Wedding Revelries at A Terrible Beauty in Renton

Wedding Revelries for Jenna and Pat, new owners of A Terrible Beauty Irish Pub were celebrated this past weekend - thanks for sharing your wedded bliss with us, happy couple! Just about the time when the opportunity to own the establishment on Williams Ave.S. was coming up for Jenna Shannon Garvey, so was the romance that had flitted and flirted in the back of these two fated friend's minds. Jenna and Pat Michael O'Brien have known one another for years, Pat an ace of a chef and Jenna the uber capable barkeep, etc. but never thought either was interested in the other "that way". But sometimes in life, when it rains, it pours. Love, life, new work and that ever illusive element of happiness seem to be showing up in the new pub owners lives in spades.

The crowd of well wishers gathered upstairs in the pub's upper floor that is rather like a large walkway suspended in air over the pub's main floor, repleted with stripper pole area that the little tykes took over that evening as their play domain( yep, kids are allowed now up until 9pm). The wedding couple, though married quietly with just family around them on Sept. 12th, donned their wedding attire for the festivities. Willie Dzul, chef and often the author of my favorite brunch edibles on weekends alongside owner Pat himself, made a huge spread replete with a watermelon shaped into a peacock with fruit spears as tail feathers. I finally got to try some of the pub's mac n' cheese - dangerously good.

After toasting with champagne and eating cake from The Picaroon's family's favorite bakery, Borracchini's on Rainier, the music started in. There were 4-6 music talents slated for the evening, and as with all the incredible talent that A Terrible Beauty has been booking lately (2-3 times a week featuring bands), the cover was FREE. While we were partying up above, the pub was running as usual just below us and things were starting to heat up.If you would like to get on the text message list with Jenna, she will hit you up at least twice a week with the music lineup.

For The Picaroon, this is still the best brunch happening in Renton ( the soda bread alongside the omelets and/or eggs benedict with the killer hollandaise sauce gets me every time!). Great place for an after work beer - the offering is not slouchy, and I love the fact that this is now officially a family hang as well.

If any of you were worried when this establishment changed hands, again, that it would be just "same old same old" on this corner of Williams and Second St. S., you were dead wrong. Jenna and Pat are part of the community already through actions and spirit, and they mean to make a play for your attention and participation. Give them some - it is well deserved.

ps thank god they had a professional photographer there that evening - cuz we did not do any great justice to the bride's awesome dress or her crystal clear converse shoes (read "glass slipper" here) with Irish green laces.

A Terrible Beauty
201 Williams Ave. South
(424) 227-3396

Oktoberfest continues in the DTR

Flickr/Many Cats 4 Me

Men in Leiderhosen? Well. ladies and gents, it Oktoberfest time and this traditional garb from Germany can sometimes be seen on some avid beer goers of the season, or just those with a good sense of humor and (hopefully) a great pair of legs.

Today, at The Met you can experience your own little Oktoberfest - replete with Brats and Beer for a mere $10. It promises beer tasting and men in those leather leiderhosen shorts - here's hoping the weather still holds out nice for the guys this evening from 5 pm till 8 pm. Wouldn't want them getting too cold or knock kneed now.

Regular Glen and owner of the Met, Mike.

One exciting part of the evening's line-up will be local brewer, Big Al's Oktoberfest Beer on tap at The Met. As you can see, besides your espresso and wine needs, The Met also has 4 rotating taps of lovely beer. Big Al Brewery takes off today for the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado for their first time. Big Al (whose business is in White Center but lives in Renton) will be entering 9 of his beers and is just thrilled to be attending. Good Luck AL - and in the meantime, come in and try some of his seasonal beer.

The Met Coffee and Wine Bar
232 Burnett Ave S # 232
Renton, WA 98057-2107
(425) 687-7989

Lucky Ducks

One of the final acts of Renton River Days is to send hundreds of bright yellow rubber duckies floating down the Cedar River in the Rubber Ducky Derby. A $5 donation gives you the number to your own special duck, which you then root for from the banks of the river. A precious moment was one a young girl was trying to convince her skeptical mother that their ducky had a good chance of winning, and her careful examination of the rubber toys from her perch onto of Wells Street bridge as the victors floated on by below. Alas, not everyone could be a winner today, but the crowd was excited just witnessing the yellow migration downstream just the same.

