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Yelp's Ping Pong Ball
- Hours:
Mon 7 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
51 reviews for Yelp's Ping Pong Ball
50 reviews in English
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Review from Emily H.
2/2/2012
My first elite event ever, and guys, what a way to start! Vivek, you've set the bar so high for me and I'm super excited to see how you'll top that (hint: AMAZING RACE)!!! Spin was a great idea for a venue. I think everyone's been meaning to check it out so thank you Vivek for bringing all of us there.
Although I am not a big ginny-gin-gin drinker, I did enjoy trying potential new cocktails for Spin. It made me feel relatively important to be part of a decision process (yay democracy... shh, I forgot to vote). I really enjoyed the brewskies although I wished there wasn't such a large crowd in front of the bar. Other Yelpers have already mentioned this that the bartenders really could have streamlined the process a little more (delegate one cocktail per bartender and keep bustin' it out? Seems oh-so-logical...) but huge props to the bartenders for their positive attitude throughout the night. Food was a little lacking, but hey, I'm not one to complain the existence of any free food! And yes, Yelpers know best - the grilled cheese was indeed very yummy.
And bonus HIGHLIGHT of the night: bumping into a coworker and discovering she has been an undercover Elite Yelper all along - shout outs Erin B!!!Listed in: Food-Free February Challenge!
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Review from Oliver G.
Mississauga, ON
3/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was invited to this place by some Elite Friends for one of the Yelp events. Although I did not experience much of the food varieties, we did have some appetizers throughout the experience. The best ones were these gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, which basically vanished into thin air as soon as they were brought out to the crowd (well, I guess 'vanish' is not the word because they can't just disappear but they did go very quickly...).
The ping pong (or table tennis - for the fancy people) tables were nicely set up around the back room to allow for enough space for the players. There were buckets of ping pong balls right near the table so if you lost one you wouldn't have to go fetch it somewhere under someone else while you ever-so-gently interrupt their game... No, there was an unlimited amount of balls (enough to not run out is what I mean).
I have not been back to this place after the event but it would be cool to try out!
I am a really good ping pong-er so I would like to go back and play some more rounds.
Cool place, definitely something new and fun. I cannot comment much on the staff since during the event they were all really busy and not very attentive, as they were bombarded with a thousand (maybe 10 or so) questions and orders at a time.
Cool lighting and cool bathrooms! -
Review from William T.
Scarborough, ON
2/14/2012
Hosted at Spin Galactic, a very interesting venue, great staff, good drinks & lots of ping pong tables!
Meatballs & pints of the house beer were great accompaniments while I tried to maneuver my balls into the opponents goal zone.
My thanks to Vivek & his supporting staff for making such a fun & interesting event! -
Review from Jane M.
2/12/2012
This is only my second Yelp Elite event. I would class myself on the wrong side of moderately popular (it's the sickly monitor than, it scares the children), but I seem to always be busy when Vivek plans these things, so I was really, really happy to be able to go to this one!
Spin is a great place, especially for an event. In fact, I only know three or four people who've been and it's always been for work or social events where the venue was booked out in advance. Clearly, the people at Spin Galactic are party people!
This was my second time there and, as always, the Ballers* were on the top of their game. As with my first visit, I was impressed with this touch. In all honesty, they could just have you pick up your own balls, but they don't. Heck, they could charge you for a bucket of balls based on the fact that they have to pay the Ballers* to clean up after you, but they don't. This is a huge plus in my book.
Minus one star for two reasons:
1) I had anticipated this, but the bar was a bit nuts. I thought things definitely could have been more efficient if they pre-made cocktails or made in bulk periodically throughout the night. I'm no booze scientist (my badge says 'researcher'), so maybe this wouldn't have been possible due to mixing and settling and other very important factors, but I'm sure it would made things faster. That said, the bar staff were amazing. I can't even imagine how they coped with us all.
2) The food was not as good as I remember (despite some of it being the same but funsized). On my first visit, I was there as a regular customer (no party or event or anything fancy) and it was really excellent. I can't really pin-point what was wrong, it just wasn't the same. Maybe it's because I'm convinced tiny food (taps, hors devours, sliders) have no place in this world. Either way, it was still good, but not quite on par with what I had last month.
All said and done, an excellent night. I really couldn't have picked a better spot for a Yelp event. My +1 had a great time (though I think he was sad his nametag identified him as such and not one of the anointed), too. He even managed to review before me! Good doggie! I met some new friendys too (my goal for the night). I even got to talk to another Irish person. Success!
Thanks for a great night, Vivek!
*I've given them this name as I think it adequately conveys their level of bad-assery -
Review from Roma M.
1/31/2012
FUN! One has to wonder just how Vivek thinks up the theme for our next Elite event. The themes are always different, venues are anything but dull and the contests/games are always a hoot.
