First Annual Baltimore Comic-Con Member Dinner

[srezvan]

The results of the survey are in, and I'm happy to announce the First Annual Baltimore Comic-Con Member Dinner! It was a close choice between Fogo and Phillips. In the end, Fogo won, and I think it'll be easier to manage the bill this way, too.

 

Please either PM me or confirm your attendance here. Spouses, significant others, friends, kids, etc. are certainly welcome.

 

Please bring cash to pay for your meal. Take your money before the show starts and set it aside so you don't spend your dinner money on comics!

 

When:

Friday, September 25, 8:00 PM

(Note: show hours: Friday 1pm-7pm)

 

Where:

Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse

600 E. Pratt St.

Baltimore, MD 2120

(410) 528-9292

 

Cost:

Full Churrasco Experience (includes Market Table) $51.95 + $3.18 tax (6%) + $9.35 tip (18%) = $64.48

Market Table (super salad bar) $24.95 + $1.50 tax (6%) + $4.50 tip (18%) = $30.95

(Children 6 and under are complimentary. Children 7 to 12 are half price.)

 

If you've never been to Fogo, you're in for a treat. In short, they bring you meat on giant skewers until you tell them to stop. Lots of different choices. ALL YOU CAN EAT. Even the market table has really good food. Beverages not included.

 

I'll update the list here as people confirm.

 

Confirmed Attendees:

srezvan

MusterMark

[srezvan]

Bump. We had a healthy response to the survey. If the cost of the meal is turning people away, please speak up so there's time for alternate arrangements.

[1Cool]

I'd probably be more excited about hitting a local restaurant with a bar to go to. We have something similar in Cleveland its a little too upscale for the forum dinners I've seen in the past. Hate to be the party pooper but I think this place is not a good fit.

[Bird]

I repeat my offer of a full dinner tab for anyone with a dealer's pass for me.

[Dr Chaos]

I will pass on the dinner at Fogo unless popping in for drinks is an option, I might be up for that.

 

Let me know if we decide to go with plan B whatever that is.

[1Cool]

I contacted Sullivan's steak house (since the steak house options seems to work well in Chicago) and they have several group options. The most popular is a $59 three course meal with appetizer, main meal (includes options like a 14 oz porterhouse) and a desert. I'm calling there event coordinator in the morning to see if we can get a free glass of wine or beer if we get a party of 10 - 20 people to the event.

 

I know there has been some work put into setting up the dinner at Fado's but I really think the standard steak house will work our better for the group. Anyone interested in me looking into it further for Friday night?

[Bird]

wow, a mutiny! Threadkrapped in the board dinner thread!

[1Cool]

wow, a mutiny! Threadkrapped in the board dinner thread!

 

Sorry if it came across that way and I'm happy to delete my post if it is felt to be inappropriate. Maybe he was getting a lot of behind the scenes reservations and I shouldn't have said anything.

[Bird]

wow, a mutiny! Threadkrapped in the board dinner thread!

 

Sorry if it came across that way and I'm happy to delete my post if it is felt to be inappropriate. Maybe he was getting a lot of behind the scenes reservations and I shouldn't have said anything.

 

Why not PM him and see what's what?

[1Cool]

Good idea - PM sent.

[srezvan]

To be honest, the whole situation is a little strange. I posted a survey and went with the winning date and restaurant. When it comes time to RSVP, most of the survey respondents do not reply. I don't know why - plans change, the dinner is expensive...don't know. I don't take it personally.

 

I think the Chicago steak dinner works because, if I remember the posts correctly, the steak dinner has artists/professionals attend. The sushi dinner is the board member only meal. Haven't been, just going off what I read a few weeks ago.

 

Suggesting a new venue, basically changing all you can eat steak on a stick to a sit down steak meal, with a 5 dollar difference...I just don't see the point. But if people would rather do that, I'm okay with it. If people would rather go to a dinner coordinated by a member who as been around longer, doesn't bother me.

 

But there's no point in trying to coordinate two dinners when there's trouble with one. You're welcome to take point. I look forward to having a meal with fellow boardies if this happens.

[RockMyAmadeus]

and a desert.

 

Which one? I'm partial to the Sahara, though the Gobi's nice this time of year.....

 

[joeypost]

To be honest, the whole situation is a little strange. I posted a survey and went with the winning date and restaurant. When it comes time to RSVP, most of the survey respondents do not reply. I don't know why - plans change, the dinner is expensive...don't know. I don't take it personally.