The river is pretty low these days - but there was plenty enough water to get the duckies afloat.

Some ducks had a little heat stroke and were unable to keep up with the others. They received yells of encouragement to finish the course, and no one tried to pluck them out or help move them along. Patience and polite observance won out.

From the west side of Wells Street bridge, the net was cast to round up the duckies and give them a rest until this time next year.

Family members joined together to help catch the bright colored critters. Some are slippery little buggers!

The last duck frontier - bearing large fishing nets, diligent ducky snatchers were ever ready to pick up any strays that tried to make a break for freedom.

I don't know who the winners were - but the lucky ducks were immediately whisked away in the direction of Houser St. Bridge where the derby all began today. With cash prizes of $1,000 and $500 bucks, plus gift cards to Ikea for $500, King and Bunny's Appliances for $500 and Renton Westernwear for $400 - those were some very lucky ducks.

Update 7/28:2009 Rubber Ducky Derby Results

1st Place: $1,000 Cash donated by Renton Coil Spring Company - Bob Mjleda
2nd Place: $550 Cash donated by Rotary Club of Renton - Steve Olson
3rd Place: $500 Gift Card donated by IKEA - King Parker
4th Place: $500 Gift Certificate donated by King & Bunny's Appliance - Bill Moss
5th Place: $400.00 Gift Certificate donated by Renton Western Wear - Jerri Yeoman

Last Day to go play at Renton River Days

These are some highlights from yesterday's parade down the streets of Renton and just a reminder of some outings to consider today, the last day of the IKEA Renton River Days.

11th Annual Cedar River Quilters Exhibition - Free at the Renton Library - go take a look at both the workmanship on those quilts and of course, check out a book!
10am - 3pm Renton Public Library

Renton Annual Art Show - Noon - 5pm at the Renton Community Center. Free to look, many pieces are available for purchase - just fun to look at our local talent.

Don't forget your Rubber DuckY!! Rubber Ducky Derby at 4:30 pm Houser Street Bridge. Purchase your chance (only $5 ) to win valuable prizes at the Festival information booth in Liberty Park.

Car Show 11am -3pm at Cedar River Park - 8 decades of cars and motorcycles.
Art Market 12pm - 6pm at the Gianini Stadium/Liberty Park
Nibble of Renton 12pm- 6pm Gianini Stadium/Liberty Park
4th Annual Cascade Canoe& Kayak Regatta 8am -1pm at Gene Coulon Park
Renton Historical Museum Open Free Noon - 4pm
Explore the Downtown Rubber Ducky Windows - Ginger's Closet on Wells Ave. won the Grand Prize this year - check them all out!!

www.RentonRiverDays.org

Renton River Days Parade Highlights

Explore the Heart of Renton River Days Parade

From Shattuck Avenue to Liberty Park - watch drill teams, marching bands, horses, one-of-a-kind cars, pirates and more stroll by as you watch the great Renton River Days Parade! Parade Announcer will be Kent Phillips of STAR 101.5 FM
Starts at 10 AM

Renton River Fun

Ummmm - BIG Rubber Ducky, who will squish you into submission and make you buy a $5 Rubber Ducky Derby Ticket and have a chance to win a prize - or just have the pleasure of watching thousands of yellow ducks race down the Cedar River at 4:30 pm this Sunday.

This part of Renton River Days, sponsored by McLendon's, is by far my favorite each and every year - The Petting Zoo.This is what fairs of old were all about - farm animals, 4-H like stuff and free entertainment for the kiddies (opps, and a few of us adults as well...)

This would then come in second place right after the Petting Zoo above in the list of "must dos" at the Renton River Days over in the Art Market/Arts and Crafts area. Bang away on any number of hanging items and make a joyful noise. It's a "free for all"

Oh, let go of my Lego! Lego on the grass, Lego on the table - lego, lego everywhere! This booth let's your inner architect roam free and have fun. Hop, skip and jump your way over there today!


Love to draw? Think you have a good sense of fashion? Try the Renton Historical Museum booth where you can decorate a Native American Indian vest to wear home or a lovely flower and shell necklace. Get stylish with your crayons right here.

Oh, this is such a no brainer! Line-up and go!

Renton River Days
Liberty Park/Gianini Stadium
The Art Market
10 am - 8 pm