We went there last Friday and had to suffer the "Irish" James Taylor and the smoke. For a non smoker, sitting in a non smoking section, it was really bad. On the positive side, the food was passable but not excellent. However, the Guiness. Oh my, the best I've ever tasted, even if it was $4.25 a pint. As far as the Fox and Hounds is concerned, there is more atmosphere on the moon. G (ex pat Englishman, yearning for his pub) On Fri, 31 Oct 1997 14:28:27 GMT, [email removed] (Tom Brady) wrote: >Tir na nOg, 200 S. Blount St, Raleigh, NC > >Well, I finally got a chance to go by Tir na nOg last night. Here's some >impressions of the place: >We went at about 8:30 PM on a Thursday night. Finding a parking space was >difficult (mainly 'cause we're too cheap to pay for parking), and the local >nightlife around Moore Square is...interesting (but hey, if you want some >crack for a nightcap, well, I think we passed some deals going down). > >Once we parked and walked about a block, we went in and were seated quickly. >There was no live music, so instead they had something loud - I think it was >The Pogues - blasting on the speaker system. From what I hear, this was an >improvement from the guy they had last week, who alternated between Irish pub >songs and Billy Joel and James Taylor <shudder>. (It's worthy of note that I >heard the same guy [I think] at The Fox and the Hound two weks ago) > >The waiter was quick tgo take our drink order (a pint of Woodpecker Cider for >me, Guinness for my companion, both draft). The $4.25 per pint seems a bit >steep - I think The Fox and the Hound is a little less. The drinks were a >little slow in arriving (~10 min, but it was a busy night), which gave us >ample time to look over the menu. Not a lot representing Irish cuisine - >corned beef and cabbage (of course), salmon, and "Gaelic steak" (steak with a >Jamesons Whiskey sauce). > >I opted for the boxty (a crepe-like potato pancake) with marinated portabello >mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and sauteed onions. This was served with >crisp, lightly sauteed zucchini and squash that was quite tasty ($8.95). The >boxty was surprisinging filling, and had an excellent mix of flavors, although >the onions didn't particularly stand out. > >My companion ordered a steak sandwich that turned out to be more of an >open-faced affair, served with a savory gravy ($6.95). The "steak" was >actually sliced London broil, cooked fairly close to my companion's >specification of "between rare and medium rare", and it was served with "Irish >cottage fries" that looked suspiciously like your standard-issue steak fries. >Since we were trying to keep the bill low, we skipped dessert. > >Our waiter forgot to split the check like we asked, but we worked around it. >To his credit, he stopped by three or four times during the meal to see how >things were going and if we needed anything, and the bus staff was quick to >clear any empty plates. > >The overall ambience is loud and somewhat smoky to this nonsmoker. The main >dining area is a large open space, mostly brick. The general decor is the >usual pastiche of Irish road signs and advertising, with the novelty of some >nice stonework at the entrance and a small thatched cottage near the bar. > >Comparing Tir na nOg to The Fox and the Hound (its direct competition, to my >mind), I'd probably lean to The Fox and the Hound, since the beer is cheaper >and I like their menu better, although overall the food is more expensive. I >like the dessert choices at F&H better, too, if only for the gateau noir (or, >as we call it, "The Chocolate Hockey Puck of Doom"). The dessert menu at Tir >na nOg was a little thin (4 items listed), and none of them really caught my >eye. > >In summary, I'd say Tir na nOg is worth a try if you like American versions of >Irish pubs and are looking for a change of pace - the food is generally good, >and the service is good as well. Whether you like the atmosphere is a matter >of personal taste, and that will probably dictate whether you go back. > >-Tom > >------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Tom Brady [email removed] http://www.technomancer.com/~duncan >SCA: Duncan MacKinnon of Tobermory Furry: Duncan da Husky >See my webpages for Society for Creative Anachronism & gay & lesbian info
Raleigh-Durham, NC