Elite Event: Elite Pairing Party at Laura Alberts

I love all Elite events, but I think I may have been spoiled by past events. We were warned ahead of time that they would be small portions, but I was still expecting more than three bites. Each bite was delicious, and the rareness of food made me savor each bite that much more. I think that Laura Alberts didn’t really expect a group this big, or they just don’t know how we do. I wasn’t too hot on having to wait in really long lines for one bite of food and a taste of wine. Regardless, I still had a blast as always.

My husband and I live near Daniel Island but do not venture there often. We had heard about Laura Alberts from clients who come in our Belle Hall store and gave it rave reviews as the best place in town for lunch. We were excited to finally give Laura Alberts a try! The beer selection is AMAZING (growlers available) and are hand selected by the owner’s son who rounds out the family business staff. The wine selection (both by the glass and bottle) is unique to anything in town. It was difficult to choose a favorite appetizer and decided on a tie between the stuffed mushrooms and pork sliders. That evening we learned that Laura Alberts has an event space that would be the perfect place for a small to medium size conference, birthday celebration, wedding and/​or rehearsal dinner. The outside patio also makes a nice place to have lunch. We very much enjoyed our time there and will be back!

Elite event.
Its a very nice little wine and beer shop, with a huge and really diverse selection of taps and wines. I was pleasantly surprised to find 2 of my favorite wines there, that are pretty hard to find here in town, while we were mingling around the shop.
We started with going upstairs to the ‘event room’ they had a great cucumber sake paired with a Salmon sushi on a cucumber. It was delicious!!! We went back for seconds, but sadly they were out.
The event room was very nice, spacious, just strange that they started us by going upstairs and then back downstairs for the rest of the event. I understand that they were trying to show us the space but it just seemed a little discombobulated in how it was set up.
Once back downstairs they had stuffed mushrooms with either a red or white wine.
These were also delicious, and I am NOT a fan of mushrooms. They did not make enough to have more than one per person, which was a huge disappointment. The white wine was really good though, and as I am not a red wine fan, i was happy to see that they offered another option.
We milled around the area there for a good while, it was a little tight but allowed me to look around at the other wines they sell there and some of the really cute gift items they have.
We finally realized we could go outside for the next pairing. Which was one of 5 different tapped beers and pulled pork sliders. Wow. Those were really good as well. We were able to sneak and get a second taste of those. They really hit the spot.
The outside seating was really nice, we grabbed a table and sat down, chilled out enjoying the night and meeting other Elites.
Definitely want to go back to get a few bottles of wine.

Beautiful design and upper class look and appeal. The dining area is a little tight, but the outdoor area opens things up. Upstairs offers great private intimate setting but needs some work to make it less business like.
The staff was warm and always with smiles and the apps we tried were amazing. Excellent wine selections and nice consolidated craft beer options.
A perfect place for a small group or intimate date setting.

Although the food options were limited, everything was very delicious. I’m not a big fan of cold sake but it wasn’t the worst thing ever by any means. The wine at the second station was very good and the beers at the final spot were excellent. It wasn’t my favorite Unilocal event but it was interesting to change up the pace from other events and to try Laura Alberts… I look forward to going back there again and trying some of their lunch menu items.

Went here for an Unilocal Elite event.
The place reminds me of a few other wine shops that I’ve visited in Charleston.
The wine and craft beer was surprisingly delicious and full of flavor. I’m a big fan.
The Cucumber Salmon sushi was very well presented and the flavones blended well together. Salmon is one of the few fish dishes I will eat and only if it is done right. The pairing with Cucumber sake was not my favorite but it wasn’t bad. It could be that it was too strong of a libation for my appetizer.
I could not get enough of the pulled pork sliders as it seems like everyone else. It was moist and melted in your mouth. The buttery biscuit bread that complimented the pork was a taste that was delicious on it own.
Everything was so good that I forgot to take pictures.

