When you think of eating downtown in the Twin Cities, do you think of Minneapolis first? Come on, be honest? Maybe you think of St. Paul, but I wonder how many do. You really need to if you don’t.  St. Paul has a lot to offer beyond the Excel Energy Center, the St. Paul Science Museum and the Ordway Theater. It has a good number of places to eat as well. One of which is The Liffey, just kitty corner from the Excel Energy Center.

Frickles

The Liffey is one of 4 pubs operated by Cara Irish Pubs. The others are Cooper in St. Louis Park, The Local & Kieran’s in downtown Minneapolis. It’s got a nice and comfortable feel inside when you arrive. Even though it’s attached to the Holiday Inn in St. Paul, you don’t necessarily notice or “feel” that. Back in July of 2011, it was given fresh look inside and out, and so you have a number of seating options available to you to choose from. If  you’re looking for something private or secluded, there’s the “Nook” space which provides you with a more intimate space to eat and talk in for a small group. Then there’s the booths along the windows that you can eat at, similar looking and feel as if you were riding on a train.  There are also some high-stools and counters near the piano area for another kind of eating and social engagement with other fellow customers.

A 1/2 order of Fish

As an Irish Pub, they have a good deal of brews and drinks for you to try, as well as a good number of menu options sure to fill your appetite, whether your looking for a little or a lot to eat.  On my lunchtime visit, I tried a 1/2 order of their fried fish with an order of their “frickles”, deep fried sweet-pickle chips.  What a treat!  The fish is good with a nice coating on i,t so that the fish had good flavor and was great for dipping into the tartar sauce that’s provided. The lightly oiled salad that came along with it was also very tasty and fresh. Next were the “frickles”. I would HIGHLY recommend them for your first or next visit to The Liffey. They’re sweet, juicy and delicious. Especially with the dipping sauce that comes with the oder. They’re sliced a little bit on the thick side for me, I’d actually prefer them to be a little thinner, but the taste was great!

The look, feel and the food at The Liffey shouldn’t be missed. So the next time you’re in or near downtown St. Paul, give The Liffey a try. Your stomach with thank you!

@JoelECarlson:    Hello everyone! Welcome to the TwitterREVIEW of the St.Paul Irish pub called @The_Liffey. Tweeting done by the manager, Jay. Lets go!

Jay:    Thanks Joel, it’s a pleasure being “here” with you.

Q – #1    To start off with Jay, how did @The_Liffey get it’s name, and how long has it been around?

Jay:    The Liffey is named after the famed River Liffey in Ireland wich flows through the center of Dublin.

We’ve been open for over 8 years

Q – #2    Great. For people NEW to @The_Liffey, where are you located so that people can get an idea as to where to find you?

Jay:    The Liffey is located on the SW corner of West 7th & Kellogg in downtown St. Paul, kitty-corner from the Xcel Energy Center

Q – #3    Nice location! Lets now talk about the latest BUZZ about @The_Liffey, the makeover/remodel. When does that start?

Jay:    Very exciting news! We are planning a full-scale remodel inside the pub starting July 15. The new interor combines a sense of

place and spirit while the focus will be “colorfully cozy”. It was designed and will be installed by native Irish craftsmen and

should take only 10 days to complete! Along with the remodel we are currently busy creating a new menu to compliment the the look.

Q – #4    Awesome! So will you be closed during this time of construction, and will the rooftop Terrace change as well?

Jay:    We will also be featuring new drink specials, wine list, & happy hour specials…our outside dining area “The Terrace” will still be

open (weather permitting) during construction, and we hope to re-open the pub by July 28th.

Q – #5    Good to know! You mentioned Jay that there would be some changes to the menu. What items will probably stay?

Jay:    Our core menu items such as our Artichoke Dip, Reuben and Fish & Chips will of course stay but may get a bit of a “tweak”, for example

we will be making our own sauerkraut in-house for our Reuben – we are always trying to improve our game!

Q – #6    Ahhh! Great idea! Does @The_Liffey ever offer brunch or breakfast for it’s customers?

Jay:    The Liffey is open for breakfast daily 7am-1030am M-F and 730am-1030am weekends – we also offer our special Brunch menu from

11am-2pm on Sat and Sun – we are currently revamping our Brunch menu in conjuction with the new-look Liffey – expect to see

traditional favorites as well as some unique offerings including fun “brunch” drink specials!

Q – #7    Lots of NEW things going on and to expect at @The_Liffey! As far as the staff goes, are there currently any job openings?

Jay:    We are always looking for good people and personalities to help us deliver our mission to give our guests a memorable experience…

so they cannot wait to come back! We always encourage people to apply, but we have a solid staff for the rest of the summer.

@JoelECarlson:    Good to know. Thank you Jay for your time and comments about @The_Liffey. An exciting month of July for you and the pub for sure!

@JoelECarlson: Hello everyone, and welcome to today’s TwitterReview of @KieransMPLS with Craig Wait. Lets get started!

