Authenticity, attention to detail put Ri Ra a step above other Irish pubs

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As Irish pubs in Las Vegas go, Ri Ra was rather late to the party. By the time it arrived on the scene earlier this year, Irish pubs weren’t as novel as they once were, so that was one strike against it. It’s also the case that Ri Ra — one of the newest members of a chainlet centered mostly in the eastern United States — is not as ornately detailed as some of its local brethren.

But there’s a nice, strong entry on the positive side of the ledger, and that would be food and drink that stand above most of the rest.

Ri Ra’s menu lists many of the same dishes that are featured at outposts of the Auld Sod all over town. There’s the all-day Irish breakfast, the fish and chips and the shepherd’s pie — and of course corned beef and cabbage, which the restaurant has slyly and accurately dubbed "Emigrant’s Corned Beef and Cabbage." That dish notwithstanding, there’s a decided effort toward authenticity in both atmosphere and food.

That actually can be a bit of a double-edged sword. I love chips (aka french fries) and curry ($5), and the curry sauce served at some pubs around town is so good that I probably could lick it off my arm. On the other hand, the curry sauce served at Ri Ra was thinner, not as rich. And (on that same hand, I guess), the curry sauce served at Ri Ra was very much like that I encountered at pubs all over the U.K. So it is definitely authentic, but some things don’t export all that well.

Then again, some do. The brown bread we were served with dinner was authentic and also wonderful — dense and nutty, and thinly sliced to ensure it wasn’t too dense and nutty.

Some cocktails do as well. A Dark & Stormy ($8.50) — a cocktail beloved of U.K.-vintage sailors, especially those of the Bermudan persuasion — was perfectly balanced, the sweet and smooth Gosling’s rum counterpunched by spicy ginger beer and a hint of lime.

And the pan-seared scallops ($19.95), a special that evening. They were only three in number but were large, sweet and perfectly browned, the side dishes (in addition to a mound of mashed potatoes) not only well executed but refreshingly offbeat — a pile of sliced fennel, braised just long enough that it remained crisp-tender, and cherry tomatoes roasted with thyme.

Rasher and leek chicken ($17.95) was notable for the concentration of leeks that were used, along with Irish cheddar, to stuff the chicken breast, lending the neutral platform lots of mellow flavor. None of the flavors here was meek, with a pile of grilled asparagus and a pool of basil-rosemary cream rounding things out.

We finished with the Guinness sundae ($7.50), notable not only for the Guinness-enriched chocolate sauce but also a layered tan-and-chocolate brownie and, of course, a healthy (or not so healthy, depending on your viewpoint) scoop of ice cream.

Service was slow at times, but we’ll admit being charmed that our waiter was clearly an Emerald Isle ex-pat, and so was the waitress serving the table across the aisle (we felt like we were at EPCOT).

Ri Ra may be American by birth, but its roots are firmly in Ireland. And though it may have been a late entry, its authenticity and attention make it a front-runner among local Irish pubs.

Las Vegas Review-Journal reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at 383-0474 or e-mail her at hrinella@ reviewjournal.com.