Best Trivia Night Moment: "Getting Something Right You Were Unsure Of!"

**Trivia Nights happen allover downtown San Diego from Monday to Wednesday.** (Photo by Brad Pict)

“The next rule is…no cheating!”

Sunset Trivia company host Shane Allen is shouting to the crowd gathered inside the Little Italy Food Hall.

“Do not look up the answers on your phone,” Allen says, growing feisty. “The punishment for that is public execution, and I don’t feel like doing that tonight – it’s very messy.”

The room buzzes with conversation and excitement. Groups of all ages sign in on the Sunset Trivia online portal. They select team names such as The Hyper-Decanters, Brunch Bunch and Quizzie McGuire. All are angling to win this March 4 session of the food hall’s Monday night trivia contest.

This is my first-ever trivia night. I mix in with the other novices and obvious regulars. The trivia night concept is simple: Answer more questions correctly than the other teams.

With my competitive streak – which makes me a menace on game nights – I’m optimistic about my chances on the scoreboard.

Sad reality: I ended up in last place. Still, I left Little Italy with a newfound desire to become a trivia regular.

That’s largely due to Allen’s enthusiasm as a host. He lifts the energy with witty jokes and the way he dances to the music in his seat as teams submit their answers.

Allen’s been a Sunset Trivia host for two years. The company staffs contests all over San Diego. Before hosting, Allen was a regular trivia contestant. He even auditioned for Jeopardy and made it to their pool of candidates; he’s “hoping they pick me.”

The San Diego State University grad has a theatre degree and briefly pursued acting.

“I feel like I’m the glue that holds a micro-community together for a couple hours,” Allen says of hosting. “Plus, I get to scratch that performer itch.”

**Sunset Trivia host Shane Allen.** (Photo by Madison Geering)

Sam Nolasco, a regular, is a Little Italy resident and member of the four-person Quizzie McGuire team.

“We come almost every Monday,” Nolasco says. “It’s a great way to see friends and get out of the house on a Monday night.”

Asked her favorite part of trivia night, her teammates interject:

“If you don’t say winning…”

“Half-time ice cream!”

Nolasco playfully shushes them.

“The best part is the satisfaction of getting something right you were unsure of,” Nolasco says.

I can relate. Some people are intimidated by trivia nights. They assume they’re not knowledgeable enough to play. It’s definitely a pleasant surprise to see how much you know when you give yourself a chance.

That sentiment is shared by Monte Ward, who hosts Stone Brewing Tap Room – Kettner’s Thursday trivia night.

“You’re better than you think you are,” Ward says. “The best part of hosting is seeing someone get an answer right when they weren’t expecting to.”

Ward also works for Sunset Trivia and has hosted for two and a half years. Like Allen, he was a long-time player before deciding to get on the mic.

“I like the community of it,” Ward says. “I like building relationships with regulars. It’s a great reason to hang out with your friends.”

The bartenders participate in Stone’s trivia night under the team name The Ket-Nerds. They face teams called Beauty and the Nerd, Powerpuff Gurls, Sante Fe Stoners and Quiztopher Walken.

I didn’t expect to have so much fun being quizzed on random facts, but I did. And I showed improvement. On Thursday at Stone, I came in second-to-last place.

“For people like me who are kind of geeky, this is an opportunity to go out, socialize and patronize local establishments,” Allen says. “Not just to drink, but to use our minds for something positive.”

Wanna use your mind for something positive? Here’s a list of 15 trivia nights that happen in downtown San Diego between Monday and Thursday (click the links for more information):