Georgian Soup Dumplings and All The Games
posted May 29, 2015 5:35 PM   RSS | iCal | +googleCal

Sun July 19 at 1:00 PM, Tumanyan Khinkali Factory
113 North Maryland Avenue, Glendale, CA, USA (Map & Directions)
Citizens! I have a sudden and incontrovertibly ingenious plan, inspired by a Jonathan Gold review on KCRW of the Tumanyan Khinkali Factory, describing the khinkali as a "near peak soup dumpling experience." Given that this is in Glendale, and thus in vague proximity (2ish miles) to MeFite favorite GameHaus Cafe (previously and previouslier)...well, you can imagine my excitement!
UPDATE 7/9/15

Hello gang! I am going to be looking into getting our reservations over the coming weekend, so if anybody needs to solidify or de-solidify their Yes/Maybe status, please do! Thanks!

UPDATE 6/15/15

Success! Based on the responses from the four folks mentioned previously (thanks y'all!), I've narrowed it down to Sunday the 19th of July (with the hope that everyone's schedule will triumphantly coalesce with the ability to attend).

Start time is 1 pm at the restaurant, with the gaming cafe to take place after. Once we get a bit closer (with more Yes/Maybe solidity), I'll see about getting reservations at both places.

Thanks everybody, and I can't wait for what should be an awesome day!

UPDATE 6/11/15

The Doodle poll has been up for a week, and it's looking like July 18th and 19th are the most popular at 9 votes each. However, there are two people who are able to do the 18th but can't do the 19th, and two people who can do the 19th but not the 18th.

I hate to leave anybody out of the fun if it's at all possible to include them, not to mention that both days are tied for votes. I'm going to memail the four people (Deoridhe, BSwinburn, betweenthebars, and Hairy Lobster) to see if there's any flexibility that could break the deadlock.

UPDATE 6/4/15

I have created a Doodle.com scheduling doodad, which allows everybody to choose one or more amongst a range of dates. I think it's self-explanatory, but please let me know if you have any questions! Once we've all had a chance to populate that, we can lock down a date here. Thanks everybody!

[Original]

A weekend day in mid or late June or July seems prudent. Can we gauge general interest and then use an offsite scheduling tool like Doodle or NeedToMeet?
posted by Celsius1414 to Meetup (63 comments total)

That place sounds absolutely stellar, though I'm not going to be around on weekends until the tail end of July.
posted by jetlagaddict at 11:42 PM on May 29, 2015


This sounds lovely, as I am in Pasadena, and this is close by, but I am never, ever, free over the weekends-- I usually have to work until late in the evenings.
posted by suburbanbeatnik at 12:19 AM on May 30, 2015


Holy cow, I once asked a question about Georgian food and I was just thinking I needed to revisit the links!

I'm in. Later June sounds great but I can wait.
posted by Room 641-A at 1:22 AM on May 30, 2015


I'm in, this sounds excellent. Early July or late June seem ok to me schedule-wise.
posted by Alterscape at 7:58 AM on May 30, 2015


(I could also do late July, to maximize schedule overlap! Things get dicey for the first few weeks of August tho)
posted by Alterscape at 7:59 AM on May 30, 2015


I'm in! My schedule is pretty open.
posted by ApathyGirl at 10:07 AM on May 30, 2015


That sounds great, I'm in.
posted by Garm at 10:52 AM on May 30, 2015


I will definitely try to make it.
posted by bswinburn at 12:54 PM on May 30, 2015


That sounds great! Oooo, the restaurant has vegetarian dumplings! I'm hoping they serve Georgian wine, too. under_petticoat_rule and I should be good for late June or early July.
posted by rednikki at 3:27 PM on May 30, 2015 [1 favorite]


I'm in for a Sunday or Monday - I've always wanted to try soup dumplings!
posted by Deoridhe at 12:06 PM on May 31, 2015


Oh my God, yes, please.
posted by RakDaddy at 10:47 AM on June 1, 2015


Early July, maybe July 5th or 12th?
posted by betweenthebars at 2:51 PM on June 1, 2015


I'd be happy to wait until early July, and if that works out better maybe we can have a separate June GameHaus meetup?
posted by Room 641-A at 3:00 PM on June 1, 2015


I've got to stop peeking in on your meetup plans. Having lived within walking distance of both locations, I'm now obscenely jealous of your Gamehaus and Glendale soup dumpling meetups.
posted by hwyengr at 6:55 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


Weekends in mid-July are optimal for me (though some weekends in June could work too), and due to some minor surgery, I anticipate not being available at all the weekend of August 1-2.
posted by chicainthecity at 12:01 PM on June 3, 2015


I'm in let's pin down a date?
posted by stratastar at 4:21 PM on June 3, 2015


Most excellent! I have created a Doodle.com scheduling doodad, which allows everybody to choose one or more amongst a range of dates. I think it's self-explanatory, but please let me know if you have any questions!
posted by Celsius1414 at 4:07 PM on June 4, 2015


By the way, I'm pretty sure I can edit the calendar choices, so let me know if I need to add more dates.
posted by Celsius1414 at 4:10 PM on June 4, 2015


