Get your Irish on

Rula Bula is the kind of place that is neat because it's different. All semester I've been writing this blog and looking for the coolest bars to tell you about, and what I have found is that most bars are pretty much the same.

My friend Shari from Scotland came to visit and suggested Rula Bula. She had been there before and remembered that they have excellent food. I have never been one for Irish food, because as far as I knew, it was all boiled cabbage or potatoes. However, a trip to this place totally changed my mind.

I don't know what drink goes with Irish food if you aren't a beer person, but I had a Sunkiss, which the bartender brought over right away. (Sunkiss: Vodka, O.J. and Red Bull.)

For dinner, I had the pecan encrusted salmon. It came with Brussels sprouts. I had never eaten Brussels sprouts because apparently my mom had nightmares about them. I guess her mom used to force her to eat them, and she hated them, so they where not allowed in the house. However, I think even my mom would like the Brussels sprouts at Rula Bula. I don't know what they cook them in, but they really are delicious. The salmon was awesome too.

When you see Rula Bula on Mill, it looks like a really small place. I figured it would be tiny inside. The front is small and rather unimpressive. I have to say though, it's much bigger on the inside, with a long bar, lots of tables, and a patio. It reminded me of some sort of fold in space-time like in Star Trek. From the outside it seems like a single-room kind of place like last week's bar Time Out Lounge. But when you walk inside, the place is spacious and welcoming. Shari said it reminded her of a little pub in Scotland where she lives. I've never been to Scotland or Ireland, but it was definitely a good place to spend a few hours catching up with a friend.

So, if you're ready to expand your horizons and warm up to some good old Irish cooking, check out Rula Bula.


— Jenifer DeLemont