Trivia Anyone? Page 2
by John Friel, Reporter at Large
Article © 2000 The Barfly Monthly

(...Continued) Before each game, Curtis lectures his students on the game's only rule. "No blurting! If you blurt out answers, you will be disqualified!" Something about this announcement makes us all want to yell out, "1492! The Mississippi River! With a cigar!" before we've even heard a question. Or maybe it's just me. Oh, and there's one other rule: Teams are not permitted to have more than 99 members. So far, no one's come close to violating that one.

You can go from the top of the world to the bottom of the dungheap, or vice versa, in just a few questions. The stakes go up along with the point value. Miss a one-pointer in the first round? No big deal. Miss a couple in round two? That's a medium-sized deal unless you're the only one missing them. Miss a couple in the third round? You're Alpo.
One of the nice things about hanging in Bube's is that from time to time, a costumed character from the dinner theater going on down in the Catacombs wanders through the bar. Maybe it's a bosomy wench in a low-cut dress, on break from her duties at the Medieval Feast; or a swashbuckling gent from the Pirate Feast, sword ready at hand. Or maybe it's Sam Allen, proprietor and Feast Master, in his black cloak, pewter mug dangling from his neck.

I cornered Sam in exactly that garb before he headed down to conduct his umpteenth Feast, and got him talking about trivia night. Turns out, he's at least as gung-ho on the concept as its inventor. When Curtis first launched the contest at Bube's, it was less than an overnight success. In fact, it took off so slowly that "I was ready to give it up after the second month," Curtis said. But not Sam.

"If you stick with something, it will work," Sam philosophizes: "People are going to go out anyway."

"When I was ready to give up, Sam was the guy cheerleading, saying 'No, it's building,'" Curtis said. "Sam's a nurturer. He knows it'll pay dividends."

Sam felt instinctively that trivia was right for Bube's. "It fits what we're doing here," he told me: "I like good beer and lively conversation--the tavern of old. Trivia fits into that nicely."

And Sam was right. It's not easy to find a seat on trivia night now; your best bet is to go early and have a feast of your own from the Bottling Works' excellent and eclectic menu, then hang around for the game. There are lots of food options, from simple bar fare like jalapeno poppers and mozzarella sticks to elaborate entrees like the Cajun combo of filet mignon and shrimp. My favorite is the grilled portabella sandwich: big, thick mushroom slices, onion, peppers, tomato and provolone cheese all tucked into pita bread. It'll make your mouth so happy, you'll forget there's no meat in it.

Carnivores won't go hungry either; there's a wide range of beef, chicken and pork dishes to choose from. If you're into seafood, there are entrees featuring shrimp, crab, orange roughy, langostinos and lobster. And for a walk on the spicy side, try the Tex-Mex ziti, or the chili--regular, or white. (Continued...)

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