Fish and chips at O'Shea's.

I’m not a big drinker. And I hate going out to the bars.  A night with a bar stool up my butt while I sip on a $10 drink? Not my idea of a good time.

I do make exceptions for two things:

1. A good happy hour (cheap drinks AND I can still be in bed by 10)
2. Bar food

Bars are an untapped resource when it comes to finding a good cheap place for a full meal. When I visited London in college, pubs became the only place in which I could afford a meal that was tasty, filling and easy on my student budget.

Those fond memories of fish and chips led me to O’Shea’s Irish Pub, a member of the O’Shea’s family of pubs located throughout Louisville.

Under normal circumstances, O’Shea’s is a place I would avoid. It’s one of many bars sandwiched together along Baxter Avenue. On weekend nights, traffic inches by groups of bar-hoppers. It’s loud. It’s crowded. It’s a shock to my system that keeps me tucked far away.

But Baxter Avenue at 5 p.m. on a weekday? Completely manageable, downright pleasant and the best time to slide into a wooden booth at O’Shea’s and enjoy an early dinner.

The lunch and dinner menu is full of filling dishes that include Irish favorites and Kentucky standards. The Guinness Beef Stew topped with mashed potatoes ($6.99) sounds great for a cold winter day, but I’d also settle for Irish Whiskey Style steak sandwich ($8.99, includes one side item). For those with a more Bluegrass taste, there is the Classic Hot Brown ($8.99) or the 12-inch Bourbon County Flat, a whole-wheat pizza with chicken, mozzarella, red onions and bourbon barbeque sauce ($10.95). Diners can also substitute any of the pub’s hamburgers ($6.99-8.59) with Kentucky-raised bison for an additional $2.50.

O’Shea’s also offers a variety of pizzas, sandwiches and appetizers that could turn into meals. But when I hear the word “pub,” my mind instinctively scans the menu for fish and chips. O’Shea’s doesn’t disappoint — Fish & Chips is the first option available under the “Pub Classics” section.

On a recent dinner date, my husband and I each ordered the Icelandic cod, battered European-style with Guinness beer (the other option is a cracker-crumb coating known as O’Shea’s-style). On the advice of a waitress, we replaced the fries that come with the platter with pommes frites, “handcut potatoes fried twice at two different temperatures the way they’re prepared in Belgium,” the menu told us. The fish and chips also comes with a side of coleslaw. I had the half order that comes with one fillet ($8.99), while Mr. Ashlee Eats got down with the two-fillet full order ($12.99).

First, let’s talk about the bad, which was fortunately just a tiny part of the meal.

One bite into the coleslaw, and the little plastic cup earned a place off my plate. The pub considers this more of a garnish than an actual side, the waitress said, and it was evident in the taste. The cabbage tasted like it had been sitting in the refrigerator for a day too long. It was bland and forgettable, especially compared to the delight that was the entree itself.

The fish and chips (well, pommes frites) were fantastic. It is just as simple as that. The cod was freshly battered and hot out of the fryer, so much so that a few moments of cool breath were necessary. The coating was thick, crisp and perfectly brown. The fish beneath the batter was flaky and moist with a seemingly melt-in-your-mouth quality.

The pommes frites are just as crispy as the breading on the fish. The side dish seemed more like the kind of french fries I might make at home if left with a pile of potatoes and vat of grease. They were much better than anything a fast-food restaurant could offer. There’s also a medley of dipping sauces you can choose to go with your frites. My heart belongs to the horseradish aioli.

By the time we polished off our meal, the after-work crowd had started to trickle into the pub. I happily walked by the faces at the bar with a belly full of good food and a smile knowing I wouldn’t be stuck on a bar stool for the rest of the evening.

Notes about O’Shea’s Irish Pub

There’s lots of ladies and a few gents, eating cake, drinking coffee, and talking about the latest technology news.

I’ve been to several of these informal meet ups and met a lot of great people. Plus, the event takes place at Sweet Surrender Dessert Cafe, a delicious bakery on Frankfort Avenue. And since friend of the blog Michelle Jones is the organizer, you know it’s going to be fun.

And did I mention there will be free cake? You read it write. The Small Business Shamen Conference is sponsoring Let Them Tweet Cake this month, so it’s time to get your complimentary grub on.

Let Them Tweet Cake

6:30 p.m. today, Jan. 25, 2012

Sweet Surrender, 1804 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, Ky.

