Sneak Preview Elite Event at Purple Wine Bar

Once again… this event was AB FAB!!! I think I have a secret crush on Katie B. because she’s such an awesome host! :)
First the venue… VERY chic! Loved how the IKEA wine racks were used with the lights behind it. My husband noticed that we used the same racks! I was the DD so I had one glass of the red & really enjoyed it. I really liked the food. It was an Asian fusion… more like Korean fusion & being Korean I really liked the Kimchi Dumplings. The staff was really friendly as well. I enjoyed speaking to them & one gave the hubby a tasting of a Riesling.
Another fabulous event… coo venue, great service… good job owners & thanks to Katie.

This was a quaint, intimate event with new faces. I only knew three people in the whole place, but was able to meet a handful of Unilocalers. The staff was nice, but shy, and the food was decent. The wine bar is sleek and has modern seating. Booth-​like tables line the wine bottle walls and a communal table lies in the middle.
There was a slight miscommunication, but it was not noticeable at all because Katie, just being her awesome and baller self, smoothed it all out as if nothing happened. Thanks for a great event Katie!

My first Elite event and I had an amazing time!
The Purple Wine Bar opened it’s doors to us before opening night for us to ‘break it in.’ The venue itself is very nice and impressive. The décor and lighting were very good and created a perfect ambiance for a wine bar event! I especially loved the tall booth seats which seated me and five of my friends, new and old, very comfortably.
Now onto what we all came for, the wine and food! The wine was from San Antonio Winery and provided Cabernet and Chardonnay bottles for the event. I surprisingly liked the Cab more than the Char. And the food was all very tasty. My favorites were the cranberry-​embedded cheese, gyoza and tonkatsu!
Thanks Katie B. for planning such a classy and amazing event. And even offering to throw some dollar dolla bills our way to pay for the valet mix up! So sweeeeet.
Till next time Elites!

Katie B is the mistress of all things Unilocaliliciously swanktastic!
This cute little K-​town wine bar is a nice change to the BBQ-​ed grit that sometimes makes up K-twon’s image and sensory experience. Located inside the Garden Suites Hotel, the bar itself is deceptively large! Tons of eliters were pouring in and out of the food and drink rooms, even though the place looked like a small, intimate venue.
San Antonio Winery (LA’s oldest winery) was so generous to allow us to try their wines, and coupled with the awesome LED display behind the IKEA wine racks (which i already have at home), I, like Neil A., found myself thinking could I pull this off and swankify my pad.
Buffet food was good. Better than a lot of places that try to do fusion. Chicken was a little unseasoned for me, but not dry or anything. My favorite of the night was the blue cheese. whatever that was, it was amazing.
Finally, Kwirilicious did an awesome job at getting around to everyone and capturing smiling happy Unilocaling faces.
Fun, casual, hip event! Thanks Katie!

My first Unilocal Event! Yay. Katie B. throws an awesome soirée.
For a hotel wine bar and lounge this place was comfortable. A small space. They have about 5 booths with high, regal backs that create an intimate space and privacy for your party. In the center of the main space there’s a long bar style table with stools. This is nice so guests are able to mingle and socialize with ease.
The bar features San Antonio wine and it was pretty good. I preferred the chardonnay to the cabernet. We also had a buffet in the small back room. The food wasn’t visually enticing for me so I tried a small bite of most of the food. The dumplings were tasty and the fruit was refreshing. My only qualm here was that you shouldn’t serve large grapes… or any grapes… unless it’s seedless. That was kind of an unpleasant surprise. I thought it was a little rude having to spit my seeds somewhere.
K-​town parking is a bit tight all around the hotel, but the valet was convenient and pretty cheap, $ 2. I don’t like to valet, but even I had no other option unless I wanted to park at the neighboring lot for $ 15…umm.no thank you.

