Paddy in Philly Part 2

In a previous post I wrote about my trip to the Atlantic City location of The Irish Pub. Even though their Irish whiskey offerings were on the slim side, I gave them overall
high marks due to the bar’s outstanding décor and craic. The 2 Philadelphia locations of The Irish Pub do not rate so highly in this writer’s opinion. I’ll start with the 20th and Walnut location. This place did nothing for me. The Irish whiskey (and beer) selection was just as limited as the AC location, but without the atmosphere to save it. The place seemed generic and colorless; I’ve been to several Bennigans with more character. The music was ridiculously loud. I know I’m an old-fashioned curmudgeon, but seriously, does a local-style pub with all of 25 patrons on a Wednesday night need to crank the jukebox to ear-splitting levels? People were literally yelling at each other to be heard. I’ve been in the bar business for awhile, and energy is not something a bar can magically create just by pumping the decibel level to “10.” Inch the volume up as the crowd gets bigger, otherwise, let people have a civilized conversation for the love of all that is good and right. After all, an Irish pub should encourage conversation and the “talking of a little treason.” The only incident of note that occurred here was that a drunken patron told me that his buddy was in Rocky. This guy told that his friend was in a scene, and the friend proudly acknowledged his contribution to celluloid posterity by drunkenly nodding and slurring something I couldn’t make out. I’m sure I said something polite and non-committal while making sure that I was moving in the opposite direction. This was a situation that almost anyone who has ever been to a bar has experienced. You ask yourself “what is it about me that makes this drunk person feel the need to approach me with outlandish nonsense?” You find yourself at a bar, not doing anything to draw attention to yourself, and suddenly you have a drunken stranger giving you the lowdown on a subject you couldn’t give a damn about. I will say that these situations are usually the good for a story, and the bar scene would be poorer without unsolicited, drunken conversation. Just par for the course. Aside from this encounter, my impression of The Irish Pub on 20th was wholly unremarkable and underwhelming. I give it a C, it’s not really a bad place, just not that good.
My experience at the 12th and Walnut location of The Irish Pub was certainly the most satisfying of the evening. The place was more spacious than its 20th street sister, and the selection was better, too. I had the choice of both Red Breast and Tullamore 12 (I opted for the 12, mostly because I can’t get it in Delaware) in addition to the usual suspects I’ve mentioned before. This was the best pub of the 3 I had visited, but still not the equal of its AC sister. Alas, the craic was still not in evidence (say that phonetically to someone about a bar and see what kind of looks you get). The place had the Irish tchotckes (my personal favorite an “Al Smith for President” poster), but it didn’t have the feel. Everything was too orderly, the décor didn’t have the endearingly cluttered look of the Atlantic City location. Even thought there was a respectable crowd there, the atmosphere had that polarized, high school cafeteria feel (happy hour yuppies here, drink special-seeking college kids over here, hipster, craft beer types over there). The place wasn’t bad, but I just can’t see myself going back unless I happened to be nearby and really needed an eye-opener, and didn’t want to drive any further. Lest you think I’m being rashly judgmental, I think most of us know that a pub’s criac factor is readily apparent. I consider myself a good judge of pubs, like some people are good judges of character. The first impression is usually the right one; what seems like a good bar is usually a good bar, and vice versa. I’ll give this location of The Irish Pub a B-, decent enough but nothing special.
None of the places I visited on my recent trip to Philly seemed like they were good Irish pubs. But Philly has plenty of other bars on offer; good places like the spots I visited last Saint Patrick’s Day. While this most recent trip may not have borne criac-laden fruit, I’m sure that future trips to Philly will provide me with more positive things to write about. Of course, suggestions are always welcome. Help me out, dear readers! Let me know what I’m missing. Post in the comments section or better yet; e-mail me with suggestions at paddythepublican@gmail.

