I just want to thank our host Mangia & Bevi for their hospitality and Chantel for organizing the First Toronto's Yelp Elite Event for 2016. Mangia & Bevi has this nice and cozy vibe and it is a perfect venue for a gathering of new and old Yelpers and have a sample of what they offers. Since there were so many first time attendants and the lack of communication, I believed a lot of people came here expect to have a "brunch'. As an experienced YEE attendant myself, I do know that 90% of YEE is more about socializing with peers and sampling what our host offers. I had chicken and waffle at Cluck Cluck and dessert at Neo before attending this event. As I did not really have a chance to get near any food, aside from this one mouthful of nutella pizza sample. Teresa C also nice enough to offer me a spoonful of quiche which I was really thankful. I kind of feeling sorry for Mangi & Bevi's waitstaff when everyone trying to attack them for food. Ended up they just leave it on the 2 big tables and just let hungry yelpers fought it out. It was a mob scene. I hope moving forward we can all learn from this experience and organize future event accordingly. Good thing was there was never any line at the drink station. I ended up just drinking glasses of "juice" and chilling out with new and old friends near the bar area. Hoarding the pitcher of drinks and boxing out others.... read more

Yelp's Brunch Bash - Yelp Events Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

4 Stars for the venue and event but sadly 2 Stars for the other Yelpers The first YEE kicked off for 2016 in a restaurant where I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at. It's located in office building and I was thinking whaaaaat?! No good could come of this! Did they want us to secretly photocopy some stuff on the side?! Well when I entered the space I was amazed - it's so gorgeous inside! Definitely my design aesthetic- exposed brick walls, dark and sexy lighting, gorgeous light fixtures- I was in home decor throws of ecstasy! Lovely drinks to start off the mingling and put you in a good mood....cuz you'd need it in a few minutes....just wait for it... Sadly I'm not sure what animals some of these people were raised by but I'm pretty sure this restaurant will never host a Yelp event again. It was like people hadn't eaten for days the way they attacked the food! Scavengers! Following the servers around with a hunger in their eyes that I've only ever seen on The Walking Dead. I only managed to try some blueberry dessert thing and the quiche...and only b/c another kind yelper gave me one of his! I was too scared to try and even attempt to forge my way in to get anything- i didn't want people mistaking my hands for chicken fingers!! I needed my hands to drive home later. A pack of hungry wolves was surely disappointing to me and my plus one, but at the same time we also got to see a horror show....so maybe it was a win? Great job Chantal and Kris for picking this restaurant as I would probably never have gone to it on my own. It was a great event regardless of the vultures circling about. read more

This is a review about my fellow yelpers as much as anything else, but people are vultures!! It was unfortunate that whatever food was brought out was consistently placed on the same tables in front of the same people in the same inaccessible areas to most folks, which caused crowding like a pack of dogs at feeding time. So if you sat in front of one of these spots, it was a non stop parade, otherwise you had to fight for scraps. People would follow the serves, like a pack of wolves hunting their injured prey and devour whatever was placed down. It was too early on a Sunday to participate in a combat sport. Anyways, I just couldn't do it but did manage to score two spoons of something. Drinks were great. The facility seemed really nice. It was nice to see my sister show up back in T.O. (Mel F.) after two years of being on the left coast. The post party though was a blast! read more

Thanks for hosting the event! First time at a mangia and Bevi, great hot spot, lots of dining spots, cool lights and great staff. At this event I was able to meet some cool yelpers! Unfortunately I wasn't able to sample many foods from this restaurant and the 2 spoons which I did manage to snap a few pics of I wasn't able to get the name or ingredients of what is in it. read more

