Even with reservations, it took us over an hour to get a table. Be ye warned. But there are barrels of peanuts from which you may graze. They also encourage you to throw the shells on the floor so the busboys have more work. So even where you sit, there may be a layer of peanut shells crunching underfoot. If you have a nut allergy, this is not the place for you.

The bread is great: fresh, hot, and sweet. And it comes with cinnamon butter. Between that and the peanuts, you could probably order a side salad and leave full. I took half of my dinner home in a box. The pulled pork wasn't pulled so much as largely chunked. And the "fall-off-the-bone" ribs did come apart easily, but I've had better. The service was okay, but nothing stellar. They stop every now and then to dance, too. Some kind of weird, kick-the-peanut-shell and clap-your-hands shuffle.

To top it off, they blast country music into your ears the whole time you're there. Overall, it's not a place I'll be going back to, but if you're a beer swilling, truck driving, country music-loving redneck you'll probably love it. I'm none of those and left with a headache.

Did I mention that later this month I'm going to see Great Big Sea and Kevin Burke and Cal Scott in Spokane?

Their burrito meal is gigantic, and you have a good choice of additional stuffings. Their tortilla chips are always fresh. I also really like the enchiladas, which I typically order. I only order the burrito when I'm really hungry because it's that hard to finish. If you get the burrito, make sure you get it Chulo style.

It's not usually crowded if you go a little early or just after the normal lunch rush, but there can be a short wait right around noon. I've never had to wait for more than a couple of minutes, though. Make sure you try their Chili and Lime sauce (next to the soda machine), it's terrific!

Howdy Folks

Anyone complaining about the sunshine...? I doubt it!!! After a winter hiatus, Morgan Anderson, Greg and Caridwen Spatz, and yours truly will be playing irish music for your drinking and dining pleasure at O'Shays on Saturday Feb 21st and Feb 28th. Music starts around 7 pm. If you'd like to join us for some tunes, the jam opens at 9 pm. The only authentic irish pub in Cd'A, O'Shays offers a great menu as well as Harp and Guinness (on tap!), and a full bar. It is non-smoking so all ages are welcome. Kids 6 and under eat free if you tell them you came for the music. Hope to see you there...

O'Shay's is a great place to get a bite of dinner, and you can't beat the live music experience. The smoke-free environment is a huge plus. I hear their shepherd's pie is excellent, but haven't had the pleasure of tasting it yet.

The burger was, simply, delicious. We'll certainly be going back there for more of those. Lorien also had one, and we have absolutely no regrets about choosing a burger over the many delicious steak cuts available. It was quiet, and there were only a few other people in the restaurant. This may be due, in part, to the early hour in which we dined. The wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

I strongly recommend that you eat a Kobe Beef hamburger if you have the chance. Even if you're a vegetarian. You'll understand.

I enjoyed the pizza, it was tasty, though certainly not the best pizza I've had (Giordano's takes that prize).

My only gripe was it took over 45 minutes to get a pizza out to us. We ended up being there nearly an hour and a half just for lunch. So while I'd recommend it as a nice, somewhat upscale place for a lunch, make sure you have plenty of spare time.

Several years ago, when my office was downtown, there was a restaurant called Tanglewood Bistro. Apart from what was probably the best caesar salad I've ever had, they also made what they called a "Kawaii Burger"—a teriyaki-marinated hamburger with Swiss cheese, grilled pineapple, and bacon on a kaiser roll. It was to die for. The bistro is long gone, and so, I thought, was my favorite burger.

Red Robin quite nearly recreated it last night. I horked it down so fast I didn't even realize it was all gone. Their onion rings are quite good, too. I have a sneaky feeling I'll be going back there.

They were really busy at 7pm, when the tunes started up, and it took quite a while for our dinner to get to us, but it was extremely good. I was going to have the Shepherd's pie (John recommended it a long time ago), but they said they didn't have the gravy they usually serve with it tonight. Figuring I'd miss out on the entire experience, I went for the fish and chips instead. They were excellent, and the tables have bottles of malt vinegar on them—a requirement for real fish and chips if you ask me.

Anyway, they have a lot of live music there, and John plays Friday nights more often than not, alternating Bluegrass and Irish music. I highly recommend a stop there, but make sure you have plenty of time, if they're busy it may take an hour.

Did I mention they have the most gigantic-est bread pudding you'll ever lay eyes on?

My in-laws, who run a downtown bed and breakfast, also steer people away from the place. I can not understand why people go there.