Restaurant with Gen Con atmosphere
2
2
Posted by colbrook

Which, I was disappointed to find out, does not mean that the pins are shaped like ducks. 

Posted by hauntedcity

I really miss the Gen Con-themed restaurants. Some of my favorite Gen Con memories are watching Five Year Mission and seeing the 501st at Scotty's. Even the Marriott's (long gone) old restaurant got into the spirit with decorations and fun menu items.
I've been to Goodwood twice (once during and once outside of Gen Con) and both times it was pretty bad. I wonder if Social Cantina (in the old Mikado spot) will get into the spirit.

Posted by kissingeralison ungmar9567

ungmar9567 wrote:
mvotruba wrote:
Thanks aldctjoc; thanks for posting.  I'll be glad to check out Goodwood.  If you've been in, do you know if that back room with all those extra tables may still be around?  Our group loved hanging out there Tuesday and Wednesday before Gen Con.  I'm just wondering if it's been remodeled.
No worries about Scotty's.  I'm just trying to get a bit of a game plan prior arriving. It'll be my first time back in the city since Covid; I guess I'll need to regain my bearings.  
Hello! As you have gathered, no place has quite replaced Scotty's or The RAM in terms of going all-out for Gen Con. Goodwood did have a themed menu, but no fantasy/sci-fi movies on the TVs and no Gen Con-related merch. 
In their defense, they've only seen two Gen Cons and neither of those were what I would call typical of the pre-COVID years. Maybe they will do something more this year.
You asked about that back room. It was still open last year. DrunkAssGames used it for Death Cup during the week and then a celebration dinner on Friday night.
Social Cantina is going to have themed nights with old movie marathons, they just posted! They'll have swag as well! The post said, Thursday is Star Trek, Friday is a fusion of D&D, Super Smash and Sonic, Saturday is Star Wars, Sunday is Superheroes. They redesigned their menu and have special cocktails for the weekend! Count me in for the Star Wars marathons!!!!

Posted by kissingeralison hauntedcity

hauntedcity wrote:
I really miss the Gen Con-themed restaurants. Some of my favorite Gen Con memories are watching Five Year Mission and seeing the 501st at Scotty's. Even the Marriott's (long gone) old restaurant got into the spirit with decorations and fun menu items.
I've been to Goodwood twice (once during and once outside of Gen Con) and both times it was pretty bad. I wonder if Social Cantina (in the old Mikado spot) will get into the spirit.
Social Cantina (it's right around the corner!) is bringing it back!!!! They are going to have themed nights with old movie marathons, they just posted! They'll have swag as well! The post said, Thursday is Star Trek, Friday is a fusion of D&D, Super Smash and Sonic, Saturday is Star Wars, Sunday is Superheroes. They redesigned their menu and have special cocktails for the weekend! Count me in for the Star Wars marathons!!!!

Posted by jimrules27

This is being talked about Here
 

Posted by kissingeralison hahnarama

hahnarama wrote:
mvotruba wrote:
Good thread.  Thanks for bringing it up.
Our group used to make our way to both The Ram and Scotty's.  For the locals, have those locations been taken by other establishments?  I hope they're not vacant...even if they aren't Gen Con themed. 
I don't mind the food trucks, but it would be nice to have a place to land after a full day.  I guess there are still other restaurants in the area as well as those tied to the local hotels.  We'll just need to rediscover the area.  

Goodwood is where the Ram was. I will be honest service and quality has TANKED in the last 6 months.Scotty's still sitting empty. 
Social Cantina, right around the corner announced that they are going to be doing themed days with swag! They also redesigned their menu and have featured cocktails!!!!! It's super close.

Posted by kissingeralison ja1214

ja1214 wrote:
I haven't been to Gen Con since 2019 and I'm looking for a restaurant which provides a Gen Con style menu / atmosphere for dining. I know Scotty's and the RAM both closed; anyone know of anything else? I found speculation from last year that Goodwood might do so. Anyone know if it did?
Thanks!
Social Cantina (it's right around the corner!) is bringing it back!!!! They are going to have themed nights with old movie marathons, they just posted! They'll have swag as well! The post said, Thursday is Star Trek, Friday is a fusion of D&D, Super Smash and Sonic, Saturday is Star Wars, Sunday is Superheroes. They redesigned their menu and have special cocktails for the weekend! Count me in for the Star Wars marathons!!!!

