Cocktails & Dreams June Elite Event

What an awesome event! Great food, great drinks, great venue, and a photobooth… what more could you ask for?
Good thing we were actually on time for an event because LA Burger’s food went FAST, and with good reason! The spicy pork was delish and I only wish that their location was closer to Dallas instead of out in Irving. But I still might venture out whenever I’m in the area. With six different drinks, you were bound to find one that you liked (and got a bit buzzed off of!).
The venue looked like one of those clubs in New York where you walk up and think «where AM I?» but the guards at the front were an indication of how shwanky/​snazzy the place was. It was way bigger than I anticipated! Loved the indoor courtyard where Honest Tea was serving their drinks. The fiancé and our friends had a good time playing some ping pong as well.
And who doesn’t love a photobooth? Scrolling through the pics, pretty sure everyone had a good time.
Thanks Frances!

1019 Studios is a really cool venue! The skylights, artificial turf, and water attraction had me sold. I really need to get invited to some of the ritzy shindigs they have here. I heard Bentley was having something there the next week.
LA Burger was delicious — especially the spicy pork sandwich and tacos. I just wish they were closer to my work so I could go for lunch.
I tried all six Dolche Touch vodka drinks and the ginger fusion drink was definitely my fav. I think they should have served some small chilled vodka samples to show off their premium liquor.
Fanbooth was a blast. I think we got the most people physically possible in there at the end.
I missed the last event so it was good to see all my Unilocal buddies again.
Excellent job organizing, Frances!

Thanks Frances for throwing a great «cocktail» party. Although I arrived late, there was still plenty of drinks to go around and got to see some new Unilocal faces. The location was pretty cool indeed and I really like some of those drinks. I only wish I came in time for the LA Burgers but I heard they were spectacular.
AND, I must say, my new red Unilocal watch is FREAKING AWESOME. Thanks again Frances and my fellow Unilocalers. Until next time…

At first I was a skeptic as I pull in to some busted industrial complex. but when the door was opened — holy smokin fancy time!
The venue was really neat, very clean and modern looking.
I wasn’t able to try all of the drinks or test out the LA Burger treats, but what I did sample was great… and the Fan Booth was a total hoot.
Thanks for another great event Frances!

I had an amazing time! I loved the spaciousness of Studios 1019. And the Fan Booth was a great added touch. it allowed my friends and I to take Pre and Post Cocktail photos! Big ups to Dolce Vodka for the yummy cocktails.
Can’t wait for another Unilocal Elite event!

Hey fellow Unilocal Eliter’s! Me, the wife and our fun +1 had an absolutely awesome and rockin’ time at the partay last night.
I have to give Frances props for doing it big as far as finding the gorgeous space we were in. WOW! Crazy location but an awesome facility. There was so much room for activities (Step Brother’s plug– thank you, thank you). The vodka sampling was extraordinary and I wanna give a shout out to Luke for his recipe. Went down smooth, not once, not twice, but thrice…
The LA Burger selections are enough to entice me to make the trek over to Irving for a full meal. Oh — and BTW… The sample teas being handed out– the Arnold Palmer one was fantastic. I haven’t tasted a better version out of a bottle than that one.
It was really cool to meet some of you and I hope to attend other events in the future. I think the really great thing though here was that the even t went so smooth that our +1 decided to finally get an account on Unilocal and start contributing. That was a delight for me– just to see someone get excited enough to start helping the lost find their way!

To be honest I had no clue where I was going when I left my home. Even when I got to the parking lot, I wasn’t sure if there was a hidden restaurant or a club or what.
The layout of the venue was pretty cool with white walls, tall ceilings, and some greenery in the middle. I don’t think I have been to a place like that in Dallas before. It felt like I was in a different city for a few minutes until reality set right in. It would have been sweet if there was a pool in the back or something, but hey maybe I am just dreaming.
I also wish LA Burgers demoed their burgers. I was not expecting tacos to be served by them to be honest, but nevertheless the spicy pork tacos were quite tasty. As to the drinks I thought everyone did a good job, but «Raytini» stood out more than the others. Maybe its his branding that worked :)
Oh, by the way the valet guys were quite amusing. Something tells me they were really hoping to be parking some Maserati’s and Lamborghini’s, but I guess they had to settle with my prius! When we were ready to go home, he asked what we driving and once I showed him our car, he literally ran with all his energy to go get it when it was only a few stone throws away from us. I thought the whole process was quite funny.
Overall the event was awesome and thank you to Frances for arranging it. p. s. I will definitely be leaving those «You’ve been Unilocaled» cards where I go until I run out of them :)

So:) first off i have to thank Frances. You put together an a great event that i’ll never forget. I’m a pretty shy person (without a drinks in me) and you couldn’t have made my guest and I feel more welcome! I will be looking forward to the next event.
The venue was awesome and so was LA Burger. Also a big thanks to Dolce Touch Vodka, i couldn’t have done it without you. Didn’t get a cigar, but did learn a little about them. Awesome watch, can’t wait to show it off to my friends.
The photobooth was awesome and my sincerest apologies go out to everyone that was behind me. And of course i have to say thank you to my brother for being the director. I would say i can’t wait to see the photos, but i really can haha
It was great meeting all of y’all and I look forward to the next event.