Yelp's Brunch Bash - Yelp Events Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Great first 2016 Yelp elite event hosted by Chantal. The venue was not too difficult to find when following another Yelper although the signs were not apparent. There were actually 2 doors into the restaurant but most of us went through the front door. With Kris helping Chantal, we were quickly checked-in and promptly found a spot to put our stuff at a table. I was actually surprised by the number of people attending the event as the venue was not that big. It was good the mingle with other Yelpers in a cosy setting but I think many were confused that it was not a sit-down brunch. Instead, most were caught off guard that it was light snacks / appetizers and drinks. It was great that the restaurant served some mixed alcoholic drinks while the single waitress served the hungry masses. She looked like she regretted coming in and serving the hungry hungry yelpers. Once the food was dropped on the table, it was gone in a second. Luckily, we asked nicely when at the bar and she allowed us to take some bites. There were some new and old faces when I was mingling around. Also, I noticed that there was an entire section hidden with the curtains that could have alleviated the traffic. Overall, the food was good and the drinks were awesome. We stayed close to the end and I was disappointed that I was one of the only ones who gave a tip to the wait staff. Fellow yelpers, please share the food and tip the wait staff at future Yelp elite events. This makes it easier for Chantal and Kris to find venues willing to host these events. We, elite Yelpers, do not want a bad rep that limits us from going to awesome venues. read more

Yelp Toronto's first Elite event of 2016 brings us to Mangia & Bevi. We had this place all to ourselves as it wasn't opened at the time we went. As we walked in, we were welcomed with mimosas or cran/orange soda. The food eventually came, bite-sized of course, but I think some people did expect to be fully fed. I do not apologise for taking the entire plate as I was grabbing food for my friends who did not get to sit down and was unable to access to the food. It was really good to see so many familiar face! Looking forward to another great year with all the great Yelpies! Thank you Chantel (and Kris) for organising this event. Thank you everyone at Mangia & Bevi for the munchies and definitely the drinks! read more

Yelp's Brunch Bash - Yelp Events Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Kudos to Chantel for being the sweetest and doing an excellent job on her first event! Thank you to Kris as well who I met for the first time at this event. Also a big thank you to Mangia & Bevi for inviting us over and showing us a good time. As the first yelp event of the year, I had an idea it would be quite the crowd. It was nice chatting with those in the vicinity of where we were seated. I enjoyed talking to new people and seeing old faces. It was also a pleasure sipping on an assortment of juices (I asked for something non-alcoholic) and munching on some of the goodies that came along the way. I would agree with most people that the organization of the food was lacking and wasn't as spread out as should have been. Whenever a plate would settle down it would either have bacon or some other form of pork, which I'd pass on. However, people were still able to eat it. I did get a chance to try the berry pancake and mushroom with couscous which were my favorites. Right near the end, I was able to get a slice of their cheese pizza and I can see why they're quite famous for them. The crust was the perfect thickness and it was deliciously hot. I really can't wait to hit Mangia & Bevi for a Saturday brunch. read more

Nice to meet some new faces. My bro tony F rocks. And yeah... What other ppl said about food and hoards and such. read more

I didn't expect a full brunch like some people and that's mostly because Yelp event are for sampling and not a full-on meal. The venue was beautiful though a bit hard to find because "260 King Street East" is an office building. You had to go down a bit and then turn left to find the place. There was ample food but the only problem was that it all got put onto one table and the same people kept getting food and then what happened is that some fellow Yelpers got "hangry" and started rushing towards food. I would recommend that they: a) Either have all the same food come out at the same time as opposed to rotating, which means that table would have gotten sick of the same food b) Try to serve each table as opposed to one table. I think the servers did the best they can, but I believe it is on fellow Yelpers to be more polite and it was still a great venue and had decent food. read more

First elite event for 2016 for me! I was sooo looking forward to this event but I have to admit I made some assumptions and that's my fault. The venue when I walked in was just beautiful. I walked around a bit and admired the decor. I assumed it was a sit down type event and so I found a seat at the long table in the back and waited for the event to start. When I realized it was more of a mix and mingle I got up and wandered around to catch up with people I hadn't seen in awhile. My 2nd mistake was assuming that "brunch" meant a full on meal. As Johnson pointed out... It started at 1 which should have been my clue that it wouldn't have been an event to fill up. However I did not clue in and showed up relatively hungry. Although seated at a table for the majority of the event I can't say I was privileged to try all the samples that came out. There just wasn't enough and they were devoured the instant the plate touched the table. I was finally fortunate to try a slice of pizza which was nice. At one point I just sat and watched as each plate that was delivered was devoured like a pack of hungry animals had gotten to it. I was thoroughly impressed when I saw someone managed to upload albeit blurry photo of a pizza to the event page. How did that happen? I don't know if I was able to get a sense for what the restaurant has to offer by the samples that i did taste. I thought the decor was stunning and I would want to come back to enjoy dining at Mangia & Bevi, but honestly can't say that I know the food is good as I didn't really get a good taste of what it is they offer. My only suggestion for a future event like this is to advise us to eat in advance. There is always one slow person like me that didn't clue in to the sample sizes. Thank you Chantal for organizing and Kris for back up. I hope you managed to try some samples yourself. read more