SPiN is a pretty cool concept in a pretty douchy location, so it should come as no surprise that the main area is sprinkled with douchness to the core, and a special non-douchy room was reserved for totally not-douchy Yelpers.
So the concept was fun to feel out in our secrecy but I wonder if I'll get make it out soon to really soak up the douchy glory another time.
The drinks were pretty awesome. Loved the Tiny Ten, -Tenacious was not so delicious in it's limey splendour. The food was delicious, loved the almost mythical (in that the entire plate was emptied in less than 30 seconds) veggie tacos. Though they were short-staffed, the bartenders worked seamlessly to deliver.
Loved seeing Renata, Fabio, Kelly, Danielle, Nicole H, Dave, Steph L, Stephanie C, Jennifer K, Mariko, Fern, Bijan and Denise.
Shout-out to 'new' Yelpers I met: Edwin and Melinda.
Now maybe my +1 will join Yelp.Listed in: Elite Event Congregations
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Review from Dave M.
1/31/2012
Thanks yet again to Vivek for providing us with party funtimes!
I really liked the venue, though from what I hear about the prices on a regular day, it may be too rich for me to return :( Alas, I had a blast at this event.
The drinks were all great (except for the 3rd blue drink...kind of gross), and the bartenders did a fantastic job of not getting stressed out despite the big crowd and the time it took to mix each drink.
Some shout-outs:
-New photographer Jamie. That was one funny introduction!
-Lauren, Lilly, Jennifer K, and Tara. A blast to be around as usual.
-Chris P and her +1. I WILL find out how I know that guy! Arrghh, lol.
-Roma aka Deb. Watch out for my nametag at the next one, lol.
-Nicole H. NASA called, and they found some of your ping pong balls on the moon :)
-Fern and Cara. You guys are crazy fun, and can't wait to talk again at the next one. Thanks for the beer, haha.
And a shout to the Yelpers I met for the first time and were all great: Danielle, Renata, Mariko, Sara KP, Ian, and Sonya. Can't wait to talk to you guys again.
Thanks again Vivek. Good times. -
Review from Natalie T.
East York, ON
1/30/2012
VIBE
So other than the Yelp event, it's men in suits without their jackets and a girl in a Marlboro tank top playing ping pong. I'll never look that hot playing ping pong.
Holy, there are a lot of Yelpers here! And since I was christened Elite today, I felt like I belonged. Hallelujah! Ava Maria. Sing to the heavens.
Good music but it's mainly five stars because of the great community that Yelp Elite (and its twitter-hanger ons) that it is. Shout outs to Dave Forde, Meg Button, Dan Levy, Melanie C, Jennifer K, Susan G., Justin H, Ken S (lover of puns), Vicki (@momwhoruns). and of course, our fearless yet soft spoken without a mic leader, Vivek.
Thanks for introducing me to the wild and wonderful world of Yelp!
WE ATE/DRANK
Well, if I could get to the plate in swift record time before the food was gone, yeah it was pretty decent. Not a lot of flavour to be honest but very hot and fresh out of the oven! I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it. Was that harsh?
The drinks were a bit potent but the beer got me sufficiently tipsy and giggly. But a good joke will do that. Fellas?
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
Elite, you spin me right round baby right round.Listed in: King West and environs
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Review from Sara K. P.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2012
Balls, Balls, Balls Egads!!! There was more ball-in-face action here than at a NAMBLA tea-bagging meet and greet! I digress...
This Yelp event was off the chain, why?
Oh I'll tell you why
1) Free booze - there was some great cocktail action with tantalizing libations like the Tenacious, Tiny Ten and my fave the Pomegranate Spirit ( the anti-oxident properties cancels out the gin right?) All my meds aside, the tasty drinks made me embrace my inner "Valley of the Dolls" Don't worry I woke up in my own house this morning so all is good!
2) Free stuff like food (swoon - Hickory devilled egg!) Yelp novelties, and some lucky duck even won a Wolfgang Puck Rice burner! Wtf?
3) Most importantly all the amazing Yelp peeps I got to shmooze with! How awesome was it to also watch fellow Yelpers try and work a paddle while they were blitzed! No worries, I won't name names!
I would like to send some shout-out Yelp love to;
the AMAZING couple Edwin & the lovely but devastating with a Ping-Pong paddle :) Tamara - You two make Brad and Angelina look like Bennifer! Seriously you're are an awesome pairing!
Chris P- Thank-you for braving the bar line-up to nab us some hooch and bringing your epically charming +1 Gary...so many head jokes...I just couldn't stop!
Wayne C - For his illuminating conversation on the philosophy of crafting quality Yelp reviews, I felt like a young Jedi being schooled by a Yelp Obi-Wan..bring the knowledge!
