Conor Byrne is the best place in town to be on St. Patty’s Day—and it’s not a bad place to be on any of the other 362 days that it’s open, either. It’s basically a big room featuring a brick wall, a beautiful wood bar, and a stage, plus a whole lot of Guinness; do you really need much more than that? Where some Irish pubs go heavy on fake “tradition,” Conor’s puts the emphasis where it should be: on the music. Blues, folk, and Celtic predominate; every Monday the pub hosts a bluegrass jam. Occasionally, pub quiz nights are tossed in to keep the barflies sharp. As stripped-down venues to see stripped-down acoustic music go, the pub’s biggest rival is the Tractor Tavern, right down the street. 5140 Ballard Ave. N.W., 206-784-3640, www.conorbyrnepub.com.