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Yelp Gets Laide @ Laide Lounge
Category: Local Flavour Local Flavour [Edit]
138 Adelaide Street EastToronto, ON M5C 1K9
Neighbourhoods: Corktown, Downtown Core
- Good for Kids:
- No
21 reviews for Yelp Gets Laide @ Laide Lounge
21 reviews in English
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Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
10/4/2009
I think the fact that no one used the stripper pole was more of a tragedy than any idea that the food was less than gourmet.
Perhaps the food wasn't the greatest but that wasn't the reason for this gathering. It started late enough that you could have dined before- plus at the last one it was still just finger foods and not a substantial meal.
I know that towards the end I needed a little nosh, and being adequately soused, I didn't find the meatballs to be too unappetizing.
So on to the crowd- there were a lot of faces that I didn't recognize. Unfortunately I still won't recognize them at future events because I kind of stuck with the usual crowd.
I found that my back had to face the projected porn because otherwise I'd get too distracted and find myself day dreaming rather than conversing. Ah well.
All in all still a great event and I'm looking forward to many more! -
Review from susan c.
9/16/2009
+1 * for meeting Yelpers, old and new
+1 * for my free Elite T-shirt that could easily go for $35 plus tax in some hipster shop along Queen St. W.
+1 * for the free drinks
- 1 * for the flabby meatballs and questionable sausage (referring to the food, not the porn)
+1 * for the hilarious bearded clam and wooly-burger (referring to the porn, not the food)
+1 * for great service from the bartenders and an all-around fun time!Listed in: Yelp Elite Events
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Review from Daniel B.
9/17/2009
You can't argue with free. Right?
Well, you can if your standards are set so damn high.
The last Yelp elite event was perfect. It wasn't just good... It was perfect. PERFECT. Like PERFECT. A perfect combination of mingling, introductions, shared interests, good food and killer drinks.
This one..... was a great way to spend a Tuesday evening.
First... the good. Kat's a remarkable host and an excellent leader and spokesperson for the Toronto community. Incredibly knowledgeable, easily approachable and fantastically cool. She has an outstanding appreciation of culture and an excellent eye for urban social candy.
The choice of venue was surprisingly great. A true find. The place itself was a conversation starter....
Of course, there's the problem. There weren't many conversations starting. Why's that? Three possible reasons.
(1) Limited alcohol.
(2) No icebreaker game.
(3) The plus-one rule. (and their call-outs on their nametags)
I'm all for bringing people to the events as "plus-ones"... but I don't think that they should be signaled to everyone else as such. It sets up the whole event for a premise of faux-exclusivity.
Free flowing alcohol is an outstanding social lubricant. No one's really going to get remotely intoxicated and/or social off of two drinks.
The icebreaker game of the last event created a mingling environment where people were encouraged to break out of their comfort zones and interact. I actually made friends at the last one. On Tuesday, we resorted to creating our own failed improv game.
So, in COMPARISON this was not as interesting as the last one.
Oh, and the food choice was questionable. The last thing that should be served to a room full of restaurant-going-foodies is pizza pockets. That being said... the ribs were drop-dead amazing.
I sound like such a spoiled rat complaining. Quite honestly, I had a great time. I was thrilled to be invited and love being a part of this community... I just want to be in a situation where I can meet more likeminded people at the next event.
Of course, being social is all of OUR jobs... not Kat's.
Life's what you make it. Kat pitched us all an excellent ball, we (as a community) just hit it into a ground-rule double. So, perhaps we all have to go back to T-ball to practice our swing? -
Review from Justin E.
Toronto, ON
9/19/2009
You know those films wherein a group of variously talented clandestine operatives silently appear out of the shadows, converge on a single spot - usually an unmarked, inconspicuous doorway in the bustling downtown core of a metropolis - and then slip inside one by one to discuss the caper to come?
On this Tuesday night in September, just such a group of people arrive at Laide Lounge, a cozy joint tucked away next to a one-way thoroughfare that suburbanites use to flee the city at the end of the workday. Only a few Yelp balloons affixed to the exterior give away what is happening inside...
