Gold Badge Bonanza – An Elite Event @ Tulalip

Whoops… life got crazy… but I’m writing about this event now, so… that’s something!
Everything started at Northgate Mall…
Shortly after we boarded the casino coach, we were offered wine (or beer). That was… one of those moments that made me think: «This event will be goooood.» When we got on the road, we got a few amazing snacks (see pictures) and more beer/​wine. I should probably admit that while the rest of the evening was fun, the bus ride was… probably my favorite part of the evening. I think drinking while on the freeway had something to do with it! ;)
When we got to the casino, we got our comedy tickets and went straight to the buffet. The buffet was pretty good… a lot of variety! I think I had some asian food and some seafood and maybe some pasta… so much food to try! The employees were GREAT and one gave me a tour of the buffet before I grabbed a plate. I love that they also had us sample some wine with our meal.
After the buffet, we were encouraged to get a quick table game lesson and enjoy a free 007 martini. I didn’t really want to learn the game, so I enjoyed a martini and watched others play (while chatting with some Unilocalers).
Then we all headed to a theater space to watch Jim Jeffries’ show. I’ve never been to a comedy show before and, while some of his humor was not my style, the show was still enjoyable and I laughed at more than a few of his jokes. Plus, we got drink tickets! Free drinks are good and they made sure we got plenty of opportunities to enjoy drinks during our Tulalip visit.
We had some «free time» after that, which… was pretty much «relaxation time» for me. I was happy to learn more about the different services and activities available at this casino, but I don’t really enjoy gambling. When we boarded the bus to head back to Northgate, we got one last surprise… goodie bags! I loved the chocolates and I’m pretty sure a few of my casino-​loving friends will be very happy with the gifts they’ll be getting… :)
This event wasn’t quite what I was expecting because I remember seeing some really cool stuff from last years’ event, but… it was a great evening, and I’m very happy I got the opportunity to learn more about Tulalip Casino!
Thanks, Tulalip Staff and Katy H.!!

5 years of elite action.
5 stars for the amazing event.
5 Seattle Elite Events for me personally (I think).
5 drinks minimum in my belly at most times during the night.
5 more lessons and I may finally remember how to play craps.
5 thousand calories between cocktails, apps, buffet, wine, and desserts.
5 hundred laughs for Mr. Jim Jeffries.
5 x $ 15 won at the casino during free gambling /​roaming time!
5 hearty cheers to Katy for pulling together the best event I could have imagined.

When I first saw the email about the Gold Badge Bonanza my first thought was: please please let me have a gold badge. Yes! Gambling, cocktails, food, does it get any better. Since my car doesn’t drive north I was excited to get a ride up to the Tulalip. We were greeted by Katie and treated to first class service all the way. Aside from the snafu getting out of Northgate’s parking lot, it was smooth sailing north, albeit with a lot of Friday traffic. The ride started out with wine and then yummy treats to fill our stomaches. The parmesan frico filled with house roasted nuts were the topper and I had to hold back to save room for the buffet. Because of the traffic delay, we skipped the tour and trooped over to the buffet. Settling down with plate one, we sampled some of the Tulalip’s wines and chatted with our newfound Unilocaler friends. Since this wasn’t a plus one event, I was a little nervous flying solo, but had nothing to fear once we were on our way. A gaming session with pretty strong cocktails followed, and then it was off to the comedy show. The venue at Tulalip was one massive room with banquet chairs. Luckily it wasn’t super crowded and I didn’t have a tall hairdo in front of me. After the show, we were left to our own devices and gambled for about an hour before making our way to the bus. On our seats were goodie bags filled with Tulalip gear — nice job Katy and Tulalip!