WOW!!! I was in a time machine to 1988 at Cocktails & Dreams June Elite Event! This was a great night. One might say it was FRANTABULOUS!!!
We started the night by walking around and exploring the warehouse transformed party venue of Studios 1019, while listening to some of the greats of the 80’s croon out the tunes and drinking some wonderful flavored adult beverages. It was an upscale and «elite» spot to fulfill the requirements of the snootiest of the ELITE crowd. It has a ping pong room that opens to an outdoor area by rolling garage-​type doors, several rooms to sit and relax, a «dance» floor in the back, and showers! (YES, SHOWERS!!)
As we walked around this spacious party house, we encountered a cigar roller, a food station, a photo booth, and several bar stands. YEAH BABY, FREE ALCOHOL and FOOD! The drinks were so awesome, it was difficult to list them from best to worst, it’s more like Best to, well BEST! Some of the drinks you had to drink a couple (okay, maybe a dozen times. wink wink) to understand all the flavor combinations. Even when they hadn’t time for the ingredients to mingle and intertwine, they were all good drinks. Tom Cruise would be proud to serve these COCKTAILS.
There were also wonderful and refreshing non-​alcoholic drinks, Honest Tea and Honest Ade. This was a nice treat for the drive home.
The food was from LA Burger. A new «burger joint» coming to Irving. I say «burger joint» loosely because the name says burger, but the menu says anything but! This ain’t your kids’ McDonald’s! There were salads, tacos, and sliders all different flavors and all to love. It was AWESOME! I noticed they had some other items on the menu that I’d love to try, so a summertime visit is in order. OH YUM!
We came across a photo booth (from FANBOOTH), where you could be as nice or naughty as you wanted (to a public extent), since you had control of the clicker behind a black curtained booth. I heard there were some «naughty» pics taken! ;)
Frances was so clever that she had Tom Cruise masks to wear, if you dared to accept that «MISSION».
I met and talked to some new friends, and ended the night visiting with some old friends. All-​in-​all, I think this was a star-​studded night!
Oh, and did I mention that I should not forget to Unilocal again, since I have a FRANTASTIC new watch to remind me. Next year, maybe Frances can score some devices to Unilocal on! j/​k ;)
Terrific job, Frances G!

This was Frances’ first Elite event that I have attended and I was definitely impressed! The cocktails didn’t stop flowing and space was incredible! I enjoyed the expansive space at Studio 1019 was awesome. I loved the big spaces plus the hidden rooms and killer décor. Did anyone else get a kick out of the random shower above the unisex bathroom?!
These were some of the best cocktails at an Elite event in a while and I might add that yes, I did taste them all! Shout out to Dolce Touch Vodka! LA Burger was serving up bites but I didn’t make it over there, I was too enamored with free liquor and chatting away. Honest Tea was there and they were just too fun! The cigar making was very cool to watch, it was something different. And I think everyone very much enjoyed the FanBooth photo sessions. How cool was that?!
In the end, hats off to Frances for a very cool event. A huge thanks goes out to Lynn Sugarman for having us at Studio 1019 for this event. The Elite gifts were awesome and I had a great time. I can’t wait to wear my red Unilocal watch!

Way to go Frances!
We had a great time at the Unilocal event — totally cool venue that I would never have found otherwise, I think.
Total props to the vendors of the night: Fanbooth was a blast, if not a little entertainingly inappropriate, LA Burger had some great meat, and the Dolce vodka drinks were quite tasty — especially the ginger recipes!
Looked like a great time was had by all!
S

I had a hell of a day Thursday. Shame on me but I was actually considering bailing. But, I sucked it up, put on my Unilocaly face and headed over to the mysterious unmarked building nestled amongst the furniture warehouses on Monitor St. Luckily, good times awaited me inside!
I hadn’t been to a Unilocal elite event in a WHILE, so it was good to see all the friendly faces, nibble on some tiny tasty bites, jam out to some sweet tunes, and down a few Megan S-​es and Allison L-​s (also did not get to try Luke’s masterpiece, but at least now I have the recipe!)
The event space was nicely laid out and perfectly conducive to mingling. Met a few new folks, some I hadn’t seen in forever, and some that I just can’t seem to escape: p
I am pretty terrified of seeing those FANbooth photos.
Thanks Frannie for an awesome time, you seriously rock! Now… what’s next? ;)