Han-Solo-in-Carbonite-style body casts line the walls of the entry; beyond, it's breezy curtains, plush benches with cushions and a bar ringed by candles and staffed by supremely awesome, chill bartenders who you'd wanna hang out with even if they *weren't* serving you well-made drinks.
True to the establishment's name, tasteful old-school soft-core films are blurrily projected on a wall; over to the side, there's a decorative stripper pole and a lonely hula hoop. Tonight, however, there will be no stripping or hula-ing; we've come here to meet, to mingle, to share intel, of sorts, on our various capers.
Yes, fine, the AC isn't working and the atmosphere is hot - but so too is the buzz of conversation among Yelpers of all walks of life, from the most ironically-mustachioed hipster to mom n pop bon vivants. Infinite diversity breeds infinite conversation, after all.
The food is plentiful, and if not gourmet, it is simple and solid; if you've come to this event expecting Cordon Bleu, I respectfully submit that you're probably not getting the idea here, and anyway the sausage was quite well spiced.
So tell me: who else but Yelp Toronto creates community out of the chaos of this big city? How else can dozens of strangers - linked only by reviews on a website - converge at a moment's notice, find they have urgent, witty things to say to each other while enjoying each others' company, and then, moment crystallized, slip off into the night a la prochaine?
I submit that there's nowhere else but Yelp Toronto. Who's with me? -
Review from Carmen M.
9/16/2009
My *very first* Elite event reviewed:
- Awesome locale -- nothing could be better than nekked wall bodies and real. live. porn. projected lifesize-like onto a wall. Um, yes please.
- Very stiff drinks. Ahem.
- Amazingly friendly Yelp Eliters, especially my new friend Kate who shares my exact last name. And no, it isn't Miller!
- Kat F. -- who basically rawks.
- The staff at Laide was super nice.
- Yelpstick. 'Nuff said.
Can't wait to see everyone again soon! -
Review from Deanna W.
9/16/2009
What a fantastic night! Perfect warm but not too hot evening temp in one hot number of a venue. The nekkid busts, soft porn flicking on the wall, dim setting make this a cozy and fun lounge for meeting and greeting either in a date or party like setting. It was great to catch up with yelpers, kibbitz with Kat and generally soak in the hot atmosphere, free drinks and snacks. Snacks were nothing special but it was nice to have something to nibble on as the drinks were strong and tasty!
Looking forward to the next one already! Thanks Kat, you sure know how to throw a party! -
Review from Sam G.
Toronto, ON
9/15/2009
Great event as usual, though I was late.
The martini tasted like Love Hearts candy. I don't know if that's good or bad. -
Review from Abby R.
Toronto, ON
9/17/2009
This was my first elite event - so thanks Kat for organizing it - I was very excited!
I wasn't planning on getting my drink on (as per my naturopath) so I was really excited about the food based on the previous reviews of Laide. The food was, in a (polite) word, questionable. I'm a vegetarian and nothing was labelled, my options were mystery meat balls, pizza pockets, and little slices of that frozen McCain pizza from the 80s (and they may have very well been from the 80s).
Drinks were awesome, as were the fact that they are one of two establishments in Toronto selling tap-water glass bottles (http://tapwater-bottle...) which I was suckered into happily purchasing. The bartenders were great and super-friendly.
The porn on the big screen was a little more graphic then I expected, and I've never seen a 5 foot close-up of a va-jay-jay, so I suppose that was enlightening. Altho Kat pulled off an awesome event, I'm not sure I'd make a point of coming to Laide again given that I like a good nosh while I am lounging, and there was nothing good about their spread (no pun intended). -
Review from Randy G.
Toronto, ON
9/16/2009
Had an excellent time. Good bunch of people, and a venue that, had this not been happening here, I probably never would have gone into on my own after seeing that entry way. Me, I try to avoid contact with the junk of other dudes, real or facsimile, but last night made me glad to have overcome that.
(Wow. I hope nobody takes that one out of context.)
The video display ranged from incomprehensible to downright hilarious, and the drinks - yes, I tried the pink martini - were delicious. The munchables definitely emphasized that this is a lounge and not an eatery, but that's cool with me.
