Maybe it is a subconscious bent toward the month of March and Saint Patrick's Day, but I gravitated to another Irish themed eatery and pub last fish fry night.  O'Riley & Conway's Irish Pub sits on the hill in downtown Janesville on the west end of the main drag of West Milwaukee Street.  You will find it below the rather locally famous Cozy Inn , a Chinese restaurant where my mom and dad had their first date at back in the early 1950s.  

    Locals should remember that O'Riley's sits in the same location as the old Quarerna's Tavern.  The site  has been in the same family since World War II.  Right around this Saint Patrick's Day the current construct will have been operating for a year.  

    The old tin ceiling, the Art Deco-style back bar shelving, and original wall bricks have survived the renovation.  The wood floor has been retooled in a parquet design.  The back bar shelving and bar top has been moved to the opposite wall from the original tavern. 

    There is a bunch of thoughtful decorations to add to the timbre of the place.  There is an old safe greeting you as you walk in. Wood barrels line one wall at the ceiling.  There is a three-inch pipe for the foot rail.  Consummate Irish crests adorn the walls.  Historic photos are  scattered about the place.  Two dozen tap beers are available. 

    According to my bartender, they started serving food around September of last year. There is a small kitchen on the north end of the tavern. If you sit on the very far south end of the bar you can watch the busy commotion during peak eating times.  The bar is lined with wood chairs. I have always bellied up to the bar in my few visits to the joint. There are some booths available for customers to sit in groups and a couple tables to the Milwaukee Street end of the place.  There is a cubed window pain picture window looking out over Milwaukee Street.  

    You can get a dandy tavern burger.  A few weeks ago I tried the Half Pound Hereford Beef Patty with cheddar cheese.  I tried a bowl of the Ruben soup. There was lots of potatoes, meat, and fix'ns in their soup presentation.  There is Pabst on tap amongst the Irish gaggle of beers for the loyal old-time beer drinkers.  My whole burger experience was good and pleasant. 

    For the recent fish fry visit I was offered the Atlantic Cod Loin with a house batter they call Smithwick's.  There was two large and long pieces of fish.  If I had to describe the batter I might use the word Cajun someplace. Inside the breading the fish was tender and served hot. The tarter sauce was tangy.  I asked for their potato salad which was quite good.  To my surprise they also loaded me up with a side of pub chips.  Rolls and special melted herb butter come with the whole deal.  

     I topped off my meal with a fresh cup of regular coffee with cream. It came in a clear glass cup.  

    To top off a surprisingly good tavern experience, a tap came to my shoulder.  It was my cousin Jim and wife Judy.  Both Jim and I being Irish, we had a good chat about the place and of course, we did some catching up on things in general. 

    O'Riley & Conway's Irish Pub is cool with Cool Dadio.  Find them at 214 West Milwaukee Street, Janesville, Wisconsin.  Call (608) 554  -  4549 for more information. Or, visit their Website at http://orileyandconways.com . 

                        Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
    (each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)

    Army Private First Class Keith Everette Lloyd, 26 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin died on Saturday, January 12, 2008 in Tal Afar, Iraq. He was killed when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troup, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, out of Fort Hood, Texas. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted Lloyd as a Milwaukee South Sider. When he was younger Everette was a fan of professional wrestlers, loved Nintendo games, and enjoyed playing outdoors. Keith's younger brother had also served in the Army in Iraq. Keith was born on May 6, 1981, in Milwaukee. He attended Lincoln Avenue Elementary School. Later his family moved to Oak Creek and then South Milwaukee. Lloyd had an interest in volleyball and played for South Milwaukee High School. He graduated from South Milwaukee in 2000. He had worked at Farm & Fleet and also Pick 'n Save stores. He took courses at Milwaukee Area Technical College in Oak Creek and ITT Technical Institute in Milwaukee. The Journal Sentinel went on to mention the Lloyd was deployed to Iraq in November of 2007. Lloyd had mentioned to his family he had met some former WWF wresters, now World Wrestling Entertainment, who were visiting troops in Iraq. Keith had also hoped to get married.
    The Web site madison.com via an article by the Associated Press mentioned Keith Lloyd joined the military as a food service specialist in March of 2007. The Web site legacy.com via an obituary from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted that at the time of his death Private First Class Keith Lloyd was survived by his mom Cynthia Allam; dad and step mother Gary Lloyd and Joanne Lloyd; fiancée Amanda Apollo; sister Christine Piper; sister Cora Lloyd; brothers Thomas, Kraig, Gary, and Joshua; and, grandparents Keith and Gertrude Lloyd. 
    Private First Class Keith Lloyd was the 87th Wisconsin military service person to be killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003. 

         As of this blog entry's posting date:

    99,901 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
    
    9,830 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    4,442 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003. 

    1491 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

    318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    861 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001. 

    32,049 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003. 

    10,468 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001. 

    103 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    28 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

    146 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org;  Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf; and, icasualties.org.