Dishan - my new fellow comedy loving Yelp friend! Thanks to you I been watching this allday http://www.iviewtube.c... Mad peace Yo!
Dave M - all that talk about nipples had me craving Hershey's Kisses for some reason?
A special shout-out to some new Yelp faces from Paris, Jeremy and Mark. Welcome to T.O. fellas, don't worry winter will soon be gone :)
Thank-you Vivek for a night of balls, drinks and Yelp lovin! -
Review from Fern H.
1/31/2012
An awesome evening of friends, drinks and balls flying directly at my face - just another regular Monday night for me.
Tried two of the gin cocktails. The 'Spirit' one was my favourite.
Super excited to see all the Hop City beers on tap. The Lawn Chair was my new discovery from the summer so one sip made me forget about the blowing snow in the dead of winter outside. With all that great beer on tap, I'm surprised that no rounds of beer pong broke out.
Food wise, I tried the soft tacos, grilled cheese, rice krispie treat and the devilled eggs.
SPiN is a cool venue and spacious with lots of elbow room. It makes a great event space and a nice alternative to all the clubs in the area.
And if you're wondering where I got my moves, I learned them all from this movie:
Ping Pong Playa - http://www.youtube.com...
Thanks to Vivek for putting together a paddlin' good time! -
Review from Steph L.
1/31/2012
Grab a paddle, a Yelp sweatband, and get ready to party Elite style!
A big thanks to Vivek, Melanie, and the rest of the Yelp crew for hosting such a hands-on and fun event!
It was my first time at Spin and it was totally bumpin' for a Monday night.
There were a lot of suits here, grabbing a beer or wanting to slap a little orange ball around. There were a few tables of regulars playing some seriously intense ping pong.
The first place I headed for was the bar.
No surprise but the bar was super busy!
I thought it was a great idea to have us vote for our favourite drink.
I liked the blue one! =)
There were lots of snacks and Pop chips! All that pinging and ponging can work up an appetite.
* Grilled cheese was served piping hot and oozing with delicious, melty cheesiness
* Meatballs - There was no shortage of balls at this event
* Veggie tortilla was light and fresh and full of crispy veggies
Great crowd, tasty bites, free-flowing drinks, and balls speedily flying at your face.
What a great start to the 2012 Yelp year! =) -
Review from Karl R.
1/31/2012
If you ever wanted to know what life was like working at a dot com circa 1999-2002, well, Yelp's Ping Pong Ball was pretty much an exact simulation. Lots of ping pong tables in a funky minimalist space, lots of free food and libations, lots of people standing around talking about their ski vacation.
They were good times, good times.
And last night was a good time and not only because the bags of pop chips I stuffed into my satchel at night's end had more value than my dot com stock options before I gave up the dream.
The food was appropriately bar foodie. The rice crispy squa...wedges were a nice surprise. The space was wide and gave one a lot of room to move around. In the words of Sir Mix-A-Lot, I like the wide ones. Or something like that. I loved too each table had a big bucket of ping pong balls. Nothing worse than only having one ball and having to go running for it after a side spin serve gone wrong. -
Review from Behrouz M.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2012
There was something really different about this event... As we walked in, we quickly realized that we had to be very careful for two reasons:
1) to avoid getting anybody's balls in our faces! and,
2) not to step on anybody's balls...
which was fine until maybe after the second round of booze!
Highlights:
- Balls, booze, and more balls and booze. This was a very original and engaging event.
- Good variety of finger foods. The grilled cheese sandwiches were awesome!
- Great choice of venue. And considering the number of patrons, the staff were more than capable of managing the crowd.
- And of course the few rounds of ping pong!
A big thank you to Vivek S. and the Yelp team for organizing this! Thanks to everyone else at the event for such a fun evening! I had a fantastic time as a +1+1! (Thanks to Payam Z)
P.S. Did anybody lose their balls last night by any chance? I found a couple of extra ones in my pocket just now! -
Review from Yvonne T.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Usually, anything that involves walking down an alley way is shady - but Yelp's Ping Pong Ball took me out of my comfort zone?
I'm guessing Ping Pong is the new cosmic bowling with all the glow-in-the-dark going on. I was surprised to see how much clientele a PP club could conjure out of a Monday evening. Any image of showing up to a nerd-infested venue were immediately quashed as the crowd seemed to be pretty happening.
At $40 a pop for non-members, thank you Yelp (and of course, Vivek) for letting us get our game on sans the price tag. I was not very smart and decided to try my hand at ping pong after 3... or was it 4 drinks and my team mates will probably vouch that my hand-eye coordination was non-existent.
