Grendel's Den on Sundays
Every Sunday evening at 21:30 (or there abouts), there is a meeting of free software and free culture type people at Grendel's Den in Harvard Square. Grendel's is located just a block or so away from the Harvard T stop. Although there's not a great English word for it, the German word Stammtisch (a regulars' table) describes it perfectly.
Our meeting time is officially 9:00 but it's not usual for nobody to show up before 9:30. Food is half price with the purchase of a drink. We'll almost always be sitting at one of the big group tables in the corners of the restaurant or hidden back near the bathrooms. Usually the pub is pretty empty and we can expand as necessary. Things will get crazier on Sundays when the following Monday is a holiday but we make it work. As extremely reliable customers, the bar tends to cut us slack that others might not get.
A normal Grendel's evening will usually have between 10-20 people although it has been as big as 40. We meet every Sunday, without exception, although certain Sundays (e.g., Christmas) may be rather unpopulated.
Anyone is welcome to join us. You can contact Mako or Mika if you want to coordinate. They go basically every week unless they're out of town.
Food Recommendations
- Natural Disaster Veggie Burger - The official meal of Grendels on Sundays that involves a veggie burger with Cajun dressing, mango chutney, avocado, and swiss cheese. A non-vegetarian turkey-burger option is available as well.
History
Originally, a group of people with free culture and free software connections—and with connections to free culture and free software people—began meeting at Grendel's because of a wonderful combination of half-price food and a special $1 menu—both of which went in effect after 21:00 on Sundays.
After a few years, the $1 menu went away and then came back as a $2 menu. Of course, most of the regulars have had the things on that menu so many times that they're not particularly interested in it anyway. All food continues to be half price.
The group has grown to include a number of people from a few odd corners of the free software, free culture, computer science, and biology world around Cambridge.
