By Bella English, Globe Staff

We started with some typical bar food (when in Rome. . .). Chicken quesadillas ($6.25), stuffed with strips of grilled chicken rubbed with fiery spices, came with chunks of fresh tomato and covered with salsa and guacamole. The fire was tempered by the guacamole to make for a tasty, healthful dish.

Buffalo wings ($6.95) were a generous portion sprinkled with pebbles of blue cheese, with a side of blue cheese dressing for a hot-and-tart taste. But my favorite was crispy calamari ($7.25), flash-fried with hot cherry peppers in wine to avoid the common rubbery texture. The ample serving could well have served as an entree. Ditto for the Caesar salad ($5.50), which filled the entire dinner plate.

Full at this point, I opted for the veggie burger ($6.25), a mistake. It was ordinary fare, much like one of those frozen slabs you might grill at home. Next time, I'll stick to other choices, such as fish and chips ($9.95), a fat chunk of haddock lightly fried and served steaming hot with a big portion of homemade fries the way I like them, skins still on. The spinach and cheese ravioli ($7.95) was al dente and came in a light tomato sauce, which made a nice sop for the foccacia.

The Blarney Stone also offers a half-dozen types of wraps and sandwiches, ranging from $4.95 for your basic American burger to $6.50 for a tuna melt with tomato, Swiss, and bacon.

Fortunately for our digestive system, only one dessert was on hand that particular night: carrot cake ($3.95). It was a double-decker, with gooey cream cheese frosting served with powdered cinammon on top. A sweet ending.

Restaurant owner Michael Conlon's father, Michael Sr., started the original Blarney Stone in 1965, and the younger Conlon and his partners now own three other restaurants, including Buck Mulligan's in West Roxbury.

Heartened by our visits to The Blarney Stone, we tried Buck's a few nights later, which is run by Conlon's brother-in-law, Joe Greene. Buck Mulligan's is your typical Irish bar, but with a difference. It has good food.

We sat at the only tables offered in the house: in the bar. Though smoke-phobic, we were pleasantly surprised at the efficient ventilation system, which whisked the unpleasant stuff straight up and out.

Buck's has the usual bar fare, such as Buffalo wings ($6.25, with a choice of eight different types of marinade from barbecue to garlic parmesan) and "loaded nachos" ($6.25), a heap of tri-colored tortilla chips with chili, salsa, sour cream, onions, jack cheese, and jalapenos.

But there's more imaginative fare here, too, such as the curried chips ($3.25), golden fries topped with a curry chutney of onions, apple, and mango that are, surprisingly, much better than they sound.

A crock of French onion soup ($3.25) contained a brew thick with onions and creamy Gruyere cheese. And the bruschetta ($4.75) rivalled that which we had recently tasted in Rome, though this version is made with grilled French bread. It's crisp - not soggy, as sometimes happens - and topped with diced tomato, fresh basil, and Parmesan, and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

We also enjoyed the steak tips ($7.95), juicy, marinated, and char-grilled. But our favorites were that night's specials, particularly the jambalaya ($7.25), moist rice studded with shrimp, andouille sausage, chicken and fired with cajun seasonings.

Another special, chicken boursin ($6.75) was a tender breast stuffed with a garlic herbed cheese and sauteed in white wine sauce. Rice and sauteed carrots accompanied.

Fortunately, there were no desserts offered that night. (Would any self-respecting bar actually serve dessert?) "There's a Brigham's across the street," notes Joe Greene.

But a self-respecting bar does have numerous beers on tap: nine, here. The waiters are friendly, and if you don't mind sitting at the bar, you can eat good and cheap here. Otherwise, the place does a brisk takeout business.