Victoria Gastro Pub is a fairly recent addition to the Columbia restaurant scene, but it’s making a big splash. “Gastropubs” are a recent phenomenon, and they offer higher-end pub food. The head chef used to work at Iron Bridge Wine Company in Ellicott City. They do the basics well—the duck fat fries that come with a garlic aioli are delicious, and can be topped with melted gruyere for an extra treat. The roasted lamb I ordered was alright but my date got a lobster grilled cheese that was amazing. They have a good wine and beer selection, including a healthy range of microbrews on draft (Dogfish Head, Stone, Flying Dog, Blue Moon). Don’t go during happy hour if you want to have a quiet meal, as it can get pretty loud in the bar. But their wide selection of cocktails may be enough to tempt you, including a spectacular “Adults Only” Chai Tea with chai liqueur. Pricing isn’t bad, as entrees don’t top $25 and specials are common. And where else can you find Cornish Game Hen in Columbia? Victoria Gastro Pub comes highly recommended, if you’re looking for classed-up comfort food that will leave you wholly satisfied. If you’re looking for anything else, find it faster with globalYP.net, an easy to use online directory.

The name is the same, but inside and out, Hamilton Tavern is worlds different. When new owners came in a couple years ago, they bestowed new life to what was once a dingy, sketchy, dive bar. The tavern re-opened and young, hip locals flocked to check out the new kid on the block. And it was a hit. Now, almost two years later, it has established itself as one of the places to go for area residents and Baltimore City residents alike. With a Brewer’s Art pedigree, the owners knew exactly what this neighborhood needed: quality beer and delicious, seasonal food. Hamilton Tavern offers a modest menu. Though the choices are few, none disappoint. One succulent offering quickly garnered attention around the city: the Crosstown Burger. Made from locally sourced beef, this burger can be topped with a fried egg and spicy bacon and cooked to your liking (even if that liking is an iron-lover’s, blood rare). The menu is supplemented by equally scrumptious nightly specials like brats & bombers, fried chicken night, and create your own mac and cheese. What better way to wash down all this tasty food than with a good, quality beer? Forget the bar standards like Miller Lite and Budweiser. You won’t find the likes of those beers here. What you will find is four, quality microbrews on tap rounded out by a selection of bombers. If all of this has your stomach grumbling and your taste buds tingling, you had better head over soon. Blame it on the good food, the very reasonable prices (entrees are usually all under $14), the beer selection, or the utter lack of competition, but this place is hard to get a table at. Most places you go into thinking if there are no tables, you’ll just sit at the bar. Forget that notion here. The bar fills up as quickly as the tables. One thing you can be sure of about the wait: it’s worth it. So grab a Resurrection beer while you wait and don’t hesitate to chat up one of the locals. We’re friendly and we’ll be happy to tell you what our favorite meals are. You’ll be happy when you realize how easy it is to use globalYP.net, online yellow pages.

Grapes & Hops is on the north side of Fayetteville across from Methodist University. While you might think they just offer beer and wine, you’d be right and wrong. They also offer a good selection of elegant items including gifts, cigars, and other beer and wine related paraphernalia. The selection of beers is particularly impressive for a shop of this size. You can shop through an assortment of single bottle beers for the same low price and try the range of beers without breaking the bank. They also have a good selection of pricier wines. I was particularly impressed with the wide range of choice on the very popular Moscato wines. They offer microbrews and the equipment and resources to make your own home microbrews as well. For gift offerings, they do provide gift basket services, but also sell individual items from the area like pottery, candles, and other unique gift items. If you have a particular wine or beer that you are looking for and they do not offer it, they are always willing to work to find it for you. So if you ever find yourself on the north side of town, give Grapes & Hops a try for your beverage needs or for an interesting gift idea. Try globalYP.net, yellow pages that are online.