Cocktails & Dreams had me feeling like I was in a blissful slumber in the most sanitary feeling venue I have ever been to in my life. I felt like I was playing ping pong in Heaven.
And is anyone digging the red watch as much as me??? I LOVE THIS WATCH!!! Straight Nintendo feeling!!!
Free cocktails were spectawesome. And LA Burger was DEFUKINGLICIOUS. M… mmmmmmm.
Great event. Met some cool new +1s. Didn’t really meet any Elites. Ha… oy.
So I digress. Until next time pigeons.
Magnificent job Frances!

Can one really say enough good things about an evening filled with free flowing vodka, delicious food, 80’s music, and good friends? Probably-​maybe even too much, but it’s a risk I accept.
Frances-​very well played. Loved the venue. It was nicely laid out and was very appealing.
«We interrupt this review for an important announcement-​the interwebs are on fire and stores are having trouble keeping things like ginger, pineapple juice, and basil in stock. This seems to be, in large part, a response to crazy good new drinks created by the expert mixologists Alison L, Megan S, and Luke H. Those who tasted these potions were heard to say things like „Holy Hell, That’s good“ and „Love this drink“. Back to you, Reviewer!»
On to the food-​LA Burger I am glad I met ya. I can’t wait for an excuse to go to Irving and score a full order of tacos or a sammich. These were some seriously good flavors and some über friendly folks. Talked to one of the brother who owns it and he is obviously very passionate about what they are doing and loved introducing all of us to their food.
The photo booth was a great time and I can’t wait to check out all the crazy photos today. The guys running the booth were great and everyone seemed to have a great time-​especially in the group shoot.
I, for one, freely admit my love for 80’s music– so the soundtrack for the evening suited me perfectly. Great tunes at just the perfect volume to enjoy but not drown out the great conversations everyone was having with new and old friends.
Smack dab in the middle of all this greatness was our fearless leader, Frances. You have done an awesome job in your brief time at the helm and each event is besting the last. I can’t wait to see what you will come up with next to amaze and thrill us. Thanks for all you do to bring these events to us.
Can’t wait to see y’all next month!

Totally cute venue! The drink submitted by Megan S. was so tasty, basil in drinks is genius. I agree with Kristie that the spacing of all the drink stations, food, photobooth, cigar man, ping pong, it was great to be able to walk around and not get too jammed up waiting for one thing or the other.
I was excited to try LA Burger to get a taste of their offerings, and plan to visit their actual location soon!
The vodka reps were fantastic, friendly and fast. (Vodka was damn good too, especially in Megan’s drink recipe, as previously mentioned) Cigar man was sweet and funny, didn’t get a chance to snag one, but probably better off that way anyway.
It’s always great to see a happy Frances face, and this time was no different. Our beaming, excited Unilocaly leader was all smiles!
Also, totally excited for the new wrist gear!

Holla ya’ll!!! Cocktail and Cavier dreams… not really, but pretty damn close! I hadn’t been to an Elite event in forever, but I am so glad I finally got to make it to this one!!!
The venue was fantastic (as was the lovely owner). All the vendors were so amazing and a shout out to the FanBooth peeps who allowed Kristie A, Megan S and I to go crazy in the booth. So fun!!! LA Burger was serving it up with style… the food was absolutely delicious (chicken tacos… heyyyy ooooh!). I wish we had gotten bigger portions, but the taste I got def left me wanting more (which is good!). Dolce Vodka mixin up some bomb ass cocktails (ahem, mine was one of the lucky winners)…but they were ALL delicious!!! Also another shoutout to Frances’ MP Andrew H., who went out of got more ice! You go boyeee. Oh and the music on blast? Yea, made me want to break out into the ‘Carlton’…i’ll give you guys a preview at the next event.
Met the amazing Angelica and saw so many fabulous familiar faces Diana J, Tricia S, Samantha W, David P (who got that last chicken taco with moi) & Flor who I wanted to put in my pocket and carry her around everywhere!
Frances rocks my world. Great job girl!!! So excited for the next one!