I’m still feeling a bit baffled by this event. I feel the concept and staging were rather poorly thought out. Herding people up the stairs upon entering to stand in a room with nothing going on was a bit odd. The upstairs space itself was quite nice but there was little seating and nothing to do but stand around once we were there. The bar or food should have been set up inside the room to better lend to the atmosphere.
I struck out entirely on the first station, not being a fan of cucumber or salmon. I did appreciate that they had a backup wine available as opposed to the cucumber infused sake cocktail. The stuffed mushroom caps were better though they were small. The pork sliders were tasty but overall unremarkable and no better than the pork sliders that every single catering company and restaurant in town serves. There was nothing special about it. I’m lucky that my vegetarian guest who was going to come had to work late, because there would have been no food options for her.
I was glad when the group was finally «allowed» to move downstairs. It gave us a moment to check out the wine and beer options that they carry. It soon became too crowded and hot so we hightailed it outside to the patio where we enjoyed the rest of the event chatting with people.
My overall experience was that the food was average tasting, uncreative and lacking in quantity. If you’re only going to be offering three small tastings at least make sure there is enough for every person to get two. If not, then bread and oil or cheese would have been an easy addition. The staff didn’t seem especially friendly or knowledgeable. When asked about the food one of the servers had to go get somebody to else to explain what was in it. When you have a captive audience that loves food and talking about food, you should take advantage of that fact and have your staff talk about the beer, wine and additional food options that you carry.

I don’t mind that only three small bites were offered. I did find the long waits in between to be uncomfortable, especially without any simple crackers or even water readily available. Perhaps this should have been an Elites-​only event, or limited to simply one guest per Elite, rather than the customary two guests.
That said, the sake cocktail and salmon appetizer were a great pairing. The stuffed mushrooms were very good and the Merlot was fine. The pork sandwich left no impression and, by the time I realized the beer was being poured, I didn’t feel like trying to make my way from the patio back inside.
Speaking of the patio, it was very comfortable; probably their best physical asset. The beer and wine on display, inside, was impressive. The upstairs room seemed like a good enough space for a small, private gathering.
I never got a sense of personality from the staff or owners, or even which was which. Other than a generic, «Is everything alright,» by one of the servers near the end of the evening, no one asked me –or anyone else in my party of six– what we thought of the food or drinks, or attempted to make a personal connection.
I appreciate that this was a free event, but I wasn’t invited because I’m a nice guy. We were there because we are members of a coveted market segment — taste makers among our peers, who tend to spend a good portion of our disposable income on dining and entertainment around town. This was a marketing event and we were a captive audience. This was Laura Albert’s opportunity to make me notice how they stand out from the rest of the crowd. It’s a big crowd.

Thanks Unilocal elite Charleston event tonight at Way delicious Laura Alberts. Scotty, please invite us again! That being said, we’re here every Wednesday for the best food and wine on DI. Luv LA and team!

This was my first Unilocal Elite event and my first time at Laura Albert’s. I heard about Laura Albert’s before, my girlfriend had a bridal shower in the upstair room where we all met to mingle upon arriving. It was a beautiful room perfect for meetings, showers, brunches, or other small parties. The staff of Laura Albert’s was very polite and courteous. The downstairs restaurant area was very cozy and hosted a small shop with wines and cute gifts. The outdoor patio was a great place to hang and enjoy this nice Charleston weather.
The first pairing was delicious and I’m so surprised I thought this. Cucmber bite with salmon, onion, and cheese paired with a cucumber, sake, tonic drink. I’m not a salmon or sake or tonic fan and was surprisingly delighted.
The second pairing was pretty good as well, but was probably my least favorite. A proscuitto stuffed mushroom and glass of Malbec. On paper these would have been my top choice. The mushroom was a little salty and the Malbec pairing didn’t do much for me.
Lastly, I really enjoyed the pulled pork sliders and beer sampling. The buns were nice and sweet and the pork was smoky and tender. It was nice trying different beers on tap.
I was a little disappointed that you only literally had these three small bites, but you were told to prepare a dinner before or after. Don’t come hungry. I think I expected a little more due to what I heard about other Unilocal events.
Thoroughly enjoyed myself and hope to attend more Unilocal events soon!

