Tales of the Toddy

I wasn't exactly sure what I was in for when I won tickets to "Tales of the Toddy" at recent Yelp Elite event, but I am sure glad that I did!! It was a great way to start the long Christmas weekend and a sweet reward for finishing up my Holiday shopping!This year, this event was held at the lovely downtown Hyatt Regency in a beautiful ballroom with some amazing new renovations to the facility. (I want one of those chandeliers!!) The huge space was completely encircled with tables dispensing holiday inspired libations and nibbles. Some were fantastic, some were a little curious, but all were deliciously created by some of the finest chefs and mixologists the city has to offer.Next year I am definitely going back to this fabulous and festive affair. For three hours of exquisite tastings, SO worth the cost of admission!

Way to get lots of nog cloudin' your noggin'! I normally avoid Nog (unless non dairy) but I indulged *plenty* the other night at Tales of the Toddy (make that tons of toddy, too). Think of Tales of the Toddy as a little journey to Blissville. Start at the entry and make your way around the room. Then you'll realize you have the entire middle section to go. Incredible. I'd take breaks and check out the insanely cool gifts available for purchase (I bought a gorgeous Tales of the Cocktail poster signed by the artist himself, Robert Rodriguez). You can sample as much as you want... the cups aren't as small as you'd expect, though and the samples of food... let's just say while not as abundant as what you'd get at a buffet, it's plenty to get you full, if that's what you want! My favorite food was the sweet potato soup from Taceaux Loceaux (loved the kick it has in it! If that's on their truck, I'm so hitting it up). Favorite nog drink was easily the Blue Hawaiian made by Chris Hannah. Note: I have not sipped anything blue since I was 22. This, however, makes me almost wonder what I've been missing all these years. Almost... Honorable mentions go to Kimberly Patton-Bragg and Steve Yomada (who made my favorite Toddy of the evening!) Note: I did not try every kind of nog, nor did I make it to every mixologist's bar. Philanthropy, food, drink, art, gifts, merriment. I greatly admire what these folks are doing. In a league of its own...

This was my first time at Tales of the Toddy, and I won't miss it ever again!Like I've said for past events in Generations Hall (by events, Metro by club), this place is great. I love the multi levels, rooms, and movement this event space provides. My fellow Yelpers are on the mark when they say, "arrive early." I had an event before, and so I didn't get to TOTT till 6:15 and it was already pretty packed though lines moved fairly well. Note to everyone, it's not rude to ask the person in front of you if they're in line because 3 out of 5 times they just happen to be standing there, and have no idea they're impeding your ability to enjoy what lies ahead! ;)I received two bells upon entering used to vote on both drinks AND food ( I didn't know the food was to be voted on till later, so just a heads-up). There are a TON of drink stations and food stations to sample, and, being that it was my own fault I was late, I missed out on a few things and wish I could turn back time. There were hot + cold sample cocktails for all tastebuds, and though not all of them were my favorite, I enjoyed the work that went into them and the individuals serving were all very nice. My favorite, and I wish I could be more specific was a chocolate beverage with rice krispies thrown on top so it tasted like Cocoa Krispies (could've had a bowl of it) and whoever had the ceviche, I may have eaten multiple servings. I don't believe any stations ran out before the end of the night which is always a plus. I loved seeing all sorts of friends and colleagues, especially around this time of year when party scheduling gets tight. Very happy for both 12 Mile Limit who won in the Cocktail Division and Broussard's who won int he Food division. I felt like the band got very little love till the end of the night from us, the gluttonous crowd, but the Mississippi Rail Co. were great! My only wish for next year (though I bet this is a huge request) is to have a list of the restaurants and drinks so I could tic them off and remember fondly how delicious they were! I would absolutely say this event is worth the $35, but Ann usually shows some $10 off love with a discount code every year, so I hope she continues with that next year. A phenomenal event for the holidays!

It's hard to say no to an event with food, drink, and merriment on offer for such a low price! I was lucky enough to win a ticket from our fabulous Yelp CM's giveaway, but I think this is a ticket worth buying. The 2013 price was only $35, and it comes with three hours of samples and fun! I arrived late, which was a mistake. People were already rather drunkerly and didn't behave very well, which made lines difficult to observe. I also didn't have time to sample all the stations before things closed up for the night. There were great mixologists, a few jerks behind the bar, and some really fun bar-tenders all over. I tasted four different things and really loved three of them. Next year, I'll get there earlier and do more tasting. The food was a mix of "Wow, damn, yes" and "Umm, wow, why?" My bell (vote) went to the folks from Fulton Alley, but there were some other stand-outs including Lucky Rooster! Kingfish left me shaking my head. Too rich and too much...yuck. The space (Generations Hall) was a perfect party plaza, with lots of places to wander and pause. People were rude and standing in the passages by the time I got there, making circulating difficult. There were also some difficulties with the sound system, making the announcer hard to hear. It's okay, though. I wasn't really there to vote and hear his Caesar Flickerman-esque banter to buy time. Would I go again next year? Of course! Would I buy tickets? Absolutely. Accessibility notes: depends on the space. No Braille signage.