Paddy in Philly Part 1

Since I’ve started this blog about Irish pubs, I feel an obligation to try to keep it current. So I took an uncharacteristically impulsive trip to Philadelphia on a weekday evening to hit some bars and come up with some material. I went to some “name” Irish pubs in the city of brotherly love, and I came away feeling less than fulfilled. The pubs didn’t do much for me, but at least I got a few slugs of respectable Irish whiskey in me.
My first stop was McGillin’s, which is on record as being the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philly, according to its website. The website also records the accolades it has received in the past, which includes Philly’s best Irish pub, an assertion I can seriously dispute after two minutes of being in the place. I arrived at the bar about 8 o’clock on a Wednesday, and the place was ridiculously packed. I’ll say right off the bat that a place that is as inaccessible as McGillin’s (tucked in a center city alley with no dedicated parking) and still manages to attract a big crowd on a winter weekday night is doing something right. As the Irish say, Good on Ye! The service was prompt and cordial and the bleached blonde bartender knew what Tullamore Dew neat meant without having to ask (if you think I’m being sexist, I’ve heard from several women that they don’t trust attractive, big-bosomed bartenders to know anything about tending bar, they usually get hired for other attributes). This bartender was confidant and knowledgeable, no silly flirting to mask weak bar knowledge. I’ll give the place high marks for Irish décor: plenty of pictures, signs, and other assorted bric-a-brac. The place has the lived-in look of a bar that’s been around since the Civil War era.
However, McGillin’s is missing 2 crucial elements: selection and craic. The Irish whiskey selection is not good; only 5 representatives of the usice beatha and all crowded around the same price point: Jameson, Bushmill’s, Tullamore Dew, Michael Collins, and Feckin’. A place this busy and with the (relative) diversity of clientele I saw can’t spring for something a little more high-end? No Red Breast, Tullamore 12, or Jameson 12? Yes, I know I’m beating my overly dead horse, but let’s see a little effort people. St. Paddy’s Day is right around the corner, and not everyone wants to drink whatever draft is on special and “fuggin’ Jaeger bombs.” And as far as craic goes, it wasn’t in evidence on my visit. I know that craic is a subjective matter, but to me, McGillin’s didn’t have it. The place was crowded and loud, but I can get that scene at any number of just-post-college bars or yuppie taverns anywhere. Granted, the place was so crowded that I couldn’t find a decent spot to stand by and survey the place. I took a quick walk through the 2 floors, slugged down my whiskey, jotted a few notes, and left. To be fair, I’ll give McGillin’s an I for Incomplete based on my visit. I feel that in fairness to the place and my readers, I need to make a follow-up trip that allow me to more fully absorb the bar. However, I have learned through my years to trust my first impressions, and my first impression of McGillin’s is not too positive.

The Irish Pub in AC

I went to Atlantic City this past weekend, and no, I didn’t win any money. I lost a little thanks to cold cards and bad luck at poker (I might have played a little bad, too). But I did get to pop into some of my favorite spots. I had lunch at Bill’s, the place festooned with dollar bills that serves up a great gyro. I had an excellent martini at Red Square, a well-appointed but comfortable place in the Tropicana. And I made a stop at The Irish Pub.

The Irish Pub has probably my favorite décor of any Irish pub I have been in. Fancy-pants know-it-alls will probably knock the place for being tacky, out-dated, and cluttered, but that’s what’s so great about it. The whole bar and restaurant are packed with early 20^th century Americana bric-a-brac, with an Irish slant. The place is decorated with: sports memorabilia, boxing gloves hanging from the ceiling, pictures of Jack Dempsey, “No Irish Need Apply” plaques, you name it. I could be wrong, but the bar looks like it was decorated with collectibles acquired during the life of the pub, honest artifacts found at rummage sales and flea markets. The bar has the dark wood and brass accents; it looks like a classic Irish-American pub, the kind of place you’d film a scene in that calls for “an authentic Irish bar with local color” in the shooting script. The place was established in 1972, but it looks older, and I mean that in a good way. It has a scuffed-up charm to it, and draws an unpretentious crowd of regulars. I haven’t encountered any of the obnoxious, loudmouth trash that you usually have to contend with at other Atlantic City bars.

