(See more things that are new in the Notes From the Beat Department, where there’s a party everywhere, such as during spring break — and you don’t even have to be going to Ireland).

Even on a holiday steeped in tradition, there are new ways to be Irish:
– One of them is via the green-suited men of Ghostbusters, which are led by the Bill Murray character that is prominently displayed in two different ways at Dick’s Bar and Grill. Let me explain. Murray is a good friend of the late former owner of Dick’s, Fred Kremer, and would drop in for dinner whenever he was in town to take care of business with the St. Paul Saints, of which he is a part-owner. Dick’s has added a new pinball machine, Ghostbusters themed, and the front-and-center display of Murray’s face doesn’t end there. There is the old, oversized and framed photo of Murray that was taken on one of his stops here, and it is positioned right behind the pinball machine, although you can only see the top of Murray’s head because the machine is too high. Add to this the photo of Sigourney Weaver’s character on the machine, dressed all evil and with a striking silver dress that looks remarkably like the one a Pudge’s bartender wore out on Halloween night. And to add to the Irish theme via pinball, there is a photo of a bright green Slimer in the corner, being shot with a green ray by, you guessed it, Murray as Veckman.

– As far as veritable local musicians, St. Patrick’s evening marked the inaugural appearance of Garret with the longtime Jawsy band at the Village Inn, where he teamed with longtime songstress Amanda, who also is a manager at the North Hudson venue. Also, you could catch Garret in a solo performance at Dick’s Bar and Grill on Friday evening, March 24. A few nights afterward, he could be seen dancing in a flurry that reminds me of James Brown as he was shooting darts, and was more than a little giddy about the comparison being made. (It’s more the vocal gyrations than the dance moves he is known for).
– A server at Green Mill, who was off duty on St. Patrick’s Day, said that she and friends celebrated in their
own way at one of their houses, with chicken dinner, no less. (But not that mega-chicken video just going viral).

By the way, that crew did top it off in a more Irish way, having Shamrock cookies for dessert.

– There were a lot of, largely new, people shooting pool at the new Pudge’s who just looked Irish. One, sporting
reddish beard and hair and a Flogging Molly T-shirt, was giving tips to another green-clad player on how to put
backspin on a cue ball. The informal tutorial went on for the length of a typical Irish drinking song. The
result was less than spectacular, the cue ball bounced over the end of the bumper.
– This is different than just Jameson and Guiness. Pudge’s had on special during the applicable day their
Teeling Irish Whiskey Manhatten. Not for tee-tollers.
– At least three different venues I visited on the holiday were showing on at least one of their TV screens a
syfy-type Tom Cruise movie that night, aired by the TBS network. He is Irish, isn’t he?
– Irish indeed they are. During the St. Patrick’s day-after party at Bobtown Brewhouse in Roberts, the play
list of the duo The Hunyuks was heavy on music of the American Irish, remembering what things were left behind
in the old country once coming here.
– It all depends on what twist you put on the ties that spring from your head. Late-night cashiers at the
Freedom store in North Hudson were sporting the holiday green antenni, but couldn’t agree what to call them.
Antlers were suggested, since this is Wisconsin, then a long phrase of a description ending in “sparkly
things.” We settled on just calling them “hairpieces.”
– The Irish were even taking it to the streets, as evidenced by a car with dozens of decals all along the side
of bigger-than-usual Shamrocks.
– Lastly, a bartender friend tried to emulate the multiple moves made by a point guard during the well-aired
NCAA tournament initial round. His point was that the guy with the ball faked sideways in each direction so
quickly and so many times that the defender, not keeping up, was still positioned were he’d been the previous
pair of fakes. The result might have been stealing the ball. Love to see the bartenders that set you up, and
display their hoops set-ups, hump it in that way.

Not to be a green horn, St. Patrick’s Day festivities are a mixture of the tried and true blue, and a different twist on the holiday.
You can carry forward that holiday fun from Friday, by coming for the 3 p.m. Saturday St. Patrick’s parade in downtown Roberts, then staying for the free corn beef and cabbage (and free hot dogs for kids), and a pair of bands at the venue of the parade sponsor, Bobtown Brewhouse. There also are specials on six of their unique craft beers that are provided in-house.

