Dining hotspots for global geeks

By Jen Weddle

In a galaxy far, far away, humans sit and quietly eat in a public place while embracing their inner geeks.

That galaxy isn’t really all that far away; in fact, it’s right here on Earth that such dwellings exist. Recently, there has been a surge in the popularity of geeks and nerds because being smart has become cool. Geek-inspired restaurants, bars and coffee shops are showing up all around the world.

I have created a list of some of the geekiest scenes in the world where you can find people eating, drinking and being merry.

The Wormhole Coffee, Chicago

This “Back to the Future” inspired coffee shop is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located at 1462 N. Milwaukee Ave.

This coffee shop knows how to celebrate geek culture. It has a DeLorean parked inside for visitors to admire and appreciate. The shop is decorated with memorabilia from some geeky film favorites. “Star Wars” and “Ghostbusters” movie posters and memorabilia are just a few of the things you might come across browsing the shop. It’s not just the geeky décor that makes this place great though, Yelp.com gives the place a 4.5 out of 5 rating. I’ve heard rumors that their coffee is out of this world so if you’re trying to find a place where you can talk to people who appreciate geeky movie culture while sipping on some delicious coffee, the Wormhole is the place to be.

League of Legends Restaurant, China

If I found a pair of cheap plane tickets to fly to China tomorrow, I’d jump on that offer, probably only because I’m dying to figure out what’s going on with the recently opened League of Legends restaurant.

The waitresses and waiters dress up as characters from the game, including Caitlyn, Twisted Fate and Ezra. Some of the menu is also inspired by the game: dishes are named after characters like Cassiopeia and the drinks appear to be served in mana and health potion bottles. If these things don’t satisfy your League of Legends cravings, you could always just play the game in the entryway.

The Library Bar, Los Angeles

For all the literary nerds out there, there’s even a place for you to hang out.

The Library Bar offers a wide variety of food and beverages, and some of them even tie in with the book theme. They offer meals like the library burger and the library pressed club, along with cocktails with names like Tequila Mockingbird. The Scarlet Letter consists of Absolut Mandarin, Chambord and Red Bull; the Tennessee Williams consists of Knob Creek bourbon, lillet, Chambord and Peychaud’s Bitters. The bar’s website, librarybarla.com, describes the restaurant as, “Stacks of leather-bound tomes surround the subtly illuminated, sumptuous leather seating, creating the look and feel of a well-appointed private study–replete with learned libations and an illustrious menu of edibles.” If this isn’t the most prestigious place to have a drink and a meal, I don’t know what is.