[PLEASE RSVP] 2012 PAX East D&D Fancy Dinner!

Robos A Go Go

I'd be fine with paying more, and in a lower-scale place I'd prefer to dress for the venue.

Eddy

So now you think you're better than us huh

Irond Will

I don't mind paying more. I like the idea of a "fancy dinner" since that is sort of a D&D thing.

I'll ask around a little more. I don't know if I'd recommend the North End since:

1) The restaurants are super-busy and they generally don't want groups hanging out after they finish
2) The food is entirely "italian-american" and very much hit-or-miss.

Then again, I don't know the North End very well - we eat there maybe twice a year - so I might just be unaware of a hidden gem of a restaurant.

Organichu

gotcha. still plenty of time. if nothing else, and people are ok with slightly higher prices, marliave can still serve as a fallback.

i'll keep y'all updated and if we can't collectively come up with something else within the next month or so, we can go ahead with last year's venue.

Bagginses

I remember there being cool places on the Blackstone Block, but I think they may have been pubs.

PantsB

There are nice places in the North End, but it only ranges from Italian to Italian-American food and its usually one of a) extremely casual but good food b) crap like you're eating Italian in Utah c) high end, good food but significantly more expensive than the Marliave(I'd expect more like $5x).

The same guy who owns the Marliave owns the Grotto, where my sister used to be the manager. It wasn't big enough for us last year IIRC so if we get a similar size it probably won't work.

I'll try to think of some other places. I don't mind a more expensive meal either but I know a lot of people coming up are still students or otherwise don't have a whole lot of income to dispose of when they're already spending to come to PAX

Eddy

For that kind of money you could get like, three big ole crack rocks

Bagginses

All the really good places I know are in Cambridge or the suburbs. That place above Grendel's Den is really good, though, if you want to make the trip and send that kind of money.

Organichu

my implicit thought- though, who knows, maybe people wouldn't mind cabbing it up- is that the restaurant ought to be reasonable walking distance from the bcec and from the downtown hotels. well, reasonable for asthmatic neckbeards...

if no one else cares about a long walk or a cab or the T then i know i don't

PantsB

The convention center is fairly isolated so that might be tough. A reasonable cab ride seems more a normal standard (which still rules out burbs, and kinda rules out Cambridge)

Organichu

well marliave to the bcec was what, 25 minutes? not bad at all.

TomeWyrm

If we plan accordingly and split cabs they wouldn't be that expensive. If we do decide to go to the Marliave or anywhere around it, arranging a few cabs may be necessary following the bar because the subway shuts down so early.

Organichu

yeah that's fine. i mean, i am basically up for whatever- i am just trying to think of whatever considerations could make it cheaper for the people who were 'on the edge', as it were, last year.

if everyone is fine paying a few bucks to pile up in a cab then i suppose it could really be anywhere in the city.

does that open up the options a little more?

i guess i also have to talk to someone who is old and rich and can pull off the deposit/cc hold. i don't mind doing the phone calls and the emails and setting up the menu and figuring out times and rsvp's and all. but i definitely can't do the financial end (aside from paying for my own seat, i mean )

Smaug6

You guys might want to check out Trade which is right near south station. It's classy/hip (young professional hip, not
Hipster) and the prices were reasonable last time I went. I can also recommend a few byob places around town if cost is a big issue (BYOB as in corking fee for your wine/hard liquor, not bring a keg).

EDIT: Also Les Zygomates and/or Sorriso may suit your needs. Both are near south station (the major public transportation hub near the convention center). Sorriso maybe too expensive, but Les Zygomates is right in the ballpark of 30 dollars for dinner.

So It Goes

Nichu I can put up some bucks if I have to, might be better to have a more local person do it


Here is Trade website: http://trade-boston.com/

Organichu

Smaug6 wrote:

You guys might want to check out Trade which is right near south station. It's classy/hip (young professional hip, not
Hipster) and the prices were reasonable last time I went. I can also recommend a few byob places around town if cost is a big issue.

i don't think people mind the alcohol costs, really. worst comes to worst they could just vacate to a bar after dinner. i was mainly looking to get the food price down. but honestly, it seems like no one's complaining! so maybe it isn't as big a deal as i thought. i'll give trade a call, though, since it's closer to the bcec.