Three Haiku’s for Gold Badge Bonanza
Newly Unilocal Elite,
And impressed by this event.
How did I get in?
Great buffet and drinks
And a fun gambling lesson
Demystified craps
What a perfect night
At Tulalip Casino
With Unilocal high-​rollers

Talk about an event to remember!
First off, our group is loaded onto a super comfortable charter bus and we are promptly served our choice of beer or wine as well as a steady stream of bite sized portions of delicious creations all put together by one of the Tulalip Casino’s very own chefs.
If the event had just been that, we honestly wouldn’t have had anything to complain about, but of course the casino staff along with our very own Katy H had a just a few more things planned out for the remainder of the evening.
As soon as we arrived at the casino, we were escorted over to the Eagles Buffet restaurant where we were encouraged to stuff ourselves silly with all of the wonderfullness they had to offer… and believe me… I did. I can’t even begin to describe everything we shoved into our faces, but I do remember everyone pretty much nose diving into their plates of deliciousness.
Next up, we were treated to some make believe gambling aka training sessions at a couple of designated craps and roulette tables which was actually pretty cool as I had never played either before. This was a great chance to have some no-​risk fun while getting to know our fellow Unilocalers and pretending to either lose or win lots of money.
For the last part of our scheduled adventure, our group was given access to a comedy show which featured the profanity filled stylings of one Jim Jeffries, who I honestly had never heard of before, but came away very impressed with. Dude was freaking hilarious! The opening act was pretty good, too, but I don’t remember what his name was.
After the scheduled portion of our trip was completed, we had a little over an hour of free time to explore the hotel and take advantage of whatever they had to offer. My intent was to gamble a little bit, but ended up just wandering around talking to folks and people watching.
Once the last of our time was up, everyone hopped back on the charter bus and were swiftly taken back to our original meeting spot although this time, with full stomachs, lots of good times to be had, and a goodie bag filled with some casino items, a few treats, and a couple certificates to use on a return visit.
Any one portion of this trip would have been a fun adventure on its own, but once again Katy H managed to give us more than we could and should ever expect from a Unilocal Elite Event.

What a super fun event and such a fantastic group to spend an evening with! The party bus was so fun that we didn’t even notice getting stuck in afternoon traffic. We were treated with wine and tasty teats from the Hospitality Team from Tulalip Casino.
When we arrived to the casino we were ushered into Eagles Buffet where the sommelier brought us out some tasty wines and even brought some sparkling when I said it was my favorite! We were treated with an awesome comedy show, I guess you can laugh a little too much :) Come on, it was a funny show!
When the show was done we were given some lessons on craps and 007 martinis, so much fun! After our lessons, we were released into the casino to do some damage. I left with $ 20 extra dollars in my pocket and a few diet cokes for the bus ride home.
Great job on this event!

Traffic was heavy so we didn’t have time for the tour before dinner, but dinner was really great. The selection wasn’t as huge as some of the Vegas casino buffets I’ve been to, but it was far nicer than any other buffet I’ve seen in WA.
After dinner was a short craps lesson with fake chips (I lost 30% of my buy in, but it was a nice refresher) and complimentary martinis. Jim Jefferies was next and he put on a funny and pleasantly not particularly sexist set.
Then there was free play for about an hour, where I tried to get a seat in the poker room, but it was peak time on a busy night, so I played blackjack for a while instead.
Finally the bus ride home was smooth and barely trafficed.
It was a great way to spend ~7 hours. :)

