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.