Hi
I can't believe I just read your entire report in one sitting. I lOVED LOVED LOVED it.
Thank you
I am going May 2008 , so I am looking to reading more from you.
Here are some questions, hope you don't mind.
Do you think Raglan Road is kid friendly? My daughter loves Irish step
Also, my dad loves Port Wine and I'm thinking of getting him a bottle for father's day. Can you suggest a certain kind. You seem to know alot more than I do about this kind of wine.
Hi there and thanks so much for reading...all in one sitting no less. That's a big bite to chew!
In answer to your questions...
1) I think Raglan Road is very kid friendly. While we were there on our most recent trip at the end of May (wanna read more? Look for The Food was not Undelicious...last link in my signature) there was a family seated next to us in the dining room and their youngest was a little girl with Down's Syndrome. She had a wonderful time and the staff was great with her, even going so far as to bring the Irish dancer over to pose for pictures with her. Now some of that may have been dependent on the server, who we also had and let me tell you she was terrific! I'd say the atmosphere is lively and loud - it really is fun. I hope you go - I think you'd have a great time!
I would suggest maybe calling the restaurant a few days in advance to verify performance times...we were surprised in May to find that they'd moved the start time back to 8:30PM and we had to do some quick adjusting to our dinner reservations. The staff was very friendly and flexible.
2) Hmmmm...port. Well, I'm no expert... depending on what your dad may like I'd suggest a 10-year Tawny Port.
Here's why... in my opinion Ruby Port is too sweet; it's like drinking sweetened red wine. It's the young version of port and is usually only 2-3 years old.
Tawny ports are still sweet, but they're more complex because they've aged and mellowed. They have a lovely color - a golden brown that reminds me of caramel - and a wonderful aroma.
We recently tried
Cockburn's 10-year old Tawny Porto at Victoria and Albert's and it was knock-your-socks-off good! It was paired with our cheese course and it was like heaven in my mouth. Even without the cheese it was a very smooth port, but with the cheese it was incredible.
Some of the older ports are also very good, but they tend to get very expensive. And I know I talked earlier about the Don PX we tried last year - it's about 25 years old and it looks awful... like motor oil...but it's fantastic. It smells like coffee and tastes great, especially with ice cream or other really sweet desserts.
I think if you want something that your dad can just enjoy drinking, you will be best served with a 10-year or a 20-year tawny. Most men don't like the ruby (too sweet) and the older ports are really intense and I think can only be enjoyed in very small servings.
Hope this helps and thanks for reading! Hope to see you on the other review thread, where I do have another Raglan Road review in place!
By the way - let me know what you end up doing with the port.
We'll be sure to raise our glasses to you and your hubby Tuesday night while we're still capable of rational thought. 
I do all sorts of things my mom told me a lady never does. 
