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With St. Patrick’s Day quickly approaching, green food coloring becomes a hot commodity in the tri-state area. We believe that by adding a few drops of bright green liquid to our beer we instantly become Irish. There is so much more to enjoy than just an artificially colored American lager from a keg! At Ri Ra’s we discovered that a whole world of scrumptious cuisine stems from the third largest island in Europe – the Emerald Isle.

            Our first order of business at Ri Ra’s was to meet the staff and learn about the restaurant. Much of the staff is actually from Ireland or claims a strong Irish heritage – from the founder David Kelly an Ireland native, to Ryan Bodine Ri Ra’s general manager who boasts Irish family ties – Ri Ra’s poses as a home away from home for some employees, tri-state residents with Irish ties and even some famous Celtic entertainers passing through. We also met Angie Tucker, the head chef at Ri Ra’s who though does not possess an Irish background can bang out some bangers and mash along with the rest of the extensive Irish menu that Ri Ra’s offers!

            From the moment you step into Ri Ra’s you are encompassed by Celtic atmosphere. In fact, Ri Ra’s is the only authentic Irish pub serving authentic Irish food within an hour and a half radius. All of the interiors were salvaged and restored in Ireland and shipped to Evansville. In the windows, bottles of varying shapes, sizes and colors line the panes, catching bright light. Hand-carved dark, rich wood adds to the intricate detail of the pub; a refurbished bar graces the downstairs and “the ladies” were recovered from the storage basement of an old church – both from Ireland.

            Next, three large plates were placed at our table – each containing a traditional Irish feast. The first was Beef ‘n Guinness Stew. Mashed potatoes draped over a mound Guinness simmered beef, carrots and onions of was the perfect entrée for the conventional “meat and potatoes” guy or gal. It was rich and hearty with substantial Guinness flavor in the stew. The vegetables were thick cut and were cooked to a perfect tenderness. And, as a connoisseur of mashed potatoes, I can tell you that they were completely homemade and perfectly whipped. I give them an A+++.

            Next, we embarked on the second dish – a broad Rueben sandwich and hand breaded onion rings. The bread was buttery and toasted to a crispy brown consistency while the tender sauerkraut, salty thick-cut corned beef and tangy thousand-island dressing flavors mixed together to form a satisfying and pleasing sandwich. Rueben sandwiches have always struck me as an odd combination of ingredients but the result at Ri Ra’s is very tasty. I highly recommend!

            Finally, we sampled the salmon, creamed cabbage, blanched spinach and mashed potatoes. Each item was layered and the result was a tower of flavor. The salmon had a moist, meaty texture on the inside but a flavorful, crispy exterior. It was not fishy tasting and it paired well with the sweetness of the cabbage, the organic, leafy quality of the spinach and the buttery mashed potatoes that were again A+++.