Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley Pops In For a Brewski at New DC Irish Pub

OWNER DAVID KELLY, left, AND GOV. O'MALLEY, right, AT THE OPENING OF RI RA IN GEORGETOWN

Maybe it takes a former pub owner to recognize the potential of a new arrival, and on that basis I predict va va voom for Rí Rá, the Charlotte-born Irish pub that opened on M Street in Georgetown Thursday night. It has so much action - bars upstairs, downstairs, near and far - that you have to move around to keep up with the celebrities in the house. Thursday night was no exception, with Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley enjoying a beer at the main bar on the ground floor. He was soon joined by a couple of members of The Steve Miller Band, who said they were in town for a private gig Friday night at the Reagan Building.

GOV. O'MALLEY WITH STEVE MILLER BAND MEMBERS JACOB PETERSEN AND KENNY LEE LEWIS

WHATEVER IT WAS...

The Governor hung out for as long as I was there - easily a half hour. In fact, he was still there when I left. He was relaxing and not minding the crowd at all. Having a chat. Posing for photos. Every now and then he glanced up at one of the TV screens broadcasing basketball. His two or three security guards kept a discreet distance. 

O'Malley said he made the trip into DC "just for this," the opening of Rí Rá. He won't be the first politician to find a nice warm glow by being in the proximity of a pub crowd and a good brew. 

When you get a chance, do check out Ri Ra. It's a happy and handsome addition to the M Street bar scene. I've only been once but look forward to going back. Gorgeous booths. Upstairs in the back, in what used to be a very dreary room, is a bizarrely charming  ode to Irish politicians, with photos of portraits of Bill Clinton, John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama and others.