Pat Troy's Irish Pub and Restaurant, Alexandria, Va.

Had lunch in Old Town Alexandria at Pat Troy's Irish Pub and Restaurant. We even sat in "Reagan's Corner," right by the table where Ronald Reagan once had lunch in the pub.

Spencer had a steak and cheese sandwich. It came on a hoagie bun and was served with fries. Robert got the fish and chips and a Guinness.

I got the daily special, a smothered chicken, with the chicken covered in crab meat and little bits of ham in an anisette-scented cream sauce. It came with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. Sorry about the picture.....I took several, but they kept over exposing. The food tasted a lot better than it looks. The special seems to be a variation on a mushroom-topped "whiskey chicken" in cream sauce that's a regular feature on the dinner menu. Neither of them, however, are things I've ever eaten in Ireland.

Pat's seemed like a pleasant enough place, and we were late enough to lunch that the place was nearly empty and blessedly quiet for a pub. Of course, the down side was the wait staff was off doing cleaning tasks and seldom appeared, leading to spotty service. Everyone seemed happy with their food, though, so that was the important thing.

By the way, who in the world is Pat Troy?