Posted by kissingeralison aldctjoc

aldctjoc wrote:
I think there's an opportunity for Gen Con and the restaurants in the area to rebuild that sort of atmosphere. Last year, and the single Saturday I went the year before (still deep in COVID at that point) everything seemed to be pulled back/drawn down a bit from the years prior.
There just wasn't that much I saw outside the ICC. Just little things like the Westin's own Genevieve stuffed animal (or was it a balloon?) and a few "Welcome!" signs. And the Westin staff seemed to me to have almost completely turned over; there was literally only one pre-COVID employee I found there who remembered Gen Con from years before. And I think he said he just *started* the year before COVID. 
I don't mean this as a downer; rather, there was an understandable downturn from the COVID years, some of them not due to COVID itself but all coming at the same time. And I don't mean to suggest that we're done with COVID because it's still around. **BUT** there's ample room for positive growth and embrace of nearby businesses, and for those restaurants and stores and the like to get into the spirit themselves and get back to celebrating right along side us while they do business. 
If just a couple of places pick up the mantle once held by The Ram and Scotty's, then that would go a long way towards getting things back to a high note. And if the hotels could maybe just get a quick briefing by somebody right before things start on what Gen Con is all about, then maybe they can develop their own initiatives. Even if it's something as simple as a designated staff cosplay day, and then things can grow from there. 
I know it doesn't feel like it did before. But that just means there's opportunity there for things nearby to start again. Another set of environments like The Ram, and so on. I hope that happens.
Social Cantina (it's right around the corner!) is bringing it back!!!! They are going to have themed nights with old movie marathons, they just posted! They'll have swag as well! The post said, Thursday is Star Trek, Friday is a fusion of D&D, Super Smash and Sonic, Saturday is Star Wars, Sunday is Superheroes. They redesigned their menu and have special cocktails for the weekend! Count me in for the Star Wars marathons!!!!

Posted by brooks

Seriously... we get it about Social Cantina. Something like nine posts across a number of different threads that are pretty much copy and pasted. I really appreciate the information and will probably check out the restaurant, but... we get it. 

 

Posted by kevinrg brooks

brooks wrote:
Seriously... we get it about Social Cantina. Something like nine posts across a number of different threads that are pretty much copy and pasted. 
 

That's a way to make me not want to go to a place actually.

Posted by rich

I for one appreciate the enthusiasm. A bit redundant, but how many places do we see actually coming up to bat?
 

Posted by hauntedcity kissingeralison

kissingeralison wrote:
aldctjoc wrote:
I think there's an opportunity for Gen Con and the restaurants in the area to rebuild that sort of atmosphere. Last year, and the single Saturday I went the year before (still deep in COVID at that point) everything seemed to be pulled back/drawn down a bit from the years prior.
There just wasn't that much I saw outside the ICC. Just little things like the Westin's own Genevieve stuffed animal (or was it a balloon?) and a few "Welcome!" signs. And the Westin staff seemed to me to have almost completely turned over; there was literally only one pre-COVID employee I found there who remembered Gen Con from years before. And I think he said he just *started* the year before COVID. 
I don't mean this as a downer; rather, there was an understandable downturn from the COVID years, some of them not due to COVID itself but all coming at the same time. And I don't mean to suggest that we're done with COVID because it's still around. **BUT** there's ample room for positive growth and embrace of nearby businesses, and for those restaurants and stores and the like to get into the spirit themselves and get back to celebrating right along side us while they do business. 
If just a couple of places pick up the mantle once held by The Ram and Scotty's, then that would go a long way towards getting things back to a high note. And if the hotels could maybe just get a quick briefing by somebody right before things start on what Gen Con is all about, then maybe they can develop their own initiatives. Even if it's something as simple as a designated staff cosplay day, and then things can grow from there. 
I know it doesn't feel like it did before. But that just means there's opportunity there for things nearby to start again. Another set of environments like The Ram, and so on. I hope that happens.
Social Cantina (it's right around the corner!) is bringing it back!!!! They are going to have themed nights with old movie marathons, they just posted! They'll have swag as well! The post said, Thursday is Star Trek, Friday is a fusion of D&D, Super Smash and Sonic, Saturday is Star Wars, Sunday is Superheroes. They redesigned their menu and have special cocktails for the weekend! Count me in for the Star Wars marathons!!!!

Sounds good. Will there be vegetarian options? The menu online looks like almost everything is meatful.

UPDATE: upon closer inspection, they will substitute Impossible meat for most entrees.  That's great!

New Post Sign in to write a new post.
2
2