The food - one minute you see it, one minute you don't! Fortunately I have eagle's eyes when it comes to food and managed to try the deviled eggs, a grilled cheese, meatballs, and tacos. And once again, Pop Chips made an appearance. Yay! I love these.
I tried all 3 drinks, and I must agree with most that the "Spirit" was my favourite.
Shout outs to Fern for introducing me to the Hop City Lawn Chair - I think you and I have to go out drinking more often.
Girl parts Chris P. - If you haven't gotten to know this sweet and awesome girl I encourage you to just say hi. She might even be generous and give you a hug.
Steph - I know I already told you this but I LOVED your top. I might just have to take a trip to South America now damit!
Brian Y - What is Urban Craze? Saw it on your t-shirt, and if I remember correctly, saw it on your +1's t-shirt. At the beginning of the night I was going to ask you, and a few drinks later it slipped my mind.
Karl R. - You served as a shameful reminder at how un-cool I was for not wearing anything white.
Penny - It was great meeting you. If you see this, add me as a friend. I can't seem to find you or maybe I'm still not totally awake.
@Vivek - Thank you for organizing such a great evening. Ping Pong + a prize of a personal Rice Cooker... Remember Russell Peter's comments about how the media puts stereotypes into your mind. They'll show you a picture of an Asian, and a car accident? Whatdya think? Lol.Listed in: God Yelp me!
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Review from Kent P.
1/31/2012
Oh that Vivek, up to his tricks again!
Nice venue space, great Tanqueray drinks, a few tasty snacks (I liked the rice crispy squares), plenty of helium balloons and ping-pong balls to snipe people, great friends and good food, see you tonight. The Keg. -
Review from Justin H.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2012
Respect to Kent P for the +1, although it is starting to get old. Like really old. I promise I'll start to up my Yelp game.
Anyways, Thanks again Vivek, and whoever else helped out with last night - it was a success, although I came home from the night with a busted up knee and a broken watch. -
Review from Stephanie C.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Last night I realized I shouldn't quit my day job to become a world champion ping pong player. Thanks to Vivek and his team for helping me come to that realization, and for organizing a fun party, the first of the new year.
I loved the Tanqueray drinks - Tiny Ten being a fave - and the array of food served were good too. Devilled eggs, veggie tacos, meatballs... oh, the meatballs!
Always great to see my favourite Yelpers: Danielle P, Kelly O, Nicole H, Renata, Fabio, Melanie C, Roma, Jennifer K, Steph L, Bijan, Payam and new Yelp friends like Anne and Ian. Looking forward to your company again! -
Review from Anni L.
2/1/2012
As I trudged my way through the snow, I wondered about the benefits of following through on a promise. I had promised to attend this event, and thus no matter what, I was going to follow through. I had been bogged down for 2 days by the flu working from home but the snowstorm wasn''t going to stop me from attending the long awaited Elite event of the month.
So we got there after a 5 minute walk through the ankle deep snow to be greeted by the door staff. They gave us a wristband and ushered us to the back room where the event was happening. We were immediately greeted and given a raffle ticket as well as a rundown of the drinks that we had to vote on for the night.
As per usual there was no shortage of Yelp paraphenalia, from paper fans, red tennis wrist bands, yelp buttons, red insulated cup holders were scattered across the room. We were also given name tags so that everyone in the room could properly identify each other and grievances could be provided in person for any controversial topics raised in the Talk forums.
As we proceeded to the Bar for a drink, the bartenders appeared to be "slammed" as one yelper noted. The line at the bar seemed to go into waves. Alas, finally, after a long waited moment, we were finally served our drinks. As I'm not a big drinker, I opted for orange juice as my +1 opted for the Hop city beer and a light red concoction. There was one turquoise blue concoction, and finally a yellow clear concoction. The cocktail drinks were no doubt made from Tanqueray gin, which was one of the big sponsors. As the bartenders hustled, waves of drinks were served to eager yelpers that were thirsty for a taste of the exotic mixes.
As for food, I managed to scarf down three meatballs served with a toothpick, covered by what appeared to be cranberry sauce. I also managed to get my hands on two veggie tortillas served on a wooden board with soft shells. Also, after much perseverance and brushing of elbows, I was able to grab a rice crispy square with some caramel-like sauce on the side. I also managed to taste a bag of Pop chips which were yummy but left me even more thirsty than I felt when i first arrived.
Aside from the food, I was able to mingle with some fellow elite yelpers and their +1s. Everyone was super friendly and some even recognized me from my comments in the Talk forums (yikes, maybe i should run and hide was my first instinct). I also managed to squeeze in one round of ping-pong as I paddled by way through a vast amount of fluorescent orange balls which were in abundance as staff were going around with a fish net scooping up balls from the ground to bring them to your table side. In my quest for a lost ping pong ball, I was scorned by a staff member for accidentally leaving my drink on one of the ping-pong tables.