Thanks to Yelp NOLA, I won free tickets to Tales of the Toddy this year. I've had friends who've tried to convince me to go each year...but something always conflicted. The space was lovely and it was fun trying all the seasonal beverages and having restaurants snacks. The lines for some tables were too long so I wandered over to the booths who needed some attention. I had some great drinks and some so-so drinks and some that just weren't my cup of tea...literally in once case I think. The food was all tasty and everyone was wearing holiday finery so that was fun too.The space was roomy and there were lots of cocktail tables but no seating (no wearing boots with heels next time) Plus I don't know what was up with the wandering trash cans. But best of all, I got to catch up with a bunch of AWESOME peeps.

Great selection of holiday drinks - too much plastic - 2 vegetarian food options = fun night with lots of cool drinks and a few ways to improveCame here for the first time this year so I didn't know what to expect. My boyfriend and I loved the early admission tickets because you could meander without the crowd and really listen to the bartenders when they were talking. So many cool cocktails! It was super fun to try all the crazy cocktails bc I'm so boring with my vodka tonics till the end of time.The two things we wish they would look at for next year are 1. So much plastic thrown away and no recycling! And 2. More vegetarian options! If those two issues are addressed I think this will be a must attend event.

When I was reading an electronic mail the other day, I got to the signature. "Dance like no one is watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like no one is listening, and live like it's heaven on earth." And then like a bolt of prosaic lightning, the weight of the signature hit me. You might balk at the suggestion that an electronic mail signature can change a person's life, but it can! At that moment, like the protagonist in a feelgood holiday movie, I resolved to start doing things differently.Why is this life-altering event relevant? It was the afternoon before Tales of the Toddy. Keen to try out my new lease on life, I arrived at the Nouvelle Ballrooms in the Hotel Monteleone. Unfortunately, after the fateful turn of events that evening my new lease on life would turn into a mere sublet. The event itself was fabulous. In addition to the opportunity to imbibe delicious cocktails created by some of the city's most talented mixologists, everyone could sample a variety of dishes from local chefs. Tales of the Toddy also featured a Bourbon Milk Punch competition this year, so attendees were able to taste interesting interpretations on a quintessential New Orleans cocktail and vote for their favorite. Of course, all of the "spirited" (*snort*) attendees took this responsibility very seriously. The event had booths with local artists, providing everyone the chance to holiday shop while liquored up. In addition, the men of the 2011 New Orleans Firefighter Calendar made an appearance and had their calendar for sale. After 9 Bourbon Milk Punches, 6 cocktails, a partridge, and a pear tree, I finally got up the courage to set my new life plan into motion. And then things went awry. One minute I'm grinding on the Pelican Club booth and belting out "If you want my toddy and you think I'm sexy" to the tune of that Rod Stewart song, and the next minute some burly men are hauling me out of the Hotel Monteleone. So much for dancing like no one is watching and singing like no one is listening. I never even had the chance to love all over those New Orleans firemen like I planned. I did, however, fulfill the "heaven on earth" portion my life plan. That's pretty much what attending Tales of the Toddy is like.

I've been to two Tales of the Toddy and I am SO GLAD I went in 2013! The venue (Generations Hall) was perfect for this great event!If you are going to this event, make sure you a) buy your tickets early because they sell out b) get there early because it gets crowded fast! c) get ready to have a good time. I love events where you get one ticket for unlimited food or drink. There were some good things to eat and drink, but if I didn't like something I could easily throw it away without feeling too bad - of course I had to sneakily throw stuff away so I didn't hurt the chef or mixologist's feelings!!I like how this year Tales of the Toddy was separated into different rooms and themes. From what I could gather they had a Chocolate, Champagne - "Bubbly," Nogs, and Cider rooms. My favorite areas were the Chocolate and Bubbly areas.I would totally go to this event again - you can usually get a $10 coupon code from YLC or 504ward.

I missed tales of the cocktail so definitely hoped this would meet my expectations. I am not a dark alcohol drinker so I was limited to drinks with gin, vodka and white rum, but I made up for that by nibbling on virtually everything. It was fun trying the different offerings and voting on our faves. I loved the smoked cod with avocado on toast and my fave drink the Cinderella's slipper. I forgot who made either. things to improve-the coat check was a mess, not enough room or hangers most folks threw their coats on the floor. hard to hear he announcements. Lines were not too long in the beginning but definitely go early as the stations can run out. If I had to compare I liked Martini Madness in City Park better. Probably because it was outdoors, summer and had more variety of drinks. Tales of the toddy was definitely catered to be seasonal but I do not think I would do it again.

Finally got my act together and bought tickets in advance! The Hyatt's ballroom was a great space for this event, although having a spot to sit would have been nice. The bars' selections ranged from quirky to delightful. The food vendors were hit or miss, but happy to see a wide variety represented.