Another awesome Unilocal event, and I got to pop my elite virgin cherry at this one!!!
I loved the ikea wine racks all over the walls with the LED’s behind it! Gives me some great ideas.
Tried both the red and white from San Antonio winery, and that just makes me want to go to the local winery and try/​buy some of their wines. I loved the food. I will admit I took a bit of the kimchi dumpling and almost enjoyed it untill i caught a good smell of it, but hey I am a white guy and «fermented» cabbage is just not my thing. My girl on the other hand ate them like they where candy!
After the event we took a little walk, got some coffee and I tried to walk off some of my buzz!
Thanks again to the Owners, manager, and staff of the bar, and of course a massive thanks to Katie for another fun night!!!

Thanks Katie B. for getting this event planned!
The location of this wine bar is inside the Garden Suites hotel, which is located near the Wiltern. Valet parking took me less than a minute, although a large sign signaling that it was valet would have been nice — at first, I thought I was just being a bad Asian driver and driving up in an area I shouldn’t have.
The wine bar itself is cozy and looks small, but judging by the amount of Unilocalers coming in and out of the venue, it’s not /​that/​small. It’s cozy without being restricting. The booths are tall and roomy, so you can ensure that you’ll get plenty of privacy with your friends.
The wine from San Antonio winery was good. The distributor for the winery was helping with the event by pouring drinks and also answering any and all wine questions you may have.
Overall, I really enjoyed the wine, the venue and the nibbles that were provided to us. I’ll definitely come back to check this place out if I’m nearby!

Haven’t been to a Unilocal event in awhile, but enjoyed the trip here! Plenty of food. Good wine. Checking in was easy (computerized now?). And it wasn’t super crowded. I just wish there were more tables. Or maybe it just means next time I should show up earlier! Valet cost $ 2. Not sure if that will be the regular cost for them or not (I also thought it was supposed to be complimentary for the event? But I guess not). Hm. what else. Good cheese sticks, even though Jacob H. thought they were chicken sticks. And grabbing the food was easy and mob free thanks to Katie B directing traffic. There seemed to be a lot of fried chicken left over. If it wasn’t for my fear of getting a heart attack, I would have gulped some more down!

Thanks Katie B. for another fantabulous event! :)
Just days before their official Grand Opening, Purple Wine & Coffee was gracious to open their doors a little early for Unilocalers and I must say it’s one swanky little wine bar in the heart of Korea Town!
Parking was a breeze (valet) and the space is very hip and modern. My husband and I had were able to share a booth and had a great time! There was plenty of little bites (gyoza, rice, cheese, tonkatsu, slaw) and it was just enough to fill me up and also to nibble on with my glass of red.
The booths were very comfy! I think I sat there for 2 hours straight without moving. Seems like there is a private room in the back to host events. I got to meet John who is the operator of the wine bar who was very friendly! Not sure if they’ll be having actual food other than wine or coffee but I would definitely come back when the doors open!

There’s a «WIN» in «wino» for a reason.
This was only my second elite event in LA and I had a grand olé time. Considering that my first was the huge summer event AtLAntic City, this was definitely a lot more intimate!
I was impressed by Purple Wine Bar’s décor, seating arrangement, and lighting. There is something about rows and rows of hanging wine bottles that appeals to me whether or not it’s for a wine bar lol. The ambiance is perfect for a wine bar– a place where you just want to chill and get your (classy) drink on! It is also very romantic of course ;) The cushions are extra comfy and we were lucky enough to snag a table.
The wine provided by San Antonio Winery was delish. I am not normally a huge fan of red wine but I enjoyed both the red (cabernet) and white (chardonnay) that night. Though my thighs probably won’t thank me for the excess of fried foods I consumed, I still thought they were very tasty. My favs included the tonkatsu and the CRANBERRY CHEESE!!! Also a fan of the fried rice and gyoza haha.
Holla to familiar faces Kevin C. & Celine L. + some new friends Stephanie P. and her +1, and an intriguing man named Charles. hahaha. Picked up some new Unilocal swag and got to preview a lovely new wine bar complete with WINE and FOOD! How can that combo NOT = AWESOME???
Thanks Katie B. for being theee best host ever… not to mention offering to be our sugar mama with them dollar billZ! Harhar, no but really $ 2 valet is no biggie at all. WHEE
Unilocal elites keep it classy! See everyone at Libertine in a few days??? Hehe

