Smilin' Jack: Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub

My Christmas gifts keep on a-coming!!

Michelle and Matt sent me several gift certificates to various restaurants throughout Seattle and today I used another one. It was for Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub, They have two locations downtown.

I would do almost anything to not have to drive downtown so I rode the Link downtown to the Westlake Center. I had my choice between the two restaurants.

Let's see, one was 1.1 miles from Westlake down on the waterfront and the other was .9 miles away on the East side of the Space Needle.

Hmmmm, let's see....Oh, c'mon, you know me. Do the math and you'll know which one I chose.

No-brainer, right!?!

Just like on any of my adventures, the journey to and from is half the fun. Getting around with a camera helps to force me to see what's out there. And to think.

Gotta say it again, Love the Link. I still dislike the price but, you know, it is, really, worth it. Jump on board and disengage the brain and relax. And I get to observe my fellow travelers.

Anyway, you see some interesting people on public transport. Some you'd rather not be in the same enclosed moving compartment that you can't get out of with. Others are just fun to watch and try and figure out if you've got the time. I had the time and I wasn't too interested in listening to the radio. Besides, the reception is terrible on the Link.

I know I'm a cliche. I dress like the old right-wing conservative I am. That's why I was so pleased to see a left-wing liberal tree-hugger cliche. Can you see him? Wide brim green hat and red Carhart jacket. Super skinny with a self-righteous glare in his eyes. I started to mentally put him down and then realized I am what he is just on the other side of the coin. Fun realization.

So I watched the people and the scenery. Like the City skyline. Funny how you don't see the metal pole two feet from you when you're grabbing a quick shot. I like the shadows of the people with the woman's face on the left gently lit by the overcast sky.

When I wasn't watching people and the passing scenery, I had this to peruse. Joe and Sara gave me a gift subscription to this magazine. It's a quasi-liberal news magazine and, pretty informative.

Lots of news about this....

Then there's the local color. There's nothing that you can't paint on if you had the inclination.

To prevent graffiti, some businesses painted their own murals on the backs of their buildings. Some are surprisingly pretty good.

Hey, only in America, right? Even up here in the Great American Northwest.

Then there's this old architectural gem...The Old Rainier Beer Brewery. I can remember seeing it the few times we drove up North when we lived in Tacoma back in the late 70s and early 80s.

But finally I got to the Westlake Center. They've got one of the longest escalators I've ever seen to get up to the mall level.

Until you finally get up to the entrance to the Mall or the next escalator to the street.

As I stepped out to the street I saw these two gems. These are really good, aren't they? And they're just out there, painted on the sides of some plywood. Seriously!!

These are some excellent examples of street art. I'd rather see this than some giant popsicle.

OK, the murals are to the right and then I turned left to walk to Paddy's. Now, here's the streets of Seattle. Grey and overcast skies and busy streets.

OK, walking to Paddy's and here, right in Old Seattle, is this....The Williamsburg Arms.

This is and apartment building. How cool is this? Who woulda thunk, right!?!

So, I got to Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub.

It was a lot smaller than I had thought.....

but I thought it captured, as much as you can in America, the essence of an Irish Pub.

Good looking bar, eh? I should have taken a picture of the wooden floor just below the three chairs here. That part of the floor has been used so much that there are literal ruts worn into the floor. I mean, it's been WELL used.

They even have a fireplace.

Here's the view from my table. It wasn't too busy when I was there and the street wasn't busy, either. It was a mellow afternoon for some good food.

Hey, Michelle!! See the lighthouse? Pretty cool, eh?

And there, to the left of the lighthouse is my Groupon Coupon!!

So I ordered. I already knew what I wanted. No brainer, again. First, some DC. I know it's not real Guinness, but I like the glass.

Then came the Reuben.

Now, it was good, no doubt about it. I was just hoping it'd be a bit bigger.

Still, it was good.....I'm a sucker for Reubens. I am.

It went down easy and fast.

While I was enjoying my sandwich, I read up on the latest news from my gift from Joe and Sara, The Week.

After lunch, I looked around the pub. Here's the back room.

This sealed the deal. It's a genuine Irish Pub. Can you see what I'm talking about? Can you see it?

There it is. A poster for one of John Ford's best works. Wayne and McLaglen were terrific.

"The Quiet Man"

Yep!! This is a real Irish Pub.

It really is a genuine Irish Pub.

So, filled with good food and feeling mellow, I started my walk back. On the way I passed some more public art (?). I guess these are to represent cut logs. Y'know, Northwest, timber, logs.

Yeah, I know.

Then I ran across this. It's a garden 'hung' on a wall. The whole thing is stuck on the side of a wall. It was a lot larger than just this part that I photographed.

How cool is this!?!

Walkin' along I came across another sign of the coming Spring. Love the Spring.

This is a detail of part of an old Laundromat Factory. I thought, from the front, that it was an old school. Really great architecture. I woulda got a picture of the front if I had brought my wide-angle. Sadly, this is scheduled to be knocked down to make room for....an apartment building.