Q – #1    So, tell us Craig a little bit about the history of @KieransMPLS. How long has it been around, where is it located, etc.

Kierans: Hey Joel, Kieran’s Irish Pub opened in 1994. Our original location was on the corner of 2nd Ave S and 4th Street…

…Over the years Kieran’s has been a great place for Irish entertainment, community arts and just a darn good pint!…

…We moved to our new location on 1st Ave and 6th Street on 3/16/2010. We continue to have live Irish music…

…and get to enjoy even larger Twins crowds than we did at our old location!

Q – #2    Super! In addition to the main eating/bar area, do you have other spaces or rooms available?

Kierans: Yes we do! We have 4 seperate areas that could be reserved and are sometimes open to the public..

The Titanic Lounge can hold roughly 80-150 people depending on setup. The Poets Corner can hold 30-40 people…

…We also have the Hansome and Pretty Snugs. They can both hold roughly 10-15 people. Titanic and Poets each have…

…their own private bar and the snugs have a window to the bar.

Q – #3    Nice to have options! You mentioned about getting a good pint. What is the “perfect pint”, and is there a technique?

Kierans: A “perfect pint” is usually associated with Guinness, however I would say all of our pints are perfect :) …

…The “perfect pint” is all about the proper pouring and handling of the beer. Clean beer lines, proper temperature…

…proper glassware and the proper pouring technique. We try to practice all of these things will all of our beers…

…not just Guinness. The pour technique for Guinness is an initial pour with the glass at about a 45 degree angle…

…fill 2/3 full, let the pint rest. After the beer has settled (about 2 min) top off. That’s the quick version.

Q – #4    Lets now switch from drink to food and Exec Chef James. What are some of the specialties you offer?

Kierans: Well a couple of the long time favorites at the pub for years have been Fish & Chips, our Reuben, and Chicken Shots…

…With our current addition of the Green Ox Sausage Co we are adding a fantasitc Sausage and house made Mac & Cheese…

…to our new menu to roll out next week. Our Smoked Sausage Bites are to die for. Other standouts are…

…Pecan Crusted Halibut and our Chicken and Irish Cheddar Chopped Salad.

Q – #5    I also understand some “Ball Park” type fare may also be in the works? Good work! Any events coming up soon?

Kierans: …Housemade Corn Dogs with Green Ox Hot Dogs!! We have St. Dominc’s Trio playing our main stage this weekend…

…with no cover as usual. We will have a magician (George Tovar)entertaining our diners for brunch this Sunday…

…down the road a bit we have a Glee preparty show put on by The School of Rock on May 1st on our patio.

@JoelECarlson: So if you’re looking for music, @GreenOxMeat and @2GingersWhiskey, be sure to check out @KieransMPLS. Thanks Craig for your time!

Kierans: Thanks Joel. See you soon for a Big Ginger!!

@JoelECarlson: Good morning everyone on this gray day in the Twin Cities. Lets get going with a TwitterReview with @CooperWestEnd (Valid Serhan) on #jectv.

Cooper: Good morning Twin Cities

Q – #1    So @CooperWestEnd (Valid), tell us, what kind of place is Cooper, and where are you located?
Cooper: Cooper is an Irish Pub and Restuarant, serving Irish American cusine, located at the edge of Town in Shops at west end

Q – #2    How long has Cooper been around and what kinds of customers do you get? (Business? Families? etc.)

Cooper: Cooper been around since October 2009, guests range from families 2 business lunches and dinner & fun loving bar crowd

Q – #3    I see. In addition to the bar and main eating areas, are there any private meeting rooms or outdoor eating space?

Cooper: 2 private rooms the Cutting Room seats 34ppl and the Screening Room seats 50

Patio seat up to 150ppl a great place on a sunny day for a big ginger

Q – #4    Wonderful! Are the private rooms set up for presentations, audio, video, etc?

Cooper: Yes, in the Cutting room, audio & video set up plus a 55″ TV for a presentations. all you need is your laptop

Q – #5    Lets get to the food now! :) What kind of food options do you offer? Any vegetarian or Gluten-Free options?

Cooper: our menu offers a variety of options, vegetarian options are available, from salads to our popular MN Wild Rice Burger

our own Green Ox items Sausage and mash and the Charcuterie platter

and we also have a separate Gluten-Free menu + Gluten-free Bard’s sorghum beer

Whatever you choose, come hungry for the best pub grub this side of the Atlantic : )

Q – #6    Yes, the @GreenOxMeat is quite good! Anything going on with the drink menu?

our own 2 gingers whiskey been a great hit, a wonderfull selection of Speciality coctails including the big ginger

not forgetting the great selection or our draft beer and wine, our beverage happy hour runs till 6:30pm 7 days a week

@JoelECarlson: @CooperWestEnd (Valid Serhan MNGR) thanks for your comments and time today to talk about the Cooper. Have a great day!

Cooper: great stuff, and been great talking to you as well, all the best/