Mike, the proprietor at Bobtown, who given his own special twist to St. Patrick’s Day, such as offering some stuff for free that usually would cost you at least several bucks, has taken over the reins of the longtime parade for the second year. It had been run for years by Roberts resident Marilyn Delander. Now, Bobtown has decided to throw an after-parade party as well.
After the floats flow through the main drag, the acoustic guitars — and accompanying on-stage banter — take over with the musical offerings at the nearby sponsor, having the Hunyuks playing at 3:30 p.m. and the Chimney Fish at 8.
Chimney Fish, a local favorite, consists of the duo guitar playing of Jeb Sears and Jim Hanvelt, who have developed a unique style of playing that Jim prefers to call “Slap Acoustic,” combining slap bass technique on an acoustic guitar.
Jim’s bands have acoustically rocked the music scene playing shows in western Wisconsin, Minnesota and even Nashville. After meeting up with Jeb at a series of open jam sessions, they several years ago decided it was time for Chimney Fish. They present a humorous twist to their shows, which is demonstrated by their original song Ode An Jagermeister and also the slogan “Smoke like a chimney, drink like a fish.” This is carried forward by a comedic online cartoon accompanying their bio of a big, puffy fish taking a great big puff.
The Hunyuks was formed more than a decade ago and the members say their name can be playfully translated as “northern rednecks.” Teaming up with Bill Gnatzig is fellow guitarist Denny Thorsen of Roberts. They play a mix of “county classic hits and humor suited to all ages,” and together they add that their guitar styles, vocal qualities and wit on stage seem to be a perfect blend.
Staples are Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, some old fun Roger Miller, Waylon Jennings and occasionally ‘50s and ‘60s rock.
Having a year of parade experience under Mike’s belt, those creatively-named, Bobtown craft beers will be on special, too. They are the Lead off Runner Cream Ale, Screamin’ Laurie Blonde Ale, Rally Ale Kentucky Common, North Shore Nut Brown Ale, Without a Doubt Oatmeal Stout, and Missed Red IPA.
For more information, contact Bobtown at (715) 338-1046.
– Green Mill is again wishing Luck ‘O The Green, and Get Your St. Pat-O-Pazoola Green On — with Shamrock figures interjected — from March 13-19. There is traditional mulligan stew with special seasonings and beef and four kinds of vegies, Rueben sandwich and also their cream-based Rueben soup, and of course, corned beef and cabbage (of the likes of Dublin, they claim), and that’s just the eats. There also are leprechaun jello shots, Jameson shooters, and three specialty drinks, Irish Flag, Irish Gold and Shamrock-Tini, which are heavy on ingredients that include Grand Mariner, the aforementioned Jameson and obviously the very Irish Baileys. The Shamrock-Tini even features a chocolate-rimmed martini glass over Bailey’s/Absolute vanilla.
– This just might be Seventh Heaven!
If you think its standard Irish fare, you’re full of blarney, as the blarney burger has an established track record during the recently celebrated seven years of business at Seasons Tavern, starting with a seven-ounce hamburger patty (not paddy), plus corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and 1000 Island dressing, on an egg-washed bun. That means lots of two kinds of meat, despite the lingering presence, especially this year, of Lenten Fridays, and with all those other ingredients, it’s great tasting, Season’s owner Brad says. (Actually, the blarney burger will be available through the end of March, and not for a pot ‘o gold). Not to mention that they offer corned beef and cabbage on both this Friday and Saturday.
– The Strangers, being longtime largely local folk, are no stranger to The Willow River Saloon or to St. Patrick’s Day performances. Join them on St. Patrick’s Eve, and also munch on some corned beef and cabbage, as you likely are no stranger to that either. Then come back on Saturday for Rock Brigade, a tribute group that also features the music of some bands from The United Kingdom.
– And don’t forget the North Hudson pub crawl on Friday starting at 6 p.m. from the northern part of the village. Done much like Northern Ireland?

