Seattle Dining group

So! (Long time, no post, yes, I know. Moving on!)

Last week my husband, Eric, and I decided that we wanted to try something. A friend of mine online had started a dining group with some of his friends, and thought it sounded like a great idea. We created a community journal on LiveJournal (otherwise known as my primary home on the internet) called Seattle Dining, which outlined the basic "rules" for this group. Because I am lazy, I'm just copying what I wrote in my LiveJournal.

At present the plan is this:

The first Tuesday of every month, we meet somewhere. Eric and I will probably determine where that somewhere is - it could be as far South as Olympia or as far North as Mount Vernon. We give plenty of notice for where we are meeting so that people can check schedules and research local restaurants.

Once we have met, each individual puts one restaurant name into the hat. It could be a real hat, it could be a chart involving a die roll. It will not be a consensus discussion. The randomness is important, as it forces us to step a bit out of our comfort zones. Be aware that we may go somewhere you don't like. Or that has very limited options for you - Eric, for example, has a slight seafood allergy, which limits his options at a seafood restaurant.

The restaurant must be:
1) Near where we are meeting. If we meet in Tacoma, no Seattle restaurants. This means that once the next meeting place is set, you need to DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
2) Not fast food (unless there is some unique local fast food). We want to stretch a bit. And, while Frugal's in Tacoma is unique, we can't sit there and chat while eating. So it's right out.
3) Ideally not a national chain. While P.F. Chang's is tasty, we pretty much all know what it's like.
4) Not too expensive. The target is the $20 average per entree range. Or less. Since this is only once a month, that shouldn't be a significant hardship.
5) Somewhere we haven't been in six months or more. By "we," I mean, "the group." Since there are hundreds of restaurants in Seattle itself, this shouldn't be too difficult.
6) Able to handle us.

There are a few rules for us, too:
1) Unless the service is terrible, tipping is not optional. Even bad service should get around 10%.
2) I shouldn't have to say this, but please act like a grownup. It's not that hard. This means keep drama to a minimum, don't whine about the restaurant selection, and make an effort to interact with the rest of us.

I'm really hoping this idea catches on. I admit, I'm a little nervous, as we have several groups of friends that don't usually interact, who have all expressed interest in coming. It will be very interesting to see how our different circles of friends interact.