No, I’m not the Phantom Gourmet. No, I don’t have a financial interest in Murphy’s. I’m just a fan of the place...for a lot of reasons. Great, but you might be wondering - why I’d blog about it?

Recently there has been a lot of attention on Murphy's and some people who frequent there. Since I happene to frequent this fine establishment, I was honestly getting tired of some of the things I was hearing and reading....so I'm exercising my right to blog in reply.

I’ve known Keith Murphy for the past three or four years. Not even sure how me met - but we’ve always gotten along well and politically we’re have a lot of similar views. As a result, over the years we’ve become friends. When he opened Murphy’s Taproom this May, I was sure to be there on opening night, among the chaos any new restaurant has on opening night, to have a beer or two and a bite to eat. The atmosphere was great - a drastic change from when it was the Omega! - the beer selection was extensive, the food was tasty, and the best thing was knowing so many people gathered in one place. Goodness, it almost sounds like that theme song from Cheers!!

As a resident of Manchester, I was so glad to see Omega go away. The place brought nothing but trouble for Manchester and it’s residents. All too often, our police details were called away from the rest of the city to deal with the bad element that was drawn up here from places like Lowell and Lawrence. It is a breathe of fresh air to instead have a place where a family could go for dinner and not feel out of place.

I think I’ve been at Murphy’s at least every week or so since - whether it was for lunch with business acquaintances, a beer with a few of my girl friends, or at one of the varied politically-orientated nights. The Manchester Republican Committee holds it’s Thirsty Thursdays there on the last Thursday of each month - just a reason to get to know other Republicans outside of the day-in, day-out political stuff we all participate in. That’s been a real success. There’s also something called Taproom Tuesdays, when a group of primarily members of the Free State Project get together and socialize.

Ah, yes, the Free Staters. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Free State Project, in a nut shell, it’s a group of people who’s mission is that they will work toward a society in which the sole role of civil government is the protection of individuals' rights to life, liberty, and property.

Pretty radical, huh? Sounds kind of like the Republican principles I hold so dear. There are something like 8,000 Free Staters across the country and about 500 of them currently living in New Hampshire. There are lawyers, construction workers, engineers, stay-at-home moms, etc....and yes, I believe a few got together and opened a restaurant. Some have been elected to public office - there’s at least one state rep and a few that I know have been elected to their local zoning boards and other town offices.

Like any other group, even the Free Staters have their own fringe . All groups have it. The Republicans surely have it. Heck, I’m sure you all saw the pictures of Robert Haines filing to run for President!! The Dems have fringe, as do the libertarians, the environmentalists, the Green Party, etc. Put together any group of people and there’s bound to be fringe! That, however, should never define the entire group. The same applies to the Free Staters. Most of the “new NH residents” I have met are truly nice people....and there are some that are just simply fringe. But you’ve read about that fringe element a lot lately, haven’t you? It’s unfortunate that there are people out there - even some of you who are reading this right now - who presume to know a lot about the Free Staters.....who they are, what they believe, what their goal is....when I’m guessing you haven’t met but a couple of them personally. What a shame that people can be so judgmental and so narrow minded.

Some have said that Murphy’s is the Free Stater hangout. This is true. But it also seems to be the hangout for a diverse political crowd. Staffers from both the Rudy Giuliani and Barack Obama campaigns are there frequently. I know there have been political fundraisers for both Democrats and Republicans held there. Just last week, I stopped by on Tuesday, and the place was top-heavy with Democrats....Betsi Devries, Tom Donovan, Kelleigh Domaingue, etc. A little birdie told me that on Monday night Mike Lopez, George Smith, Syl Dupuis and a couple others were there. Now don’t go thinking that just because Kelleigh Domaingue is Keith Murphy’s fiance, that the place is now a Dem hangout. Heck, I go there and I often go there with Republican buddies.

That’s the thing about Murphy’s - it’s has a wide range of customers. I was there after the St. A’s presidential debate when Ron Paul’s supporters greeted the Texas Congressman, I was there over the weekend surrounded by hyped-up Red Sox and Patriots fans watching the games, and I’ve been there on league nights when those crazy kickball teams show up.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Murphy’s Taproom yet - please do. Order the Shepherd’s Pie or one of the many flavors of chicken wings, have a pint of beer, and enjoy a great atmosphere where you can watch the game or sit and visit with friends without having to scream over loud music. Keep an eye out - you never know who you’ll see sitting at the next table.....could be a politician, could be your neighbor, or it might just be a Free Stater.....but you won’t be able to tell that they are.....after all, they’re just regular people....just like you an me.