 

I think the Chicago steak dinner works because, if I remember the posts correctly, the steak dinner has artists/professionals attend. The sushi dinner is the board member only meal. Haven't been, just going off what I read a few weeks ago.

 

Suggesting a new venue, basically changing all you can eat steak on a stick to a sit down steak meal, with a 5 dollar difference...I just don't see the point. But if people would rather do that, I'm okay with it. If people would rather go to a dinner coordinated by a member who as been around longer, doesn't bother me.

 

But there's no point in trying to coordinate two dinners when there's trouble with one. You're welcome to take point. I look forward to having a meal with fellow boardies if this happens.

 

Don't know why but getting a dinner together at this show has always been difficult. Seems smaller dinners happen with splinter groups but never a large dinner like the one in Chicago.

 

As a suggestion, if it to be tried again next year...start earlier. The Chicago dinners are planned many months in advance and they are based off of tradition, so starting a dinner cold a few weeks before may not allow enough time for the Baltimore show. The Sushi dinner in Chicago started as a smaller dinner and more decided to join the following year AFTER they saw pictures posted on the boards about the dinner and those that attended. Everything has to have a starting point, and that point does not have to involve a large elaborate meal, nor a substantial amount of attendees.

[Logan510]

I tried to get a boardie dinner going for C2E2 at least 2-3 years in a row and there was never any interest, so I feel your pain.

[revat]

I think if possible, you can try to get the boardie dinner together somewhat more organically. Like if a few of you are already friends and are planning to eat somewhere specific, then toss it out there and say "Hey, me and McNulty and Stringer Bell and Jean Valjean and his wife are eating at the Millenium Falcon on 1st Street on Saturday night. If you want in, pm me by 6pm eastern THIS Sunday so I can add you to the reservation."

[srezvan]

I'm pulling the plug on my attempt to organize this dinner. I hope everyone enjoys the show.

[Bird]

Thanks for the effort, if I was definitely coming I would have been confirmed days ago.

 

Have a great show!

[Foolkiller]

Didn't want to comment about this, but now that it's not going to happen, I'll offer some thoughts -- yes, these are a lot of work.

 

I have organized many forum dinners over the years, but stopped, including at least twice doing dinners at the Baltimore show.

 

The reality is, I found them less and less enjoyable over the years, and it was more fun to have dinners in smaller groups where I could talk to everyone. Also, Steve Borock and I (as well a few others) were always having to kick in extra money to cover a short fall, which started to happen more and more frequently.

 

The Wizard Chicago dinner is a lot of work for the organizer, but it has a long standing tradition. I'm not sure if a board dinner is really as desirable as it once was, it is, as Joe alludes to, more splinter groups now.

[1Cool]

Didn't want to comment about this, but now that it's not going to happen, I'll offer some thoughts -- yes, these are a lot of work.

 

I have organized many forum dinners over the years, but stopped, including at least twice doing dinners at the Baltimore show.

 

The reality is, I found them less and less enjoyable over the years, and it was more fun to have dinners in smaller groups where I could talk to everyone. Also, Steve Borock and I (as well a few others) were always having to kick in extra money to cover a short fall, which started to happen more and more frequently.

 

The Wizard Chicago dinner is a lot of work for the organizer, but it has a long standing tradition. I'm not sure if a board dinner is really as desirable as it once was, it is, as Joe alludes to, more splinter groups now.

 

Great info. To chime in from my stand point - comic book guys are kind of like being back in high school. There are a ton of cliques in the industry and a lot of guys don't like hanging out with people that are not in their group.

[Logan510]

Didn't want to comment about this, but now that it's not going to happen, I'll offer some thoughts -- yes, these are a lot of work.

 

I have organized many forum dinners over the years, but stopped, including at least twice doing dinners at the Baltimore show.

 

The reality is, I found them less and less enjoyable over the years, and it was more fun to have dinners in smaller groups where I could talk to everyone. Also, Steve Borock and I (as well a few others) were always having to kick in extra money to cover a short fall, which started to happen more and more frequently.

 

The Wizard Chicago dinner is a lot of work for the organizer, but it has a long standing tradition. I'm not sure if a board dinner is really as desirable as it once was, it is, as Joe alludes to, more splinter groups now.

 

Great info. To chime in from my stand point - comic book guys are kind of like being back in high school. There are a ton of cliques in the industry and a lot of guys don't like hanging out with people that are not in their group.

 

There are also a lot of us that like meeting new people. Everyone's a stranger until you give them a chance.