thanks Katie B for throwing this awesome event! The Purple Wine Bar is a pretty classy joint — loved the cozy booths and the cool wine bottle décor. the place was just enough space for all of us to mingle and grab a seat with our complimentary wine plus the staff was super efficient and helpful!
thanks to San Antonio Winery for the Kinderwood wines! loved the chardonnay and cabernet. and loved that there was never really a huge line to get wine refills haha
smart idea for Katie to call up certain sections for food too! i was part of the last group to get called for food so i was kind of worried taht there’d be none left but lo and behold a fresh tray of chicken wings and gyoza was brought out to us :) also loved the katsu and gravy and the fried rice too.
always fun to see and hang out with Christina Y, Hazel Q, and Mike Q as well! love it when i make a trip out to LA and get to see you folks :)

I have to give props to Katie B. for inviting us to the soft opening for Purple Wine Bar and being a gracious hostess til the end. This space was quite lovely, although the purple staff looked positively n00b which was to be expected. There were fun Unilocal favors like chapstick, sweat wristbands, and my personal fave — a deck of playing cards. Thank you Unilocal fairies! How did you know of my chapped lips, sweaty forehead, and (re)tired Budweiser deck of playing cards? You guys totally have ESPN. ;)
Wine was flowing thanks to Ron’s heavy handed pours, and the cabernet was solid. Food spread was mediocre at best. It consisted of fried dumplings, fried rice, fried mozzarella sticks, chicken wings, über sweet cole slaw, dry pre-​sliced donkatsu, maybe 3 types of soft cheeses, some melons, grapes, but where was the kimchi pasta?
I’m pretty certain a good number of Unilocalers raided the food before being called in and others had piled high plates. I’m not going to point any fingers, but if you’re Elite, please have a little respect for the organizers and practice some restraint. There is plenty of food to go around for a taste/​preview, NOT an entire meal. Despite a few over-​eager Unilocalers, I had a great time at this sneak preview.

A bow down to Katie B. yet again!
The outside of the hotel doesn’t say hey! I have a cute wine bar inside, come and see me! A shame, so I hope this place gets some service. Love the changing colored wine bottles! (aka the way the lights make the bottles look like they are changing color). The seating is comfortable, a bit more «intimate.» Nice I actually had a chance to talk to people! This place is much smaller than the rest of many events, but it worked in my favor. :)
Booths and tables along the edges with a table in the middle with cool lighting and the bar off to the right.
From what I had the food was decent. My fav was the brown rice, had great flavors! I didn’t get to try much of the food because it was gone by the time I got up there and they ended up bringing more later, oops! filled up on rice. But did also have the breaded chicken.
Red and white wines from Ron and the San Antonio Winery, really enjoyed the red. Could pass on the white. The white had this taste I could not put my finger on it.
The staff was very nice and trying their best to help organize and keep the lines for the food moving. Thank you to the staff and owners for their generosity!
The valet parking was only $ 2! Say what?! Can’t beat that! Downside was getting out, umm I tried to go left– in LA… never should those words go together.
I think if you are in the area it would be a good place to start the night, or have a couple of drinks with good conversation. Granted it was an event, it was was a bit hard to hear, it could be because of all the people as well.

You’re the best hostess Katie B. Thanks for another great Unilocal event!
When I was living in Koreatown I didn’t have a local go to bar. When I return I will have one. This bar is really close to the Wishire and Western intersection so you can take the Purple Line Metro from DTLA to get here. This would be a great place to hang out before and/​or after a show at The Wiltern. This is a really cool part of town and it’s great to see another business that contributes to that.
The food was great! Fried dumplings, fried rice, wings, fried mozzarella sticks and even some brie and grapes! The wines did the trick!
The booths are comfortable and stylish. They are high and provide a modicum of privacy. There is a table in the middle of the room towards the entrance where people more into mingling can hang out. The seating which lies to the back right hand side is also ideal for mingling. The lighting is nice and changes color from time to time.
Parking can be tricky in this part of town. They offer valet service here.
It will be interesting to see what crowd will call this place their own. It will likely be mixed considering this place is close to a cool bustling intersection.

