How about a Chicago dopefest?

[dalej42]

I know I'm not the best person to suggest this, since I've only lived in Chicago for 2 months. I absolutely love it here and I think a Dopefest would be fun. I've attended Dallas and Phoenix dopefests in the past.

So, what do you think? I'll show my North side bias by suggesting the Lincoln Park area as a possible meeting place, although I"m open to anyplace within CTA access.

I'm open to pretty much any Saturday afternoon/evening weekend during the summer or early fall.

I like the idea of having it at a restaurant or a bar that serves food. Ideally a place with good beer on tap.

Anyone else interested?

If this should be in MPSIMS, please move.

[C K Dexter Haven]

Both Ed Zotti and I have gone to a few in the past. I'm game, depending on the date.

[Tim R. Mortiss]

I'll second your Lincoln Park recommendation, as I live there. But I'd attend wherever it was, if I could. How about Goose Island Brewery? There was a gathering there a few months ago, but unfortunately I was out of town.

[gaffa]

Anyone suggesting a place should make sure of several things:

That the location can handle a large group.
That the location can offer seperate checks.
That the location will seat the group where full meals are available to those that desire them.

This is based on the last Chicago Dopefest I attended, where the choice was a rooftop bar where only appetizers were served (presumably to make the tables turn over faster). The separate check are needed because some Chicago Dopers ducked out early on their bill, leaving the rest of up to foot the bill. I tossed in $80 to keep our host from having the eat the whole thing.

I love The Dope, but I no longer necessarily trust Dopers.

[Uncle Goat]

Dear lord, I thought this was about dope.... as in pot, weed, grass, MJ, ganga and reefer. But instead it's some kind of hippie face to face meeting. Either one works okay.

While meeting a restaurant is one thing, having a picnic out on the beach is an entirely different deal. Bring your Own Everything/Pot Luck takes the sting of feeling cheated out cash and being outside opens the possibility of lighting up, if anyone happens to smoke.

[Gundy]

Bah, never mind.

[DeepLiquid]

I keep looking for an excuse to head back up to Chicago, this might be a good reason. No preference on location, but I do know my way around the North side so that would be a plus.

[dalej42]

Wow, ducking out on your bill is a serious no no. Yeah, separate checks are a must. I always tip a bit more since I know large parties with separate checks are a pain.

[SeaDragonTattoo]

I could do a Sunday after 3pm. My schedule's a little unconventional.

[Lochdale]

Sounds like a good idea to me. We live in Lincoln Park so LP sounds good. There's a nice pub called the Galway Arms on Clark that has good food and drink and is multi-check friendly.

I'll be back in Ireland in late July but otherwise would love to attend.

[Tim R. Mortiss]

Galway Arms is an awesome place. I'd be down wif dat (as the kids say).

[dalej42]

I'll actually be at Galway Arms on July 14 as I'm going to a Chicago Fire game that night and the bus picks up there. I can report back as to how well it works for a potential dopefest.

Outside of July 14 and Labor Day weekend, I'm good for any Saturday. Sundays don't work nearly as well, I work overnight on Sunday starting at 1130 PM, so I'm usually heading back to bed on Sunday afternoons.

[Honesty]

I'm totally game. Should be fun! Let me know when and where! :-)

[jnglmassiv]

I'm very interested. LP is ..ok but a parking hassle. I'll defer to the group, though.

Originally Posted by gaffa

The separate check are needed because some Chicago Dopers ducked out early on their bill, leaving the rest of up to foot the bill. I tossed in $80 to keep our host from having the eat the whole thing.

Who did this? I want names/blood.

[imthjckaz]

Originally Posted by Gundy

Bah, never mind.

But The Dead Man's Party was fun!

Mostly.

[Lochdale]

I'm close friends with the owner of the Arms so I can get us sorted out with a private or semi-private area no problem. Parking in the super market on Coark isnt terrible Let's throw out some dates?

[Gundy]

Originally Posted by imthjckaz

But The Dead Man's Party was fun!

Mostly.

Not for the dead man, jckaz. Not for the dead man.

Actually, I was coming in to ask who the pikers that gaffa keeps mentioning in this anecdote are, because I was present at a rooftop get together in Greektown that I'm pretty sure is the same one he attended. And, while it's an outside possibility that I was so sloshed I forgot to toss in my $20 or whatever, I doubt it, but at this point it's worth it to me to put an $80 check in the damn mail just to never have to read The Ballad of the Sad Greek Islands again.

[needscoffee]

I'm wondering if more people would see this thread if it was in MPSIMS, where all the other dopefest threads live.

[MeanOldLady]

If someone could be bothered to figure out the details, I could be bothered to go, so long as it's CTA accessible and not taking up prime real estate on my calendar, like Saturday night or something.

[dalej42]

I'm free from any Saturday afternoon from July 21 until the August 25.

[C K Dexter Haven]

Originally Posted by needscoffee

I'm wondering if more people would see this thread if it was in MPSIMS, where all the other dopefest threads live.

Good thought. You have my permission to "double post" -- that is, to start a thread in MPSIMS that links here. Given that this thread is already well on it's way, I think it's easier to link to this than to have this one link to another (if you follow me.)

PERSONAL: My schedule is wonky, so pick a date and time based on majority and I'll either make it or not.

[Kolak of Twilo]

No way can I do Saturday. Have fun.

[Eva Luna]

Originally Posted by Gundy

Actually, I was coming in to ask who the pikers that gaffa keeps mentioning in this anecdote are, because I was present at a rooftop get together in Greektown that I'm pretty sure is the same one he attended. And, while it's an outside possibility that I was so sloshed I forgot to toss in my $20 or whatever, I doubt it, but at this point it's worth it to me to put an $80 check in the damn mail just to never have to read The Ballad of the Sad Greek Islands again.

Seconded, though I suppose it's also a possibility that I had one drink and other people had several, and so I chipped in based on one drink and my share of food. How about we each chip in $40?

[gaffa]

Originally Posted by Gundy

Not for the dead man, jckaz. Not for the dead man.

Actually, I was coming in to ask who the pikers that gaffa keeps mentioning in this anecdote are, because I was present at a rooftop get together in Greektown that I'm pretty sure is the same one he attended. And, while it's an outside possibility that I was so sloshed I forgot to toss in my $20 or whatever, I doubt it, but at this point it's worth it to me to put an $80 check in the damn mail just to never have to read The Ballad of the Sad Greek Islands again.

The problem was people tossing a twenty on the table...who actually had a bill closer to thirty or more, plus a tip. This was compounded by an expensive venue made much more expensive by the planner not considering that some folks might be arriving hungry who might want a full meal and having to try to make one from appetizers. My point is that I learned a hard lesson, that Dopers are not always trustworthy. I'd say that lesson was probably worth $80 as a cautionary tale, and for that amount I get to repeat it until the heat death of the universe.

I get an extra side order of indignation in that I don't drink, so I was paying for things drunk by others. Again, it was up to those of us at the table to do the right thing because of other people who snuck out before the bill came.

[Eva Luna]

Originally Posted by gaffa

The problem was people tossing a twenty on the table...who actually had a bill closer to thirty or more, plus a tip. This was compounded by an expensive venue made much more expensive by the planner not considering that some folks might be arriving hungry who might want a full meal and having to try to make one from appetizers.

My recollection is that the people who were there at the beginning wanted to sit outdoors, which limits one's options to just a couple in Greektown. A consensus was reached among those who were there at the time that the rooftop was agreeable, even if the rooftop served meze only (and one can certainly make a meal from meze). And yes, downtown Chicago is not the place for super-cheap eats generally. But if you're not there at the beginning, you miss out on input into these decisions.

[MeanOldLady]

I've heard many a tale of woe re: Chicago Dopefests, but I went to a mini-fest not too long ago (winter, or maybe autumn) and everyone was super nice, plus the waiter didn't get stiffed. Just sayin.

[Rand Rover]

1. I'm interested, but only if it's an after-work thing (i.e., weekday around 6).

2. Gaffa, if you and I both attend this dopefest, I will pay for your food and drinks, and give you however much you think you lost out on at this past dopefest you keep talking about, if you promise to never mention the goddamn goat-fucking thing ever again.

[gaffa]

Originally Posted by Rand Rover

1. I'm interested, but only if it's an after-work thing (i.e., weekday around 6).

2. Gaffa, if you and I both attend this dopefest, I will pay for your food and drinks, and give you however much you think you lost out on at this past dopefest you keep talking about, if you promise to never mention the goddamn goat-fucking thing ever again.

Not a chance in hell. The apparent guilty consciences displayed by some people in threads where I mention these things is worth it. I'm not bought off that easily. It's the truth, and an important thing for those new to these things to remember. Hey, I'd love to meet and talk with my fellow Dopers, but I no longer trust them, at least with nothing tangible.

