MN DU Holiday Get Together

[HopeFor2006]

We have lots of reasons to celebrate this year! Where and when?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. You read my mind!

I was just about to post the same thing!

In years past, we've had our gathering between Christmas and New Year's, so let's see, the Friday and Saturday after Christmas are the 27th and 28th. Either date works for me.

[dflprincess]

2. Either the 27th or 28th is good for me as well (eom)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Either will work for me. Where?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. The last few gatherings have been at David Fong's but we could always

go somewhere else.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[dflprincess]

8. Fong's always works for me -

but then it's in Bloomington so it's also exceptionally convenient for me.

And, for those who don't know this, it is a union shop.

[Pierre.Suave]

5. Sounds like a good idea

Should we replace our monthly meet up with the holiday meetup?

Anyplace is ok with me.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. That's been the pattern ever since I moved here in 2003

:-)

[Pierre.Suave]

7. LOL

one of these days I will learn...

:rofl:

[dflprincess]

9. You've been back 5 years already?

I hate how fast time goes now - I sure don't remember that Christmas came around so often when I was a kid.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. I know--we started getting ready for our annual Lessons and Carols service

last rehearsal, and I found myself thinking, "It feels like I just sang this a few weeks ago."

[HopeFor2006]

12. Well, the end of the bush regime can't come fast enough for me!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. Oops, Friday and Saturday are actually the 26th and 27th

I don't know what I was thinking.

Too much work for crazy clients, I suppose.

[HopeFor2006]

13. Either day works well for me.

[Pierre.Suave]

14. Either works for me

Just let me know when and where.

[Pierre.Suave]

15. Just one thought about Fongs

the mall will probably be crazy packed on the days after Xmas.

[dflprincess]

16. Fongs is at 94th & Lyndale

no where near any mall.

[Pierre.Suave]

17. Oh, for some reason

I thought it was at southdale...

Whats at southdale that was confusing me?

[dflprincess]

18. Are you thinking of P.F. Chang's?

That's near the Cheesecake Factory. And, I agree with you, we want to avoid a mall the first couple days after Christmas. I believe Dec 26 is actually the busiest shopping day of the year or it used to be because that's when all the really good sales started.

[Pierre.Suave]

19. Oh yeah

thats it, sorry. My mistake.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

20. P.F. Chang's is the Edina yuppie place to go for Chinese food

(It's actually quite good, but I always feel as if the other diners think I'm not up to their standards, fashion and plastic-surgery-wise...)

David Fong's is sort of traditional Americanized Chinese food, but it's perfectly edible, and they have Qingdao beer with which to toast the end of the Bush administration. :-)

[GAspnes]

21. I'm in

Boxing Day is marginally better for me.

Have we done anything in St. Paul since that coffee shop on Fort Road? There are some terrific bars with great food over there -- Muddy Pig, The Vintage, Pizza Luna.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. "Terrific bars with great food"--hmm, sounds intriguing

Tell us more.

[dflprincess]

23. We did O'Gara's on election night

The staff was very accomodating.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

24. But there was a bit of, er, blowback

here and there... :)

[HopeFor2006]

25. Isn't the Local a unionized restaurant?

They have a great private room.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

26. No, it's not unionized, and that was the source of a lot of flak from a

certain member (who hasn't posted for years) who insisted on going to a union restaurant and then didn't show up when we chose The Local. The next time we chose David Fong's, but that person didn't show up then either.

When we went to O'Gara's, someone objected to going to a bar that had hosted Norm Coleman fundraisers. However, it's more complicated than that, and the staff we encountered were rooting for Obama, as were most of the customers.

[HopeFor2006]

27. I remember we went to Nye's one year

They had a nice private room upstairs.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. That's another union restaurant

:-)

But for me, a union restaurant is nice but not essential, especially since the list of union restaurants (which I can no longer find on the Internet) has something like only six or eight listings on it.

[GAspnes]

29. look what I started

I'd nominate The Vintage (now called something else, I can't remember) near Selby & Dale. My son & his wife live near there. I'll encourage them to come -- you'd all love Noelle.

So I propose ... "Colonel Mustard in the Library with the AK-47." (No wonder I never won that game).

How about The Vintage (now "Il Vesco Vino") on the day after Christmas?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

30. Hmm, the bar menu looks okay, although a bit limited, but

the dinner menu is definitely on the expensive side.

http://ilvescovino.com/

[Pierre.Suave]

31. If we want to try a place in St Paul

but something different, there is Pazza Luna, The Happy Gnome, The Liffy (owned by the same guy that owns The Local)

https://www.pazzaluna.com/

http://thehappygnome.com/

http://www.theliffey.com/index.asp

and I am sure there are others.


There is also uptown, and may I make a suggestion, my new neighborhood favorite (and they also have Mexican Coke) Morelos Mex Grill on 26th and Nicollet S next to Azia, or heck, even Azia.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

32. We've been to the Liffey, but they don't reserve spaces

We lucked out once and had a whole room to ourselves, but that same space was crowded the next time.