Cost: FREE

Take a look at the creation I spotted at my friendly neighborhood Kroger.
Bacon has entered the popcorn arena.
By chance, I discovered lime popcorn earlier that same day. A coworker let me try some. It was like the popcorn had a baby with a margarita. DELISH.
I’m used to what I call “normal” popcorn flavors such as cheddar or kettle corn (my personal fav). Buy discovering lime AND bacon popcorn in just one day was too much for my mind to absorb.
What other flavors of popcorn are good additions to the movie-snack line up?

The website Metromix Louisville is holding its Best of Metromix poll through Jan. 29. There are tons of categories to vote in. Here are some awards that I’m especially excited to vote for:

• Best Brunch — it’s the best meal of the day
• Best Cheap Eats — the whole reason I started this blog
• Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant
• Best Food Truck
• Best Worth a Drive — with gas at a premium, a restaurant has to be top-notch

Want to have your say? Vote here. Maybe I’ll even divulge my own votes …

Photo courtesy of Pjork via Flickr.

I’ve always referred to Paula Deen as the white grandmother I never had.

And Paula has just revealed that she shares the same condition as my biological grandmother.

Paula Deen has the sugar, a disease known to non-Southerners as diabetes.

Paula announced Jan. 17 on The Today Show that a doctor diagnosed her with Type II diabetes three years ago. She’s now endorsing a drug company that makes a medicine for diabetics.

My initial reaction to the first wave of Deen/diabetes rumors that floated around the Internet Monday was on par with what an overwhelming majority of my online peers thought: DUH. Paula has plied us with rich, decadent recipes for years. Who’s really surprised that she has an illness that relates so closely with your diet? The virtual schadenfreude was thick.

Then I thought about my maternal grandmother.

Evelyn Clark died when she was 56. She had heart disease and diabetes. My mother remembers making runs to the hospital the day after Christmas because my grandmother wasn’t watching her blood sugar as she celebrated the holiday by indulging in holiday sweets.

I was only three when my grandmother died. I didn’t even know her long enough to remember what pet name I called her.

As a diabetic, my grandmother didn’t take care of herself like she should have. She was gone before I was old enough to build a memory of her.

Now, a stranger I have watched for years has diabetes, too.

I hope Paula uses her celebrity to encourage people to take better care of themselves, whether they have diabetes or not. I hope that diabetes doesn’t slow her down, and that she never loses her charm or vigor for life.

Paula said in her The Today Show interview that diabetes “is not a death sentence.”

I hope that Paula lives for many more years, years that my grandmother never had.

I have an addiction. Don't judge me.

How do I even begin to describe my love of Cherry Coke Zero?

Should I start at the beginning, the first time I discovered this glorious, calorie-free concoction perched on a shelf, chilling away in a 20-ounce bottle, waiting for me to release it from the frozen confines of the Walgreens grocery aisle and into the cup holder of my Corolla?

Or do I start at the end, with the above picture, the result of a months-long addiction to fake sugary sweetness that can only be treated with MORE aforementioned fake sugary sweetness, especially when it  is on sale at my friendly neighborhood Kroger?

It wasn’t always like this. I was a Diet Coke fan for years. A cold, caffeinated beverage without the calories? Yes, please. Back then, I didn’t know any better. I didn’t know that something else, something even more delicious, was out there.

My infatuation with Diet Coke began to wane last year. The drink had gone from refreshing to flat. I needed something to wake up my taste buds, minus the guilt of the calories.

Then I found Coke Zero, endorsed by friends, but not as readily available as my old stand-by soft drink. I tasted Coke Zero, poured from a restaurant fountain spigot into an eager paper cup, and it set my mouth on fire — in a good way. There was just so much more flavor than its diet cousin. The fizz tickled my throat and left behind a lingering sweetness that confirmed that I was on to something.

Then I saw that bottle in Walgreens, the word “cherry” splashed across a Coke Zero label for which my eyes had learned to automatically search. Once it hit the lips, Cherry Coke Zero had me, for lack of a better word, sprung. I wanted it. I needed it. And it’s hard to come by, a slight obstacle that only added to the beverage’s allure.

I scoured Kroger after Kroger to find my own supply of Cherry Coke Zero, which I how I ended up lugging three cases into my home after a three for $11 deal I happened upon one week.

Having my own Cherry Coke Zero instead of just keeping my fingers crossed that it will be available in vending machines and restaurants has only made my infatuation worse. Just a couple of weeks ago, I may (or may not!) have bought FOUR cases during another Kroger sale. I blocked several shoppers in the soft drink aisle as I stuffed the cartons of Cherry Coke Zero into my tiny cart.

Is all this embarassing to admit, all this admiration for an inanimate object, a beverage no less?

Yes.

Is it worth it, for just one can of Cherry Coke Zero?

You betcha.

