On 4/9/05 7:19 AM, "Paul Skrbec" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> It is now week 2 of the smoking ban and here are my limited > observations. My partner and I quit smoking in November and as a result, > have rarely gone into a bar because of the smell and fear of relapsing. > With the smoking ban here, we have gone out both weekends so far and > plan on continuing more frequently because there is no smoke. > > We actually live way out in Inver Grove Heights and drive right through > St. Paul because our past favorite watering hole (Trikks) allows smoking > still. Our favorite bar in Minneapolis is the Saloon. We each know many > of the bartenders, barbacks and bouncers and have gotten comments from > many of them about the positive impact of the smoking ban. Business > seems to be up - one of the 2 managers even commented last night that he > is sure that the owners realize that more people are coming out > specifically because of the ban. Seeing Paul's post as well as those from Jeremy Wieland have made me wonder who else is discovering or re-discovering a favorite hangout thanks to the clean air now found in our bars and restaurants. After watching the Wolves game on Friday, I took a detour from my regular route home to check out the scene at Mayslack's on the corner of 15th Ave and 4th St NE. Before doing that, I first made a stop at the Knight Cap across the street. This was my first time going to the Knight Cap since from what I'd heard about it, it didn't sound like my kind of place. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a decent crowd of folks and a nice range of beverage options to choose from. And while it wasn't quiet, it wasn't the head-pounding volume you can find in some larger venues. Note to the smokers: there is an outdoor patio for you folks. Seems like a good place to stop for a beer or two and catch a game on the two good-sized flat-screen TVs while shooting some pool or throwing some darts. Now that I know more about it, I'll probably go there again. If you like the idea of a neighborhood-sized sports bar as opposed to the hugeness of a Champp's or someplace like that, the Knight Cap may be the place for you. Then I headed over to Mayslack's which had a bigger (and younger) crowd, probably due to the live music being featured. I have been to Mayslack's a few times before and usually enjoyed myself except for the fact that I'd smell like a chimney upon leaving and would have to wash my coat the next day to get rid of the smell. It was too late at night to get a Mayslack's sandwich, but nonetheless, I had a good time and it looked like most others were too. None of the smokers there seemed to mind having to step out front for a few minutes to get their nicotine fix and my guess is despite the wailing we've seen in this forum, most smokers are going to adjust to this change just fine - just as they've done every other place where smoking has been banned. By the way, when I left the Wolves game, I went by First Avenue and noticed they've managed to accommodate the smokers by letting folks stand outside the 7th Street Entry to get their fix. So if you're a smoker and hear about a concert you wanna see, you don't have to worry about how you're going to go without a smoke for the whole show. Mark Snyder Windom Park REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
