Four blocks up from the Soundtrack is a bar I want to get more familiar with. Mulleady's is an Irish pub, owned by an Irishman as all good Irish pubs should, and on walking in struck me as about the most welcoming place I've been on this whole quest so far.

It's softly lit inside, and there's a few tables in the front portion, as well as the long bar. In back, there's an empty space which one presumes is for the regular performances they have, and also a nook filled with comfortable chairs and couchs. And then there's the back yard. A real back yard, and they have barbeques there on nice Sundays, bring a side dish and they provide the meat. Plus, they have trivia nights.

One other thing before I get to the heart of matter, the bar we bellied up to. And that other thing is the urinal. The men's room has the largest urinal I have ever seen. Made me wish we had Kathryn with us, cause I'm pretty sure she could have fit inside without trying, and that would have made a great picture.

So, on to the bar. Like any Irish pub worth the name, they feature Harp's, and I was sorely tempted. But we had more bars to go to, and beer seldom agrees with our quest. So we just had our standards, and my vodka cran was decently strong in a good sized glass, and worth the reasonable price. But the bartender was the best thing, I think. Darcy has worked at Mulleady's since it opened, which is only 14 months ago, so she knows all the regulars of whom there are many. She said all but one of the employees can walk to work with ease, so it's really a local place. She's willing to talk, she's got a lot to say, and she's very easy on the eyes. For me, that last bit doesn't matter, but I mention it in the interest of the quest.

Good drinks, friendly staff, a cosy bar (playing jazz music, no less), the offer of free meat in exchange for things that aren't meat, what more could you want? Nothing, I say, and Mulleady's joins the short list (the Pacific Inn and the El Camino are the obvious other two) of which I intend to become a regular patron after I'm done. And if you think Magnolia's too far to go for a new bar, you're wrong. Not when this is the bar. Go to Mulleady's, have a drink, and tell them 570bars sent you.