• Downton Abbey, my new favorite series about World War I era Britain, premiered Sunday night. Here’s an old-school garden cake recipe for my fellow Anglophiles that is appropriate for celebrating the greatness that is this show. (The Kitchn)

• Speaking of Brits, a pub in South Gosforth, Newcastle, is serving up dog-friendly beer and a roast with cat-flavored gravy. It will do your heart good to look at these pictures. My dog, Roscoe, gives that two paws up. (Daily Mail)

• Just too tired to peel a banana? There’s an invention for that. (Jezebel)

• The Girl Scouts are at it again, dominating the cookie-peddling market with a new treat called Savannah Smiles. (Huffington Post)

• A Papa John’s employee in New York identified a customer as “lady chinky eyes.” Not the best idea. (Courier-Journal)

You recall seeing black woman, black frame glasses, twentysomething-ish, posted up at a table for two, fumbling through a navy blue messenger bag, typing away at worn MacBook? Yep, that was me, surviving on refills and free wifi.

A visit to a coffeehouse was the highlight of my days, which had become filled with wedding planning and job hunting. This was the time I had all to myself to blog, journal and fart around on the Internet.

I became sort of a floozy when it came to which shop to visit. I tried them all. But one quickly became my favorite: Please & Thank You.

Here are six five reasons why you should make a visit to this coffee shop, located at 800 E. Market St. in downtown Louisville:

1. Wrap your mind around Please & Thank You’s concept: coffeehouse/music store. And not just any music store — they sell vinyl, the cornerstone of every hipster/twentysomething/music lover’s collection. On my first visit, it took me less than five minutes to find and buy the album Guess Who’s Comin’ to the Crib? by the 80s R&B group Full Force. Not familiar? Observe this gem:

2. Good coffee and good things to put in it. Want cream with your coffee? A barista will hand you an opaque jug from a fridge behind the counter. If brown sugar cubes are your preference, they have those, too. Don’t worry — Splenda and the like is available, too.

3. With a prime location on East Market in the NuLu district, you’re cool just walking in there. I have never been mistaken for someone who is “with it.” Somehow, I manage to feel not as square when I’m in Please & Thank You. I’m on board with where the cool people of Louisville are hanging out.

4. They support The Paper. I’ve had a few articles in the newest addition to Louisville media. They’re readily available at Please & Thank You. ‘Nuff said. (Blogger’s note: The Paper is no longer available here. Sorry for any confusion.)

5. The coffee shop uses social media — well. If you follow Please & Thank You on Twitter, you can
easily find out what the fine employees are serving up for the day. The shop also shares its latest news on Facebook.

6. The pastries = THE BUSINESS. If you’re around me long enough, you will eventually hear me refer to something (usually food) as THE BUSINESS. This is a great compliment that can only be expressed in all caps. It’s also the only way I can describe my love for the baked goods at Please & Thank You. Observe:

There are different levels of quality when it comes to ordering restaurant pizza.

The top tier includes all the homegrown Louisville pizzerias with made-to-order pies: Papalinos, Wick’s, Angilo’s, Spinelli’s.

One level down, there are the national chains, which are reliable, but lack a certain zing.

Then there is Little Caesars.

Little Caesars gets a bad rap for its thriftiness. For five bucks, you can walk into the store and grab a large pizza without much of a wait, hence the restaurant’s motto, “Hot and Ready (insert dirty joke here).” Throw in an extra $3, and you can get a meat lover’s pizza.

Now, Little Caesars isn’t gourmet — there’s a little Roman man running all over the boxes, for crying out loud. The pizzas are kind of plain and leave grease spots on the box. But when my husband and I were low on cash but wanted the small thrill of a carry-out pizza, we frequented the Little Caesars less than five minutes from our house.

But here’s how you make that pizza a little more special: the Italian Trifecta.

1. Crushed red pepper
2. Italian seasoning blend
3. Parmesan cheese

I keep these three ingredients on hand to fancify (yep, fancify) a plain Italian-like dish. Little Caesars steps into DiGiorno territory once you sprinkle this magical blend onto a slice. I’ve also used the Italian Trifecta to restore the magic in leftover pasta dishes from other restaurants — and even my mother’s house.

The publication is holding a contest to find the South’s tastiest town.

Louisville is one of 10 cities up for the title. As of Tuesday night, nearly 16,000 people agree that Louisville is the tastiest Southern town.

We’re number one — for now.

It’s time to keep voting.

You can vote here once a day until Jan. 31, and the winner will be announced in the April issue of Southern Living magazine. Voters will also be entered to win $2,500 and a trip to one of the “tasty towns.”