QC: Er, ok… Amanda S! You just won for best compliments! How do you feel?
Amanda S: Oh Queefa, I feel great but YOU look amazing! And I absolutely LOVED your piece on the hazards of cat costuming!
QC: Thanks? Ah! Ms Shannon B! Congrats on your Most Useful win!
Shannon: Thank you! Did you know this building was established in 1913 and has been several incarnations over the years… also it’s exactly a 2.3 mile run from here to the Capital?
QC: Wow! I did NOT know that! Wait… who’s that over incognito in the corner. Is that Mad A, Most Controversial? How do you feel about your award Mad?
Mad: Controversial? CONTROVERSIAL??? Queefa, I’m not controversial!!! I’m just doin my job weeding out the trolls… or maybe?!! MAYBE!!! I’M the troll!!! LOL!!! Yes, I’m the troll in this here little Unilocaliverse. I’m just here to hold the mirror up to Unilocalers everywhere, to shine the LIGHT in the dark corners…
QC: yeah, ok. OH! JOE C! HELP! I mean, Hey! You just got the award for Best UYE’s!
Joe: Yes, thanks Queefa! And you should definitely join us at the next Burger of the Month meeting… we’ll have a great discount on food items, free valet parking and the manager of the place will be serenading us his own self as we dine.
QC: Wow, you really do have the hook up! Hey there’s Dawn H! Dawn, you’re the Most Coolest!
Dawn: Aww (blushing RBF), thanks! You know, I’ve always been an admirer Queef… I’m gonna do a review of YOU! It’ll be my 300^th in 2015!
QC: oh, well, that’s not necessary… oh, hey, let me grab Keri B… Keri, you are the Life of the Party! How does it feel?
Keri: Wait, is that Earth, Wind and Fire playing? (shakes ass… waves arms)
QC: Yes, but Keri, where did you get those reindeer, uh, fornicating leggings???
Keri: Hey Queefa! You don’t have a drink!
QC: well, I’m working…
Keri: I have TWO! Here, you can have one of mine… also, I’m getting a group together to hit up the titty bars after… you should join! See ya! Gotta mingle!
QC: Welp, folks… there you have it. Another crazy year for Unilocal Austin. And it would not have been possible without Ms Kelly S, CM Extraordinaire. None of these fine folks would have reached their full Unilocal potential without her guidance and enthusiasm. You’ll be missed Kelly!
drops mic

Such a delightful way to end the Unilocal year. Drinking fancy cocktails at the super cool Roosevelt Room. Watching friends take home shiny Unilocal hardware for their mad review skillz. Congrats to all the winners! And getting to know some fun Elites that I’d never met in person before.
The only buzzkill of the night was the realization that Kelly’s reign as our Supreme CM had come to an end. She definitely went out on a high note, displaying her patented wit and sense of humor as Unilocalie emcee. Thank you Kelly for all the great events over the years. Those are some seriously big shoes to fill.

This was such an amazing, yet bittersweet event! It was the last Unilocalies and it was the last time our fearless leader Kelly would grace us with her presence in the capacity as our utterly amazing CM.
But, hey, if you are gonna go out, do so with the abfabbiest of venues and group of merry Unilocalers!
The Roosevelt Room was an incredible place. It was very NYC lounge meets speakeasy meets NOLA cocktail craftsmanship all rolled into one. I can’t believe I had never heard or nor been to this place! But, after watching the artistry, passion, and flare that goes into each and every quality cocktail, ya best believe I’ll be back! Also, Justin & Dennis, the owners, were such a pleasure to talk to and you can tell their heart is in this place!
The Unilocalies are such a fantastic idea and I am so happy I could be a part of the pomp and pageantry! Every winner in their respective category was spot on… that’s what I love about the Austin Unilocal Elite Community, we know our audience and we know each other! Congrats to everyone who won and thank you to everyone who voted!
The best thing about being an Austin Unilocaler is that the Elites are more of an extended family than any of the other Elite Communities I’ve seen!
Kelly, we will miss you, thank you for closing out 2015 and your tenure with such poise, class, and abfabulousness!

What a great event! Kelly did an amazing job at getting a great venue last minute. The Roosevelt room was so beautiful and intimate. Perfect for this emotional event.
The drinks were delicious and the bartenders were all so kind. They made sure we had all the drinks and fancy pants water we needed. The hand crafted drinks were so enjoyable. I honestly over indulged in the open bar menu and paid for it the next day. Yeah, I think I was trying to win next yrs strongest liver or something.
My husband and I had a great time. Thanks Kelly for yet another amazing event. The new CM has big shoes to fill.

