Temple

Folks in the area call this Temple, but the signs on the windows call it: The Shinto. (The Temple is the “restaurant” portion.)

The web site is not completely up-to-date, they have done away with the DJs and installed a plasma TV. It does have a section with movable seating and tables, in addition to a very nice bar.

I had forgotten that life in the big city is more expensive. They have an extensive menu of “martinis” (which are really specialized drinks, and not real martinis). I tried several. The best presentation was Witch’s Brew which includes a bit of dry ice in the bottom, so it bubbles. Cost for these drinks is $11-12 (each).

It is located at 1201 Harmon Place, corner of 12th Street. It is a short walk from the Convention Center, and is not on the walkway (which means going outside to get there…not bad now, could be colder in March).

The Local

On the Nicollet Mall at 10th Street, this is a traditional Irish pub with Guinness on tap, as well as Harp. They have a great web site which gives a flavor for the place. If you look at the map, I wound up sitting by #3, with a great view of the bar. Draft beer is (at least on a Sunday afternoon) $6/pint. The food was priced commensurate with city bars. There is a copy of the current menu on the web site.

This has some possibilities. It is about 8 blocks from the new Minneapolis Public Library which is at 2nd and Nicollet Mall.

Purpose of this blog

The PLA National Conference is scheduled for Minneapolis from March 25 – 29, 2008.

The PUBLIB discussion list has a tradition of meeting in person at ALA Midwinter Meetings, ALA Annual Conferences, and at the biennial Public Library Association Conference. I have volunteer to locate a spot for this gathering. Since there are a number of options, which I am personally inspecting, I thought I would blog my reviews en route to choosing a site.

Stay tuned.