Margaret Anne Clarke, 2008.The Bar: Montlake Ale House may be known to some as the family-friendly beer joint that features a “kiddie pit” that you can throw your spawn into while you’re getting shithammered. There’s probably a more marketable way to put that, but being that trivia starts at 8:30 and all minors have to vamoose after 9, I must sadly announce that Neptune Coffee is still the sole pub quiz reported by Trivia Tuesdays that is friendly to under-21s. (But hey! You can always do your homework drunk.)
The humble, wide-open nature of Montlake’s interior and a built-in geek draw as a weekly home for the progressive social group Drinking Liberally combine into a great place for a solid, community-based trivia night. In addition to the bar putting $25 into every pot, there was definitely a smart, loyal crowd here. The hostess even idly referred to the group sitting next to me as “trivia ringers” as they played a warm-up card game I couldn’t quite comprehend.The Quiz: (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m., $5 a team) Five themed rounds of five questions followed by a 10-question audio round made up the night’s entertainment. Themes were creative yet accessible, ranging from “Horses,” “Cover Songs,” and a round based on infamous women throughout history. There was a March Madness round that was nigh-catastrophically weighted from an eight-point question centering on every single team in the tournament with a dog for a mascot, but I suppose that was good news for a lot of bracket-junkies.
One thing to note is just how fast Phillip blasts through his quiz: if you were worried about the Montlake Ale House’s somewhat older demographic translating into a sloth-like, overarticulate bore, just know that Phillip is probably the most expedient question-reader I’ve ever reviewed. If that weren’t enough, Phillip only repeated questions once after the quiz, so listen close.
Every night comes with an additional theme that all teams will name themselves after in order to qualify for the best team name of the night. This particular week was Pornographic Films Based on TV Shows, although the breakneck pace of the night’s trivia meant that Phillip never actually said the names that all the teams submitted. That seemed like a real missed opportunity, but then again, I have no idea how awful those names might have been. (All I can attest to was that mine was “My So-Called Gangbang.” Not a good start.)
The Host: Chalking up over three years of hosting experience, Phillip currently alternates weekly hosting responsibilities with Quizmaster Matthew. Phillip’s close attention to duration might have something to do with having cut his teeth as a radio DJ in Olympia. The DJ-cum-MC emphasized his goals after the quiz, realizing pretty early on that his audience was primarily young professionals, older folk not particularly willing to stay out past 11, and other similarly harried people who want their fun in concise, predictable doses.
The Verdict: Clearly this is a night tailored for trivia fans who don’t necessarily have the time for an epic 80-question outing provided by more ambitious quiz providers like Geeks Who Drink. It was a clever set of questions that sought to scratch one’s trivia itch in the most efficient way. Montlake Ale House’s trivia night might not be kid-friendly, but it certainly seems parent-friendly.Follow Voracious on Twitter and Facebook.