[In case any of you didn’t DVR this red carpet event…]
And the award goes to…
*Best Austin CM for the last 6 years: Kelly S! What an amazing feat to round up and in all of us crazy Yeeps at every event, this one being no exception. A true miracle worker, finding a last minute (relocation) space for our soirée in an amazing few days five days before Christmas… I bow to her with the most respect. Being «best friends» with everyone for more than half a decade had to be exhausting; however, she did it well and I wish her the very best in her future adventures!
*Larry E for Keeping Unilocal Weird…‘cuz that’s just what Larry does with his quirky, fun loving personality, and out of focus pics. Weird is never bad in my book… to me it simply means not boring!
*Errol M for Best Wordsmith with his always interesting, yet sometimes WTF, tips and reviews. Ever the one to make you think. Snaps!
*Amanda S for Best Compliments. I’ll never forget the first time I met her IRL. Truly the sweetest and yes, very complimentary. Thanks to Amanda for making me smile so many times.
*Mad A (NE) just HAD to receive the Biggest Drama King, sh! t stirrer, or whatever its was called. There was simply no other person so deserving. Have you been to the Austin Unilocal talk threads? Er, um. [You know I heart ya bro!]
*Jessica C for Rookie of the Year!
*Joe C for Best UYE. Tbe BOM has definitely been a huge success. Leave Joe at the helm and it will continue to rock!
*Deji M for Most Funny. Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! Nuff said! ;)
*Leila R for Most Valuable. Where would be without her 5000 photos for each event?! Really! So hilarious! Careful though, she will get you when you least expect it!
*Ardie S for Most Congenial. So nice, just so nice.
*Amy D for Biggest Foodie. Blogs, contributing writer, eats out a lot… ALWAYS the first to try the new and hot spots. Yup, she fits the bill. (Tip: Amy is a person you might want to follow if you’re interesting in up and coming establishments — get the LD early… I’m not encouraging stalking… just sayin’ :D)
*Shannon B for Most Useful. Articulate. Informative. Entertaining. Yes, that is how I would describe Shannon’s reviews. Often my go to girl!
*Melissa A has the Strongest Liver. Unanimous! Everybody yelled her name before Kelly even had a chance to call it. Sadly, Melissa wasn’t at the event. Missed one hell of an open bar I say!
*Keri B was, is, and always will be the Life of the Party IMHO. That girl knows how to let her hair down (or occasionally put on a wig) and dance her ass ass off!
*Moi for Coolest. As in cold? Is it because of my RBF that I have no control over? Sorry. Just tell me when you’re snapping a shot and I’ll be sure to smile. In all seriousness, I am so happy to be considered a cool kid, especially amongst this bunch. That hasn’t happened since junior high! Lol! Thanks so much for the votes Yeeps! Truly unexpected. Icing on an already amazeballs Sunday afternoon!
Congrats to everyone who was bestowed an award and everyone else for just being Elite in such a big and active community. I’m super proud to don a badge beside you!
*Top venue space in ATX… well, The Roosevelt Room of course! Über chill and swanky. Some of the very best cocktails in town served up from the most amazing staff including the very talented co-​owners and master mixologists Dennis Gobis (very dapper indeed; thanks for the Vesper’s — absolutely phenomenal!) and Justin Elliott (cover guy for GQ Dec 2015 mag; no I’m not kidding ladies; hot hot hot… yes, my hubster reads my reviews… sometimes…shhh ;). I will definitely be a repeat offender at this joint!
*And finally, the BEST Unilocal Elite Squad goes to… well the Austin crew of course. I love you old and new. I love you, yes I do. I’ve met such great friends, and have had such fun times, I hope this Unilocalville ride continues for all time. Happy Holidays to all! May joy fill your heart and try to avoid grandpa’s post-​feast farts… until then, I’ll see you next year again!
Way to go out with a bang! Not only for Miss Kelly as CM, but also the last Elite event of 2015. It will be interesting to see what 2016 will bring.
Update: Queefa Culpepper’s personal interviews with all of the stars are now available. (LMFAO!)
{I hope I didn’t forget anybody. If so, please send me a nasty message and I’ll be sure to name drop!}

The Unilocalies were a blast as always! Swanky, swaggy holiday fun! Loved the brut cava and rose. Bubbles are the best way to celebrate the end of another Unilocaltastic year! Really enjoyed the vibe at the Roosevelt room and it was fun partying somewhere semi-​hidden yet still downtown.
Kelly S. has done so so much for Unilocal Austin and I’m sad to see her go. Thank you for all the great Elite events Kelly!!!
I hope 2016 is a fantastic year for all!