Jim Field started the Mouldy Fig Jazz Band in 1959 when he was a junior at Main Township High School in Parkridge, IL, and they also go beyond that genre. These days, The Bungalow Inn in Lakeland is often the first venue named as a favorite by the award winning group, and is a staple there on many Tuesday evenings.
A “mouldy fig” is a person who studies and plays old New Orleans style jazz. This term came out of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.
Jim and friends had put together a band to play for a Young Life meeting. Then, noted author Studs Turkel entered the practice room and said, “You are a bunch of Mouldy Figs,” Jim recalls about this name that just keeps popping up. Since then they have been a family favorite band in the Twin Cities, playing steady gigs, usually on Sunday afternoons in the area. Rounding out their mix are now a group of venues — including back at the Bungalow for the First Tuesday, Fat Tuesday celebration of each month from 5-8 p.m.
or the last five years, the Figs have played at the Vikings and Twins games and in June of 2007 performed as guest artists with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Figs have played in more than 30 grade schools with “The History of River Boat Music” educational show created by the St. Paul Rotary Club for the Grand Excursion in 2003. The Figs want to continue to add happy thoughts through this wonderful form of “Old Jazz.”
Jim’s exposure to Chicago style jazz in the late ’50s connected him with Mike McKendrick, a banjo player with Louie Armstrong. Mike taught Jim how to play the washboard. Jim still plays that same washboard that he bought for $1.50 in 1959.
Jim relocated to the Twin Cities in 1970 as the director of the YMCA Street Work Program, and continued his musical hobby. He originally formed the Minnesota Mouldy Figs to perform at Fiorito’s on 6th and Sibley in St. Paul in 1973. The Figs played there and the Lower Levy Lounge for eight years, and have performed of course at the Bungalow for another eight years and currently play at the Mainstreet Bar & Grill in Hopkins and Shamrocks in St. Paul.
The band has three professional recordings, including, of course, “Figs Live at the Bungalow.”
“We’re easy! We have played on stages, buses, trains, boats, truck beds, ice rinks and swimming pools,” their bio says. “If you want us – we’ll play! Look at our photos, add a few musicians and a singer or take a few musicians away to match your occasion or budget needs.”