Yelp's Brunch Bash - Yelp Events Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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My plus one and I have been Yelp Elites since 2015 but this event was our first YEE. Since it started at 1 pm, I knew this wasn't going to be brunch brunch. I was looking forward to meeting other Yelpers whose informative reviews and drool-worthy food porns I have liked and FUC'd. We arrived at the venue on time and found a table to sit down. I was waiting for the organizers to say something and get the show started. Without any kind of announcement, a waitress started bringing a plate of hors d'oeuvres to our table. One plate for a table of 12 to 15 people, (which grew into a mob scene later) seemed a bit stingy. It also wasn't very helpful that she came over to the table, placed the dish, not a word, then left. What is this called? What are the ingredients in it? Vegetarian? Vegan? Gluten-free? Is this one of popular items on your menu? Any other information to share? As the "brunch" went on, other Yelpers started crowding our table and the food disappeared at the second it was placed on the table. Pizza slices weren't cut properly so people were grabbing them at the same time to pull them apart and to each have a slice. I think somebody should have voiced his or her concerns right there and then and the organizers could have distributed the samples more fairly. I would have expected that the owner of Mangia and Bevi make the speech in the beginning. Then, they could have told us what kind of food they prepared for us to try. She did say few words about an hour into the event and announced that they would not be serving more samples. After that announcement, people started to leave and by 3 pm, the place was pretty empty. There were lots of options available to the organizers to prevent this kind of "apocalypse." They could have catered to each table, not just dumping a plate at a time at the corner of two tables. OR They could have put all of their samples in one spot and asked people to line up to have their turn. OR If this was more of a networking type of event rather than a sit-down event, they could have let us mingle while servers go around to offer samples to people. As for the socializing part of the event, I was able to meet few other Yelpers but I think the organizers could have planned some activities to foster a more open and friendly environment. With all of the above said, I do sincerely thank the organizers for their generosity and efforts in making this event happen. I hope for a better one next time. read more

Great event to start off the year! The pizzas and mimosas were on point. It was great to chat with old and new friends. Also, a big thank you to Kris and Chantel for organizing. Can't wait till the next event! read more

Yelp's Brunch Bash - Interior - Yelp Events Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

It was a full house at the 2016 Yelp Brunch Bash and the mimosas were flowing, mostly into my glass! It was really nice to see and chat with my fellow Yelp elites. Great choice on venue as well. Mangia & Bevi has a really nice rustic charm to it and is a great spot for hosting big groups. Big thank you to Chantel for organizing and can't wait to see what's up your sleeve for the next one! read more

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Okay, my review is super late. I think I needed a lot of time to process this event. I enjoy Yelp and Yelp events, though I don't often get to attend. I was really excited about this first event of the year. It revolved around brunch, how could I not want to go?? Plus I don't know too many Yelpers on a personal level, and I think the great part about these events is getting to meet new people and make new friends. This being the first event Chantal organized, was also exciting. I think she did a fairly good job. However, I did not enjoy the event so much. Why? I feel like there were too many Yelpers for such a small space, not to mention certain Yelp Elite members really have no shame. They seem to lack manners and have no respect for themselves or others. The way they would lunge after the samples of food before the servers could even set it down. I saw some people literally take entire trays out of the servers' hands. I enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant and I really enjoyed chatting with the manager and staff. The service at the event was super friendly. I found the few bites of food I managed to locate were fairly yummy. I feel bad for the people who were constantly running from one room to the next trying to find something to snack on. I've spoken to some Yelpers since this event and the general consensus seems to be that this event and the actions of fellow Yelpers have left a sour taste in their mouths. Chantal did a great job. However, the actions of certain attendees were super unfortunate and despicable. Frankly, if this is the behaviour and attitudes of Yelp Elite members, that sends a really bad message to vendors. And it also spoils the perks for other Yelpers (Elite or not). read more

Yelp's Brunch Bash - Yelp Events Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

