Domains Dinner: Get-Togetherness

I hesitated even writing this post. It’s just about one itty bitty detail of the Domains 17 conference. A detail that is normally overlooked or tossed to the side as “free time”. But the more I think about it, I want to actually address something I’m rather passionate about. I call it get-togetherness.

At conferences and larger group events that I’ve attended in the past, meal time is pretty open-ended. That is, if there’s no large banquet or buffet-style group meal, attendees are generally left to fend for themselves. And when you have folks that are coming in from out of town and aren’t familiar with the area, I’m not sure if this is the best way to go about it. Now it’s absolutely possible that this has only been my personal experience, but the most organization I’ve seen is a nonchalant “hey we’re headed here…feel free to join us” at then end of a presentation, or everyone DM-ing each other on Twitter to tag along to “the group” dinner. Which can be fine in some circumstances, but has the potential to overwhelm restaurants, or leave out those who may have used old-fashioned methods to make their dinner plans.

I’ve decided to give folks a little more guidance for Domains 17. Nothing mandatory, but the offer will be there. I want to be able to say, “we’ve done the bulk of the work for you– these restaurants all have great reviews, are super close to the venue, and won’t break the bank“. So that’s what’s going to happen!

With the help of Adam‘s on-the-ground-floor expertise, we have put together a list of restaurants. I have called them all in advance and have made a reservation for 10 at each place. On the first afternoon of the conference, we’ll put out whiteboards with each restaurant listed. People can choose to sign up wherever they’d like to go, while roughly observing the 10 person headcount.

Besides the already discussed benefits to this, my hope is that it will encourage a further sense of community & get-togetherness. My hope is that folks from the same schools will feel like they can branch out and, (pulling in an appropriate metaphor here), go sit at another lunch table. Again, there have been moments at past conferences where I would have happily done this if there had been a guarantee that I wouldn’t be showing up to a restaurant and having dinner alone.

So anyway, that’s my little spiel for the day. Check out the list of restaurants below, and get pumped! They’re all unique, all amazing, and have something for all taste buds. (Restaurant descriptions pulled from corresponding websites.)

S & B’s Burger Joint • 20 NW 9th St

Fresh, gourmet burgers and sliders. Full-service bar with unique Bloody Mary’s, over 65 beers, hand-dipped milkshakes, homemade pies, beer floats, soda floats. View Full Menu.

Iguana Mexican Grill • 9 NW 9th St

Urban core and authentic Mexican & Tex-Mex Restaurant. Fresh, from scratch, every day. View Full Menu.

Packard’s New American Kitchen • 201 NW 10th St

Located in the original 1920’s Packard Automobile showroom. Unique features are offered daily during lunch and dinner as well as changing freshly baked bread, veggie, and cheese boards. Packard’s offers seasonal craft cocktails, unique local beers, a carefully curated wine list, and an eclectic food menu. View Full Menu.

Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes • 1000 N Hudson Ave

Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes is named after the Barrios family, who is the cornerstone of all of A Good Egg Dining Group’s restaurants. Pull up a seat on the patio & enjoy fine, fresh, made-with-love Mexican food. View Full Menu.

FLINT • 15 N Robinson Avenue

The Patio at FLINT is the quintessential Oklahoma City outdoor affair. The outdoor patio offers comfortable seating, fire pit, sunset views, walk-up service outdoor bar, & seasonally inspired cocktails. Inside seating available. View Full Menu.

Fassler Hall • 421 NW 10th St

Fassler Hall, a popular Tulsa beer garden, now has a second home in Oklahoma City’s Midtown. German gem is known for its German beer and live entertainment. View Full Menu.

James E. McNellie’s Pub • 1100 Classen Dr

Feature menus with fresh, reasonably priced food and an atmosphere that is ideal for everyone. The pub has a great selection of hard-to-find draught and bottled beers (350 at last count), plus great collections of single malt scotches. View Full Menu.

Louies Grill & Bar • 1215 N Walker Ave

Louie’s is a casual American-fare grill and pub. It serves a variety of mid-priced food and beverages in a come-as-you-are atmosphere. Louie’s is positioned as a neighborhood restaurant with strategically placed flat screen televisions featuring your favorite regional sporting events. View Full Menu.