A restaurant for all seasons
by Jessica Hersh (buzz@boulderweekly.com)

Ah, autumn. The time of year in Colorado when the weather swings between warm enough for shorts and cold enough for wooly sweaters; sunny with clear skies and layers of heavy wet snow accompanied by icy roads. Some years we get colorful leaves and a slow cooling of days. Some years we leap straight into winter and the ground is covered by crunchy brown leaves. And every year we say things like "It is unseasonably warm," and "It is unusually cold," as if there is a norm. It is one of the reasons why I love living here: You never quite know what will happen. Of course, my attitude is generally optimistic and positive, which is completely irritating to people who would rather wallow in defeat and expect the worse. I am talking about the kind of people who see no humor in the wall signs at Murphy's Bar and Grill, which start with the basic Murphy's law (anything that can go wrong will) and expand on it with amazing variety. I choose to see all those negative aphorisms as funny testaments to humanity and not fortune telling truth.

Luckily for customers at Murphy's, that law is not in evidence in the restaurant. There are a plethora of restaurant disasters that happen all the time, either a result of bad planning or sheer bad luck, but I haven't seen them any of the numerous times I've had a meal at Murphy's. Trays of steaming food haven't been dropped in diners' laps, foreign objects have not been found in the food, glasses haven't spontaneously shattered behind the bar, saucepans haven't caught fire with alarming regularity—the list of bad things that haven't happened goes on and on. The list of things that go right is also long... and happy. Food comes out of the kitchen quickly and is fresh and tasty, service is smooth and friendly, bills are rung up accurately, drinks are poured cleanly.

For many years this locally owned bar and grill has been pleasing Boulderites with a sense of humor and professionalism. They like to foster the neighborhood-joint atmosphere and they seem to be doing a good job. When I went for dinner the other night I saw people arrive by car and foot in about equal numbers, which certainly helps with the parking lot crunch. There was also a good blend of older adults, young families, middle-aged couples and students sitting down for a meal together. A kid's menu with yummy items helps attract that demographic. Salads with lots of different flavors and toppings attracts another. And the half-pound buffalo burger and beer specials attract yet another group.

Each category of food is as good as the others. Their fish and chips is hot and fried, as it should be; the spaghetti comes with tangy tomato sauce and grated cheese (skip the garlic bread, it is the only thing really not worth eating here); and the Greek salad is loaded with crumbled feta and juicy cucumbers. Nachos are piled high with vegetarian refried beans, cheese and chilies, and the veggie stir-fry is fresh and more flavorful than you might expect. When it comes to dessert, the best deal in town is their aptly named smallest dessert in town. For a mere 99 cents you get a tiny brownie and an appropriately tiny scoop of ice cream. As the small taste of something sweet after a meal, it simply can't be beat. And would St. Patrick's Day be the same without corned beef and cabbage? At Murphy's you can get that typical Irish-American feast complete with boiled potatoes and grainy mustard.

As good as the food selection and presentation is, there is more to Murphy's than that. Maybe it is all the grouchy sayings on the wall (each predicting some disaster or other ), or maybe it is that homey, friendly personality they work to maintain, or maybe it is the comfortable booths—but a trip there is never a disappointment. The weather may come and go; fall may be too cold or surprisingly warm; the leaves may linger or drop off all at once in a big gust of wind, but Murphy's is consistent. It's good to have some touchstones in this crazy, variable world.

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