Good time. Good meeting a bunch of folks. Thought that 2 of the Hors Doerves were very good. The stuffed mushroom was fantastic but small and I got 1. I know it was limited but really needed a couple/​few of them. Was not a huge fan of the wine that paired with it. I did really like the Cucumber infused Sake with Tonic and the pairing with the Smoked Salmon on Cucumber Separate or together this was fantastic. Was not a huge fan of the Pork slider. Needed more salt or something. But the beer was very good as well. Sierra Nevada, yum! Scottie was a real trooper for putting this together and thanks to the location for showing us their wears. Only complaint was the 1 mushroom. Needed that one or two more to really get that taste. Glad to meet several folks last night and see some others we already knew. Always look forward to these Unilocal events. See several of you in NASHVILLE!!!

Props to LA for generously opening the venue to all of the Unilocalers. The food was delicious! The invitation mentioned to plan a meal beforehand as they would be offering small bites only. I had no other expectations and thus, was not disappointed. The stuffed mushroom was a luscious treat. The pulled pork slider was tender and the home baked bun was the best slider bun I have ever had. I loved exploring the space and seeing all they have to offer. My +1s (who both work on DI) are going to inquire about the event space and now they know where to get a good bottle of wine on the way home from work. The outside patio is adorable. Saturday brunch is on my agenda!

This was my first Unilocal Elite Event and I loved it! Thanks to Laura Alberts for hosting us. :)
The restaurant was beautiful! The inside had a beautiful design and set up, as well as the back patio.
The food– where do I start?! Fantastic!!! The pulled pork sliders were some of the best I’ve ever had. The cucumber salmon appetizers were also pretty great. Light and refreshing. I will certainly be back to try everything else on their menu. They are relatively close to my office, so I can easily pop in for lunch any day!
The staff was superb! Extremely friendly and didn’t seem as though we were any bother at all– as some restaurant tend to make you feel when it is busy/​an event. The gentleman running the beer counter was extremely knowledgeable on his beer facts and that was a big plus to my husband– a craft beer snob.
I will definitely recommend this location to all friends to try. Now that they have a new upstairs gathering place, they are able to host events– so I will certainly be recommending them to my office for meetings and other corporate events.
Thanks, again, Laura Alberts & Unilocal

I had a good time mingling and trying the different samples. I wish there were a couple more, and some water unless I didn’t see it. It would have been convenient if everything was in a more centralized location but, I can see that the way it was set up showed off the restaurants layout more. The staff was very friendly and attentive, and the pairings were yummy! I would have to eat here during lunch or dinner to get a better feel for the menu, but I think this would be a great space to hold a more intimate event.

Ok, so I had a good time, but I don’t think this was the most well executed Unilocal Elite event I’ve been to. I think the concept was actually a good one but it just seemed like the venue owners weren’t prepared for the number of people that showed up. There simply was not enough food offerings to showcase their catering business. Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate this was free event for all of us Unilocalers, but I almost would have rather paid a small fee to sample more things. Compared to other Unilocal events where a caterer/​venue was featured, I just felt this one was a little lacking.
The food was really good so no complaints there. I thought the smoked salmon on a cucumber «cracker» was a great healthy idea, although I was not a fan of the sake cocktail. The wine was really good. Didn’t get a chance to taste the beer since we went out on the patio after the downstairs started getting a bit crowded. I suppose I should have come on a full stomach and actually read the email saying to eat before hand, so my mistake.
I did find the the flow of the event to be a bit awkward, with starting upstairs, which in theory I understood because the Laura Alberts people wanted to let us all know it was there, but I dunno, I wasn’t feeling it. I guess there was probably no real good way to do it otherwise. I was I kind of expecting the stations to be set up already and be able to wander between them rather than wait for them to be set up after the event had started (except for the first upstairs station). In the end we ended up with three very small bites of food. I was hoping to taste a few more than three pairings.
The upstairs event space itself was nice and I really liked the outdoor patio either of which would probably be nice to rent for a bridal or baby shower or maybe even a birthday party.
We got there a little early and noticed they do have a really fantastic wine selection and some cute gifts. Based on the food and the ambiance of the patio, I’d would like to come back sometime for lunch or dinner.