Oooh, shiny doodad!
posted by Deoridhe at 4:39 PM on June 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


"This poll is bigger than usual"

Hee.
posted by ApathyGirl at 7:30 PM on June 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


I doodled!
posted by Room 641-A at 3:58 PM on June 5, 2015


I'm so mad that this summer involves all the weekend travel; I won't be free until the very end of July. Eat all the dumplings for me!!
posted by jetlagaddict at 5:15 PM on June 5, 2015 [1 favorite]


I am apparently late to the party (and have no life on weekends) but I did indeed doodle!
posted by Alterscape at 11:23 PM on June 7, 2015 [1 favorite]


Since we have some lead time, I am going to let the doodling continue for a few more days to make sure everybody has a chance, then we can start hammering the doodles (that sounds painful) into an actual date.
posted by Celsius1414 at 9:42 AM on June 8, 2015 [1 favorite]


I too have used my Doodle-fu!
posted by chicainthecity at 3:37 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]


Tweeted by @GamehausCafe just now:
Our "odometer" rolled over 1000! We have over a thousand #Tabletop board and card games in our library! #boardgames #boardgamecafe
Squee!
posted by Celsius1414 at 3:30 PM on July 2, 2015 [2 favorites]


My friend will probably be out of town so that's one less. I changed it here but I didn't do a de-doodle.
posted by Room 641-A at 2:02 PM on July 4, 2015


Now after seeing that FPP on the dumpling-eating contest, I kinda want to watch a battle of other MeFites eating dumplings.
posted by culfinglin at 10:41 PM on July 8, 2015


I wish I could go, but some work stuff has come up that involves me fleeing the country temporarily. I hope to make it next time!
posted by rednikki at 9:00 PM on July 11, 2015


We'll miss you, rednikki!
posted by chicainthecity at 9:27 PM on July 12, 2015


My friend will definitely be out of down so I'm back down to just one. Are we going to reserve a table at GameHaus, too?
posted by Room 641-A at 4:47 AM on July 13, 2015


That is my goal, yes, though I don't know if we'll be able to get a single reserved spot for 14 people (assuming everybody comes to both places). I'm going to get in touch with both places and see what we can work out.
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:40 AM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]


Hi all! Just want to remind everyone who's been to GameHaus before (and inform those of you who haven't) that there is a $5 cover charge per person--a relatively paltry sum considering its library of over 1,000 board games. Also, because this is southern California, it has valet parking and all the caffeine. More info asap!
posted by chicainthecity at 1:06 PM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]


Oh, I think it's $10 if you reserve a table :/
posted by Room 641-A at 1:51 PM on July 13, 2015


Eternal thanks to chicainthecity for helping me out on reservations and information gathering today.

Yeah I think we might want to forego reservations for gaming and just take what tables we can, as they will want $140 on a credit card up front, and we'll have potential variability in folks going to restaurant vs gamehaus, not to mention cancellations.

We're thinking we'll wind up there between 3ish and 4ish (assuming lunch at 1pm), so that might well be early enough for things to be relatively uncrowded.
posted by Celsius1414 at 3:19 PM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]


As Room 641-A noted, GameHaus requires an advance deposit of $10 per person to reserve a table--which, given that we have 14 confirmed attendees, would require our fearless organizer to put $140 on a credit card. That's a lot of money for any one person to pony up, especially given the variable and ever-shifting nature of life, the universe, and peoples' plans. So, Celsius1414 and I have a few ideas about how to deal with this issue:

1) Celsius1414 and I could each use a credit card to reserve a table for 4 to 5 people. We would then need firm commitments from 8 to 10 people that they a) will come to GameHaus that day and b) will bring $10 to cover the cost of the reservation. In addition, if a third person were inclined to reserve an additional table for 4 to 5 people on his/her card, we would all be covered (and, of course, that person would need to be compensated that day as well). That way, we would have reservations, but no one person would be taking a big financial risk to secure them.

2) We could move the time of the lunch to 12, or even 11, instead of 1. Experience has shown that GameHaus gets very busy on Sunday afternoons, so the earlier we get there, the better our chance of securing the requisite number of tables might be.

3) Or we could show up and hope for the best, as suggested above.

We welcome all of your thoughts and input about how to proceed!
posted by chicainthecity at 3:44 PM on July 14, 2015


One more thing to bean plate: The reason we almost didn't get seated last time was because there was a large party in the other room, so its possible our chances are slightly better than it seems to get in without a reservation. So it's possible to risk it but it will suck if we can't get everyone in.

So, that said...

1) I can put $40 on my card

2) I'm all for moving lunch up (independent of whether or not we make reservations at GH)

Do either of you know how late we can make the reservation? The road to GameHaus is filled with good intentions, so we may be a much smaller group come game day.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:53 PM on July 14, 2015 [1 favorite]


I'll commit to paying $10 for a table at Gamehaus, even if I end up not making it. I'll happily paypal or otherwise send chicainthecity or Room 641-A money ahead of time just to make it all easier.
posted by bswinburn at 8:08 PM on July 14, 2015


I have $10. Memail me if some cash needs to be sent in advance.
posted by FJT at 11:50 PM on July 14, 2015


I have $20 for my guest and me at GameHaus, regardless of if my friend flakes.
posted by ApathyGirl at 2:24 PM on July 15, 2015


Thanks, all, for your input. Celsius1414 decided to go ahead and use his credit card to reserve the tables, so we are set for GameHaus this Sunday, 7/19, at 3. Please bring your $10 per person then. We also decided that it would be easier to stick to the original plan for lunch, so we'll see all of you at the restaurant at 1 p.m.