My only complaint is, predictably, the limited Irish whiskey selection. Only 5 whiskies were available, and they didn’t carry Michael Collins anymore, which I had the last time I visited. I asked for Red Breast, which they didn’t have, but bartender asked if it lived up to the hype he was hearing. I gave it an enthusiastic endorsement, so maybe it will find it’s way onto their shelf. Irish whiskey is a fast-growing liquor segment, and Irish pubs that don’t expand their offerings to take advantage of the surge in interest are only hurting themselves. I will give them points for having both Guinness and Murphy’s on tap; most Irish places won’t carry 2 stouts. CULTURAL TIDBIT ALERT: A guy from Ireland told that Guinness and Murphy’s are heavily regional in Ireland. Guinness is the northern stout (not the unfree 6 north, but just the north half of the country) while Murphy’s holds strong in Ireland’s southern half. You’ll get odd looks ordering Murphy’s up north in a traditional pub, and vice-versa. I guess it’s like asking for a deep-dish pizza in Brooklyn. Fughedaboudit!

Anyway, the service was friendly and quick, and I think the pub’s look is fantastic. They also have a gift shop with cool Irish stuff in it. I’ll definitely go back, I’m just hoping I’ll have more whiskey choices when I do return.

The Scorecard: B+: I’d usually be a little harsher because of the less-than-stellar whiskey selection, but the place is so cool in every other respect, I’ve got to cut them some slack. (I know, typical Irishman, big softy sentimentalist). Next time you’re at the north end of the AC boardwalk, check them out. They’re about a block off the boards, but they find them easily because they always have someone handing out fliers and wearing a sandwich board with their specials. (No, seriously, they do. Better and cheaper than a newspaper ad, I suppose).

A Tale of Two Pubs

I view Irish pubs in America as basically falling into one of two categories: American Irish pub and Irish-American pub. Now you, loyal reader, may look at this distinction as a particular fine bit of hair-splitting, but I assure you that there is a discernable difference. To me, an American Irish pub seeks to recreate the look and feel of the traditional pub in Ireland. I call it the “Cohan’s effect.” For those of you who don’t know (and shame on ye if ya don’t!) Cohan’s is the name of the local pub that features prominently in the 1952 John Wayne film The Quiet Man; director John Ford’s love letter to his ancestral homeland of Ireland. In the movie, Cohan’s exemplifies what most Americans envision a typical Irish pub to look like: dark wood, roaring fireplace, tranquil locals sipping pints of stout while “talking a little treason.” All in all, Cohan’s in The Quiet Man represents an idyllic and idealized version of an Irish pub that has taken root in the minds of several generations of Americans of Irish heritage.

The reason I mention the two distinct versions of Irish pubs commonly seen in the USA is that two of the best Irish pubs in Delaware almost perfectly embody the two different types in question. Also, the two pubs in question are within a few miles of each other in the Wilmington area.

Catherine Rooney’s is a definite Cohan’s type American Irish pub; it seeks, in ways both large and small, to replicate a pub from the old sod. Rooney’s hits all of the classic notes: dark wood bar and paneling, cozy fireplace, soccer games on the TV (Notre Dame football still takes precedence on fall Saturdays, this is America after all). Rooney’s could easily be a garish parody of an Irish pub, except for the fact that the place was obviously constructed with a strong respect for the Irish pub tradition. The owners are of Irish descent, so the bar is not some exercise in cheap, commercial sentiment. There is plenty of Irish bric-a-brac: pictures of pubs from the old country, plaques with traditional Irish sayings, statues of leprechauns, but it all feels genuine. There is also a nice mural of one wall honoring those who serve and have served the city of Wilmington in the police and fire departments (of course many were/are Irish-Americans). Rooney’s obviously strives mightily to mirror the relaxing, socialable atmosphere of Cohan’s. What makes Catherine Rooney’s such a terrific place is that it succeeds in its goals. The bar is an enjoyable place to have a meal or to just have a few drinks, alone or with friends. The craic hangs easy in the air and a welcoming aura permeates the place. My only quibble is that the Irish whiskey selection is not what it should be. On my last visit, Rooney’s offered 7 Irish whiskies, when I know that there are at least 15-16 available for on-premise sale in Delaware. They have more Scotch for sale then Irish whiskey, and some of it is higher dollar, aged Scotch whiskey. Why no higher-end single malt or 15-18 year old Irish whiskey for us enthusiasts? Aside from the underwhelming whiskey selection, I give Catherine Rooney’s high marks as an Irish pub.

