Rotary Meeting Venue Update

Left to Right: Sue and Gary Cohn, Jocelyn Ellison, Jim Meniketti, Joanne Primavera, and Rashmi Garimella sample menu items on the covered outdoor patio courtesy of the Sparrow restaurant in Juanita Bay.

Several club members continue the search for a meeting location in or near downtown Kirkland, where the club has traditionally met for most of its nearly 87 year history, have made progress with options, and have scheduled several locations for meeting trial.
 
Dave DeBois investigated the Fraternal Order of Eagles (258 Central Way • menu), which has a meeting room and kitchen capable of serving a variety of food for a club meeting. Scott Becker arranged for the club's board of directors to meet there on June 13 in order to sample the menu and gain a feel for the space. (Note: the board meeting this month is rescheduled from the 20th to the 13th.) At this time, arrangements appear to include individual dinner orders and payment at the time of the meeting.
 
Rashmi Garimella organized a group of six members who dined at Sparrow (9736 NE 120th Place • menu) on May 27. The restaurant owner met with the group and confirmed the restaurant can accommodate Monday meetings on a regular basis, can offer a reasonably priced menu for club meetings similar to an Open Table Restaurant Week menu, and offers adequate parking at the site—Juanita Bay. While directors discussed and prefer the value of an order-as-you-go process to simplify the dinner cost arrangements, this venue requires one ticket for the group, a $600 minimum for the meeting space inside, and a $1,600 minimum for the outdoor meeting space that is covered and heated. A/V is available only in the interior space, which seats up to 22 at tables and is not fully closed off from the main dining room. The bar will accommodate individual beverage orders prior to the meeting.
 
Jocelyn Ellison and other members investigated RockCreek Seafood and Spirits (89 Kirkland Ave. • menu), which has a small meeting room that accommodates 20, and L’Experience Paris (1002 Lake Street S. • menu), which is not regularly open for dinner but suggested menu options based on the Bellevue location fare. L’Experience Paris is located in the old Queen Bee café in the Aegis Living Kirkland Waterfront Building. The facility is accommodating, but there is only on-street parking available for club meetings.  
 
Stay tuned for more information on these options. At this time, the club has schedules one meeting at three of these venues so that club members may provide opinions on the suitability for regular club in-person meetings. The meeting trials are July 1, July 22, and August 5, and are posted to the club's Calendar.