Halfway through the all your can drink and all you can eat (provided you managed to score some of the food) event, they raffled off a secret prize which I believe turned out to be a rice cooker of some sort.
At the end of the night, I somehow ran into my co-worker who is a member there. I explained that I was sick and bed ridden the whole day but that I had come out for food and since i had already committed to going to the event weeks prior. He is a big fan of the place. Apparently membership is month to month at $30 a month and one hour games are $30 per hour but $15 per hour for members. Also, if you are a member, you get priority over the tables so you bump the non-members out of the wait list.
It is definitely a fun hang out of a different sort. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who is looking to do something other than the usual bar and club scene. Thanks Yelp from throwing this usual fabulous monthly event! -
Review from Anne B.
1/31/2012
I was thrilled to be invited to this event as I continue my quest to try to break into the elusive Elite society. It definitely lived up to - nay - I dare say it actually surpassed my already lofty expectations.
I enjoyed selecting my favourite of the 3 Tanqueray cocktails. I am relatively certain that it was a unanimous decision that the Spirit cocktail was far superior to the other two selections. I certainly hope they don't add the Tropical one to their menu...I couldn't even finish that one (trust me - that's a clear indication that something is drastically wrong with that concoction).
The ping pong was a huge hit with everyone as we all attempted to channel our inner Gump. It was particularly nice that you weren't even required to perform the arduous task of picking up balls that have gone astray. The fine folk at Spin Galactic do that for you with their ingenious ball picker-upper device! How delightful!
I must mention that the mini grilled cheese sandwiches and praline rice krispies treats were both absolutely delicious. I wanted to bathe in the caramel dipping sauce that accompanied the rice krispie treats. It was luxuriously sinful!
A big thanks to Vivek for another successful and fun filled event! :)Listed in: Yelp Events
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Review from Steeven L.
Etobicoke, ON
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Another fantastic Elite event made even better with ping pong!
The cocktails were great and so was the Hop City beers on tap. I think the creative cocktails might have been a little bit much with the bartenders and the volume of Yelpers in attendance but all in all it was great.
Those mini grilled cheese sandwich were amazing! The plates would come out and the food would be gone in less than a minute :P
Can't wait for the next one! -
Review from Lynn C.
1/31/2012
Awesome Event
Awesome Vivek
My first elite event and I'll be coming to many more.
My favourite part, aside from the open bar, is the music of the location.
I introduced my +1 to this event, and now he swears he'll have to review until he gets an elite membership.
Thanks Vivek!Listed in: Restaurants that Accommodate…
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Review from Renata R.
1/31/2012
Ping pong and drinks? Who would guess? I can't play ping pong, sorry, but I had a great time last night and had fun catching balls around the tables. I wasn't even drinking! The appetizers were really good, there was plenty of space for everyone and popchips were a great addition to the snacks, they are SO GOOD and much healthier than your average chips!
Great place, and as a plus, it's just across the street from my office! -
Review from Tamara M.
Toronto, ON
2/2/2012
Yelp's Ping Pong Ball was a blast! As a +1, I've been lucky to attend a few Yelp Elite events but this was definitely my favorite so far.
It was a great turnout, despite the cold snowy weather outside. Inside, it was happening as there was a constant crowd in front of the bar, and orange balls flying across tables set in a cool lounge atmosphere with beats in the background. The Tanqueray drinks were good, nice and strong, and I enjoyed them with the variety of food there, especially the grilled cheese sandwiches and meatballs..yumm! Pop chips were good to snack on too, and I will think of Yelp events whenever I see them at the grocery store..hehe. Ping pong tables were busy most of the night, but I finally got to play near the end of the night, which after a few drinks put a new spin to the game and made it more fun ;)
Last but not least, it was the people that made the night. It was really nice to catch up with familiar faces as well as meet new ones, and look forward to seeing you all at future events.
Thanks goes to Vivek and his team for organizing such an awesome event! -
Review from Kelly O.
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
I can say without a doubt this was my most favourite Elite event... EVER!!! Why? Well for starters, what could be a better icebreaker than pelting fellow Yelpers with balls from across the room? I've never met so many great people over some flying balls in my whole life!
The drinks were also killer- and the best part was that the service at Spin kicks ASS. Like for reals. The staff are so cool that I want to be friends with them and I want them to like me, really, really like me! And they actually seemed to like their jobs and have fun! It was great.
The food was tasty (hello- rice krispies with caramel sauce?! Grilled cheeses! Awesome sauce!)
It was dynamite hanging with the classic Yelp crew and meeting so many great newbies like Patrick and Behrouz!!!
Thanks to Vivek and Spin for the BEST EVENT EVER! -
Review from Edwin A.