Just a few miles away from Catherine Rooney’s American Irish pub is the flip side of the coin, the Irish American pub, Mulrooney’s. Now, you may ask, what is the difference between these two places? Why is Paddy belaboring the point, playing a rousing game of split-the-hair semantics? To me this difference is an important point, a distinction with a difference. While Catherine Rooney’s is a prototypical American Irish Pub, AIP for short hereafter, a true exemplar of the Cohan’s ideal, Mulrooney’s is a different animal. While Rooney’s harkens back to the old country, Mulrooney’s is very much a creature of America. Mulrooney’s is the kind of place that could be just another corner dive sports bar, with the well-worn 50-year-old floor and the decades-out-of-date interior. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I like a well-aged tavern with some scruffy character). But the numerous Irish adornments make the place more than just a neighborhood watering hole. Mulrooney’s is both distinctly Irish and unmistakably American. The Irish accents are many: a collection of leprechaun figurines on a shelf behind the bar (right next to the shelf of Irish whiskey), the well-aged Notre Dame posters and pennants, the road signs pointing to major Irish cities, noting the distance in miles from America (e.g. Tippearey 3204 miles east). Mulrooney’s has an old feel to it, and the same can be said of the Irish tchotchkes that adorn the walls. The Irish character of the bar feels like a natural progression, something that has been built up over time. Mulrooney’s doesn’t have the slapped together feel of a newly opened pub; with all of the Irish posters and bric-a-brac purchased from some specialty decoration company.

Mulrooney’s also has a very real feel to it; given that it is located in a rather dodgy part of town. The pub/package store is located under an overpass leading from Wilmington to Elsmere; on a virtual dead-end street. For an old school Irish pub, I think this is more the norm than many people may realize. The original Irish-American pubs were watering holes for working class immigrants and their first-generation offspring. Naturally, these places are going to be located in the unglamorous parts of town. But for those with an adventurous spirit and an unpretentious self-confidence, seeking out these diamonds in the rough is worth the effort. A place like Mulrooney’s has a very respectable take-me-as-I-am quality; a gritty, working-class likeability that should appeal to those who like some character in a bar.

Now that I’ve established Mulrooney’s bona fides as far as décor goes, you are probably curious how the place scores on my more important selection-o-meter. The answer is; surprisingly well. When I first dropped in on Mulrooney’s on Saint Patrick’s Days a few years back, I did not expect much from this rather modest-looking place. I was pleasantly surprised to see an Irish whiskey selection that ran about 8-9 bottles strong. One of the guys I was with was pleased and surprised that they offered Smithwicks on draft. I have enjoyed a variety of Irish whiskies there that I have not found in other so-called Irish pubs in the area. I suspect being connected to a liquor store allows the owners to offer a wider selection of booze. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful that Mulrooney’s puts out a fine spread of Irish whiskey, even if there my not be much demand for it. Irish whiskey is a growing spirit category, but it is coming up from a very low sales baseline in this country. Being in Delaware, which is not exactly the home of broad and diverse liquor demand, the problem is doubly compounded with regard to uisce beatha. I plan to write more about the state of Irish whiskey in America in a future post.

The Scorecard: Catherine Rooney’s:

Selection: I have pointed out the lack of new Irish whiskey on the back bar before, and they could easily offer more, given how popular they are. They also have the big 3 Irish beers on tap: Guinness, Harp, and Smithwicks. This is my biggest complaint about the place, but it is also the easiest for them to rectify.

Atmosphere: They take great pains to create the warm, inviting atmosphere of a Cohan’s-type pub. It’s obvious that the owners have a great affection and respect for Irish-Americans. There are plenty of references to notable Irish people and events: in Ireland, America in general, and Wilmington in particular.

Craic: Rooney’s always seems to have it, to varying degrees. It’s comfortable place to have a quiet lunch, or a drink or two. They have a lively happy hour, with a good mix of people. Even the late night crowd is festive and relatively hassle-free. It seems like a good time can always be had there, no matter the day or time. I haven’t met anyone yet who won’t agree to meet there.

Service: The service is usually very good, and a recent group lunch there was a top-notch experience. The bartenders know their stuff and are courteous and helpful. Occasionally, you’ll get a semi-clueless server or some surliness from a bartender, but overall the staff is solid.

Overall grade: B+

The Scorecard: Mulrooney’s

Selection: Good. They seem to have a new Irish whiskey offering on the shelf on a fairly regular basis. I’ve been able to try stuff there for the first time that I haven’t seen offered by the glass anywhere else. The bar also offers the big 3 Irish beers on draft.

Atmosphere/Craic: As I mentioned before, Mulrooney’s is a local, blue-collar type place with a low-key appeal. It’s not a dive, but it definitely isn’t sleek and sexy either. The crowd is laid-back and regular, and you certainly don’t have to worry about dealing with dolled-up plastic girls and blowout sporting dudes working the latest AX fashion. It’s a non-pretentious place to grab a relaxing drink. A place for grown-ups, not club-hopping kids.

Service: Polite and prompt whenever I’ve been there, no complaints. Although it’s probably not the place for the overly finicky bar customer. Don’t come in asking for a wine list or a tapas menu; I’d be the first to laugh you out the door.

Overall Grade: B+

So if you are in the (Wilmington) neighborhood, and you are looking to bend the elbow at a good Irish pub, these 2 bars get the Paddy seal of approval.

Paddy's Inaugural Post

Failte! Welcome to my blog and thanks for coming by. I want to use my inaugural post to explain what is going to be going on here. The title seemingly says it all; this is a blog about Irish Pubs here in the USA. Pubs will be the primary focus, but I plan on doing much more. I am going to cover the gamut of the Irish-American experience, with a focus on the fun stuff. By fun stuff, I’m talking about: pubs, Irish whiskey (and other drinks), festivals, jokes, social groups and gatherings. I’ll try to keep things on a well-organized track, but part of being Irish involves digressing to and fro. So there will be a good dash of miscellanea tossed in to keep things interesting.

So why start a blog about Irish pubs? Well, dear reader, even though there are scores of Irish pubs across this country, the subject seems to get very little attention. You may ask, who cares? After all, they’re just bars. Not quite. The immigrant story in America is multi-faceted, and one of the important, and highly visible facets, is the culinary tradition that each group brings with it. With the recent hot interest in all things gastronomical: cooking shows, History Channel shows about food and restaurants, and the new cocktail renaissance I feel like the Irish in America have been left out. Plenty of shows and books have gone over the ground of: Italian food and wine, BBQ, French cuisine, the evolution of Chinese food in America. But the Irish pub, and the native drinks served therein, hasn’t gotten much ink. Why? Maybe it’s because the Irish don’t have much of a culinary tradition (boiled potatoes, anyone?). And maybe the food shows are too polite to point this fact out by focusing only on the beer and whiskey. I, however, see no need to dodge the issue. So while the Irish didn’t bring any culinary mainstays with them from the old country like the Italians brought pizza or the Polish brought pierogies (making me glad I’m also Italian and Polish, good eating). The Irish gave America the Irish pub; it may our only contribution to the food and beverage landscape, but it’s good enough.

As I said before, there are plenty of Irish pubs dotting the American landscape; some good, some bad, and a few that are exemplary. However, it’s tough to find a good resource for Irish pubs. There are a few sites and books, but my experience is that they are mostly just listings, with maybe a few descriptive lines tossed in. I think people shy away from rating Irish pubs because doing so is an even more subjective undertaking then the typical restaurant or bar review. An eatery may have out-dated décor or limited parking, but if the food is great, all is forgiven. Irish pubs are usually rated largely on the craic factor. Criac is a Gaelic word that refers to a pleasant atmosphere of good, lively fun, a vibe, so to speak. A glass of Jameson is going to taste the same at Murphy’s Pub or at McDowell’s Pub, but the level of craic is going to contribute mightily to which place you drink your Jameson.

My own standards for what makes a good Irish pub fall into two main categories.

Selection: To me, this is paramount. A bar can have all the dark wood, Clancy Brothers music, and pictures of old Eire it wants; but if all they got on the back bar is Jameson and Bushmills, and Guinness is all they have on draft, then the bar is a failure. Why is selection so important? Imagine going into a traditional Italian restaurant with a hankering for some calamari, linguine and clams in fra diavlo, paired with a nice glass of Dolcetto, and finishing all of with a cannoli and espresso. Now, imagine that you open this restaurant’s menu and discover that there isn’t a single pasta dish listed. In fact, everything is steak and sushi. Furthermore, the wine list doesn’t have a single Italian wine on it. I would think that you would be seriously disappointed; asking what kind of sorry excuse for an Italian restaurant is this? I have had this experience numerous times in so-called Irish pubs. I go in, salivating at the prospect of trying a new and interesting Irish whiskey, only to be faced with a back bar featuring the same generic line-up as any casual-dining chain. Jameson and Bushmills are decent enough whiskies, but I can get them anywhere (hell, even at an Italian restaurant). Irish whiskey is not very popular in America, far eclipsed by Scotch and Bourbon in the whiskey category. I don’t expect to find, say, Knappogue Castle at the average bar. But I do expect an Irish pub to make the effort to keep a respectable line-up of Irish beer and whiskey available; where else am I supposed to find it? After all, people aren’t flocking to Irish pubs to try the exotic native cuisine; we’re looking for a taste of what Ireland does best; whiskey and beer that cheers men’s souls like no other.

Appearance and décor: There are several different versions of the Irish pub, both in Ireland and America. So there is a range of looks that an Irish pub can have, and do have, either by accident or design. It is a subject I’ll elaborate on in future posts. Generally speaking, I think that any Irish pub has to give some hint that it is an Irish pub. Does the place have to be lousy with shamrocks and harps? It can be, but doesn’t have too. I think that there has to be some indication of Irishness; it can understated or over-the-top. A few tchotckes is fine, a shamrock here or there, a faded out Notre Dame football pennant. The possibilities are many, but I believe an effort should be made to differentiate an Irish pub from any other bar. A place that calls itself an Irish pub is trading on my ethnic heritage; so make an effort and be respectful. That’s all I ask.

So now that all of you have gotten a sense of where I’m coming from, you can also glean a bit about where I’m going. My aim is to chronicle the Irish pub scene, among other things, in America. I’ll focus mainly on those that are doing it right, and try to keep things positive. Those places that are mediocre and underwhelming, well, I’ll leave them to their tepid fate. However, I will not shy from giving a red-faced verbal lashing to those places that are getting it terrifically wrong. I’m not on some Mick-purity crusade here, but as mentioned before, an Irish pub is trading on my heritage. Bars doing a particularly poor job of representing the Irish will be publicly shamed by yours truly.

On a final note, I would like to open things up to discussion, so to speak. I haven’t been everywhere and don’t know everything, and I don’t pretend to the contrary. I seek and value relevant, civilized, and constructive input from my readers. I’m interested in comments, suggestions, and tips. I’m always on the look out for a watering hole with a distinct character, Irish or not. Suggestions on where to find the more obscure uisce beatha are always welcome. Any information and/or links regarding Irish-American social organizations are also invited. In conclusion, thanks for visiting, and I’ll try to keep things interesting enough so that you’ll return often. Slainte!