We sneak into a speakeasy

The Library at Detention, Fresno, California
“I hope people who’ve been (to bars) in New York, San Francisco, and Las Vegas will also say, ‘How about that place in Fresno?’” That’s what John, a bartender at The Library at Detention, would like to be true of this bar in the Tower district of Fresno.

It’s a speakeasy, so there’s some effort involved in a visit to The Library. You need a reservation. To get into the bar, you have to enter Detention, an entirely reputable pool hall, pass the bar, and open a locker. If you remembered the instructions and opened the correct locker, the whole bank of lockers swings open, and if you have the password (I suspect it’s always the title of a book), you’re allowed to enter what may (or may not) be a secret passage to the stairway leading to the bar. You should have a hardcover book for the library, and you should have followed the dress code: business or business casual. I went with my best black t-shirt; Mindy went with pearls.

We walked up the stairway and down the hallway and into the library. Nobody was sitting at the bar at the moment, so we sat down towards one end and studied both the menus (one skinny with no prices and another full-sized one with more selections and prices). Many of the drinks were Fresno-themed (Tower District), others had literary themes (Jane Austen, anyone?). We chose ours mostly for the flavors rather than the names -- I ordered a Basil Honey Lemonade, and Mindy went with a Whiskey Smash with Raspberries. Bryce the bartender smashed the basil for my lemonade with a clap of the hands and said, “You have to kill it to bring it to life.” We didn’t notice as much smashing for Mindy’s Smash, but the drinks were delicious.

The bartenders provide entertainment, and not just with a Tom Cruise Cocktail shake and juggle. They made drinks that used flame and smoke (and really, nothing entertains like fire). When the flaming drinks were made, lights went down. The lights are constantly brightening and dimming as part of the speakeasy motif; management had considered staging raids on the bar as part of the Prohibition theme, but as John noted, on an average night it’s likely one of the guests would have a concealed carry license. You don’t want to risk that kind of surprise.

The decor plays up the Prohibition theme, too. Along with pictures of flappers and Al Capone, there is a (replica?) Tommy Gun behind the bar. Dixieland and other jazz music plays relatively softly. The bar opened last December as one room, but since it was doing so well, a wall was knocked down to add space. The second room is the library section with a wall of books that I assume were donated. A 1927 silent film, Downhill (directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring The Lodger’s Ivor Novello), was playing on the wall. In addition to the bar seating, comfy chairs in both rooms are arranged for quiet conversation.

Anne and Adrian sat down at the bar just after we did. It was their first time in The Library, too, and Anne had been concerned they might not be allowed in because they were in jeans (“but I’m wearing a camo shirt, so I’m invisible.”) They’d heard about the Library from friends and saw positive reviews on Yelp. They were able to make last minute reservations. We talked a bit about Fresno bars and then asked if they were willing to answer our two bar questions, “What makes for a good bar?” and “Whether you go or not, what would make for a good church?”

Anne said she looks for “a good bartender. Strong drinks.” She said she doesn’t go to church, “but what would make for a good church is if it’s welcoming.”

Adrian said for a bar, “depends on the occasion. On a Thursday, low key, like this; quiet, not pretentious.” In a church, he looks for “consistency” and “standards.”

Before we left, Bryce asked us to consider writing a positive Yelp review. He suggested putting in a good word for the other bartender, John, and for the owner, Tim Ferrigan, who had the vision for creating this kind of place in Fresno. Bryce said he liked that at The Library, people weren’t staring at their phones or a TV screen. And they didn’t come to get drunk. People come for a unique experience. I think The Library is doing a good job providing that.