Deebaser

people need to stop being poor imo.

Bootstraps, motherfuckers!

MulysaSempronius

that means you're paying, right?

Organichu

Ok!

So I've called around and after a few suggestions seemed unfeasible (either for distance/table service only/couldn't accommodate a party our size), it seems like two options are still feasible at the top.

The Marliave





pros:
-we've been there and know it's good
-it has good service and the bar is competent
-it's the cheaper of the two, at a prix fixe 'starting at $42'

cons:
-it's not as close
-we have to sit with peasants

---

Trade




pros:
-it's closer to the con... a mile on the nose, doable even for the most asthmatic of nerds
-we'd get our own private room
-

cons:
-prix fixe flat price of $55
-there is less choice... appetizers are family style for each table so we'd probably want to seat vegetarians together, plus entrees are only 2 choices. Since courtesy suggests we go with the veg entree as one choice, that would mean we'd have to decide whether we want poultry/fish/beef as the other

---

What do y'all think?

Any better ideas or else should we put these two to the vote?

So It Goes

I vote Marliave and we close the place down again

boom

Robos A Go Go

It's hard to say without knowing what the menu options actually are.

Organichu

I'm still waiting for the Marliave to contact me but this is the menu for Trade:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EJ_CDMJUq-6FqoMMC0RJLjENsx6Ij5Y9Qx3rh4cvpVY/edit

Eddy

It pains me to say it but the Marliave ... for now.

Eddy

The Trade menu is severely lacking and unimpressive. Artic char? Seared half chicken? I'm not god damn Cesar Chavez over here, fasting over grapes

My opinion has hardened

Premier kakos

Let's go to McDonalds and class the joint up with our fancy dress.

TomeWyrm

So It Goes wrote:

I vote Marliave and we close the place down again

boom

:^:

Robos A Go Go

Premier kakos wrote:

Let's go to McDonalds and class the joint up with our fancy dress.

That's what you do after prom if you aren't going to get laid that night.

Which is to say that's what I did after my prom, and I'll be damned if I'm going to relive that night.

Eddy

Robos... I'll...

I'll be your huckleberry

Robos A Go Go

Take me in your arms, make me feel like prom queen

Irond Will

Trade looks interesting but their menu isn't really grabbing me. Unfortunately I don't really know much around downtown - lately we've been sticking to Cambridge & Somerville. I know that there are a few other restaurants in Fort Point near drink, though I can't attest to their quality or anything. I guess I'm happy with the Marliave, though I wish I had another choice in my back pocket to try. If you need help with the deposit, let me know.

Casual Eddy

either way i'll be bring another eddy-secret-family-recipe bottle of gin water

visiblehowl

Another vote for the Marliave, pending a menu thingum.

Irond Will

I'm asking around at Abigail's as to whether they can host between 20 and 40 nerds for an event. It's not much further than the Marliave, is on the red line (which is a little easier to get to from the convention center and much more reliable than the green line), and I've enjoyed them lately.

Organichu

they do a cassoulet!?

intriguing

Irond Will

I had their cassoulet the other day. It was underwhelming. The sausage and confit were great, but the beans - which should be the centerpiece of the dish - were underseasoned and bland. Everything else I've had there has been great, though, and their bar staff is great.

Organichu

well the place looks really nice

schuss

Go to Citizens Public House. It's in the Fens area, but you have the option (with your group size) of getting a whole roast pig for your group. Oh, and they have many fine beers and whiskeys available.

Downtown is sort of... weird, as it's a lot of business-focused places and more casual after work places, or it's crap. Oh, or obscenely expensive (but delicious!).

Handgimp

I hope to make it to PAX East this year, and if I do I'd love to drink/class it up with you folks. Tuxedo and tophat okay? I'll see if I can swing a cane and monocle...

Organichu

you're more than welcome! mostly we are doing suits and dresses i think but whatever makes you feel most beautiful

let me know when you can rsvp more firmly

Smrtnik

What day would this be? I got my PAX ticket, and am attending solo so it would be neat to get to know more people.