I've run into the same thing in other situations. At one music fan get-together, someone booked the place and we all wound up in a desperately "hip" and expensive place, and the host got stuck with a $2000 tab. The next night, my brother and I took up a collection, and I don't know how many people who I saw absolutely blotto at the party who insisted that all they had was a single Diet Coke. We managed to raise $380 from the more honest and/or generous sorts, but I no longer trust anyone to be honest about bar tabs.

Originally Posted by Eva Luna

My recollection is that the people who were there at the beginning wanted to sit outdoors, which limits one's options to just a couple in Greektown. A consensus was reached among those who were there at the time that the rooftop was agreeable, even if the rooftop served meze only (and one can certainly make a meal from meze).

Yes, but it is going to cost twice as much as regular entrees at the same place.

Originally Posted by MeanOldLady

I've heard many a tale of woe re: Chicago Dopefests, but I went to a mini-fest not too long ago (winter, or maybe autumn) and everyone was super nice, plus the waiter didn't get stiffed. Just sayin.

Maybe there is a maximum size where people can't sneak off without being noticed?

[BlueKangaroo]

I'm probably in, depending on time.

Last dopefest I attended was super fun, albeit small. I'd love to see all those folks again.

[Gundy]

Originally Posted by gaffa

I get an extra side order of indignation in that I don't drink, so I was paying for things drunk by others. Again, it was up to those of us at the table to do the right thing because of other people who snuck out before the bill came.

Snuck out? So you're 100% certain that anyone who did so did it with the intent of cheating the server/restaurant out of $10? Really? Rather than assuming it was accidental or at worst unthinking? And then the best course of action from there on out is not an email to the involved parties shortly after the event (which, whether you were a doper or not at the time, was certainly an easily accomplished task) but to passive-aggressively kvetch about it on the boards about all these horrible, untrustworthy people who cost you eighty bucks seven years ago, teaching you this hard, but neccessary lesson? Okay then.

I am serious. If you PM me your address I will send you eighty bucks. I realize that this couldn't possibly soothe your righteous indignation or heaven forfend buy your blessed, blessed silence, but on the chance that an eighth of it was my debt, I will sleep better knowing that the debt has been paid.

[Lochdale]

Slo should we pick a date and a location? Maybe a day after work at the Galway Arms? If it is nice we can sit outside there.

[gaffa]

Originally Posted by Gundy

Snuck out? So you're 100% certain that anyone who did so did it with the intent of cheating the server/restaurant out of $10? Really?

We were all seated at one long table, and I saw the guy opposite me drop a twenty on the table and leave - with at least $25 worth of empty mixed drink glasses sitting on the table in front of him, apart from his share of the food.

Rather than assuming it was accidental or at worst unthinking? And then the best course of action from there on out is not an email to the involved parties shortly after the event

How unthinking of me to not have collected everyone's e-mail addresses/board handles.

...(which, whether you were a doper or not at the time, was certainly an easily accomplished task) but to passive-aggressively kvetch about it on the boards about all these horrible, untrustworthy people who cost you eighty bucks seven years ago, teaching you this hard, but neccessary lesson? Okay then.

I've mentioned it the few times this subject has come up, warning anyone else contemplating a ChiDope that some attendees will duck out on their responsibilities. I think that is a reasonable and neighborly thing to do.

I own 5 video cameras these days. Should I set up a system to monitor the whole table to make sure nobody underpays? Of course not. My suggestion of separate checks is the reasonable compromise.

I am serious. If you PM me your address I will send you eighty bucks. I realize that this couldn't possibly soothe your righteous indignation or heaven forfend buy your blessed, blessed silence, but on the chance that an eighth of it was my debt, I will sleep better knowing that the debt has been paid.

No.

[Gundy]

Back in the day I attended my share of Doper events, and still count several (mostly former) Dopers among my good friends. Not a one of them is someone who would intentionally skip out or short someone on a check. In fact, it's a group that tends to overpay, if anything. That's been my general experience in the world, really. So to me, it's absurd to caution against Dopers in particular being check-skippers, and it's an absurd notion that everyone who underpaid did so with malicious intent. I tend to think that it was a sloppily managed check-divvying, and were I you, would either seek repayment if I felt strongly enough about it, or I would suggest to the organizer that next time the check be handled differently. What I would not do is attempt to publically shame people at the barest opportunity for nearly a decade.

Originally Posted by gaffa

How unthinking of me to not have collected everyone's e-mail addresses/board handles.