This may be one of the best events I’ve been to in a while. The venue is adorable. I loved the fake grass and palm tree in the middle of the space with the sparkling lights and waterfall. Everything was laid out well, and with the drink stations located in different spots people had to walk around, and that gave a great chance to meet some new people.
The vodka was great! I loved the drink recipes submitted by Megan S and Allison L. Sorry, Luke — never got around to trying yours. Didn’t try any of the food either, but it looked tasty.
The FANbooth is always a good time. I can’t wait to see the group shots. Miles’ brother had us all doing some fun poses.
I was lucky enough to snag a hand rolled cigar before the guy ran out. And also played some horrible ping pong before leaving.
I ove the new Unilocal watch. Can’t wait to sport that bad boy.
Thanks Frances for another great event! Oh and for the awesome 80’s tunes too.
PS — I witnessed Allison L’s «carlton». hehe

I became friends with this really down to earth girl on Unilocal,Frances G. She went to school in Kansas City and likes beer. After some casual correspondence, sharing reviews and local Dallas tips, I was secretly starting to develop a little crush on her.
Hey, I’ve had my hetero moments and I imagined her to be a good Jewish girl. But just when i thought my Kinsey scale might tip, I learn that she has a boyfriend. Then, after a month of review sharing, I find out that Frances G. is the Dallas Unilocal ambassador!
So meeting Frances G. was the complete highlight of my Unilocal Party tonight. She is a magical combination of sincere, real, smart, pretty, quick and optimistic. Damn Unilocal HQ, you go! How do you guys find these girls?
The cocktail party was in a slick warehouse space near the design district serving cocktails chosen from winners of a Unilocaler recipe contest. I liked the blueberry one. They had some cuban guy making cigars and lots of sitting areas and things to do for meeting fellow Unilocalers.
Good cocktail party Frances! You rock!
PS providing complimentary valet in Texas Summer was a perfect touch.
PSS I also finally got to meet Unilocal maven Kristie A. who I’ve corresponded with for over a year on Unilocal,and finally got to meet. So cool.

Gimme an F! Gimme an R! Gimme an A! Gimme an N! Gimme a C! Gimme an E! Gimme an S! What does that spell?
One FAB-​u-​lous community leader! I want to thank Frances so very much for adding Guyton and I on short notice, and for outdoing herself with this awesome party! The venue was spectacular. I loved the location, and my favorite part was the little «oasis» lounging area with the astroturf. The amount of natural light coupled with the white walls made it super inviting.
I totally loved the cocktails. I was happy to meet Megan S. And Allison L., two of the creators of those dee-​lish drinks! Great idea to get everyone involved with drink recipes, too. I kept wanting more… but you know… I did want to make it home in one piece! Ha!
I got to try some of the tacos from LA Burger. Normally I am not a beef lover, but these were fantastic! I will definitely be paying them a visit very soon. I was amazed I was still hungry… those of you who saw me inhaling a burger before the event will understand why.
I cannot end my review without mentioning how neat it was to see a real cigar-​maker in action. I have to be honest, I don’t smoke and I don’t plan on ever doing so, but the process was fascinating. Guyton and I enjoyed talking to him for quite a while!
So, once again, this event ROCKED. I can’t wait to see the pics from Funbooth. That is such a neat concept, and I will have to remember them for my wedding day! Thanks, guys! And thank you again, Frances, for a wonderful time!
Oh, and add me to the list of those who saw Allison’s «Carlton»… ;-)

«I am the last barman poet /​I see America drinking the fabulous cocktails I make /​Americans getting stinky on something I stir or shake /​The sex on the beach /​The schnapps made from peach /​The velvet hammer /​The Alabama slammer. /​I make things with juice and froth /​The pink squirrel /​The three-​toed sloth. /​I make drinks so sweet and snazzy /​The iced tea /​The kamakazi /​The orgasm /​The death spasm /​The Singapore sling /​The dingaling. /​America you’ve just been devoted to every flavor I got /​But if you want to got loaded /​Why don’t you just order a shot? /​Bar is open.»
–Tom Cruise in «Cocktail»
Wow, the bar was open tonight! Loved the way this event had multiple cocktail stations, and a variety of flavors to suit all tastes. The submit your own cocktail recipe was a lot of fun– Alison L– you’re my kind of girl, I’m game for anything with pineapple. My drink had pineapple in it too– so I guess it was a REALLY good night for those partial to the tropical fruit.
The 80’s soundtrack was fun– I heard several favorites! I met some new Unilocalers– Angelica and Miles– good people. The photobooth is always fun– can’t wait to see the group shots that we took at the end. Sorry if I took up too much camera space, I thought I was short enough to crouch in the front, but now I’m not quite sure.
The venue was neat. In particular I loved that courtyard area with the astroturf and the waterfall. Really awesome. I wish the rest of space was decked out like that. Thanks for all the fun times, Frances!