By Erin Randolph erin@dmcityview.com

A suburban Irish bar fights to be a first stop

The name "Paddy's Irish Pub" should be familiar to Des Moines transplants who attended Iowa State University or to anyone familiar with the Ames bar scene. It's one of the Campustown establishments where the BarFly used to hone her tolerance while attending ISU as an undergrad. So moving to Des Moines only to find another incarnation of it, located at 8675 Douglas Ave., provided a familiar face among the bevy of watering holes.

We decide to head out to Paddy's, an Irish pub with lots of dark wood and ugly Ireland-inspired furniture fabric, on a Thursday night, hoping to help drink in the weekend a night early. We find a diverse crowd of people - mostly upper 20-somethings and few guys pushing 50 - brewing, the sound at such a heightened din that the BarFly - and Drinking Assistants Brian and Nicole - reason that, despite it being only 8:45 p.m., the majority is already well soused. So after we order our beers, ($2 bottles of Bud Light and $7.50 pitchers) we sit on barstools at a high-top table.

"I feel like my ass doesn't fit on this chair," Nicole says.

"Does it?" Brian asks.

"No."

So we wait until a crowd seated at a more comfortable location heads for the door. After we relocate near the two pool tables, the BarFly notices a familiar face at the SilverStrike Bowling machine. Dan, 24, of Des Moines, used to work at the Paddy's in Ames, but now that he's moved to the capital city, he comes to this location, on average, about once a week. He likes the atmosphere because it's laid back; one isn't likely to see people dancing on the pool tables or spilling beer on others.

"There's some ties from college," he says. "I like to play pool. Usually you can get in a few good games of pool here. And SilverStrike. I'm starting to get addicted to that."

Though there are many similarities between the Paddy's in Ames and the Paddy's in Urbandale - mostly with the dark-wood, bookshelf-like bar - thankfully, there are a few differences between the Paddy's in Ames and the Paddy's in Urbandale, the most important of which is the bathroom. The one in Urbandale isn't spotless by any means, but it sure beats pissing in the dungeon that is the women's bathroom in Ames.

Dan is joined near the SilverStrike and Golden Tee machines by "Otis," who's a regular at Paddy's in Ames. Otis has visited Ireland before, and says Paddy's is an accurate reflection of a true Irish pub. Though the Ames Paddy's is popular with the ISU fraternity and sorority crowd, many in the suburbs don't yet see Paddy's as a first option when it comes to a drinking destination.

"This is the most under-rated good time place that you can hang out in Des Moines," he says. "Most people don't think of this place as a destination. A lot of people think of it as an afterthought. But it should be a first stop."

And, truthfully, our visit to Paddy's is an afterthought. In fact, the BarFly had forgotten the bar was even there, sitting at the end of a suburban shopping mall. But it did what we wanted it to do: it gave us a low-key night filled with reasonable drink prices (because of the specials, though the regular-priced drinks aren't any more expensive than most anywhere else). We can't honestly say Paddy's will ever be a destination for us, but it serves us well as a backup bar - as well as a familiar name and face.

Bar notes

Wellman's Pub is having its annual holiday party tonight starting at 5 p.m. Expect free food and cheap drinks at the Ingersoll Avenue bar... Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery is hosting an Old Tankard Beer Tapping on Friday at 6 p.m., when the brewery will be debuting one of its handcrafted specialty beers. The brewmaster will provide a description of the beer and the process used in making the brew, before tapping the keg. In addition, Rock Bottom will offer a discounted specialty menu including 10 appetizers priced from $2.99 to $4.99 from 6 to 8 p.m. The brewery will also be giving away tickets to Iowa Stars hockey home games during the evening... Speaking of Rock Bottom, the restaurant is inviting people to ring in the New Year on Saturday, Dec. 31, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. with its open premium bar, a DJ and karaoke, champagne toast, party favors and more. There will also be a Rockstar karaoke contest with prizes and a free Rockstar appetizer buffet. Call 267-8900 to make reservations... The Aussie neighborhood bar Down Under, along with the U.S. Marines, will host the 12th annual Tunes for Tots Auction and Raffle on Friday. Proceeds from the cover charge, auction and raffle go to Toys for Tots, and will be distributed to kids in Iowa. Items include TVs and electronics, hotel stays, restaurant gift certificates and other pieces donated by local merchants. Three bands will perform between auctions. For more information, call 229-8461... The Vaudeville Mews, a hangout for music, theater, comedy and more, turned three years old recently... Bar owners: Cityview is looking to compile a list of the area bars' New Year's celebration plans. Please send yours to erin@dmcityview.com or mail them to Cityview, attn: BarFly, 414 61st St., Des Moines, IA 50312. CV

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