Tuesday night trivia at the Old Pequliar

A couple of months ago, Seattlest ditched the George & Dragon's Tuesday night trivia quiz. We found it slow and overcrowded -- same old same old, we suppose, but we were burned out.

We'd already been flirting with the Irish Emigrant's Monday night quiz, which we recommend (even though they've whittled down their menu recently). But some of Seattlest's friends can't do Monday nights.

So we were delighted to discover the Tuesday quiz at Ballard's Old Pequliar. John, the quizmaster, keeps things moving -- players answer about 80 questions in two hours, rather than the G&D's 40, and you correct each other's answer sheets so there's not the huge delay as scores are tallied. A corporate sponsor matches all the teams' entry fees, so the prize pool is larger, and money is awarded to teams finishing first, second, and third.

Yeah, the food's spotty -- our advice: stick with fish and chips, and whatever you do, avoid the hummus that's actually spinach and/or artichoke dip. But although it's the same number of teams and players, the pub feels less oppressive and dank than the George & Dragon.

Sadly, John recently announced his retirement as quizmaster, which put Seattlest in a quandry: do we still recommend the quiz? What if the new quizmaster sucks?

We can't speak long term, but happily, Charley, a friend of Seattlest's, is trying out for the quizmaster position tonight. He says there won't be many changes -- the same number of questions, a couple of picture rounds, a geography round, a movie round.

If you're quizzically inclined, show up at the Old Pequliar tonight at 8 and give Charley a whirl. Seattlest will be there -- playing on the team with "Smurf" in its name -- so you can show off your big brain and try leaving us in the dust. Just don't cry if we take your money.

Old Pequliar trivia night
8-10 pm tonight and every Tuesday
1722 NW Market St