A Very Merry Unilocalie Awards was an eleven-​star event. Of course, those who know and adore our outgoing (sniff, sniff) Unilocal Austin Community Manager expect nothing less of her. And she consistently delivers.
Part of that consistent delivery is event resuscitation. Those of you who know the history of this event know that it was scheduled for a different night at a different venue the week before Christmas. Somehow, a schedule SNAFU happened at our original host venue. Kelly scrambled, and the Roosevelt answered her call for help on a day they’re normally shuttered. We had to change our calendars, but things came together. And if you take what happened for granted, just try scheduling promotional events at this time of year for a large crowd at the last minute. So kudos to Kelly and the Roosevelt for pulling it all off without a hitch. And now a few kind words about our event sponsor.
The Roosevelt Room is one of those bars that’s so nondescript, you won’t see it on a quick drive past. In fact, you’re even likely to miss it on foot if you’re not counting the street numbers. Suffice it to say, there are other businesses on the block with far more distinctive storefronts. You really owe it to yourself to discover this hidden gem, though. It looks tiny, but the total space is about 4,000 square feet with a 300 person capacity on three levels. While the upper floors were cordoned off yesterday, the ground floor features a great PA and projection system, with stage and a 40 X 15 foot dance floor. Suffice it to say we had ample space for our party. The drink menu on huge handpainted menu boards above the downstairs bar has a fantastic list of handcrafted cocktails I enjoyed a couple of 5 Stars, and my bartender – well, she was totally awesome! I look forward to coming back to see her for a sazerac someday soon. And, for those of you who can triangulate sazarec, Roosevelt, and bar, well, you know what it means.
Our event was well-​attended, and I got to meet a lot of smiling new faces (seriously, so many newly minted Elites!). Of course, there were the stalwarts of the group, Ryan S, Jack and Veek, Shannon and Brian, Keri and Randy, Errol, Dej, Kimberly K, Camron, Dolomike, Courtney, Susie, the list goes on-​and-​on. There was time to catch up with everyone before the main event as well as indulge in a little shenanigans. What? There were shenanigans at a Unilocal event? I’ll never tell.
It was a bittersweet moment when Kelly started the awards ceremony, because we all knew this was the last time she’d be leading us through this annual rite. Ever the lady, she maintained for the most part, but it was obvious it was an emotional moment for all. There was even a special award for two of the most special Unilocalers ever, Jack and Veek. (Footnote: if you don’t know these two, you’re really missing out on two of the coolest people I’ve ever met, AND WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?)
Before we knew it, it was time to say so long one last time. Some of us caught up on the latest and greatest offerings of the Unilocal Swag Store on our way out and got a personal moment to give thanks to our hostess with the mostest. But Kelly insisted she’s not going anywhere. She may no longer be our CM – and she can’t be Elite by virtue of having been a CM – but she’ll still be an Austin Unilocaler for some time to come. And, if you don’t believe that, here are the sentimental last words Kelly said to me last night: «I’M NOT DYING!».
I’m blessed and damned lucky to count Kelly among my most wonderful friends. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and her name will forever be Kelly S.
(P.S. A special shout-​out to fellow long-​time Elite Unilocaler Ryan S for stepping up as event photographer at the last minute. We couldn’t have those crazy moment memories without you!)

«With so few reviews, your opinion of A Very Merry Unilocalie Awards could be huge.» — I know, Unilocal.I know. It’s a great deal of pressure. I assume everyone’s been too hungover to get on this thing, but I’m here. It’s okay. My honest opinion follows.
It went down exactly as my astrology consultant, Christol, had foreseen. The date would move around, I’d have 1 – 8 glasses of sparkling rosé, there would be cheese and then there would not be cheese once I passed nearby, there would be some tears, there would be more pictures than should ever be taken, and there would be merriment. Which, while totally accurate, I could have predicted as being the case from a Unilocal event.
So Kelly’s moving on and leaving us behind forever. We’ll just need 6 months of therapy, some irresponsible retail therapy, and a few life mistakes with learning moments to make it through. I don’t know where they put retired CMs but maybe they’ll let us visit and bring her karaōke or some of her favorite beverages. Time will tell.
In the meantime I’ll be wondering why Christol didn’t see that Unilocalie award coming for me. I could have paused on the cheese binging for a minute at the correct moment. Actually, if I’m being honest probably not. Fortunately I can chew and walk at the same time.

