St. Patty's Day may be a blurry, distant memory, mostly of unidentifiable green beverages in plastic Solo cups over a dingy barroom floor. But that doesn't mean festive souls don't crave a frothy Guinness or flavorful Shepard's Pie every now and then.
Although impoverished college students are more likely to get sidetracked by the Baja Fresh across the street, more culturally inclined cuisine seekers will benefit from an evening cloistered within Bethesda's Ri Ra, one of seven in a chain of Irish restaurants dotting the nation from Raleigh, N.C., to Portland, Ore. Located at 4931 Elm St., Ri Ra's Celtic ambiance and charm spill out into the street, beaming from gold letters atop the doorway. Passers-by may overhear laughter and muted Irish folk music radiating from the dimly lit bar and traditionally decorated dining room, beckoning one to slip inside and enjoy an hour or two with good company and carefree conversation.
Once seated, service isn't as prompt as it could be, a friendly reminder to Friday and Saturday evening diners to reserve a table well in advance. Bright lighting balances out the tasteful dark wood and tapestry-esque upholstered wall coverings, a far cry from the screaming fluorescent lights and random junk wall-coverings of Austin Grill just down the street.
Cash-wise, however, Ri Ra slightly out-prices the neighborhood Tex-Mex. But with appetizers topping out at $12.95 for Maryland crab cakes or oysters Ri Ra, roasted on the half shell, cash-strapped diners can always opt for the affordable Irish potato cakes ($7.95), made with cheddar cheese and scallions, or oysters MacGowan ($6.95), marinated in vodka and horseradish sauce. Ri Ra's spinach and artichoke dip ($9.95), an old stand-by, is served with a warm, crispy, salted and sliced baguette, but might be enjoyed more fully after being slathered on the moist, utilitarian and far less salty Irish soda bread brought to each table on a chunky wooden slab.
The wait between appetizers and entrees might displease patrons with little to discuss between meals, but dinner's eventual arrival won't disappoint. Ri Ra's menu features Irish favorites like beef and Guinness stew ($12.95) and emigrant's corned beef ($11.95), but doesn't skimp on regular dishes like the cheddar rasher burger ($8.95) and rosemary chicken breast sandwich ($9.95) for those with less adventurous palates. Wealthier eaters should feel free to splurge on the Gaelic steak bertie ($21.95), slathered in "melted blue cheese and a red wine mushroom demi glace."
The Bangers and Mash entr?e ($11.95), a platter of "savory" Irish sausages, mashed potatoes and roasted tomatoes, proved satisfactory, but not revolutionarily tasty. Although the beef and Guinness stew was bolstered by a dollop of mashed potatoes in the bowl's dead center, the dish was blander upon tasting than was originally hoped for. The Shepard's Pie ($11.95), however, needed only a dash or two of salt and pepper to become a fabulous carb-fest capable of curing any week's worth of trials and ills.
If there's room left after the dinner plates have been cleaned, don't pass on dessert. Among traditional Irish offerings such as warm raspberry and peach cobbler ($5.50) and warm Irish soda bread pudding ($5.50), Ri Ra's hidden treasure is surely its Irish cr?me mousse, which can be ordered alone in chocolate form for $5.50 or draped across a generous slice of Kelly's cake, also $5.50. Although this run-of-the-mill iced chocolate cake tastes more defrosted than fresh-baked, the rich, white mousse adds a helping of traditional flavor more convincing and satisfying than any bright-green icing or shamrock-shaped cookie could ever deliver.
When the usual slate of weekend hangouts just doesn't beckon on a Friday evening, consider a tasteful slice of Irish cuisine at Ri Ra. It sure beats the dirty, bleary-eyed fare most Irish-themed establishments purvey. Furthermore, located right down Woodmont Avenue from the Landmark Bethesda movie theater, Ri Ra could be the refreshing change of pace a consummate weekend diner (and perhaps his or her date, as well) occasionally requires.
For a complete look at Ri Ra's menu and a schedule of upcoming events, visit www.rira.com.