1/31/2012 5 photos
Spin Galactic is just off the King St W strip. It is a dimly lit venue in a basement and has a minimalist bar / gymnasium look.
That evening the staff were 'serving up' an array of snacks which I was fortunate to try. The service was as good as it possibly could get, bartenders were hard at work mixing drinks for this thirsty yelp crowd.
After 9, I decided to try my hand at ping pong under the influence. :) Our table didn't have enough paddles to go around for a doubles match so we brilliantly at the time substituted it with a paper yelp paddle. Needless to say that was an epic fail moment. lol
Shout outs to all yelpers in attendance. Sorry didn't get a chance to talk to everyone. Time flies when you're having fun. :)
Vivek and Yelp thank-you!! -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I don't play Ping Pong! I had fun at this Yelp event pretending I am playing Ping Pong!
The PADDLE for me is like a "weapon"... Sorry Karl R, I practised that on you...
The FOOD looked good but I was full.. hard to believe that I was full... but they smell good.. OK I tried the devil eggs and the meatballs......
The DRINKS... Thanks for all these nice Yelpers that got me my drinks as I hardly waited in line to get mine! You know who you are! XOXOXO
The PEOPLE as awesome as usual... I wish I can talk to every single one of you but you all seemed to be busy playing Ping Pong or waiting in line for the drinks?!
Until the next one.... What are we going to do next?! I hope we are sky diving or something?!Listed in: February 2012 Challenge!, I love being a Yelp Elite!
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Review from Nicole H.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Well, ping my pong. I never thought i'd find myself in a bar on King drinking gin cocktails, let alone a ping pong bar - another point for Yelp adventures.
While I couldn't partake of most of the Spin-provided snacks, I thought they were terrific & creative - tacos, grilled cheeses and little sausage rolls (I smell an Australian working there..). Lovely as always to see the Pop Chips crew there - I think they might be sprinkling something special on those chips, they're so good.
As far as the gin cocktails went, I was surprised as i'm not a drinker of gin in general, but they were mixed very well. The reddish coloured "Spirits" option was far and away my favourite, I hope it ended up winning in the button vote! The bar staff were champs keeping up with our frantic shouts of "Tiny! Tenacious! Spirits!" and for that I bow to them.
Now to the main event and activity - ping pong! I guess Spin's got it down as basically a version of a pool hall but with pong tables. There's plenty of space to move and strut your stuff around the tables - and I wasn't one to let the boundaries of a simple table confine my ball skills either. (Sorry to those at neighbouring tables...) I was a little sad we had a cut-off of ponging at 9 as well as the bar - I could've been convinced to stay & drink and play longer, but I understand their need to turn those tables around. That's my only reason for knocking down a star, really.
Three cheers to all of the Yelpers I hung with and chatted briefly, it was fantastic to see ALL of you. Fabio, Renata, Steph, Elaine, Fern, Kelly O, Roma, Karl, Danielle, Dishan, Dave M, and some lovely new folks like Ian and Mariko. Yay! I even got in some time harassing Kent P at the bar. I got to ping some pong with Danielle & Dave M, plus I even won a game or two against my sweetie/+1 Adam M. Victory!! Special thanks, as always, to Yelpmeister Vivek. You're the dude, dude.
So I have to wonder, who's going to corner the market in a beer pong bar, next? -
Review from Chris P.
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Another great Elite event and the first in Toronto that had some physical activity to it also.
While I'm not a fan of gin I did try one of the cocktails, the pink one, what ever that was. The beer however was great. I drank Barking Squirrel (Amber ale) for the most part but gave the wheat beer a shot also. While I skipped out on most of the food I did snag a grilled cheese and a rice krispy square. Both were tasty but nothing to really write home about.
When coming to the event I was curious as to how the whole thing would work. Normally Elite events are packed, but when you add it flying balls and swinging paddles I was sure there was going to be a mishap or two. I was wrong. The area was quite spacious and yes, while some errant balls (did I really just say "errant balls"?) landed in some clusters of people it really wasn't a big deal.
What loses a star for me was the line at the bar. While I've been to enough elite events now that I know what to expect, I was surprised that the staff weren't a little more organized by having some of the cocktails pre-mixed or some way of banging them out in larger quantities. Nevertheless, the staff were great the whole night and did their best with what they had to work with.
Thanks for another great event Vivek.
A shout out also to my +1 Lauren for making the night even classier by ending it with some tequila shots.
February Food-Free Yelping Challenge 1/29Listed in: Food-free Challenge, Since the beginning
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Review from Jen C.
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Who knew ping pong could be so cool?!
Corporate team building, casual customers, and some pro-looking players all converge on this subterranean venue. Black light, wallpainting, and funky art displays give this spot an eclectic vibe. Add in alcohol to the mix and this becomes an interesting and dynamic place to spend the evening.