[Pierre.Suave]

33. How big of a group are we planning on having

attend this get together?

[dflprincess]

34. The holiday gathering usually attracts a larger number

I think we've had anywhere from 15-20 in the past. We have usually made reservations for it.

I can't remember though, if the reason the Liffey didn't take reservations the 2nd time was because of an event at the Xcel Center and the business they do when something is going on at the X. They may have let us make a reservation the first time when nothing was going on over there. (The parking ramp also jacked up it's prices because of the "event".)

[Pierre.Suave]

36. If we are having that big of a group

I have connections at The Happy Gnome, I can see if they have anything going on that day in their fireside room, if they don't I am sure they would let us have it. Only problem I see is their dinner menu (only one served upstairs) starts at about 20 bucks a plate, which might be more than some want to spend, even though their food is generally very good and of high quality.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

37. I just checked their bar menu--

Nothing over $15, prices starting at $8.

That's without drinks, of course. :-)

[Pierre.Suave]

38. you are right about the bar menu

however, we can not reserve a table downstairs where they serve the bar menu, and upstairs where we can reserve a table, they only serve the diner menu.

We could get lucky and find enough room downstairs, I have no idea how busy the days after Xmas are.

[dflprincess]

39. Given the time in general and the fact that the holidays tend to stretch

people's budgets if maybe we should look for a slightly cheaper spot this time. I'd hate for someone to skip the biggest meet up of the year because they can't afford it. Or...we could try and get a count of how many think they'll show and if it turns out that not that many are coming we could take a chance on getting a table in the bar. Maybe if we scheduled it for earlier in the afternoon that would improve the odds?

[Pierre.Suave]

40. it would definitely improve the odds

there are tables downstairs too, and down there you can order from either the bar menu or the dinner menu, but we cant reserve those tables, unless I can sweet talk them into doing it for me...

I will try and let you all know if I am successful.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

41. I would vote for cheaper as well

We don't know everyone's economic circumstances, and for some people, the difference between $8 bar food and a $20 dinner may be significant.

[Pierre.Suave]

42. I agree

[krispos42]

35. I'll be out-of-state.

:-(

Sorry.

[bvar22]

43. You are all welcome at my house!

:hi:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

44. Well, gee, I don't know if we can all make it down to the Ozarks

the day after Christmas.

Maybe it would be easier if you came here. :-)

[bvar22]

47. Sure you can......

CARPOOL !!!


I would love to join you in Minnesota.
I even fantasized about buying a plane ticket, but can't make it work this year.
Looks like Normie may be OUT, and that is worth a celebration.

[HopeFor2006]

45. Careful

If the economy gets any worse we may all show up at your doorstep!

[bvar22]

48. Just bring your work clothes.

We've already worn out 2 shovels and a hammer.......(kidding).
Planting Blueberries, Raspberries, Boysenberries, and Apples this week.

[HopeFor2006]

49. Oh sure, rub it in!

The only thing I can plant this week is a house plant!

[HopeFor2006]

46. Let's find a place that has wi-fi

[dpbrown]

50. Has there been a time and place decision yet?

I would like to attend if I can.

[HopeFor2006]

51. I hope you can make it!

Haven't seen you in forever. How's the little activist?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

52. Hey, where is everybody?

Come on, all you holiday revelers!

[dpbrown]

53. I've been checking regularly for a time and a place so I know if I can come

Has that been decided yet?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

54. No, who's going to decide?

I think we've got December 26th pretty much in mind (not as crowded as Saturday, I suppose), but is there consensus on a place?

I'm voting for some place that has cheap menu items.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

55. Fong's again? Lots of variety, not too expensive.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

56. I'd vote for Fong's

People like their food, they're not too expensive, and they have a lot of parking.

Anyone else?

[dflprincess]

57. Fong's works for me (eom)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

58. That's three votes for Fong's and no one has objected...

Speak now or forever hold your peace?

[Pierre.Suave]

59. What time?

I actually have a doctors appointment the day after Xmas.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

60. I assume your doctor's appointment won't be in the evening

:-)

We usually do this at dinner time, say about 6:30 or later.

[HopeFor2006]

61. Another vote for Fongs here

And I'll bring the suporgirls with me!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

62. Okay, then we veterans of the Minnesota DUers Holiday Party Tradition

have taken it upon ourselves to decide that the party is at Fong's, shall we say drinks and appetizers at 6:30, ordering the meal as close to 7:00 as possible?

If we have agreement, I'll start a new RSVP thread.

[dflprincess]

63. Sounds good to me! (eom)

[HopeFor2006]

64. Can we make reservations?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

65. Yes.

As I recall, we were set up in a back room the other times.

[HopeFor2006]

66. Kick to keep front and center

:kick: