Paddy Brannan's Irish Pub, Ashland, OR

I have other, older bathroom pix to post but I decided to do this one first because I loved Paddy's and am excited to blog about it.  Our dinner group wanted to go someplace Irish for our March dinner night in honor of St. Paddy's Day.  There doesn't seem to be much of a selection of Irish restaurants to choose from in the Medford/Ashland area.  There is one restaurant in Medford but it is kind of played out, in my opinion so, I did a little googling and found Paddy Brannan's website.  Just reading the intriguing  menu, and the background information about the owner and his mission as a local business owner, made me excited at the prospect of dining at the pub.  Our group did have a lovely time at Paddy's.  Be aware though that it is a small pub and does not accommodate large groups easily.  They try to be very accommodating though.  Just call ahead if you have any concerns.  So, now for the menu items.  They have wonderful drinks.  I had the pear cider and it was yummilicious. For dinner I ordered the Irish Stew with Guinness bread and it was all scrumptious.  Beware of the Leprechaun Balls(yes, that's right), however.  They are meatballs in marinara sauce that gave me the breath of the dragon & a very rumbly tummy.  Just fair warning.  If I were Paddy I would have Leprechaun Balls be something like breaded, deep fried cheese balls, dyed green of course. But this isn't "If I were a pub owner" blog so I will get back on track...Okay, so let's reiterate real quick: good food, great drinks, excellent service, fun, fun atmosphere...and not a bad bathroom.





















There are 2 restrooms.  They are both unisex.  I only visited one because the other's entrance was slightly blocked by the band that was playing that evening.  The bathroom was roomy (one seater) and clean, except for the sticky door knob.  I know, eww, but I could clearly see that the restroom is cleaned regularly.  It was well stocked with paper products and seemed freshly painted and decorated.

















The wall hangings were prints or posters of Irish themed things like an Irish band poster advertisement, etc.  The restroom was well lit.  It could have used a side table or chair but there was a wall hook for handbags, coats, children, etc. 

So, while there were no leprechauns, pots o' gold, or rainbows to be found in this bathroom, it still gets a four leaf clover rating.  Actually, I award a 3/4 roll for cleanliness, 1/2 for comfort and 3/4 for style for a grand total of 2 1/4 rolls of Irish bathroom bliss!   

Denise Contribution

These are a couple snapshots from my friend Denise, of her sister's personal bathroom, which Denise helped decorate.

Look how cute this one is with the shingle type wall covering, lace curtain and little shelves with the Tiffany style lamp and miscellaneous decorations.  Love all the wood paneling and wood floors.

This photo looks like a very similar bathroom with a view looking out from the shower stall, maybe.  Love the basket of clean folded, fresh looking towels.  Very nice, clean, cozy, comfy looking bathrooms.  Thanks for the contribution Denise (NL).  Love ya!  3 rolls up!

Bambu Restaurant, Medford, OR

Bambu was the restaurant our dinner club chose for June 2011.  Bambu specializes in Pan-Asian cuisine.  I had heard good things about Bambu so was excited to dine there.  Maybe I set my expectations too high, not sure, but I was less than wowed by their food, service or restroom.  The general consensus of my dinner group seemed to be that the experience wasn't bad, it was just "ehhh".

There was an obvious attempt to decorate the restroom in a nice Asian theme, so they get points for that.  Loved the print and the black and red furniture with cool Asian hardware.  The lotion, etc was a nice touch also.

The restroom was fairly clean and well stocked.

    
















Really the only suggestion I would make about this bathroom is that they find an out of sight place to store the cleaning supplies and vacuum.  Nobody wants to see that and it takes up space in this already claustrophobic area.

They did include a chair which is convenient for coats, handbags, etc.  As you can see, it is a "one seater" restroom.  I guess I would give the restroom 2 1/4 rolls.  3/4 for each: Cleanliness, style, comfort.  The only real drawbacks are that it is small, only one restroom and cleaning supplies are out in full view and taking up space.  

The Wharf-Fresh Seafood Market & Eatery, Medford, OR

The Wharf has been an established restaurant and seafood market for years but for some reason I had never heard of it until recently.  We dined there for dinner club earlier this year and I immediately knew it was going on my list of places in The Valley to take out of town guests to.  The fresh seafood is wonderful, the atmosphere very comfortable and homey and the service was great.  It is a small building and has a fish market/full bar combo in the front, restaurant seating and outdoor patio in the back.  Because it is rather rustic I didn't expect much from the bathroom but I was pleasantly surprised. 

I just did not expect there to be any effort given to the design or comfort of the restroom in this bustling little eatery/seafood market.  But someone had taken the time to decorate and include items for making the patron's trip to the restroom more comfortable. 

This restroom had some nice little touches as you can see in this photo of the settee where my bag, Flava Flave, is shown resting.  There were also a couple of little artificial palm trees in the corners which were nice touches. 











There was a sea shell wall border at the ceiling and a seascape adorned coat rack on the wall.  Who's coats hung there and for how long, I do not know, but it was nice to see a place to hang one's coat was included just the same.  The basin and mirror were stylish and the restroom, overall, was clean and well stocked.  The only draw back to these facilities was the fact that the floor was rather slippery/greasy/oily.  Not sure why but I suspect maybe from all the ongoing deep frying of the fish.  If you have any other theories, please share.  All in all, I give this privy 2 1/2 out of 3 rolls.  1 for comfort, 3/4 for style and 3/4 for cleanliness.  The Wharf is a very fun place with good food and an above average ladies' room.   Just make sure you wear shoes with some traction.

Ocean World Aquarium, Crescent City

This post is a departure from my usual bathroom blog reviews as it is not about a restaurant bathroom.  This summer I took a weekend trip to Crescent City, California.  While there we toured the Ocean World Aquarium, which is one of the funnest aquariums I've been to.  They also happen to have a very cute ladies' restroom.     

The walls were all detailed with paintings of sea life.  And the mirrors on the wall opposite the basins are round like the portholes of a ship. 

There was obviously alot of thought put in to this bathroom and it was worth it.  It was almost a tour in itself.  So much to look at! 

This restroom had 2 stalls which were clean and well stocked.  The restroom was sunny & bright which contributed to the fun atmosphere of the aquarium.

Seeing how cute the womens' restroom was made me curious about the mens' so I took a little peak and saw that it was equally decorated...

This photo of the porthole windows was taken from the doorway of the mens' room.  I give the Ocean World restroom 3 full rolls.  Great interior design, very clean and well stocked, plenty of accomodating features.  A trip to Crescent City won't be complete without a tour of this aquarium!

Mustard Seed, Jacksonville, Oregon

I write this bathroom blog post with very mixed emotions.  Who gets emotional over  public restrooms, you ask?  Well, me, duh.  Why?  That would be a question for my therapist, if I had one.  But I know I'm not the only one who cares about a positive public restroom experience.  I mean, if I had a nickel for everytime I've heard someone (99% female) bitch about a nasty restroom, I'd be rolling in...a LOT of nickels.   Bathrooms are used regularly by all of us.  Why wouldn't we care about the cleanliness, comfort and pleasing atmosphere they have to offer?  And I've found that we have certain expectations in regards to public restrooms.  For instance, if you are at a gas station your expectations are much lower than if you were at a fine dining establishment.  It's always nice when a bathroom exceeds our expectaions but boy are we pissed when they fail.  Unfortunately, the Mustard Seed restroom is a big, fat FAIL.  Let me start from the beginning...I absolutely loved this restaurant!  It opens at the crack of dawn, serves breakfast and lunch, then closes around 2 pm.  It has a small dining area indoors and a lovely outdoor patio dining area.  We dined on the outdoor patio this summer and shared (gorged on) several dishes from the menu.  I highly recommend the chocolate chip, coconut, pecan pancakes...to...die...for.  And 100% worth the calories.  Everything was wonderful about this restaurant from the menu selections to the prices to the service to the comfortable, fun atmosphere.  Then there was the bathroom...

I mean, look at that floor.   Can you say ewww?  Can't wait to track that crap all over my carpet when I get home.  And wth is that contraption between the commode and basin?  Another dirty surface and eyesore, that's what I call it.  It's so dirty you can't even use it to set your handbag or any other personal items on.  Glad to see the toilet brush, I guess.  Whether it gets much use is debatable.

The lovely, stained basin which looks like it is barely hanging on to the wall is the least of this bathrooms problems.  Uh, did I mention the floor yet?

Is it that hard to wipe down the wall outlets and light switches?  So NOT looking forward to touching that door knob.  Guess that is why God invented papertowels and Lysol.  And what do they mop that floor with?  Used motor oil?

Please note the ceiling light.  The regular light bulb is apparently burned out but the heat lamp is working and seems to be the only source of heat in this restroom. 

 Well, at least there is a decent mirror.  And just when you think you are alone...you find a little 8 legged friend behind the toilet.  Uh, I don't think that is what "creature comforts" means.  Special.

My last 2 photos show the trash can, papertowel dispenser and the lovely view from the window.  No smoking, please, we don't want to greasy floor to catch fire.  I think those cleaning supplies are plotting a way to break in to that bathroom and do their job. 

Harsh critique, you say?  I know, but it is with love that I tell the harsh truth, as I see it.  Tough love.  The Mustard Seed could do so much better with very little effort.  Paint the walls, scrub the floor and change a light bulb for simple starters.  That would at least make the room tolerable.  This restaurant is very special but they discredit themselves and disrespect their employees and customers by letting their bathroom continue in this condition.  I will give this restroom 1/4 roll for having the supplies stocked.  That is me being generous.  Get with the program Mustard Seed!  I have faith in you.   Clean up your act...I will be back....

January 2011 Jacksonville Inn, Jacksonville, Oregon

The Jacksonville Inn is a favorite among locals and out of towners in the Rogue Valley.  Located in the quaint little historic gold rush town of Jacksonville, this restaurant offers wonderful menu items and a full bar.  It's rumored that several famous figures such as a few presidents and entertainers have dined at the J'ville Inn when passing through Southern Oregon.  It was only inevitable that our dinner club dined there at some point.  Dinner and drinks were delicious and the service was excellent.  The restroom was quite cute and had some nice little touches.

The corner basin had a great mirror above it with plenty of angles to check your look.  The mauve tiled counter top matched the strpied and floral wall paper and the painted basin was a lovely detail.  Fresh carnations on the counter were also a nice addition. 

The traditional decor made sense in this historic building and contributed nicely to the atmosphere.  It was a very clean bathroom with some nice amenities: tissue dispenser near counter, hooks on the bathroom stall doors for coats, purses, etc. 

This restroom had 2 stalls.  A bit of a line formed but it doesn't seem to matter how many stalls a ladies' bathroom has, there will always be a line at one point or another! 

So, in conclusion, I will give this bathroom 2 1/2 rolls.  It was very clean and well stocked, it had a few nice features for comfort but I only gave it a 1/2 roll for aesthetics simply because in a fine dining restautant like the Jacksonville Inn, I expect a bit more.  It was slightly lackluster I guess, but still a very nice public restroom.  Thanks for reading!