The newly and massively renovated Pudge’s Saloon and Eatery and a second, adjoining supper-club-style offering — there are separate food options to be had in the two areas — have so much to offer patrons that they need to incorporate a pair of different street addresses, 302 and 304 Second St.
The renovation that draws vintage materials from multiple sources is featuring things such as a complete upstairs with two huge rooms and also a pair of large tucked-in patios, one way in back that digs into the bluffline, that you would not guess they are there from simply viewing the newly retooled venue from the street. There is a third patio just off the lower level at the venue in downtown Hudson’s south end, where you meet up with an over-the-top, decorative stairway, a centerpiece of the lengthy renovation.
The four upstairs pool tables — and who else has that many in this town? — have been rocking the house on weekends and even some weeknights since the new Pudge’s was unveiled a couple of weeks ago. There are subtle nuances of the redesign and attention to detail, such as pairs of carefully folded napkins forming an X on the tables of their new bistro, called Club 304, which is now open at 7 a.m. and provides breakfast and lunch, with dinner options coming soon. Others changes are easier to notice, such as the limestone rock walls used throughout the multi-story refurb that were uncovered during the initial phases of the months-long renovation, then added on other walls both big and small to give a continuity throughout the establishment.
You might not even know some of these features exist, when simply walking in the front door, as you have to go around to the off-sale area to catch the steps going up there, which are wide and marble. All around the upper floor is stone on walls that matches the kind that originally existed downstairs. Everything owners Michael and Candy Murphy encountered was used in some way.
Other decore also makes it different
Much of the redesign is lengths of ornate iron and other such vintage crafting, especially near the elevator in front of the southside stairwell, and some is shown through the old-style golden foil decor throughout, especially on the lower level toward the high ceilings and other places far up on the walls, or not so far up. Examples are a wine-making maiden displayed on a back door and another such bar scene played out artistically in a similar-style, circular and decorative mast-like centerpiece, much bigger than a refrigerator. This incorporates both the foil and vintage wood in the middle of the downstairs bar area, also using a round table of similar color and separating the north and south rooms downstairs. There are also antique columns leading to what is now the patio, and related Old Car Shop decore from North Hudson, as well as a bronze gate reclaimed from an old hotel in St. Paul, and an artifacts display case with bottles that came originally from the 1880s — a facet that when the whole process started, was something everyone figured was there, somewhere.
So, if you are a local and think you know Pudge’s, think again, doubly so since it now constitutes two levels and various off-shoots from them.
Built in 1866, at the 302 Second St. location, Pudge’s has been a saloon for most of the time since, according its 25-year owners the Murphys — and there have been some colorful characters as owners prior to them, like a successful old-time baseball player who kept a bat behind the bar in the off-chance someone would get rowdy. The Murphys say they used to make wine in the basement and roll fine cigars right next door at 304 Second St., which was not always an open part of the bar. But rest assured, that old-style pay phone has been kept.
The Murphys, with the help of Hudson native and nationally known designer and collector Ed Hawksford, have taken a long tradition and enlarged it, with interesting offshoot rooms, to be a one-of-a-kind destination, as people from the Twin Cities who come to Hudson as the first bar venue across the river will appreciate. The Murphys had been thinking about the renovation for years and the timing was finally right to get the old from behind the walls and make it new again, along with some other attributes both antique and modern.
“I’d had it in my head for years. And oh they love it,” Michael said about this project, especially noting the response from customers.
The prominent iron columns are part of the history, as are the horse tiles outfront. Hawksford helped the Murphys find other hidden treasures to reuse or repurpose — not just pieces of the old Pudge’s, but finds from Tibet to a walnut tree in the Murphy’s backyard. The upstairs back bar, more than century old, originally stood in Tibet, along with some columns that adorn the upstairs fireplace in a big, northernly situated room several strides away through a door that connects to the veritable pool hall. The bar on the main floor — which unlike how some of how the new Pudge’s has unfolded, will greet you right when you walk in — was built from wood Michael ran across in a targeted antique search.
On the south side are two porches, one up and one below, with that decorative ironwork and a colorful paint job. Some people say it looks like something you might find in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
And then there are the newly prominent drinks, such as signature Brandy Manhattans, ice cream drinks and a stellar line of fine scotches.
You can access the new restaurant, Club 304, with its state-of-the-art kitchen, either by cruising through Pudge’s Bar or through the eatery’s own entrance, formerly in most part a home to patrons who came in for off-sale liquor. Club 304 is serving breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and also opening for dinner soon, most likely about a week.
The restaurant is well-lighted from window openings uncovered during the renovation. One of those upstairs gives a colorful view of the neon “Pudges” sign that has letters stacked vertically on an outside wall that’s set at a right-angle to the street. The new booths toward the east side are backed with wood salvaged from the floors upstairs, and paneling that was uncovered there.
There will be separate menus for the pub’s eatery and Club 304. Where there were several apartments upstairs at 304, the space has been transformed into a room with spacious semi-circular bar rail to allow service of drinks, four pool tables that have been attracting a line of people standing along the east-west wall in the center waiting to play, various electronic games and a deck on the southwest corner, from which you can see the lights of Lakefront Park and the St. Croix River.
An informal tour offered by some longtime Pudge’s patrons made note of the nice, newly constructed smell, and that the ceiling was so much higher and beautiful than from days past. They said they are especially impressed by the patios, one looking out toward the St. Croix River and sure to be a hit, especially in summer, and a particularly spacious one tucked out in back, which required some of the east-side bluff to be dug out and even revealed a cave during construction. Also, they described the choice that exists for conversion-friendly softer music downstairs, and rockier tunes up. In that vein, bartender Whitney said that things have been “crazy busy” up there. Another patron invoked the triple-R reference, that the new place is “really, really, really nice,” and a second said he was holding back to formal completion so he could obtain a personal tour from husband-and-wife owners, after having added he has known them for years and maybe decades as a regular in the old downstairs.
Framing Furman and ‘Club 304′
Executive chef Josh Furman, obviously a key part of the refurbishing, said this supper club and American Bistro theme, among other possible descriptions, is unlike anything else in Hudson and the result of staying passionate and sticking to a concept of being “approachable.” He noted there are the higher-end places in Stillwater, but that his is a different mix of the best of several such things. Furman wants familiar food where people can pronounce what they are ordering, not have it be, say, an obscure French word. Think of going beyond the gourmet, he adds.
Which is not to say that his menu won’t have French sauces, which like so many things at Club 304, he makes from scratch and using locally sourced ingredients, such as the oatmeal, which is beyond the usual standard, having among other things, only coconut milk and steel-cut ingredients and like everything on their menu, no processed white sugar. That’s not even to mention the hoops they jump through to make their own hollandaise sauce, to go with their lobster eggs Benedict. The idea is affordable comfort food, although variety of food options and being treated special while ordering them is indeed their spice of life, and there are even “small plates” if you just want a somewhat-filling snack. And Furman says he will be a consistent presence at Club 304, especially if people have questions, and thus come out and talk to customers.
They might want to ask about the various steaks, made from Hereford beef only, other beef as in great burgers, and ala carte breakfast choices and hot dish, many of which patrons can build it their own way. Signature dishes include crispy pork belly with celery root, an inside-out Scotch egg, beer battered fried, cheese-stuffed onion rings and several dishes using their own made-in-house bacon.
All of this is creating a buzz, even across the border into St. Paul, Furman says, as people have become curious about the intentional, whole experience they are offering. Add to that the ambiance and experienced staff and you have a destination, he said. And as an add-on, so many people have already spoken glowingly to him about that pervasive limestone wall in all parts of the building, even though he spends the majority of his time in the kitchen.
Furman is a veteran of such popular Twin Cities eateries as W.A. Frost, Masu, Shanghai Bistro, the Rivertowns bed and breakfast in Stillwater, and some venues in California.
For more information about the Pudge’s Saloon and Eatery, or the accompanying Club 304, call (715) 386-9975.