What an epic evening! I was thrilled to be able to attend such a fun filled amazing night with new friends, awesome food, generous amounts of adult beverages, spectacular service from the Tulalip staff all the way around, incredible entertainment — all executed with awesomeness!!!
I have to admit I was a little reluctant to park my car in a mall parking lot for hours after closing because I’ve heard horrific stories from friends who have had their cars towed or their tires put on lock down. However, this was an incredibly responsible way to host a fun event considering the amount of adult beverages offered and served. Nice to be worried free about drinking then driving or not having a DD to worry about. In the end, my car was just fine picking it up after 1 AM.
The appetizers served on the bus were beautifully presented and delicious. Our server described each item with such knowledge. Our drink glasses were never empty — at least my wine glass wasn’t. Mad kudos to our bus driver for getting us out of the parking lot and up the I-​5 in one piece despite the issues of trying to get a humungous bus out of the tight parking lot space.
I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting to have dinner immediately after getting off the bus. I was honestly still so full, but I tried my best to sample all the food at the buffet. A more casual setting, but no skimping in the service department. The wines offered were delicious and a couple of us even got to sample some complimentary sparkling wine which was over the top! Not to shabby for buffet food (not a big fan of buffet food), but the items I tried were good. They even have a mongolian grill station! Also available was a gelato station, crêpe station, carving station with ham, prime rib, BBQ, etc. There was a mix of Asian, Latin & of course the salad station. I love my veggies but some of my Unilocal friends blatantly told me it’s a waste of belly space when dining at a buffet.
After dinner, we were treated to lessons on craps and/​or roulette. I chose the roulette table. Although I didn’t feel like I learned much I had a blast playing while drinking my 007 martini. They did hand us some instructions on how to play, but I was enjoying myself regardless.
I’ve honestly never even heard of Jim Jeffries. Apparently he has his own TV show so I guess he’s pretty big & his show was also sold out. I looked him up on youtube before the show and wasn’t too excited, but when we were there with a group of new friends… I ended up having a lot of fun and his jokes were pretty intelligent in humor and also current in events. I had many LOL’s which was probably too loud but I couldn’t help it. HA HA HA! We were provided two additional drink tickets during the show! I mean… non-​stop service. Seriously. How much more pampered could we have gotten?
I ended up staying and having a friend pick me up while everyone headed back on the bus so unfortunately I missed the swag bag on the way back. At any rate, the whole evening was executed well despite the hiccups of traffic which was uncontrollable.
Thanks Katy & the Tulalip organizers for a memorable evening! I think one of the more intimate Unilocal events I’ve attended. So much fun!

Thanks Tulalip and Katy for this wonderful experience! Having recently moved to Seattle, I kept seeing commercials for Tulalip on TV but was never really enticed because the casinos in California weren’t really up to par with what I would call a nice night out. I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to visit Tulalip and see all that they have to offer!
The buffet was very good and had so many choices! Now I know where to go for a good buffet and a really reasonable price. There’s really no reason not to keep it in the back of my head when I’m feeling in the mood to stuff myself with yummy foods like prime rib and an assortment of desserts (made to order crepes and gelato!).
The comedy show was very funny and we were treated very well by all the staff. Every detail was planned out very well and I felt very taken care of. I felt like they really wanted me to enjoy myself with all the other Unilocalers.
The event was missing nothing and I can even think of what I could have wanted more of. Well, maybe more time to stuff myself but it’s probably for the better!

It’s always a privilege attending these things.
Thanks a many to Katy and associating staff!
The bus of booze going up, the food buffet frenzy was awesome sauce, the comedy show… it was a darn good time!
It’s hard to imagine it’s practically been 6 years that breezed by, full of reviews and many events… and my 2^nd gold badge. I never would have imagined that summer of July 2007.
Here’s to more awesome, super cool events in the future! *clink*

The second annual Gold Badge Elite Event was again «an ambitious and well executed event!”** The Tulalip hospitality team treated us to an evening of wonderful food, craps and roulette classes (last year was blackjack), and entertainment from stand– up comic, Jim Jeffries! This go around focused on their more casual dining area, Eagles Buffet, where I stuffed myself silly! This was after the wonderful appetizers served on the well-​appointed motor coach ride to the event! I also had a couple of beers on the ride up — gotta prefunk when you can!
Appetizers:
Dinner:
Entertainment:
This was a smaller group than last year and I really liked it because I got to catch up and meet some very cool people!
Thanks again for the awesome event, Katy!
Like last year, I did gain three pounds:
o o o
/​| \ /​()\ /​O\
/​\ /​\ /​\
ME BEFORE EVENT DURING AFTER
** = Last year’s review:

Happy 5 Year Anniversary, indeed!
The Gold Badge Elite Event exceeded all expectations! Thanks to Katy, Unilocal,Tulalip and MTR for the incredible hospitality! Great end to a stressful work week!
The motor coach was a comfortable ride and even had a clean lil restroom on board. Chef Lil described and served us amazing appetizers and a charming gentleman served up wines and beer as we battled traffic up north. The salmon and blueberry compote on lavash was amazing flavor combo! I Met some new elites and reconnected with some from the past.
When we arrived at Tulalip we were whisked away to the Eagles Buffet. This is no ordinary buffet my friends, I was very impressed with the gourmet quality of the carving station serving anything from Brisket to Salmon, Mexican dishes and the seafood mac and cheese, great salads and dessert bar were all top notch! Our Sommelier described the Tulalip anniversary wines, my favorite was the red blend.
Next, we had craps lessons, I think I need another lesson before I’d feel secure betting on my own in that game due to lots of rules and the dealers were kind to explain them to us. The 007 martini’s that were served were beautiful and tasty.
The night was amazing and everyone seemed to be having a great time, running around following Katy with an Elite sign and a cool photographer! Then, we had Jim Jeffries comedy act! While controversial in topics he had us nonstop laughing! It has been a long time since I saw a comedian this funny in public. After the show we had some gambling time, I played a hand of blackjack and donated to the slot machines then it was time to bus home.
Our seats all had amazing gift bags. What a surprise!
Oh, what a night! I can’t wait for a return visit to Tulalip on another rainy WA evening, a very fun and classy place to get your game on!

Katy never ceases to amaze.
The whole night was pretty badass. From the awesome motorcoach that took us up (including the amazing maneuver our driver had to make in the Northgate mall parking lot), the fantastic buffet which I found out is only $ 19 per person, the craps lesson, the hilarious duo of comedians, and me actually winning money at Roulette! This event was a definite win.
Tulalip is a really great establishment and fantastic hosts. Everyone was extremely friendly and accommodating. I can’t give this event anything less than 5 stars!
Thanks Unilocal,Tulalip, MTR Western, and all that helped put this together!!!

Seriously– One of the best events i have been to since finding my way here back in 2008.
I sometimes cannot believe that I have been a part of the community for six years now, and I have been to some really great events in this time period, but tonight’s event took the cake for sure.
A luxurious chartered bus with waitstaff, booze and delicious appetizers was our vessel north. I was very comfortable and it kind of felt like I was on an airplane, but way more awesome and on the ground.
Once we made it to the casino, we were treated to the full VIP experience– Personalized tastings from Tulalip’s sommelier, a full meal at their surprisingly better than average buffet, free gambling lessons, and a comedy show. We were even given free swag bags at the end of the evening. I was very impressed and had an awesome time, seeing faces of Unilocalers new and old within the group, and making new friends as well! It’s always a good night when you leave pleasantly buzzed and full of delicious prime rib and seafood.
Thank you Katy, Seattle Unilocal,and Tulalip Casino for making last night one of the most fun nights I have had in a while!

As some of us crawl out of bed with a raging headache this morning, I am reminded of the good times had. Jim Jefferies was absolutely phenomenal and killed it. I still have no idea how to play craps, I probably can’t be taught.
Katy, awesome job putting this together and thank you Tulalip for the generous offerings! Tulalip staff was all extremely friendly and provided great service.
Now to venture out for some recovery phở or bbh…