Thank you Katie B. for putting this awesome event together.
Purple is a hip, cool, and trendy new place located in Koreatown just south of the Wiltern theatre and purple line. The grand opening is Monday the 5^th but the Unilocal Elite event was tonight.
It featured complementary red and white wines from Ron and the San Antonio Winery as well as a buffet of dumplings, wings, Korean pork, and a huge platter of mozzarella sticks (which will always be the highlight of my night!). There are booths with large backs which can comfortably seat six and which guarantee privacy as well as some seats on a cute little bar in the middle and some space to stand. There is also a second room in back which was used for the buffet, but which would totally be a cute intimate place to rent out for some private gatherings.
The bar is in the middle of the room with the booths and is a cute little spot. There were tons of Elites and their +1s there, so at times it seemed like there was quite a line for the drinks, but the staff was very attentive and made the line move quickly. Also they were pretty spot on about cleaning the tables, although we did had to send my boy on a mission to find a trash can, it’s not the kind of place where they are super obvious. And of course this is nothing you can hold a place to on their first day of being «open» — Purple is definitely a very trendy, very sexy place, that is guaranteed to please.
The establishment has an A rating and a trendy vibe. I made a comment that it’d be perfect to pregame before the Wiltern, or a cute little place to sit and sip with friends and pretend for a brief moment to be sophisticated — and that it is. I’m not often in the neighborhood, but I would totally stop in here on my next trip to K’town.

Very cool setting with wine bottles lining up and down the walls throughout the place. Lights changed colors as we met Elite friends, new and old. Wine flowed freely and there was an abundance of food… Fun night out, thanks for being a great hostess, Katie B!

I really enjoyed this event. The smaller group of Unilocalers and the hip setting of Purple Wine Bar lent itself to a relaxing and enjoyable evening getting to know some people.
We spent much of the evening chatting with the owner Mr. Han and fellow Unilocalers John and Sarah. The space has an open area that lends itself to meeting new people and a number of high banquets that provide a more intimate space within the restaurant.
The food was tasty and plentiful, the service was prompt and friendly and the crowd was amiable. San Antonio Winery (@TheRiboliFamily) was in the house serving up plenty of delicious wine.
Now I’ve been to plenty of @Yelp events from @YelpBoston, @YelpPHX and @YelpLA and this is the first one where the Community Manager was handing out cash at the end… that’s a whole new level!
We’re looking forward to a return to Purple Wine Bar and exploring @Koreatown as we continue to @discover_LA, our new hometown!

I came for the KB hug (bonus hug since Christina Y. was also there) and stayed for the time with Unilocal friends new and old, $ 2 holla valet parking, free wine, free noms and endless photo ops by my favorite Unilocalographer Kwirilicious.
damn it feels good to be a Unilocaler

More wine? Yes, please!
Thank you Katie B. for a wonderful evening of friends, drink, food, drink and did I mention the drink? The opening for Purple Wine Bar is sure to be a success with what they put out for the Elites last night. The booths are beautiful, comfy and provide a sense of privacy to the guests at Purple. The wine was delicious and the servers were on point, always picking up glasses, empty plates and checking on their guests. I was able to meet up with old friends as well as meet new ones, Unilocalers as always are super friendly and welcoming. I mentioned to my friend that we may not be able to sit, when out of the blue a fellow Unilocaler jumped off his seat and offered it to us. What a gentleman!
Thanks to Hazel Q. and Christina Y. for making everyone feel welcome. Katie B., you are the hostess with the most-​ess, as usual =) See ya kids next time!

A cute, hip lounge to chill and grab a glass of wine. There are shwayze neon lights and purple booths, very elegant. The servers are attentive and cleanup nicely. Located inside the Garden Suites hotel. We got to try complimentary sauvignon blanc from the san antonio winery and there were delicious amounts of gyoza. My first elite event and was able to meet some cool people, including Katie B!