But that's the venue. The party? Lots of crazy drinks, plentiful nibbles, and great people. Great to mingle around and check out this interesting space. This evening's shout-outs go to Ev C, Mark B, Tony, Jeremy Z, and Lindsay C for being great company! And of course, Vivek. Another awesome event in the bag! -
Review from Michelle G.
Toronto, ON
PING PONG! How can that go wrong? Jordan C and I had been talking about Spin Galactic the night before so when the invite appeared in my inbox that morning I couldn't say no. I had a great time, thanks for the +1 Vivek and the super mega slow high five.
As per usual, I never really know anyone at these Elite events, but it was nice meeting Dave C for the first time and seeing Australian Nicole H and her beau again. As per usual, I ate my weight in delicious salty Pop chips.
There were a few drinks being tested, a red, blue, and yellow. Sure, they had actual names, but the only two that stuck in my head were the Tiny Tim and the Tenacious (blue) - I'm going to reveal my vote - it was the blue one! I also tried Hop City's Mr. Huff, and while I'm not a big fan of beer, it was a resounding okay.
Watching professionally dressed suits playing Ping Pong like they were in the olympics, was totally enjoyable.
Loved the art on the walls.
I think it would be great to visit Spin Galactic another time with a small group of friends. -
Review from Catherine L.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2012 1 photo
Shoutout to Denise S - returning her shoutout to me! I feel like a celebrity :)
So I have to profess a certain bias up front...
I WON THE RAFFLE!
While I already have a rice cooker, I didn't have a Wolfgang Puck Versa Cooker! Here's what it does: Perfect for active, on-the-go singles, this easy-to-use multi-purpose cooker provides a 1-1/2-cup capacity for individual servings of a variety of different foods. Make anything from oatmeal or scrambled eggs to macaroni and cheese, soup, or up to 3 cups of cooked rice. It'll even bake a cake. How awesome is that? So I have to say, my night ended up pretty good!
While I didn't get to try the ping pong tables, and the food was a bit lacking (translation: if you weren't stalking the kitchen entrance and followed whoever came out with food, chances are you didn't get much food), I did enjoy the drinks and atmosphere. And the grilled cheese sandwiches, when I did get my hands on one, were quite delish! No Kraft singles used in this one! -
Review from Mariko M.
1/31/2012
Woohoo! As good as it gets!
Need I say more? -
Review from Leslie W.
1/31/2012
BOTTOM LINE: Nothing like pounding back those cocktails and smashing (or getting smashed by) those balls!
Although I came as a +1, this was my first Yelp as an elite (just got it last week - the system works!)!
Thanks Vivek for organizing another amaze-ball event! I recognized a bunch of peeps from before and met some new ones. The venue was uber-spacious and fit what must have been the largest event I've attended so far. There were plenty of ping pong tables, benches and bar space. I like gin - a lot - and the Tiny Ten was my favourite. I like beer - even more - and got to try some of the Hop Addict Brown Ale, which was delicious (on to the IPA next...). Though there was no beer pong, you can't go wrong with drunken ping pong! Can't wait for the next event...what a way to start 2012! -
Review from Alex K.
1/30/2012
In terms of the Yelp event, I liked the nametags, little gifts, included drinks, and snacks. I do wish that Vivek spoke a bit louder though, as he was a bit hard to hear when he was announcing who the winner was of the prize pack :-) Also, I think it would've helped if there were more bar menus before getting to the bar so you could decide easier while in line.
As for SPiN as a venue, the environment was club-like in terms of lighting an over-all vibe, yet not very loud like the usual club. One of the washroom stalls' locks was broken which I wasn't a fan of and one of the taps turned the opposite way it typically would, so I wasn't a fan of the washrooms in the party area. Over-all however, there was good opportunity of ping pong play as well as socializing.
Overall, had a lot of fun. Had some chips and got a chance to test a few of the drinks while sharing.
Spent a good amount of time ping ponging and a bit socializing.
The ping ponging wasn't bad. The rackets weren't the best of quality, so if you're a bit more of a pro, remember to bring yours, as I did ;-) Otherwise, it was nice to play without having to worry about chasing after the balls when they got off the table, although that did as well result in a bit of stepping on them while walking to the washroom. I'd rather have the former ;-)
The Yelp event was over-all pretty good. I wish I got a chance to try more of the hors-d'oeuvres as only one of the many trays I heard were around, passed near me.
So in conclusion, I'd definitely attend another Yelp event, and I'm very likely to be giving Yelp another visit. -
Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2012
Although I didn't get there until it was over, I had a great time!
Haha, I enjoyed seeing everyone that was still there, and it seemed like everyone was having fun pinging and ponging!