Awe-​inspiring… This is what I call a great experience, one of the best Unilocal events I have been to… let’s start with a comfortable bus, filled with Unilocalers and the amazing people from the Tulalip Resort. Add a brilliant talented driver from MTR Western, who can drive a bus like I have never seen before and drive them up to one of the best places to have a party, and suddenly you have a Gold Badge Elite Bonanza.
I have to say, being with fellow Unilocalers, and Unilocalers only on the bus was great… we got a chance to make new friends, great conversations… and food and drink was provided along the way! Three great appetizer bites, including a Smoked Salmon with a berry compote; a, prosciutto wrapped gouda stuffed date and finally seasoned roasted nuts in a Parmesan molded bowl.
Getting to the casino, it was a VIP experience; from entering, it was like walking into Vegas like entryway, the lights, and sound was so enchanting. Food for me is important, and I never really wanted to try buffet food, until now. I now have a great place to find food up north… Hello Eagles Buffet! 72 different items, where I found myself at the carving station, with salmon, prime rib and a perfectly tender Beef Brisket, not to forget, a BBQ Ribs. They have gelatos, pies and crepes to sweeten the platter; and for only 20 dollars normally. I am coming back again, so worth it!
Next, we moved to learn to play Craps and Roulette; something that impressed me was their knowledge of the game, but their staff service was just as amazing, patience and calm demeanor. I mean seriously, if you want to learn a game, they can walk you through it, with a professional touch. Next on this adventure was the show, and this casino hit getting the comedy done right. They had the infamous Jim Jefferies, and a local opener who was extremely good also.
So this was an amazing Unilocal event; Tulalip Casino was an amazing host. Every person should have the opportunity to come up, try the food (which was great), learn a game (which was great) and see a show (which was great)… Cheers to Katy H, for sharing what Tulalip can do. All Smiles!

Top notch event all the way, start to finish!
We were treated so well by the MTR, Tulalip and Unilocal staff from the moment we boarded our bus. Every accommodation was well thought out and planned for us. I loved the delicious fig, salmon, and nut appetizers from Chef John and Lil. Our driver Dee safely couriered us through the sloggy Everett traffic and the on-​board bartender saw to our drinky needs.
At the casino, we were treated to an incredible buffet. I have never been to a buffet that caliber and quality. There were so many gourmand choices you wish you could eat there for a week! I had a couple helpings of Seafood mac & cheese, spicy sausage and peppers and also the mussels in a buttery broth with sun dried tomatoes and bacon wrapped asparagus.
We had a chance to practice at the craps or roulette tables and use their game chips while we learned. Craps has a lot of rules and betting strategies and I was glad I wasn’t using my money!
After the gambling lessons and 007 martinis, we were ushered to the comedy show. Both comics were great; Jim Lot had a hilarious set and Jim Jefferies killed. Two funny and irreverent comics. We had drink tickets to help keep the laughs coming. After the show we had some free time to check out whatever games we wanted independently before taking the coach back to Seattle.
Tulalip even had little gift bags for us! A little cooler lunch bag, a cold cup, mini-​lava lamp, cookies.
A super fun way to celebrate our 5^th year of being Unilocal elite thanks for the «birthday» party Katy!

Last night, what I can remember of it from my drunken haze, was awesome!
I just barely made i into this event, I found out 45 minutes before the bus was leaving to Tulalip that someone had backed out at the last minute and if i could get there on time I could get a spot. I was lucky, there just happened to be a metro bus a 2 minute walk away from me, with a bus which went right to northgate that was leaving in 3 minutes. The timing worked out just right.
The traffic gods were a bit against us, Friday rush hour traffic + a couple of accidents on 1 – 5 North. But we were well supplied for the trip: we started with some wine and beer. Then they passed out salmon, berry cracker thingies (I dont like fish so I didnt partake), then gouda-​stuffed, prosciutto wrapped dates, then cheese bowls with a medley of roasted nuts. That bus ride was more comfortable and I was treated better than I have been on any plane ride, even in first class.
We walked into the casino and went straight into the buffet. I had eaten a late lunch since I didn’t know I was going to be going to this till 3:15, and unfortunately I wasnt very hungry. I am not a huge fan of buffets in general, I prefer a smaller amount of good food to a large amount of mediocre food, but the people I was sitting with seemed to enjoy their prime rib and crab legs and shrimp and so forth. I really liked the sugar free thai iced tea ice cream from the gelato bar. Unfortunately we didnt have enough time to get to the crêpe section, that was too bad.
After food (with more wine), we moved over to a lesson in craps or roulette. I was at the craps table, and I was quite a few glasses of wine in at that point, so I can’t say I retained alot of the lesson, except a couple of the basics, but it was fun playing with money that wasnt actually mine. After that we moved onto a Jim Jeffries stand-​up show. I had never heard of him before, but he was incredibly funny. I saw Louis CK in December (whom i love), and this was funnier (though i was also three cocktails and quite a few glasses of wine by that point). The room wasn’t great for watching stand up, as it was large and flat, he joked at one point that it was a conference center, and it really was set up like that. But its a multi-​purpose room, so whatevs.
After the show we had an hour for gambling or whatever on our own. I took out forty bucks for slots, and lost most of it and then gained it all back plus, like, 3 bucks by the end of the hour. Yay for not losing money! I’m afraid my slot machine choices proved less successful for Katy H. =o (. On the bus ride home we were given little swag bags with a mug, some gift certificates towards restaurants that will be opening soon at Tulalip, some snacks, it was a nice end to the night.
Thanks so much to Katy and everyone at Tulalip for setting up a great night for us!!!