You needed one email. One. The organizer of the event, who could then pass the info along to the rest of the group. Was that you, Eva Luna? I can't recall. Because it was nearly a decade ago. Or, even posting to whatever thread there was on here inviting people to the event after it happened might have been effective -- that is, if your goal was being made whole, and not shaming everyone who was short and glorying in your moral certitude.

I've mentioned it the few times this subject has come up, warning anyone else contemplating a ChiDope that some attendees will duck out on their responsibilities. I think that is a reasonable and neighborly thing to do.

Wow, maybe it should be made into a public service announcement sticky that gaffa was done wrong, but nobly righted an injustice, asking nothing in return but for all to heed his dire warnings that ChiDopers cannot be trusted! Alas, Cassandra!

I own 5 video cameras these days. Should I set up a system to monitor the whole table to make sure nobody underpays? Of course not. My suggestion of separate checks is the reasonable compromise.

Yes. Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, that everyone should be monitored by video to avoid these situations in the future -- absolutely do that.

Oh wait, no. What I think adults should do is check in before leaving that they're leaving enough. So yes, the people that left early and without paying enough were absolutely in the wrong for not having done that and that totally sucks. SHAME ON THEM. I also think that adults who were left to pick up the tab should have enough backbone to ask for their damn money back, rather than play the martyr and piss and moan about it nearly a decade later in any thread where "Chicago" and "dopefest" appear. If you hadn't, by god, someone might not KNOW about what you did! And we can't have that.

No.

I guess you win then! Very well, by all means continue delighting in your self-righteousness. I wish I could recall meeting you...I'm sure you're a peach....but it was almost a decade ago.

[dalej42]

If we're looking for an afterwork day it would have to be Friday for me. Separate checks are fine with me, so hopefully we can continue the rest of the thread about the upcoming Dopefest with the requirement that we will have separate checks for each person or couple.

[Gundy]

Yeah - sorry for the hijack y'all, I'm done yapping.

[Lochdale]

Maybe we should set up a poll? How about drinks after work on Friday, July 13th?

[Tim R. Mortiss]

How about a poll for when you CANNOT make it? List fourteen options (afternoon and evening, each day of the week), and allow multiple selections for BAD times. Ask people to only vote if they plan to attend. Any times that get no votes (or at least very few) can have a runoff for which is most preferred.

Just a thought!

[dalej42]

Originally Posted by Lochdale

Maybe we should set up a poll? How about drinks after work on Friday, July 13th?

That works for me!

[MikeG]

I was at that rooftop as well. Got there late iirc and ended up paying some amt. more than I owed. I cant remember if it was 8 bucks or 15, something like that- didnt matter then and doesnt now. Your bitching about a trivial divying up of a bar tab is why we cant have nice things.



Well, that and Random showing off his tattoo also.

[dalej42]

Anyone else in for July 13 at Galway Arms around 5 PM or so? That is fine for me. Otherwise, I'm good for most Friday or Saturday afternoon dates. Let's try to set something up.

Can I please ask that we end the hijacks about previous Dopefests? It makes the thread hard to follow as well as unappealing to potential newcomers.

[BlueKangaroo]

I cannot make the 13th.

[zoid]

Friday the 13th?
For a Dopefest?
You guys have guts, I'll give you that

Unfortunately I can't do Friday's, I have to pick the kids up.

[MeanOldLady]

I love Friday the 13th, but no can do either.

[gaffa]

Originally Posted by MikeG

I was at that rooftop as well. Got there late iirc and ended up paying some amt. more than I owed. I cant remember if it was 8 bucks or 15, something like that- didnt matter then and doesnt now. Your bitching about a trivial divying up of a bar tab is why we cant have nice things.

A $200 discrepancy is trivial? Not in my world.

[Lochdale]

Originally Posted by gaffa

A $200 discrepancy is trivial? Not in my world.

Let it go or at least leave it alone in this thread.

[jnglmassiv]

This may be one of those times where the OP just has to pick a time and place and either you're in or you're out.

[Lochdale]

I can make most days work up to the 17th then we're off to Ireland.

[zoid]

I strongly vote for a weekend.
Say Friday after 8:00 PM or any time Saturday.

Just my vote.

[MeanOldLady]

I vote happy hour/after work or Saturday afternoonish.

[zoid]

Originally Posted by MeanOldLady

I vote happy hour/after work or Saturday afternoonish.

You got somewhere you gotta be on Saturday?!
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