YELP Says: Ruggy: " . . . I'd argue that they might have some of the best bar bites in the immediate proximity." Four stars. Full review here:

Lauren T: "Liberties is a surprising little Irish gem! I've driven by this place a few times before actually checking it out and was pleased to find that it is more than just a bar. It has a great atmosphere, quaint outside seating and a decent menu. Check it out! And try their samosas!" 4 stars

Jim B. "This place rocks. What I look for in a bar: 1. Friendly staff 2. Friendly people 3. Beer poured all the way to the top of my pint. This place meets all 3 and I enjoyed my Boddington's and conversation with staff and regulars thoroughly." 5 stars.

Alona G. "First time at The Liberties = LIKE . I'm still deciding if it was it the awesome sliders or the sunny day? The Makers Mark Old Fashions or the lovely bartenders? The sweet potato fries or the chill crowd?" 4 stars.

Irish food in the United States has long conjured up for me images of heavy, no-nonsense fare that is long on cooking and short on flavor -- just like my Kerry-born grandmother's cooking.

Thankfully, there's the Liberties to restore my faith in edible things Irish. This 5-year-old Irish pub and restaurant in San Francisco's Mission District offers food that can be both hearty and creative, served in a handsome setting where broad picture windows offer glimpses of the streetscape around Guerrero. There's even a touch of green -- green salad, that is -- to spruce up the various plates.

The Liberties changed hands last year, and new owners Kjerstie Utting and Paul Campbell say they've broadened the menu, offering Irish dishes, American pub grub and fare borrowed from other cuisines.

A number of dishes survived the switch in ownership, including boxty. It's a smooth, dense disk of mashed potato topped with roasted bell peppers and feta cheese or, for $1 more, slices of smoked salmon and a horseradish sour cream sauce. The boxty takes on a blini-like elan with the salmon, smoke and brine cutting the bland richness of the potato. The small salad alongside provides color, and the acidity of the dressing boosts both the salmon and the potato.

Samosas are given an Irish treatment with the inclusion of Irish bacon and black pudding into the curried potato stuffing. The filling was too low-key, but the wrapper is exceptional. The pastry is delicate and fried to a crunch so crackling it almost seems effervescent. A cooling mint cilantro pesto is served alongside.

Beer-battered fish and chips are prepared traditionally, although the chips emerge from the fryer smelling deliciously of rosemary. The fish is battered lightly and fried to a golden crunch. It's a solid rendering. Also traditional is the cottage pie, a play on shepherd's pie made with well- seasoned ground beef and topped with a layer of creamy mashed potatoes. What keeps the dish from being the expected thing is a side salad (again with the greens) topped with thin strips of crisp red tortilla. This gives the pie a shot in the arm.

The roster of desserts, which changes daily, includes a semi- molten chocolate fondant cake, which was the expected plug of chocolate, and a brownie so heavy it sagged.

The Liberties has an assortment of beers both bottled and draft, including Guinness, Harp, Newcastle and Smithwicks Ale from Ireland. The wines are familiar, easy-sipping bottlings. Specialty cocktails are available. A Manhattan, made with Maker's Mark bourbon, is crisply chilled and semi- dry. The Lemon Drop, another old-timer, is a pucker-upper of a drink, again perfectly chilled.

Service is friendly and efficient. We had to make a theater performance, and our server worked hard to make sure the food arrived in plenty of time. My only complaint is that she was unfamiliar about the dessert menu, but she cheerfully admitted it and sprinted into the kitchen to double-check.

We were out the door in time for the show, but the Liberties is clearly a place worth lingering over, with its satisfying food and good-looking dining room.

© The Liberties 2010