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Ligeti Man Meat
Citizen
Username: Ligeti
Post Number: 630
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 6:08 pm: | 
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What kind of food do they serve? Is it good? Nice atmosphere?
It's one of those places you can't scope out from the street. The windows and door don't allow you to see inside, which makes me think they're hiding something -- filth, rats, or a bunch of men smoking and farting and watching hockey.
What's the deal? As much as I enjoy the pub in downtown Maplewood, it's too expensive to go often. So I'm looking for a reasonably priced joint that's an alternative to the increasingly hostile Gaslight. |
Innisowen
Citizen
Username: Innisowen
Post Number: 1634
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 6:38 pm: |
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I maintain that Cryan's has been on a downward slope for several years.
It's a great place to go for craic and a jar, but its food is mediocre, at best. |
Bailey
Citizen
Username: Baileymac
Post Number: 177
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 8:31 pm: |
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Cryan's introduced a new menu about 2 months ago, I've only been there once since then.
Their burgers are good, large bar area, and large dining toom, with a private room available too. As Innisowen said, good place for craic and a jar.
I used to like their shepherds pie and fish and chips, can't swear those are on the new menu though.
Stop in for a pint and check it out.
By the way, I think their pints are a tad larger than St James's Gate! |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 3502
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 9:29 pm: |
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Quote:I'm looking for a reasonably priced joint that's an alternative to the increasingly hostile Gaslight.
No question - Bunny's is the Place! |
Joe
Citizen
Username: Gonets
Post Number: 1183
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 10:52 pm: |
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Cryan's is a dump.
Trust me. I'm a fan of shanty Irish dumps. Wish there were more of them in this area, but this place just doesn't measure up to my diminished expectation. |
Innisowen
Citizen
Username: Innisowen
Post Number: 1636
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 - 11:31 pm: |
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Bailey:
I used to like their shepherd's pie as well, until I began wondering what part of the shepherd Cryan's was using.
The absence of good, reasonably priced fare in a pub makes me long for any one of 8 establishments I can think of, within a stone's throw of the dog tracks in Limerick. |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 4844
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 1:41 am: |
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...FWIW, the Maplewood Rotary continues to agree to hold our weekly meeting at Cryan's every Tuesday night for the past 10 years...
They have always been generous, treated us right, feed us well, offer us a nice variety of fish/meat/pasta/ and desserts, and the service and price is as good or better than any other place I can think of in our area...
... of course we’re only talking about the opinion of an average of 30 men and women, once a week, for over 10 years... |
Dogbert
Citizen
Username: Dogbert
Post Number: 29
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 6:47 am: |
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I really don't think it's that bad. Like Joe I don't go there with high expectations, but I think the restaurant is good, not great.
Compared the Gaslight, well there's the obvious absence of overt hostility that one experiences at Gaslight. I've never had a service problem at Cryan's. The food is clearly less ambitious than Gaslight, but stuff like Chicken Murphy, burgers, they do just fine.
Now, the bar at Cryan's does have some of that blue-collar-drunk feeling. The bar at Gaslight seemed a tad more upscale, but I just try to ignore the bar.
Also, Cryan's has a good event room that you can rent for a reasonable fee. I've been involved with setting up parties there before and they'll sell you food, drink, etc. for it, and we've always had a good time.
I should say I have little/no experience with the new menu. |
Bailey
Citizen
Username: Baileymac
Post Number: 178
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 8:31 am: |
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Innisowen:
I may have trouble ordering Shepherd's pie ever again - thanks a lot!
And, it's not fair to compare pubs here to those in Ireland. The Irish have had a few extra millennia to perfect the art. Cryan's is only about 30 years old. (Before John Cryan bought it, that place was known as Ryan's Beef and Ale)
I've enjoyed pubs in many Irish towns, and Cryan's reminds me of Tully's in Castlerea, where John came from.
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mjc
Citizen
Username: Mjc
Post Number: 1055
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 9:28 am: |
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Pleasant staff, homey feel, food (and prices, and maybe clientele) pretty much straight out of 1962. I like it for what it is. This is based on lot of lunches and some early-ish dinners, none within the last 2 months. Don't know anything about the bar. |
Innisowen
Citizen
Username: Innisowen
Post Number: 1637
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 10:04 am: |
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Bailey:
I know that I am comparing "apples and scotch eggs" as it were. But there are times when I just long for the feel of a good public house like the ones down the road from home.
As to the shepherd parts in the shepherd's pie, the whole thing begins to smack of a "Hannibal Lecter" exercise.
In sum, Cryan's has so many possibilities to improve its fare without trying to be an upscale version of itself.
If I were Cryan's, I'd probably start with that musty odor that hits when you go from the entrance toward the staircase.
As to another poster's comment that 30 people have been going to Cryan's weekly for 10 years, that's nice, but it also merely speaks of the dulling effects of force of habit.
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Soda
Supporter
Username: Soda
Post Number: 3582
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 10:43 am: |
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Art, you really should try to do something about the many ruts you're in, including this "Rotary at Cryan's" thing. If you've got any influence with those twenty-nine other pillars of the Maplewood community, maybe suggest that they start holding their meetings at, say, the Village Cellar, which has a bar (the real reason for the meetings in the first place ), great food (as you and Libby know, since you've been there), lots of space, and could really use the business!
Thirty years of mediocrity should be enough for anyone...
Or maybe not.
-s. |
Mayor McCheese
Supporter
Username: Mayor_mccheese
Post Number: 972
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 11:17 am: |
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Soda is giving his blessing to the Village Cellar. How long before they go out of business? Everything Soda recommends either closes up shop in a month, or burns down. |
SoOrLady
Citizen
Username: Soorlady
Post Number: 3081
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 11:40 am: |
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Innis - yea.. that oder... I'd love to have a sit down with Jimmy and explain why we've stopped being regulars (The Gate sees us now). The whole place needs a face lift and he needs to get rid of the carpeting. However.. ya can't beat Reggie for a good Irish barkeep.
Jimmy was so excited about the new menu - but he'd do better by taking a page from St. James' Gate and offer fewer options but do them VERY well. I DO prefer their fish & chips over The Gate's (much less puffy breading)
Bailey - I'd never thought about it that way, but you're right.. John created a US version of Tully's. |
teach75
Citizen
Username: Teach75
Post Number: 32
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 10:18 pm: |
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I actually had their fish & chips last Friday for the first time and it was delicious. We had gone to the Gate but, at 8:45pm there was a 45 minute wait. I could not last that long, so we drove to Cryan's and were seated immediately. Our drink order was taken and the bread basket was there almost as soon as we sat down.
I agree that you always come out smelling "like Cryan's" but it was not so bad the last few times I was there. Try it for yourself. They have a reasonably priced menu, and we had a terrific waiter and tasty food! |
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