It absolutely breaks my heart to write this review. But I have to be honest. This was a disappointing event. I am sure Chantel will do amazing in future and this isn't a dig at her (I am not looking to make enemies) but I feel that this event could've been managed a lot better. Firstly, there were way too many people in a very small space. Secondly, I have been a long-standing Mangia Bevi fan but if today was my first experience here, I wouldn't be tempted to come back. Johnson totally got it right about some Yelpers. But 15 minutes in, I realized that they weren't the only ones to blame. The servers kept dumping the the pizza samples at 2 exact spots every time, at the edge of the 2 tables. That's about 12-16 little pieces that seemed to take forever to come out and were gone within 2 seconds. Pray, why couldn't this be like the other Yelp events which is either a full sit down affair where every table is catered to OR one where the server goes around serving different groups instead of consistently dumping the samples at the 2 exact spots? For the first 45 mins at this event, I hadn't tried a single sample. I wrestled in to grab some at the very end - one slice of pizza (the toppings were manhandled off it by certain Yelpers), another slice of a cheese pizza, and a slice of a bread-dessert that came out too soon (they still served a few pizza samples after this). Overheard from the permanent table sitters: "I feel bad for grabbing all the food... but not really." Basically, Sorry-Not-Sorry! That's a terrible attitude to have for an elite. And it left a bad taste in my mouth. Some Yelpers and even the CMs may frown upon my negativity. But here's the thing, if I am vocalizing my feelings about the neighbourhood coffee shop that possibly has terrible customer service, I am entitled to an opinion about Elite events too. And I don't really have to take certain ifs and buts into consideration. And having been to multiple events that are actually 4-5 stars, I have to knock a couple off this one. Lastly, the mimosas were the only redeeming factor. I tried both the offerings - the original and the "blush" - and they were fantastic. read more

I didn't expect this to be a true "brunch" so I did eat beforehand. The first clue this isn't a "brunch" for all those that showed up hungry: it started at 1PM. I know I constantly makes jokes about the ravenous Yelp hordes and having to be aggressive if you want to try food samples, because usually there's still a modicum of respect and decency. I'm surprised I have to say this... but here goes: "Hey Yelp Elites -- act like adults and not like selfish assholes". How to know if I'm talking to you: a) you went for 4th/5th/6th/7th/etc. portion of food before most people there didn't get to try anything - the portions are small because they are intended as finger food - learn to share, this isn't kindergarten. If you're still confused, Larry David has the "Unwritten Rules of Hors D'Oeuvres Consumption": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfcr66-xR-M b) you hoarded more than one or two portions for your friend and yourself at a time - realize the food went quickly as they came out, but there's no need to hoard food. I presume you are human beings, not squirrels preparing for winter. Yes, I did get to try some food from the awesome Teresa C. who snatched a plate to redistribute the food more justly, but no one should be grabbing half a pizza for themselves -- you know who you are. c) you followed/chased/hounded any of the servers -- as you are selfish, I doubt you noticed the understandable scowl of disgust and annoyance on the servers' faces midway through the event. You also didn't notice they held the plate high above their heads so none of the children would steal food before the plates were set down. And honestly, why are you running after the servers with a plate in their hand for a few bucks worth of food samples? CHILL - you're at a Yelp Elite event - not Black Friday at a Walmart. d) you spent the entire time sitting on your ass, defensively boxing out other people from getting some food samples. The fact that the servers set down the plates at regular spots at the tables is not an invitation to camp there for food (also, see Point A). Yes, maybe the samples could have been spread out more across the event space - but come on, you're not at the NBA Finals and you're not boxing out for rebounds - RELAX. These are the same people that spent the entire time exclusively talking to their +1*, left immediately after they ran out of food, didn't tip and probably kicked a puppy on their way out. *Side note: A +1 is just a guest, not a 'security blanket'. Despite the bad look of some of these Yelpers -- I had a lot of fun. The cranberry mimosas were tasty as I watched the zombie apocalypse. The space at Mangia & Bevi is nice and the staff did their best during what must have been been food service D-Day. Also, Chantel was an excellent host (also props to Kris for the assist). It was also nice to meet and catch up with so many GTA-ers who showed up in force. Huge thanks (and sorry) to the crew at Mangia & Bevi and Chantel! read more