[My Favorite Park Slope...]: Trivia Night

Photo via www.monropub.com

I don’t know about you, but nothing gets me rolling like a healthy dose of good ole' fashioned pub trivia. I can’t be certain where I got the competitive urge to know more random facts than strangers, but I think it has something to do with my  lingering sadness that VH1 cancelled the World Series of Pop Culture before I could claim victory with my team, “John Trivia-olta and the Masseurs”.

Trivia nights are nearly as commonplace in NYC as Mr. Softee trucks, so it’s hard to decipher the best of the best.  Earlier this summer, however, I had the pleasure of stumbling upon a brand new pub quiz which has since earned top marks for trivia, booze and British culture from a picky bunch of Trivia mavens.

The Monro Pub on 5^th Ave at 11^th Street dubs itself as “Liverpool in Brooklyn” which, as a Midwestern farm girl, I have no basis for which to confirm or deny. I do know, however, that they serve meat pies, which seems distinctively British and surprisingly fitting for a trivia night. 

(Trivia question for vegetarians: Should you eat before coming to trivia night at Monro? Answer: What is YES.)

Trivia Night occurs on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday of the month, ensuring that you have a chance to watch both The Biggest Loser and American Idol twice a month.  Teams of two usually dominate the playing field and categories span from sports to pop culture, to name-that-archaic-photo-of-a-Russian-dictator. The Monro staff are perky, delightful and often reward wit along with top answers.  The feel of the joint is intimate, kitschy and distinctively Brooklyn. And the regular players are trustworthy. You certainly won’t catch anyone cheating on an Iphone, and no one questions your trivia ethics if you decide to text mid-game.

There’s talk of a minimal entry fee being instated to add to the winnings, which would be well worth it in the small bar where the winner is likely to buy a round for the 2^nd place team. So until pop culture trivia becomes an Olympic sport where I can truly shine, you’ll find me at my most favorite Park Slope Trivia Night at the Monro.