The Truth About San Diego
Dirk Deppy’s ¡Journalista! opens today with the following quote:
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, looking forward to American Idol.
Mr. Sanders is an asshole.
While in San Diego last week, ComicMix podcast producer Mike Raub and I did a quick estimate on the minimum amount of cash the San Diego Comic-Con pumped into the local economy. With 140,000 in attendance, most of whom staying in hotels, using taxis and public transportation, going to parties, using convention facilities, doing a bit of shopping, paying local and state taxes and dining at local restaurants during the four day show, we estimate comics fans spent a minimum of an eighth of a billion dollars in Mr. Sanders’ town – and most likely more than twice that.
What did we get for our money, outside of the Comic-Con itself? Hotel service that was indifferent at best (hotels were sold out; some folks had to commute in from damn near the Mexican border), and lousy restaurant food with incredibly rotten service. I go to over a half-dozen conventions each year, and never was I treated worse than I was in San Diego last week. Mr. Sanders’ city simply sucks.
Then again, if Sanders thinks American Idol candidates have "actual talent," his head’s so far up his ass he probably thinks the food at the Blarney Stone smells good.
My letter to the Mayor:From an radio interview with the mayor on the coming of American Idol to the convention center now that the Comic-Con is over: "We’ve put up with the superheroes and now we’re on to the people with actual talent" I'm sure by now the mayor has prepared a statement on this quote, I'd appreciate a copy of it. As would the 140,000 or so people who visited your city last weekend, bought food, spent money, stayed in your hotels, and numerous other activities that brought much needed income to your city. The American Idol hopefuls will stand on a line outside the center for many hours, and not leave it, for fear of losing their spots. They will most likely bring their own food. They will sing before a panel of judges and leave immediately afterwards. Which event will bring more income to your city? Which will get your city more coverage on the national news? Which will make your city look more like a place people come to visit? Which event was one of the reasons the convention center was expanded in the first place?
Damn, I like the Blarney Stone. Nothings beats an Irish Quesadilla. Unfortunately none of my pals would let me eat there this year. The mayor sounds like an idiot.
The Comicmixers who were at that socalled dinner are currently operating under the conclusion that we entered the Blarney Stone during a hotstage situation and were in fact waited on by the criminals whose robbery had gone awry when they were forced to open the establishment they had been robbing, the actual staffers locked in a walk-in cooler somewhere. Our 'waitress' didn't know what 7up was but had no problem with the order of a 7 & 7.
For what it's worth, I ate at the Tin Fish (the most convenient restaurant to the Convention Center, good basic seafood), McCormick and Schmidt's in the Omni, and Richard Walker's Pancake House, and Ranna (sp?) Thai, and was quite satisfied with the food and service in all of 'em. The mayor's still a jerk though.
The best service I got anywhere was at Sally's (located behind the Hyatt) & the food was amazing and Dick's Last Resort where i loved my meal and for a place where the schtick is they are jerks the waiter was very attentive.
The mayor has issued an official statement. The last paragraph:“The mayor in no way meant to disparage the talent and attention to detail shown by anyone attending Comic-Con. He loves you guys and looks forward to seeing you next year, and is sorry for the misunderstanding. ”The whole statement is at My Site http://40yearoldfanboy.blogspot.com/
Ah! So it was a misunderstanding! Well, that explains his comment.
I'm wondering if you bothered to read the whole statement, Mike. The mayor's history with the convention, and his very public statements made at two press events he attended over the past two Comic-Cons, should speak louder than one statement taken out of context. I was with the mayor for the three radio interviews he did immediately prior to the 91X phone call, and he praised Comic-Con to the hilt for the energy it and its attendees bring to the city and the economic impact the convention has for the local hotels, restaurants and businesses. It would be ashame for folks to walk away from this thinking that the mayor doesn't appreciate what Comic-Con means to San Diego. Comic-Con and San Diego are synonymous, and we hope to keep it that way beyond 2012.
Nothing like ticking off a few thousand convention goers to get an immediate apology.
The Pear Side Cafe in Sea Port Village is always a treat. http://christophermoonlight.blogspot.com/2007/01/…
I just saw this. How fast would the Mayor lose his job if it's because of him Comic Con pulls out? If this guy was smart the only words coming out of his mouth in regards to Comic Con would be THANK YOU!
What about the service at TGI Fridays? Now that was spectacular.
What about the service at TGI Fridays? Now that was spectacular.
Chris, I don't know if you are being sarcastic but when we were at Friday's we had mediocre service at best. Long wait to get in (okay we were a large party) longer wait for serivice and even longer for the food to arrive. I can't say we had excpetional service any where except Sally's and good service only at the Marriot and Dick's. The service everywhere else was mediocre at best and the Blarney Stone (renamed Padre's Pub) was a nightmare. As for the quality of the food, it pretty much matched the service, capped a a "lovely" breakfast at our hotel that took forever to get and when it finally did arrive contained a chopped up cheese omlet passed off as the scrambled egges that were ordered.
Chill, Chris was at TGIFridays with us for that meal, so yes he was being sarcastic!
Perhaps the person that does the writing for the mayor was AT the convention and the mayor got jealous that he couldn't get his 4-day pass? TGIF'S wasnt THAT bad…all I remember was sitting at the far end of the table with my rather large adult beverage after not eating…so at that point I just didn't care any more. The wait went by quickly because of great conversation. Now as far as the "other" dinner went…I agree wholeheartedly with Adriane's comment above – the real staff at that restaurant HAD to have been kept hostage in the basement. I tried to focus the entire convention visit on the NICE people, not the bad circumstances we encountered.
Kai I'm voting for that large beverage going to your head. I felt like I was being held hostage by Friday's!
Boy, I don't know where Dirk or anyone else ate but my service and food were just fine, as they have been for the last 13 years I've been attending. Only bad service was at the Waffle Spot, but it had nothing to do with my being a fan. I was at the Friday's in Mission Valley and had excellent service; same with Seau's, Horton Plaza, Mission Valley Mall, Hennessy' (sp), even Denny's & Hooters. Sammy's was again one of the best, even with 8 people in our group. I've noticed that generally you get back what you give out. If you're friendly, good-natured and respectful, you tend to be treated that way. Usually works for me. But yeah, depending on the context of the mayor's remarks, he's either a yutz or insane.
Perhaps that was the case. Let's make a toast to Chicago mayor leaving his attitude at the door for Wizard World.
People actually eat at Friday's? Why would you go to a chain when traveling?
That's a really good question, Karen. One I ask myself all the time.There are two reasons: it's 2 in the afternoon and you've got a panel / meeting / appointment at 3 and you've got to make do, and, as was the case here, you've got 10 people and it's 10:30 on a Friday night and there's a million people milling about tourist heaven and you and your own band of tourists are hungry and don't want to wait more than an hour to get into someplace local.I never eat at a chain restaurant when I'm in places like Chicago or Manhattan because I know so many great local restaurants I'll never get back to them all in my lifetime. But at places like San Diego, you make do.We got real lucky with the restaurants around the Charlotte NC convention center; they were absolutely great. Hmmm. Now I'm hungry…
I hear ya. I did some research before we went (even though we've been the past few years) and we had our best "food experience" yet. But I can see how the last minute thing happens. We did discover The Cheese Shop this year though – solid.By the way, this mayor guy sounds not so smart.