Scruffy's Irish Pub

Though the name evokes images of a dingy basement dive, Scruffy’s is actually quite a lovely pub. The two-floor gem was converted from an 1850s house built by a War of 1812 veteran, and has been restored to almost gleaming condition. The front of the building resembles an atrium, with sunlight pouring through a glass wall that stretches all the way up to the vaulted ceiling. The bar is framed in dark wood inlaid with painted designs, a deep hue that’s carried throughout the space on tabletops and chair backs. Tufted red booths run along a few of the walls, and bright white posts prop up the railings that edge the upstairs balcony.

Like the surrounds, the menu is casually elegant. There are a handful of pub-style dishes, of course, such as Irish lamb stew and shepherd’s pie, as well as more diverse plates of chicken carbonara and Indian-style vindaloo curry. Most nights, there’s some form of event to entertain people as they eat, whether it’s karaoke, live music, or the strangely two-dimensional athletes on the flat-screen TVs.