And head to Dolan's Pub.

A4

Jackie LeBlanc and Matt Cormier

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Irish music, cold ale and good company. It was a good start to a particularly average evening. The Starving Students heard about a little pot of gold situated in the Tannery, in downtown Fredericton, and decided to give Dolan's Pub a try. Known for its Irish atmosphere, the students were ready to get acquainted with their Celtic blood. Dolan's Pub is situated at 349 King Street in Fredericton.

Jackie's verdict:

For some reason, anyone with an ounce of Irish blood feels drawn to the motherland, Ireland. Whether it's drinking green beer on St. Patrick's Day, cheering for the Fighting Irish, or comparing who has the best red mutton chops, everyone has a little leprechaun in them.

And I'm no different.

I may be as Acadian as a poutine rappée, but I still have Irish blood, and I still know how to enjoy Celtic culture. In Fredericton, Celtic culture means grabbing a Guinness at Dolan's. But it's as close to the emerald isle as I've ever been.

Dolan's is a traditional pub "" dark wood, dim lights, lots of beer. It has a decent menu- everything from fried foods, pasta, and sandwiches. It's really all you'd want from a pub.

We stumbled into Dolan's one night, looking for a quick fix for hungry stomachs.

We decided to taste as much as we could, so we started with its sampler # 1 ($14.99), which gave us loads of great appetizers all on one plate. We had wings, veggie sticks, nachos, potato skins, onion rings, and mozza sticks. Something delicious for everyone.

For my main meal, I opted for the meal pubs do best"" burgers. I decided to try the mozza and mushroom burger with french fries ($7.95). The burger was good "" real meat always makes a difference "" but by the time I was done munching on the sampler, I was pretty full. I ate as much as I could of my main meal before I had to give up and abandon the burger.

The service at Dolan's was good. Our server was attentive (always filling up our water glasses) and wasn't overly chatty. The atmosphere was even better. There are often live bands performing in the restaurant, and the massive patio is one of Fredericton's best summer hangouts.

Make your Celtic ancestors proud. Check out Dolan's. Have a Guinness. Tell them the Starving Students sent you. I give Dolan's Pub 8/10.

Matt's verdict:

I generally have some difficulty writing about pubs. For the most part, a pub is a pub is a pub, with food that's commonly inundated with grease, or composed of ingredients that are largely unoriginal. Most of us would have very little difficulty listing off food options found on pub menus: fried fish, fried clams, burgers, steak, nachos, clubhouse sandwiches, chicken fingers, chicken caesar salads, quesadillas, onion rings, potato skins, alfredo pasta, ribs, wings, turkey wraps, etc...but, you know, maybe that's precisely the reason why pubs are so popular.

In going to a pub, you know what you're getting. The general equation consists of food often fried or easily grilled and an atmosphere that virtually demands the consumption of alcohol. This has proven to be a remarkably memorable recipe over the years, with most people having some sort of lasting bar or pub memory, be it favourable or embarrassing. This means that despite the commonplace food and generally commonplace ambiance, pubs are chaotic at their very core. The greatest pubs are places where nothing is unlikely.

Dolan's Pub fits this description to a tee. Now, I should note that frequenting a pub during the daylight is largely akin to avoiding the diving board. To be part of a true pub experience, darkness is requisite. At their best, pubs are places where the human condition can be allowed to unwind without the need for justification. They just happen to serve food.

The template of choice at Dolan's is that of the ubiquitous Irish pub. Ireland has always been bombarded with stereotypes related to alcohol consumption and sheer chaotic messes. Of course, anyone who bothers to inform themselves about the emerald isle knows that these stereotypes are just about as true as a vast majority of other generalizations which is to say, not so much. Still, the myth surrounding the quintessential Irish watering hole is a powerful one, and fits the preferred pub profile perfectly.

After taking a gander at the menu, I opted for an order of Dolan's surf and turf ($16.95), which consisted of steak and a shrimp skewer. It was good, in the sense that my steak was cooked as I wanted it, and my shrimps were caressed by a nice light sauce. It wasn't life changing, but, then, this isn't the primary role of food at a pub.

The list of beers was of decent size, though perhaps not quite as interesting as those of other pubs in town. The lack of Picaroon's was unfortunate, but Pump House makes for an alright substitute. We also chose to partake in the Dolan variant of an appetizer sampler ($14.95), which included mozza sticks, wings, nachos, and onion rings. The nachos seemed to be nothing more than a small mound of chips with some toppings plopped in a puddle on top for good measure, but the rest was good. When I say good, I mean that nothing was overcooked or otherwise questionable. It was just pub food.

In the end, Dolan's Pub falls considerably short of being a unique gem amongst restaurants, but maybe that's the point. Despite the predictable nature of pub food, it's kind of comforting to (occasionally) have something so basic and filling.

The place itself is nice and spacious, with a decent sized stage for shows. All of this, I would say, is far more important when it comes to successful pubs. It's all in the ambiance, the experience, and the room for potential. It's a stereotypical Irish watering hole, and that's precisely what makes it worth frequenting, especially with a cast of good friends. I give Dolan's Pub a solid 7/10.

Cheers