Why four stars? Basically just to annoy Kat - I'm hoping that the prospect of eventually making it five will drive her to do something even more amazing next time. Ball's in your court now, Kat :)
I'll close by saying that somewhere out there is a picture of Dave R. posing with a pizza pocket (see what I mean about the munchables?) that was sitting in a bar stool. We could only imagine that either someone had sat on the pocket previously, or had anthropomorphized it to the extent that it needed a drink. A thousand Internets to the first person to shed sufficient light on this.Listed in: CMYEs and UYEs I've attended
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Review from Bryan G.
Toronto, ON
9/17/2009
First of all, really liked the venue, though I'm partial to going to places that have patios while it's still patio season (as a dude, this is definitely still patio season). It's out of the way enough to scare off the popped collars but still completely accessible so it's easy enough to get to. Good size, fun atmosphere, decent staff...all good.
Met lots of cool new people and said hi to lots of others I've seen a few times before at other Yelp events. More than anything, I'm really starting to get the community feel from these events. It's taken a bit of time as it was bound to but I definitely feel that we're coming together. It's cool. Not gay. Well, not too gay.
Would have preferred a fully open bar to drink tickets but I'm a drunk so that shouldn't really be a surprize. Bartenders were friendly and attentive and as usual, Kat was always there to buy a shot, introduce new Yelpers and generally keep things fun.
The food was bad. There's nothing Elite about President's Choice frozen food line. Oh well, I'm sure that'll be rectified for next event.
Overall, another good Yelp experience, mostly made so by the people in attendance. Good job Kat, good job Yelpers. -
Review from Ariel G.
9/17/2009
Very nice venue. The drinks were said to be good. I tasted the signature drink, but found it too sweet.....but to each his/her own.
The bartenders were fun very service oriented, and the crowd was the highlight. It is nice to meet fellow yelpers and have have some "face time".
This is not the place to review food...but if I must...but....no I will not......
Thank you to the lovely Kat for a nice evening. I am not sure whether more drinks would have made it better, but it was great fun anyway. -
Review from Chris P.
9/17/2009
First off, I'm not going to compare this to the first one because really, there is so much excitement because its the first that things can get skewed.
- The Pink Gloves were really yummy, but just slightly on the sweet side.
- The pron on the walls was a little to explicit for my taste
- Meeting new l33ts was great, though I didn't really get around to talking to as many people as I would have liked.
- I thought the food was ok for where we were. I downed waaaay to many of the mystery meat meatballs.
The best part of the night was dealing with the vagrant that was trying to get in and wondering how he could join our "secret society". The story made for a good icebreaker for the rest of the night.
I look forward to the exciting Elite events to come!Listed in: Since the beginning
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Review from Katrina L.
Richmond Hill, ON
9/17/2009
I'm not gonna lie, this elite event just wasn't up to par with the last one. I don't know if it was the drink tickets which limited the consumption of alcohol or the fact that the weather was cooling or maybe it was the crazy old school porn that was projected not just on the wall but on the bar as well.
Had a good time, saw people that I met at the last event but for the most part a lot of people were anti-social and stuck to their own groups which is not what yelp is all about.
Food was okay...but I felt like I was eating the mystery meat that they serve at the cafeteria every Tuesdays.
It was a great venue and I still had a great time even with the sweltering heat and the sausages hanging every where.Listed in: Yelp Made Me Do It
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Review from sarah l.
9/17/2009
I always like the events Kat throws, and this event was no exception - the venue was, and I won't go back to Laide.
The good:
- awesome people! (great to see you Carmen, Chris, Jay, Susan, Daniel, Randy, Christine, Hana, Bryan, Mike!)
- good signature drinks
- unlimited yelp stick
The bad:
- it was really hot in there, even before it filled up with people
- it was too dark for me to see other people's name tags and I didn't want them to think I was staring at their chests/breasts so I had a hard time recognizing people I wanted to meet (even though I did wear my glasses!)
- The food. A warm-ish pizza pocket.