The Sellwood Public House is a bar located in the upstairs of an old building in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. Once you walk upstairs into the bar, you are greeted by friendly bartenders and locals. There are daily dollar off specials on everything from cheap beer to mixed drinks and food. The hamburgers are excellent, especially the Barbecue Bacon Bleu Cheeseburger. The mixed drinks are poured strong, and there are usually good deals to be had all day long. There are nearly one dozen local microbrews on tap, including favorites from Mad Man and Ninkasi brewing. Free pool, darts, and ping pong add to the excitement. For all of you card sharks, there are usually pick up games of poker in the game room. The televisions are usually playing an interesting sports game or a show on the Discovery Channel. The tables are covered in white paper that you can draw on with crayons! If you are lucky, you might walk in on a trivia night or a traditional pub song night. The best part about the Sellwood Public House is the bartenders. They know how to make a good drink while entertaining and working hard. The Sellwood Public house is near many bus lines, so please leave your car at home, have fun and be safe! Find more places to explore with globalYP.net, an easy to use online directory.

Paddy Murphy’s Pub is a locally owned and operated business in the heart of Pickering Square in downtown Bangor, Maine. Paddy’s, as we locals call it, is a great place to experience what Bangor has to offer. Paddy Murphy’s Pub is decorated in a charming Victorian style with an Irish theme. The food is a delicious cross section of Maine made local entrees such as fresh sword fish steak and pub classics like beer battered onion rings. Paddy’s also specializes in Irish food such as an earthy Potato and Leek soup. There are different specials to try everyday that are based off the local market. The pub also carries delightful locally made microbrews at the bar. Paddy Murphy’s also has tons of fun events. You can often find a local band playing on stage or even perform yourself on open mic night. Paddy’s also has a trivia night with teams and prizes. The pub is involved in almost all of the downtown events that take place throughout the year so there is always a reason to pop in. They sponsor events and bands that play outside in Pickering Square during the American Folk Festival, Oktoberfest, the Art Walk, the West Market Festival, and the Sidewalk Art Show. If you ever take a trip up to Bangor, Maine, don’t miss out on visiting this local gem. Paddy Murphy’s is a great little place for food, fun and drinks with friends. GlobalYP.net is a great place for finding directory listings online.

If you want the experience of an Irish Pub in the heart of Carolina you won’t do better than Bull McCabe’s Irish Pub in Durham, NC. Just a minute walk from downtown or a couple of minutes walk from Duke East Campus, Bull McCabe’s is the perfect spot for a quick weekday lunch or an enjoyable night out on the town. With 20 beers on tap, many of them revolving seasonally, you will find something to satisfy even the most discriminating taste. I particularly recommend the Triangle Belgian Golden Ale and the Young’s Double Chocolate. There is also a nice selection of beers by the bottle. I suggest you ask the staff for their recommendations. I’ve had some great micro-brews I would never have tried otherwise. There is a full menu available daily, and this is not just “pub food”, this is really, really good pub food. For lunch you absolutely have to try the deli board and have the potato salad as a side. It’s my personal favorite lunch. Late nights soak up the suds in your system with a big plate of bacon cheddar fries. Bull McCabe’s is open from 11am – 2am 7 days a week, and you will always find a nice mix of regulars and tourists. The staff, as well as the regulars, is friendly and welcoming. Wednesdays are a lot of fun with trivia night, and I love to go on Sundays and watch real football (soccer to you colonials). Anytime you come in you can walk up to the bar and find interesting conversation or a spirited discussion in progress. So come in, bring a bunch of your mates, and have an Irish party! Find more places to take your mates on globalYP.net, yellow pages that are online.

Venti’s Café in Salem, OR has the motto “Good, Clean Food,” which already makes it sound great. But this isn’t your typical café: rather than a menu full of designer coffees and handmade scones, with your choice of snooty or spunky teenager at the register, Venti’s offers a more “Northwest Bohemian” café experience. On the menu is some of the best Asian-inspired cuisine in Salem, with vegetarian options and microbrews galore. The food is incredible: so good and so clean you can almost feel yourself getting healthier as you eat it. The atmosphere is quietly vibrant, and every person in the place is just as friendly and vibrant – from the fun people at the register who can indulge with you with great conversation and direct you to the best food in the house without thinking twice, to the kitchen staff who have no qualms talking to you as they cook your food to make sure you get just what you want. You can dine either upstairs and take in the reservedly swanky atmosphere or people watch out the huge front windows, or you can dine down stairs in the “bar” area, even more swanky than the upstairs. The bar also opens at night and offers not only a massive selection of microbrews, but also features “Bobby the Bartender”, capable of creating the freshest and tastiest margarita in all of Salem, if not all of Oregon. To find more places like Venti’s Café, check out globalYP.net, a directory available online.