Neil Taylor of The Foggy Dew Richmond:
'I Can't Wait for the Olympics to Start'
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FRONT ENTRANCE OF The Foggy Dew in Richmond.
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By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER - As customary after each monthly distribution of The Celtic Connection, Colleen and I will generally celebrate by stopping in at one of the local Celtic establishments for some lunch and refreshments.
After the March issue, we dropped in to visit The Foggy Dew Irish Pub in Richmond, which is located on Westminster Highway and Alderbridge Way.
The 'Dew' has been in operation since 1989 and general manager, Neil Taylor has been at the helm for the past six years. Bartender/bar manager, Rob Henderson has been at the establishment since opening day.
The Foggy Dew has an inviting pub feel with wood floors, stained glass partitions, and cosy snug areas along one wall. The circular bar with seating is the main focus in the room and can fill-up fast with regulars - many of whom the bartender already knows their favourite beverage.
The establishment has a seating capacity for 185 patrons. Outside the main entrance is a wrap around patio with seating for 40 patrons...weather permitting.
The Foggy Dew offers a wide variety of food items to choose from with a daily lunch and dinner special.
Some items on the menu include: pastas, hamburgers, shepherd's pie, steak and Guinness pie, bangers and mash with baked beans, carmelized onions and Guinness gravy in a Yorkshire pudding, halibut and chips, and chili squid. There is also a tempting selection of desserts.
The day we visited The Foggy Dew, the weather was one of those colder than usual days with a hint of snow in the air, so we started with a polar bear refreshment - made with hot chocolate and a liquor to warm up. After perusing the menu we both settled on the beef dip, which was an excellent choice.
Despite a very brisk lunch hour business, Neil took some time to sit-down and talk about upcoming changes at the pub, the recession, and the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics.
"We will be changing our menu in April or May and adding some healthier lunch specials," he said. "When our patio opens, the new non-smoking ruling in Richmond is for no smoking on any patio.
"We have live entertainment every week-end and several strategically located televisions for patrons to watch their favourite sports."
The downturn in the economy has had very little impact on The Foggy Dew. "We're surrounded by hotels here, so we get a lot of tourists. Because of our close proximity to the airport we also get a lot of American flight crews staying at the hotels, and they often visit The Foggy Dew.
"We're already experiencing a big spike in business because of the Olympic Skating Oval in Richmond, which is close by to us.
"I'm really excited about the Olympics and have spoken to the staff who are equally excited at the prospect of meeting visitors here in the pub from all over the world. It's going to be great...I can't wait for the Olympics to start."
The Foggy Dew Irish Pub is located at 7311 Westminster Highway in Richmond. For more information, call (604) 270-2266 or visit: www.foggydewirishpub.com.
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