The weird-and-i-didn't-like-it:
- The projected porn was really... more graphic than the porn I expected to see projected. And... ya. It was kinda gross even for old porn. There was a lot of body hair. It was also the same movie/clips on loop, and they were pretty... yucky.
I always like to see fellow yelpers (and I've met a bunch of you at crawls, other events and UYEs) and always like to check out new places. Laide wasn't somewhere that I would want to go back to, but to each his own! -
Review from Amanda A.
Toronto, ON
9/17/2009
A big thank you to Kat for arranging this and being so organized! This was my first elite event, it was nice to see everyone though I do admit I'm pretty shy so I didn't talk to as many people as I wish I would have.
I really liked the drinks, they were very tastey and the bartenders were friendly and quick.
This is not the type of venue I would normally go to, but it is neat to see what is in Toronto and try new places. I liked the laid back, casual atmosphere and I really liked the chandeleir over the bar. It got dark, quick, though and I found myself unsure if I could recognize yelpers from their profile pictures, and I was also unable to read their name tags.
The yelp "swag" is so cool! I am really impressed with the tshirt, lip balm, nail file.. how cool!
I hope to make it out to another elite event soon! -
Review from Hana B.
9/16/2009
This was a fun hot night. The drinks were like liquid raspberry candy. The venue wasn't AS scandalous as i had imagined, but i guess i was facing away from the wall projecting porn. hehehe.
Lot of new as well as familiar faces, wish i wasnt so busy being near a fan and talked to more people. But i guess the next elite event is coming up soon!
Thanks for organizing this Kat :) -
Review from Helen L.
Toronto, ON
9/16/2009
My first Yelp elite event was hot hot hot!
Those pink martinis sounded so good that even my mostly beer drinking boyfriend ordered one! It was nice to see other Yelpers in person even though we didn't stay long enough to talk to most people as we needed to go grab dinner and those veg springrolls just wasn't cutting it.
Gold stars for the Yelpstick. How cute!
Overall, a great event and I look fwd to the next one! Thanks for the free drinks, Yelp! -
Review from Christine C.
Etobicoke, ON
9/16/2009
It was a hot night on Adelaide Street when the yelpers got together! Pink drinks in martini glasses, hot sausage on the bar, girls who love to eat meat and porn projected on the wall. Does life get any better than that? The Laide Lounge was steaming hot and the yelp fans were a flapping. Great to see my buddies and even nicer to meet some new faces (a shout out to new Toronto transplant Mitch!). The bar staff rocked and what fun banging back shots with them :) Thanks for setting up another fun event Kat. My only comment for improvement would be gotta work on those snackies! Solidified pizza pockets are kinda scary.
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Review from Jennifer W.
9/15/2009
sexy little lounge. it was so hot and steamy, i took off (some of) my clothes. ;-)
toronto elites are a small but fun crowd! -
Review from vivian v.
Aurora, ON
9/17/2009
well what the hell. kat is such a phenomenal hostess. but we all know that right? so down to the nitty gritty.
i'm horrible at being social, so me and my plus one hung out at one of the back booths, which apparently was just under the porn being played so i missed all the fun of that. i got drunk pretty quick from extra drink tickets being handed my way (thank you marie f!). i might be a light weight but that vodka soda took me all night to drink as it was 90% vodka 10% soda.
got to talk to a few new people once i had the social juice in my blood and i apologize to anyone i might have seem obnoxious to. i mean, i am obnoxious but i try to wait until the fourth meeting to show that.
i minus a star because i STILL don't have my elite tshirt or my dog bandanas. so kat, keep that in mind if you want a happy yelper.
i do love the yelp merch, and i usually collect a bunch at these things. i'm making a yelp shotglass collection, what of it.
also, i think i'm one of the people that doesn't mind the fact that there were drink tickets. it gave more options to what i can drink (especially as a non beer drinker) so i didn't have to stick to just mojitos this time. but damn, those martini's were the SHIT.
loved it. -
Review from Shari M.
Toronto, ON
9/15/2009
Hello...the raspberry martini....saweet jehusus was like candy. Do you think they will come to my apartment and make them for me everyday?!
Listed in: Bottom's Up!