Wow. From hopping on our plush swank bus piloted by intrepid MTR Western driver Dee, all the way to the casino proper, this entire event was amazing! Our friendly host Linda was fun to chat with and when I started writing this review on the bus, we hadn’t reached the casino. No one raised a complaint about the sluggish traffic because our journey was made pleasant with attentive care from our congenial bartender Darryl and Chef Lil with her tasty nibbles. On the bus, we were served a trio of appetizers:
— Smoked salmon, homemade Boursin, and blueberry compote atop lavash.
— Date stuffed with smoked Gouda, wrapped in prosciutto and grilled.
— Seasoned nuts with an edible orchid served in an edible Parmesan basket!
We arrived safely at the casino and we were shepherded straight to supper. Wines (from Christian Sparkman) flowed liberally at the Eagles buffet, almost overwhelming with choices. There were crab legs and boiled shrimp, a pasta bar with dishes made to order, carving station, and so on. I really enjoyed the sockeye salmon and the bacon wrapped asparagus. The small forkfuls of roasted turkey and pot roast were also both very tasty. Buffets are a marathon not a sprint so I paced myself!
Special mention for that decadent seafood macaroni. Thanks again for that recommendation, Lil, it was dangerous business! I don’t think I explored the entire buffet with our time constraints. I was pleased with the foods that I did select though. Downside was that I had no actual room for dessert. Cheers Katy for sharing some of hers with me. I was surprised to learn that the buffet cost was under $ 20 — for such variety and quality, I felt it would have been worth the fee.
After we filled our bellies, it was off to the tables to either learn roulette or craps. I already knew how to throw dice so off to the roulette wheel I went! The chips were fake so we could learn without crying and the Vesper martinis were seriously amazing. I wanted to be able to focus on the comedy so I stopped at one but could have easily enjoyed several. Our roulette teacher was super nice too. I’m blanking on her name but it began with an A plus she reminded me of one of my Filipino cousins!
Then we all went to Jim Jefferies, an Australian comic who was a lot tamer than I expected. He did take the piss out of the front couple rows full of high rollers. Toward the end he made short work of a heckler who felt the need to add her opinion to his «Neil Diamond /​downgraded» story. Everyone laughed at her folly and rightly so. Why on earth would you heckle a comic who’s insult of choice is the C-​word?
The evening culminated in free time to play whatever we liked, have more drinks, and explore the casino floor before the bus spirited us back to Seattle. When we hopped aboard the coach, there were swag bags at every seat! More gifts from the folks at Tulalip. Inside the bags: a coffee mug with a small pouch of coffee, reusable glass with straw, a mini LED lava lamp with glitter, $ 40 in dining certificates, and a wee box of treats (two bite-​sized chocolate chip cookies, cocoa dusted nuts, and a handmade dark chocolate lolly with nuts added).
Celebrating my fifth year as a Unilocal Elite was pretty damned fun overall. I’m glad that the casino was so benevolent in their generous hosting and cheers to Katy (as always!) for putting on another killer EE! Happy birthday to all the other gold badge holders and SYOY :)