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Review content:
This is not a place to enjoy equisite highbrow delights, this is a place to spend a good chunk of change and feel a little as if you've walked out of Chuckie-Cheeze in a tux. The atmosphere is brilliant, but they haven't done much more than revamp Tiburon, which featured pretty decent mediterranean cuisine, RIP. From what I hear, Temple is brought to us by the folk that brought us Azia, a nice curiousity amidst the Art Institute's cultured Nicollet location. My advise, go to Azia. Temple has belly-flopped into downtown, with a "hey guys, I'm just like you but with an East Asian twist" nod to the fare at some of the more classy Downtown locales. You still get your sea-bass and market-price lobster, duck and kobe beef, but with garish spices and low quality food. Service seems trained reasonably to be attentive, but not informed. When I asked if the Tuna was heavy on ginger, I got, "Well, do you like ginger?" The tuna ended up fishy and vaguely reminiscent of teriyaki beef jerky. Don't expect much from the bar. My boyfriend and I like a brandy Alexander for summer dessert, and they don't have a blender, so we settled for one of their selection of two brandys (not listed on the menu). A day earlier, I met some friends there for drinks, and the mint julep served to me was full of brown leaves and barely more than whiskey. (The manager did replace this promptly as I said, "just give me a GT.") The location is a bit cursed, off the main drags a few blocks and on 12th street, where the traffic can sometimes spoil the outside seating. (It's two blocks from an exit off 394.) Happy hour specials are genreous. Thier calamari was tough, lobster overcooked, and the quail was kicked in the teeth with an overpowering mushroom compliment. We live two blocks away, and after a couple times, we won't be returning.
Pros: Nice interior, Attentive service, Decent happy hour
Cons: Mediocre food, Terrible bar, Exorbitant prices
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