Me during the entire Unilocalie Awards: «YAAAAYYYY! I voted for that person!!» With very few exceptions, everyone I voted for won! I’m glad all my favorite people are all y’all’s favorite people, too. Speaking of which, I have a lot of favorite people. It’s just so easy to do when Austin Unilocal is full of so many wonderful individuals.
Speaking of favorites, I think The Roosevelt Room just became one of my new favorite places. Wasn’t it just gorgeous? I’m so glad that they opened their doors to us yesterday because I didn’t even know they existed. Their drink menu was extensive and the drinks they created for us were wonderful. I had the Yasmine and it was as delicious as it was beautiful. Who doesn’t like cocktails that are such a dainty pink? Towards the end of the night, John and I tried some of their regular cocktails and they were amazing, too. (I highly recommend the Hemingway Daiquiri! So good!) All of the staff were as sweet as pie and so helpful. I’m going to be back here for sure.
Kelly, you are an absolute treasure and it was so wonderful to be a part of your last Unilocal event. You have been a truly fantastic CM and whoever follows will have big shoes to fill. You pulled it all off with grace and ease, even when things had to change at the last minute. It has really been a pleasure to be a part of this community and I’m so thankful for that opportunity. It’s bittersweet to see you go — I know you’ll be a great asset to whatever you do next and I’m so excited for you, but I’m also sad I won’t see your smiling face at every Unilocal event. Best of luck to you — go out and kick some ass!
Happy holidays to everyone and here’s to creating new memories in 2016. As always, I love Unilocal,I love Kelly, and I love all of you.

The Circle of Unilocal: At one point, I thought it would be cool if we hoisted Kelly S above our heads, in a kind of celebratory Simba-​type tribute. But then decided it probably wasn’t a good idea. Some things play better in the mind.
The last Elite event of the year, and the last event for Kelly as our Community Manager. Didn’t even know Austin had a Roosevelt Room, I thought we were having this at the Roosevelt in New Orleans for a moment. Oh well. But both places are cool, and Justin & his staff here are great. Did you notice their ice cubes?
Lots of Unilocal swag, lots of Unilocalie Awards, and I’m mildly curious how Unilocal Austin will change in 2016. I’m thinking even if it’s bad, it’s still all good. Know what I mean? A new year, new peeps, holiday & season’s greetings to all. Kelly rocked. Unilocal rules.

A fantastic time! Thank you so much to all who put this together. I loved it and my voice is gone from laughing. Life just keeps getting better and better every day! This is a great reason not to think, just do it! The people there were just fantastic and I at last got to meet people that I have only seen on Unilocal and respect their opinions greatly. Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity!

Highlights: Kelly S has provided me a Unilocal ice tray, hook with compass, slap koozie, Unilocal bin, Unilocal luggage tags, Unilocal reusable tote bag, and finally, the luxurious and finest Unilocal underwear.
What a great way to close out the 2015 year and see the beautiful, lovely Kelly S at the last shindig of Unilocal Elite she put together. The best thing I saw when I first came in was Kat S sitting next to the shiny trophies and handed a glass of water to hydrate myself before approaching the open bar.
Glad to see so many familiar faces and smile and cheer on all the best of the best that keep the community warm and fuzzy folks that I know and love. The sass, the sweetness and silliness of all the folks that I follow online are just 10000x better in person. Follow amazing humor with a beautiful swanky bar downtown and an open bar and you’ve got yourself the perfect recipe for the best closeout bang of the year.
Leila R and I giggled over our double fisting adventures at the table and that is why we’re just 100% Unilocal elite, no shame. The guys at the Roosevelt do a strong pour and know their drink game. The lovely Kara and Gaby as our waitresses kept our fancy bottles of water pouring so we could stay stay hydrated with the amount of alcohol. Seriously the best VIP bottle service that we’ve encountered and the sweetest people that worked there.
Got to see Errol M finally in person though we are always in the same neighborhood proximity. Saw Deji, Joe C, dawn H, Amy D and all the fun fun folks of Unilocal that I know and love as Unilocal Elite rock stars! Finally got to meet new faces as well, sitting next to Rebecca and Rahul and many others which was 10x awesome.
So fun, and can’t wait to see the new and exciting events with 2016 in the future!

The Roosevelt Room ended up being the perfect spot to host the Unilocalie Awards! Kelly — I can’t believe this is your last thing :-(You will be missed greatly! Thanks for putting on great gathering for the end of the year and to say goodbye!
Ok enough of the sappiness … I am super excited to discover this new spot. It’s a little low key and hidden on the street a bit, which I like. It definitely seems like the perfect spot to come hang out, have some fancy drinks, good conversation and just chill. Seems like an ideal spot for date night or to catch up with an old friend. Oh my and that drink menu… can we talk about that for a minute! It was enormous … I love a fancy cocktail and they have sooo many here! The bartenders and staff here were top notch and I can’t wait to come back so I can work my way through the amazing cocktail list … of course not in one visit lol.
It is always good to see familiar faces and new ones at these events! I still think we should all walk around with a print out of our profile picture attached to us though… just a thought! Thank you to my fellow Unilocalers that voted for me for Best Compliments for 2015! Pretty cool! I am ready for some more Unilocal fun in 2016 and preparing the compliments for everyone as I type this! :)