It was nice to see some new faces, and chatting with old ones :)
Thanks Vivek! I hope to see you all soon!Listed in: Yelp Elit-ing with the best
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Review from Tara Z.
2/1/2012
Great party, though the drink line-ups were ridiculous! Fortunately the food was plentiful, the people were wonderful (as always), and the ping pong was too fun (I got popped in the back more than a few times when standing too close to a table!)
All in all, a great start to a new Yelp year! -
Review from Melinda M.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2012
Ping pong, pop chips and gin! What a way to spend a snowy winter night! Thanks, Vivek, for choosing such a great venue and throwing such a fun party.
As my +1 Brian mentioned, it was nice to have so much room at a Yelp event. I got there early enough to meet some new people and try my hand at ping pong. Loved the bucket of balls, although I did step on a few walking around, and had to watch my ankles from turning. Good news, no accidents!
Spin is a great place for a different night out.Listed in: Elite Events
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Review from Kat K.
2/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Color me impressed by my first "elite" event. Great company, Good food, and Comp. Drinks - in a way you can't really ask for more.
The venue was pretty cool - I mean, who knew there was a ping pong hall in Clubland?
The feel of this place is a mash-up of cosmic bowling/pool hall - with a pretty good bar set up.
They've got a good set up of like 6 tables set-up for our Table tennis playing enjoyment.
For me, nervousness abound - because it was the first elite event for me, not to mention the largest Yelp event I've ever been to.
Check in was easy and simple - a standing ovation to our CM Extraordinaire for organizing and finding such a neat venue to kick off the first Elite event of 2012.
It's definitely a venue to consider for special events - because a Ping Pong lounge, definitely a One-up on your regular bowling alley.
Food was pretty good - when you could get at it. I tried the deviled eggs and the grilled cheese, they were pretty good.
Drinks - I only had one, because I drove - but the one that I did have was pretty good. But it was dangerous, because you couldn't taste the alcohol. -
Review from Joe H.
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Ah Gad, it took me forever to get to this review but this place was amazing! Seriously, I didn't even know places like this existed. I thought I was an extra in the balls of fury movie. Ten big ping pong paddles up for Vivek for showing us these places. I'm actually surprised at all the people that said they've heard about this place before... weird.
I didn't really eat much of the food, but I did try the devil'ed eggs which were alright I guess. I was pretty impressed with the lineup of beers they had on tap. It was kinda weird cause you didn't really know what you were getting unless you asked for the spiel. I mean, "I'd like the squirrel one please" (which was amazing, it was an amber ale).
Again, loved the fact that it was a totally different experience. Never knew how intense people were about ping pong. I mean, I saw someone switch out the rubber on his paddle halfway though a match... Intense... -
Review from Chris P.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
While this was not my first elite event it was a somewhat momentous occasion for me as it marked the first elite event in which I was not the plus one but I BROUGHT a plus one!1 How fabulous is that?? Well, it's almost as fabulous as who my plus one was, none other than my good friend / pole dance trainer / pole dance idol Gary H. Thank to to all my yelper nearest and dearest for making him feel welcome!! He had a blast and so did I.
So as usual I completely missed all the eats that were circulating around. Everyone always talks about how there is stuff to eat at the elite events however I always miss it. Oh well. No one ever said it was easy being me.
It looked like everyone was really enjoying thier ping pong matches. I just tried to keep an eye out for any stray flying balls. I was worried that at some point in the night someone might lose an eye, thankfully I don't think that happened.
I forget the name of the gin martini type drink that I sampled however it was very good, very tart and tangy and not too overpoweringly boozey. I also forget which beer I had but it was also very good, very bold tasting and not too fizzy. Hmm maybe drinking makes me forget things??? Nahhhhh.
As always though the company was what made this shindig so divine! It was so awesome to see all the familiar faces and also so awesome to meet all the new faces.
I do have to take a moment here to give a big shout out to Yvonne T. who gave me the best compliment I've ever gotten by saying 'Everyone knows Chris P is the sweetest girl on yelp.' Seriously Yvonne, that was the nicest thing ever. I think we should all take a nod from Yvonne and pay someone you know a really uplifting compliment. We all can use a little more positive evergy in our lives!!! -
Review from neesa r.
2/1/2012
super cool event!
I was thinking the other day - where haven't yelp elite events happened yet.... and where would it be amazing for these events to happen... and here you go! another one and in such a different and interesting venue!
I also thought that it would be impossible to get a table for a game. but friendly elite buddies shared the tables easily and then cheered on the side=)
separate mention to some fun and cool bartenders that were super friendly and everywhere ready for us=)
I wasn't crazy about the drinks... this time they were suuuuuper strong... I think for once I left the event tipsy hahaha=) and that on monday night?... yeah great start for a week=))
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