Woot!
posted by chicainthecity at 10:40 PM on July 15, 2015 [2 favorites]


I AM SO EXCITE!!! I missed the 10$ stuff, but I'll make sure to bring with.
posted by Deoridhe at 5:06 PM on July 16, 2015 [1 favorite]


FYI: There's a parking structure at 117 N. Maryland Ave. According to a Yelp Review on 6/23/15, "Parking in the structure next door is free for up to 90 mins, then it's $1.00 every 15 mins or so."
posted by FJT at 8:32 AM on July 17, 2015 [1 favorite]


Well I'm in the area (sorta), but just can't make it on Sunday. Have a great time — it sounds really fun.
posted by benito.strauss at 10:51 AM on July 17, 2015


Sorry to miss you again, benito.strauss.

Thanks for coordinating everything, Celsius1414 & chicainthecity! See everyone tomorrow!
posted by Room 641-A at 5:00 PM on July 18, 2015 [2 favorites]


I apparently missed all of this due to work and not tracking recent activity, but I've got cash and plan to attend.
posted by Alterscape at 5:23 PM on July 18, 2015


We'll miss you, benjto.strauss! And thanks to FJT for the parking information!
posted by chicainthecity at 10:54 AM on July 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Just got here. First 90 min parking are free in the structure.
posted by FJT at 12:45 PM on July 19, 2015


My friend wasn't ready when I picked him up so I'm probably going to be 15m late.
posted by ApathyGirl at 12:51 PM on July 19, 2015


I'm on Glendale at the 2, so whatever part of me hasn't liquified should be there soon!
posted by Room 641-A at 12:54 PM on July 19, 2015


I'm here. Those of you who are not are missing out!
posted by Alterscape at 1:29 PM on July 19, 2015


Overheard @ the table:
"You have smoked meat!"
posted by ApathyGirl at 2:32 PM on July 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


Hey, another huge thanks to celsius1414 and chicainthecity for organizing, and for everyone who came out -- this was lots of fun!
posted by Alterscape at 6:49 AM on July 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


Seconding Alterscape! There were a lot of details to keep track of and everything went smoothly, so thanks again. It was great seeing everyone!
posted by Room 641-A at 7:01 AM on July 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


Great event! Thanks to the organizers, celsius1414 and chicainthecity! And good to see everyone again.
posted by FJT at 8:28 AM on July 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


Fantastic event. I expected to have a good time, and had even a better one.

The soup dumplings get a big two thumbs up from me, and I suggest that anyone who was thinking about trying them but didn't make the event give it a shot.

I loved the Gamehaus! Great idea! I couldn't believe how busy it was. Hope it spreads around more.

Thanks to everyone who suggested board games to try. It was a great variety of games of different sorts and all ones I've never heard of.

The Dixit game was completely off my radar and I see it as having lots of replay potential. Small World has some very clever dynamics going on, but I'm afraid that the "build and hold" strategy I used might be a bit too effective and lead to sorta static games. Luckily we had Plundering Skeletons to stop that from happening! The sushi game, to me, seems really surprisingly deep and I don't think we touched the surface of it. Lots of replay ability there and I think 5 or 6 players is probably the winning space for it. (Five might be a bit better because then you're always having direct or one step removed contact with every player and that could make questions about what cards to pass more cohate).

Thanks again to everyone!
posted by bswinburn at 9:54 AM on July 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


/Googles Dixit, gets intrigued, makes mental note to play it next time

Thanks, all, for coming out--especially those of you who braved long drives and/or used public transit to do so!
posted by chicainthecity at 11:06 AM on July 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


Thanks everybody that came out! I was telling chicainthecity afterwards how glad I was everything went off so well which was due in large part to her help last week. :)

See y'all soon!
posted by Celsius1414 at 11:33 AM on July 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


Hi! Sharing my pics from TKF and Gamehaus right here.
Raw URL: https://www.dropbox.com/sc/x2ugxnx4vfc6u8v/AADGe0iEgksDortQ78Rk2-3pa
posted by FJT at 12:56 AM on July 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Those are great photos! I have so many conflicting feelings about #6. Even though that beef with butter frosting was delicious I can't think too hard about it or I'll never eat it again and that would be sad.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:22 PM on July 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


That was great! I'm looking at the pictures now - the dumplings are surprisingly cute all clustered together.
posted by betweenthebars at 4:31 PM on July 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


*waves hi to Greg, who is probably lurking*
posted by Room 641-A at 7:30 PM on July 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


I love the little poofs of delicious... I want more dumplings!
posted by Deoridhe at 1:35 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]



This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments